Press Releases
New Study Will Explore Academic and Social Development Characteristics of Re-engaged High School Dropouts
America’s Promise Alliance to survey Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academy Students
Washington DC - March 26, 2013 – To help communities re-engage more students who have dropped out, America’s Promise Alliance (America’s Promise) and EdisonLearning today announced they will partner to conduct new research that examines the social and emotional and academic characteristics of dropouts who have successfully returned to school to complete their studies. Often an overlooked component of dropout prevention and one of the least researched, dropout recovery is essential for the nation to achieve the Grad Nation Campaign goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate by the class of 2020.
This research will be led by America’s Promise Alliance’s Center for Promise and will include a longitudinal, quantitative study of re-engaged youth with the network of Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academies, a partnership between EdisonLearning and Magic Johnson Enterprises. The study will follow up to 2,000 young people in the 17 Academies located in six states. Read More
Magic Johnson Bridgescape Center Opens to Help Macon Students Earn High School Diplomas
ATLANTA (Dec. 13, 2012) - Provost Academy Georgia (PAGA), a statewide charter high school district, has recently announced plans to open its second Magic Johnson Bridgescape center in Macon, Georgia, early next year. Magic Johnson Bridgescape at PAGA is a free program designed to provide high school-age students who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out with the opportunity to earn a standard high school diploma.
The center, which is currently under renovations, will open its doors at 3902 Northside Drive (Ashley Park Office Complex Building D) in Macon by mid January 2013. However, registration is now open for all interested students.
PAGA is headquartered at 100 Edgewood Avenue NE in Atlanta. PAGA opened the first Magic Johnson Bridgescape center in Atlanta in September 2012. The Magic Johnson Bridgescape center is free and open to students ages 14 to 20 who have left school or are considering leaving school and want to earn a standard high school diploma. Students can enroll by calling 888-725-9501. Read More
Georgia’s New Virtual High School Will Feature Magic Johnson Bridgescape Learning Centers Focused on Dropout Prevention and Recovery
Atlanta - April 18, 2012 - Magic Johnson Bridgescape Learning Centers™, which are designed to help high school-age students, who have already left school or who are at risk of leaving, earn a standard high school diploma, are now a component of Provost Academy Georgia. The combined solution offers one of the most unique blended learning programs in the country.
“Our goal is to ensure that no student in Georgia falls through the cracks,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who last year formed a strategic alliance with EdisonLearning operating as Magic Johnson-EdisonLearning Assist™. “All students should have the opportunity to receive their high school diplomas and be fully prepared for college or the workplace.”
Nationwide, nearly one in three U.S. high school students fails to graduate with a diploma. In total, approximately 1.2 million students drop out each year – averaging 7,000 every school day or one every 26 seconds. Read More
Capital Area Region of Pennsylvania Sees Dramatic Increase in Students Taking Online High School Courses
Enola, PA – (May 1, 2011) The number of high school students in Pennsylvania’s Capital area region taking online courses has multiplied by nearly ten times in the past year.
The Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA), which provides online learning options to students in 19 school districts included in the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU), has seen the number of students taking online courses jump from 149 to 1,242. The number of students taking all of their courses online also increased from 1 in 2010, to 87 this year.
The reason for the dramatic increase is clear according to Holly Brzycki, supervisor of online learning at CAIU, which established CAOLA to provide flexible online learning options to its member districts. “Providing quality online courses helps our districts better serve their students more efficiently and effectively,” explained Brzycki. “This innovative approach to education is cost-effective, and allows them to offer a broader range of courses without the need to increase costs and resources.” Read More.
EdisonLearning Names Dropout Recovery Expert to Expand Efforts to Help School Districts and Students
New York, NY – (Feb. 1, 2011) EdisonLearning, a leading international educational solutions provider, has named Alvin Allgood Senior Vice President and head of its Dropout Recovery Center initiative. Allgood has extensive experience launching and managing dropout recovery centers and will lead the acceleration of EdisonLearning’s presence in this critical area.
Earlier this year, EdisonLearning opened eight dropout recovery Centers in Ohio – four each in Columbus and Cleveland. Each center provides educational services for 100 to 150 students seeking to earn their high school diploma.
“With the alarming high school dropout rates across the country, EdisonLearning’s experience in education reform positions us well to help our state and local partners address this issue,” said EdisonLearning President and CEO Jeff Wahl. “Alvin’s educational and administrative background in establishing the programs and facilities to help students earn a high school diploma will help accelerate our presence in this important area.” Read More.
EdisonLearning Names New Chief Operating and Education Officer
New York, NY – (Dec. 7, 2010) EdisonLearning, a leading international educational solutions provider, has named Paul Lincoln as the company’s new Chief Operating and Education Officer. Lincoln has a deep knowledge of the EdisonLearning model, having founded the organization’s operation in the United Kingdom in 2003.
“Because educational and operational excellence is critical to meeting the needs of our partners and helping students succeed, Paul is a natural to lead our efforts in these areas,” said EdisonLearning President and CEO Jeff Wahl. “He has a thorough understanding of the ingredients of outstanding schools, having honed his skills during the 19 years he spent as a highly successful teacher and leader in state secondary schools in England.” Read More.
EdisonLearning Partnership with Hawaii Schools Continues to Produce Solid Improvement Results
Honolulu, Hawaii (August 3, 2010) – The 2010 Hawaii State Assessment preliminary test results show that despite spending fewer days in the classroom, Hawaii’s public school students made solid achievement progress in reading and math. The test results also show that EdisonLearning’s partnership role with the Hawaii Department of Education continues to help build and sustain student achievement gains.
Known as one of the nation’s leading education management organizations partnering with charter schools and local districts, EdisonLearning has been in a school partnership with the Hawaii Department of Education, providing turnaround curriculum, professional development and assessment programs for school improvement under its district partnership service – Alliance™ - since 2005. Read More.
EdisonLearning Math Force™ Intervention Program Accelerates Learning and Scores for Students in 26 Colorado School Districts
Denver, Colorado (May 18, 2010) – Focused on bringing value and service to its school districts, the Colorado Department of Education’s pilot math intervention initiative with EdisonLearning’s Math Force is improving the math skills of 1,000 Southeastern Colorado students who scored unsatisfactory or low partially proficient in math on previous state achievement tests, including students with Individual Education Plans (IEP).
Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) results show that students achieved one-year median growth percentile gains of 16 points on the math section of the CSAP test from 2008 to 2009, whereas students in the region that were not in the math pilot experienced a decline of eight percentiles. When CSAP scores of special education students were isolated, they showed a median growth percentile increase of 13.5 points. Read More.
