Customer Success Stories
Alliance Partnership and Turnaround Schools
Hawaii
“I believe we are much more focused on our curriculum than ever before.”
-Jamie Yap, Principal, Maui Waewna Intermediate School
The Challenge
In 2005 several schools in Hawaii were consistently falling short of state standards for Math and English. The Hawaii Board of Education sought new ways to help these schools. They approved a plan to help 20 struggling schools improve test scores. The Department of Education hired three companies to help restructure these schools, one of which was EdisonLearning.
How We Helped
EdisonLearning was initially assigned to work with seven schools. The company used its Alliance model to bring research-based school design elements, achievement tools and systems, professional development, and EdisonLearning experts to the local staff to collaborate and transform schools.
The Results
First year achievement gains for Alliance partnership schools were on average 7.5% in Reading and 11% in Math. Within three years achievement increased by 22% in Reading and 30% in Math. Fourteen schools made AYP in the 2009-10 school year, up from five schools in 2008-09.
Partnership Schools
Cahlan-Edison Elementary School
“I have taught at four schools before coming to an Edison school. Working at an Edison school has been a different experience. It is the first school where the teachers are always focused on student achievement. Teachers are always striving to improve professionally.”
- Ryan Armitage, 4th Grade Teacher & Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator
The Challenge
Prior to beginning a partnership with EdisonLearning, Cahlan was an “in need of improvement” school in three out of four tested areas. Cahlan also had an ELL population of over 75%.
How We Helped
EdisonLearning and Cahlan created a partnership which increased student achievement, teacher satisfaction, and parent involvement.
The Results
On the 2009 CRT, 48% of students met or exceeded standards in reading. These scores have nearly doubled since 2003—an outstanding achievement given an ELL population of over 75%. On the 2009 CRT, 65% of students met or exceeded standards in math, more than double the 32% in 2003. In addition, parent attendance at the Student Learning Contract Conferences has been 100% for the past nine years.
Crestwood-Edison Elementary School
“Achievement at Crestwood is based on the whole child. Not only do we look at where the student is, we look at where the student came from.”
- Kalandra Sheppard, Principal
The Challenge
In 2003, Crestwood Elementary School was not meeting its AYP targets. Contributing to low achievement was the lack of consistency and accountability in the classroom. Reading programs were used sporadically and math programs did not cover all the skills students needed.
How We Helped
EdisonLearning partnered with Crestwood to address the school’s challenges, including consistent instruction and proficiency levels.
The Results
On the 2009 CRT, 58% of students met or exceeded standards in Reading, exceeding AYP targets. This reflects a 24% point gain since 2003. Also, 64% of students met or exceeded standards in Math. This reflects a 19% point gain since 2003.
Lincoln-Edison Elementary School
“The most valuable piece of the design is the house meetings. Teachers are given the time to support each other, receive training, review data, and plan which has been scientifically proven to directly affect student achievement. Where many districts are fighting over having the teachers meet once a month, the Edison Model provides this daily.”
- Keith France, Principal
The Challenge
In 2003, Lincoln Elementary School was struggling. Scores in both reading and math were below AYP targets, teacher satisfaction was low resulting in high turn-over each year, and parent/community involvement in the school was almost non-existent. The school faced the additional challenge of a large, growing ELL population which required special instruction to ensure success.
How We Helped
The school partnered with EdisonLearning using its School Designs model to create a culture of achievement, increase parent involvement, and address the needs of the ELL population.
The Results
On the 2009 CRT, 52% of students met or exceeded standards in Reading, exceeding AYP targets and more than doubling from 20% in 2003—an outstanding achievement given an ELL population of over 85%. On the 2009 CRT, 595 of students met or exceeded standards in math, exceeding AYP targets and more than doubling from 31% in 2003. Teacher turnover has reduced dramatically as well. In 2009, one teacher left the school, whereas six years ago the school year began with 28 new teachers.
Lynch-Edison Elementary School
“Prior to our partnership we just didn’t have the vehicle to make changes. It is our partnership with EdisonLearning and the resources that allow for staff development and common standards that deliver a cohesive plan for moving our school forward.”
- Debbie Slauzis, Principal
The Challenge
In 2001, Ann T. Lynch Elementary School was performing poorly and in its third year of failing to meet its AYP targets. As the principal, Debbie Slauzis, commented, “Everything needed improvement.” Contributing to low achievement was the lack of consistency and accountability in the classroom.
How We Helped
The school partnered with EdisonLearning and addressed the school’s challenges such as instruction consistency, learning environment, and assessment-informed teaching.
The Results
Lynch went from missing AYP for three consecutive years to meeting AYP targets consistently since 2005. Lynch-Edison is now a choice school in its district. Reading gains for LEP students, (who make up over 60% of the student population), are outstanding, having increased from 14% in 2003 to 52% in 2009, or an increase of 300%. Math gains have also been significant. On the 2009 CRT, 60% of the student body met or exceeded standards, almost double that of 2003, when the proficiency level was only 32%.
Park-Edison Elementary School
“The support we get from EdisonLearning is massive. For example, no other school has this type of Professional Development. You can see this accountability when you look at the dashboards, Harris survey results and level of parent engagement."
-Lorna James-Cervantes, Principal
The Challenge
John S. Park Elementary struggled academically. Achieving at 20% proficiency, Park was ranked as the lowest performing elementary school in Clark County School District. The school lacked continuity in its curriculum and struggled to meet the needs of their ELL population which made up 60% of the student body.
How We Helped
EdisonLearning partnered with Park in 2003 and helped to make consistent, ongoing achievement gains.
The Results
Park-Edison Elementary achieved a 25% increase in Reading scores during the 2008-09 school year, exceeding AYP targets. This represents a tremendous accomplishment given an ELL population of 60%. Park-Edison also achieved gains of over 53% in Math scores during the 2008-09 school year, exceeding AYP targets.
C.C. Ronnow-Edison Elementary School
“I am a more informed and prescriptive educator as a result of administering the monthly benchmark tests to students. After I drill down into the data, I can identify specific content area strands that students are still struggling with and that need to be addressed. Without this data, I would be missing out on information that helps guide my instruction, identify needed interventions for students, and enables me to be a more effective teacher.”
- Olivia Diaz, ELL Specialist
The Challenge
C.C. Ronnow was one of the lowest performing schools in its district. Scores in both Reading and Math were below AYP levels and parent involvement was minimal. The school needed to increase parent involvement in a largely ELL community.
How We Helped
EdisonLearning partnered with the school to improve student achievement, parent involvement, and support for the ELL community.
The Results
On the 2009 CRT, 44% of students met or exceeded standards in Reading, exceeding AYP targets. These scores have nearly doubled since 2003—and outstanding achievement given an ELL population of nearly 70%. On the 2009 CRT, 56% of students met or exceeded standards in Math, a dramatic increase from the 2003 proficiency level of 37%. In addition, Ronnow-Edison boasts an average daily attendance of 95%.
Online Learning
Pennsylvania
“The CAOLA program has helped our students to access courses that they typically would not be able to take, whether it is due to limited offerings or scheduling conflicts. This year one of our students was able to take a Chinese course. Financially, it doesn’t make sense for our district to hire a teacher to teach this course, but eCourses in the CAOLA program gave our students the opportunity for a valuable learning experience.”
-Kevin Roberts, Director of Curriculum & CAOLA Site Coordinator Big Spring School District
The Challenge
School districts in Pennsylvania were facing two challenges. First, many districts did not have the resources to provide students with online learning programs. With no option in the district, increasing numbers of students were leaving to attend virtual charter or other non-district schools. Secondly, small districts were struggling to provide expanded course selections for their students due to lack of means to hire teachers for certain topics.
How We Helped
CAIU established the Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA) in 2009 to provide flexible online learning options to its member districts. Partnering with EdisonLearning, they expanded their high school offerings through EdisonLearning’s eCourses. CAOLA was also able to offer a full-time online high school program through EdisonLearning’s eAcademy.
The Results
In its first year, the CAOLA program had 13 participating districts. The program has now grown to encompass 20 school districts in various regions of the state. The program started with 17 students earning summer school credits and now has 1,871 students enrolled in approximately 100 different courses, with 77 students attending as full-time online students.
Extended Education and Intervention
“The program is fun to teach and the students had a blast learning!”
-Jennifer O’Leary, Learning Force Instructor, Las Animas School District
Extended Education in Colorado
The Challenge
Students in parts of Southeastern Colorado were struggling. Test scores and proficiency levels were below the state average. Area challenges included diverse student populations, poverty, and restricted ability to fill vacancies in remote areas.
How We Helped
The Department of Education entered into a partnership with EdisonLearning to use the company’s Learning Force™, a standards-based program for student intervention, in select districts in Southeastern Colorado. Twenty-six districts were included in the pilot program, encompassing 1,000 students.
The Results
Between 2008 and 2009, CSAP results reflect median growth percentile gains of 16 points in the Math section for students in the pilot program, while students who were not in the program experienced a decline of eight points. CSAP scores of special education students in the pilot were strong, showing a median growth percentile increase of 13.5 points.
School Management
San Jose-Edison Academy
“San Jose-Edison Academy is a place where improved teaching and learning benefits every student, and where students are challenged to meet high expectations.”
-Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
The Challenge
In 1998 the West Covina Unified School District in California needed more classrooms and more teachers to institute class size reductions. To address this need, they opened the charter school which became San Jose-Edison Academy. West Covina struggled with student achievement, in part due to the shifting demographics in the district which included a growing Hispanic/Latino population, and San Jose-Edison Academy was no exception. When the school opened, 71% of the students were reading below grade level.
How We Helped
In its first year, San Jose-Edison Academy enrolled 600 students, with an additional 200 children on the waiting list. EdisonLearning was chosen to partner to help build and manage San Jose-Edison Academy by utilizing its School Designs model. Together, we addressed the school’s challenges in a comprehensive way, focusing especially on reading skills and customized instruction. The school was also organized into houses to foster collaboration and team work.
The Results
San Jose-Edison Academy has a great reputation and a waiting list of 1,400 students hoping to attend the school. Since its inception, it was awarded as a National Blue Ribbon School, and has doubled in size. The school has shown steady improvement in school wide proficiency in Math and English Language Arts. In 2010, approximately 80% of the student body was proficient in Math, nearly double that of 2002 when the proficiency level was 41.8%. In 2010, 78% of students were proficient in English Language Arts, up from 42% in 2002.
Lincoln Charter School
“EdisonLearning services are without a doubt very professional and high quality. They are a top-notch company to work with.”
-Oscar Rossum, Parent & Charter Board President
The Challenge
In 1999, the School District of the City of York in Pennsylvania was struggling with student achievement. Schools were not performing well, with students at Lincoln Elementary schools performing at the lowest level in the district.
How We Helped
Lincoln Elementary School was converted into a charter school in 2000. The school partnered with Edison Learning to build and manage the school, now called Lincoln Charter School.
The Results
Within 5 years of opening, Lincoln Charter School went from the lowest performing elementary school in the district to the highest. Lincoln Charter consistently outperforms the other schools in the district. Between 2002 and 2009 Lincoln Charter School’s Pennsylvania System of State Assessment (PSSA) Reading scores increased by 25.2 points compared with other schools in the district that increased by 14 points on average.
