Districts Partner with Turnaround Experts for School Improvement and Student Achievement

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Jul 08, 2010, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK , July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- A growing number of public school superintendents are reaching out to "school turnaround partners" to provide school improvement services in chronically under-performing schools. Most recently, Virginia, Colorado and South Carolina have encouraged local districts to work with state-approved school turnaround partners to improve student achievement and learning opportunities for teachers.

One school turnaround expert is EdisonLearning. Recognized as one of the nation's leading education management organizations, EdisonLearning also has established a solid record in providing targeted school improvement solutions.

Since 2005, EdisonLearning has been partnering with the Hawaii Department of Education, providing curriculum, professional development and assessment programs for school improvement under its district partnership service – Alliance™. The seven schools assigned to EdisonLearning in the first two years were among the lowest academically performing in the system and required restructuring and significant school turnaround after failing to meet state proficiency standards for five consecutive years under No Child Left Behind. Today, 38 schools are included in the partnership, and student achievement has been sustained and continuous.

EdisonLearning Alliance provides structures that help ensure high performance on an ongoing basis. These school partnerships bring together research-based school design elements, student achievement tools, professional development and dedicated EdisonLearning experts with a local staff to transform schools, deliver on school turnaround promises and make them centers of academic excellence.

Selected by the Colorado Department of Education for a statewide pilot program, EdisonLearning Alliance is partnering with 20 schools in school turnaround districts serving nearly 9,000 students.

Several school turnaround tools EdisonLearning Alliance provides to boost student achievement include:

Classroom management
Curriculum and instructional skill building for teachers
On-site training, coaching, and mentoring for turnaround
Companion Guides to align curriculum to state standards
Online resources for teachers
Benchmark Assessment System
Customized support and service model for high schools

About EdisonLearning

EdisonLearning is the nation's leading public school innovator and partner for school districts and charter schools serving more than 350,000 children in 25 states and the UK and Abu Dhabi. We work with school leaders and communities to provide solutions that inspire students to think, learn, and succeed – and prepare them to meet their full potential and the expectations of the 21st century workplace. Visit www.EdisonLearning.com for more information.

SOURCE EdisonLearning