Poudre School District's PSD Global Academy Tops Student Growth Scores in Colorado

Blended and Online School Partners with Fuel Education for Personalized Learning Solutions

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Aug 21, 2014, 07:06 ET

HERNDON, Va., Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Personalized learning solutions provider Fuel Education™ today announced that its partner Poudre School District's PSD Global Academy ranked among the highest in the state of Colorado for student growth across all grades for the 2013-2014 school year. This achievement marks the first time an innovative school using blended and online learning has ranked in the top 95 percent of all Colorado schools – including traditional brick and mortar schools, charter schools, and other online schools.

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Based in Fort Collins, the PSD Global Academy (PGA) is a full-time hybrid school where more than 200 students attend blended classes on campus, and attend online classes from home. Since the school opened in 2009, more than 500 PGA students have used Fuel Education curriculum designed for blended and online learning in grades K-12. In addition, each school year about 500 students at other district schools take supplemental online courses, such as AP^® courses, world languages, and electives, provided by Fuel Education. While most courses are taught by Poudre School District teachers, some are taught by Fuel Education's certified instructors.

Last week, the Colorado Department of Education released the 2014 Student Achievement and Growth Results, which includes scores from the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP) for reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as student growth data. According to the report and the school's analysis, PSD Global Academy scored:

Elementary School – 71 in reading (98th percentile statewide) and 70 in math (95th percentile statewide);
Middle School – 67 in reading (97th percentile statewide) and 86 in writing (99-100th percentile statewide); and
High School – 75 in reading (99-100th percentile statewide) and 81 in writing (99-100th percentile statewide).

PSD Global Academy Principal Heather Hiebsch attributes the results to several factors central to the school's philosophy and practices:

Providing students blended and hybrid opportunities;
Offering individualized learning in a small environment;
Developing parent partnerships;
Focusing on teaching non-cognitive skills, such as grit, perseverance, a positive mindset, good relationships, and motivation; and
Leveraging technology to personalize learning.

"I appreciate how 'curriculum' now includes opportunities to be flexible and innovative, rather than a single static textbook. When you partner dynamic digital content like Fuel Education with amazing teachers and blended learning opportunities like those at PGA, kids can do great things," said Hiebsch.

"We congratulate PSD Global Academy for achieving truly outstanding results through personalized learning," said Gregg Levin, General Manager of Fuel Education. "PSD Global Academy has clearly developed the right mix of online learning and differentiated instruction in a personal environment, and has proven that through innovation, not only can they meet the needs of more of their students, but that they can improve student outcomes."

Kate Stevens, a high school English teacher at PGA, said, "PGA has always fostered innovation for hybrid learning, and given students a place to grow and succeed. This community allows learners to experience true 21st century preparation with the support of dedicated teachers, staff, and students."

Read more about how PGA provides personalized learning in a hybrid environment in Learn Outside the Lines.

In addition to blended and online learning programs like those at PGA, Fuel Education solutions enable districts to transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company supports districts with a variety of online and blended programs, ranging from catalog expansion for low-enrollment or hard-to-staff courses, and hospital/homebound education, to full-time school programs, language exposure and learning, alternative education, remediation, and kindergarten readiness, among others.

About Fuel Education
Fuel Education™ partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through12^th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK™, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education offers the industry's largest catalog of digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. FuelEd has helped 2,000 school districts to improve student outcomes and better serve diverse student populations. To learn more, visit getfueled.com and Twitter.

©2014 Fuel Education LLC. All rights reserved. Fuel Education, FuelEd, and PEAK are trademarks of Fuel Education LLC or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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