Scholastic Achievement Partners™ (SAP) Selected as West Virginia External Supporting Partner to Drive School Improvement

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- West Virginia has announced that Scholastic Achievement Partners™ (SAP), a unit of Scholastic Education, has been selected as an External Supporting Partner for turning around low-performing schools in the state.  SAP is now eligible to work with schools to help implement academic improvement initiatives, develop the skills and expertise of teachers and leaders, and improve student performance in literacy and math.  

Scholastic Achievement Partners – with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), a nationally-recognized provider of leadership development and teacher growth, plus the now-added muscle of Math Solutions, a leading authority on effective K-12 math instruction, under its umbrella – offers a unique and powerful combination of comprehensive curriculum programs, professional development and whole-school reform services to schools that is research-based, proven effective, and designed to last.  In addition to West Virginia, SAP will be working with schools in Arizona, Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington State.

"Our previous work in West Virginia has included Cabell, Kanawha, Berkeley, Clay and Roane counties," stated Duncan Young, Senior Vice President, Scholastic Achievement Partners.  "But like elsewhere across the country, West Virginia's district and school leaders are facing an increasingly diverse array of challenges and demands in turning around low-performing schools and investing in the skills of their staff.  Anchored by READ 180®  – the most thoroughly researched and effective reading intervention program in the country for low-achieving students – we're excited to be able to now work with schools in this state more deeply, offering enhanced services to help every school leader, teacher and, ultimately student, perform at the highest level."

Gerry Sawrey, Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement for Cabell Country writes that because of their work with ICLE, "Our graduation rate has improved.  One of the two high schools that had never made AYP in the past-they did this year.  Markedly changed is each school's culture and the level of teacher leadership in each building.  Teachers are excited- I would even say they are "on fire" about their profession.  I think that, in and of itself, is truly remarkable."

SAP's partnership with schools is designed to cultivate school leaders' existing skills and abilities to create a framework that will produce sustainable gains in student performance.  The work impacts the Five Key Levers™ proven to accelerate achievement.  In each engagement, Scholastic Achievement Partners will tackle:  

1. Comprehensive Literacy Improvement: We will develop comprehensive plans for district-wide literacy, implementing a three-tiered delivery model that includes READ 180®, the most thoroughly documented and proven effective program for low-achieving students; Scholastic Expert 21®, a comprehensive English-Language Arts program that teaches the reading, writing, and thinking necessary for college, career, and life in the 21st Century and System 44®, a foundational reading program designed for the most challenged struggling readers in Grades 3-12.
2. Leadership and School Change: We pair all school leaders with a School Improvement Specialist with proven change management experience, who will develop a continuum of professional development and coaching meant to give all leaders the skills they need to become agents of sustained change.
3. Instructional Excellence: We will create a targeted plan of professional development and job-embedded coaching aimed at improving the quality of teaching in every classroom.
4. College and Career Ready Curriculum: Using Curriculum Alignment Reviews (CARs), we will assess the alignment between a school's curriculum, college and career ready standards and next generation assessments, producing a multi-month plan with actionable recommendations to navigate this transition.
5. Culture and Community/Parent Empowerment: Using a suite of proprietary surveys we will assess the beliefs and attitudes of all stakeholders in the school community, and develop a plan to engage these key groups in school improvement efforts

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SOURCE Scholastic