As state departments of education across the country are beginning to put more emphasis on instructional technology, Classworks published by Curriculum Advantage, Inc. is proving it meets these state requirements and, in the process, is making inroads into new markets.
In 2007, the Utah state education office requested that its educators put a greater effort into finding and implementing effective instructional technology, while at the same time, state legislators provided $50 million statewide for software to be purchased at the district level. In North Carolina, the state Department of Education is also addressing the need for increased instructional technology. In both cases, Classworks was identified as a match to these states instructional goals, and districts in Utah and North Carolina decided to bring in Classworks for district-wide implementations.
Classworks computer-based student instruction in K-12 for English/Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics and Science customizes specific editions for each new state, fine-tuning the instruction to meet specific curriculum and learning standard requirements, and aligns to high-stakes testing. Classworks meets the needs of Response to Intervention, Accountability through Growth, and other models for improved student achievement as well.
We introduce Classworks into states where we know it can make a difference, said Daniel Dooley, Curriculum Advantages Vice President for National Sales. By expanding in such a way, we find that our entry into new states is more successful because our philosophies match with those of state education leaders and we have a solution that meets their needs.
Curriculum Advantages largest customer base is in the U.S. Southeast, but over the last year Classworks has been expanding to new districts across the country. In 2007, new or updated Classworks state editions were released for Georgia, Florida, Illinois, California, Utah, and North and South Carolina, reflecting changes in each of those states curricula.
When the recent calls from Utah and North Carolina for instructional technology went out, districts saw Classworks as the answer.
The Box Elder School District in Brigham City, Utah, about an hour north of Salt Lake City, decided to use much of the $1 million it received for district level educational software to bring Classworks in for all 16 of its elementary schools, as well as a middle school and high school.
Box Elder administrators received strong support from their principals, who were excited about Classworks ability to take data from the states high-stakes tests to create differentiated instruction for each student. Administrators were also interested in using Classworks to raise math achievement within the 4th-6th grade demographic, as internal studies at the district have shown a direct correlation between students failing to achieve at those grades and their continuing to under-achieve in high school.
We had to sit down and figure out what we were going to do with this money. There were so many products out there, said Mary Kay Kirkland, the Box Elder Assistant Superintendent and Curriculum Director. We started looking at what was out there and what would fit our need district wide. Classworks has been great, and the Classworks people the installers, the reps, the consultants have been great to work with.
Administrators with Gaston County School District, in suburban Charlotte, wanted to target their middle schools for their first round of Classworks implementation. All 11 Gaston County middle schools each of which failed to meet AYP last year have begun using Classworks. Additionally, one high school and one alternative school in the district is implementing Classworks.
Gaston, the sixth-largest district in N.C., installed Classworks immediately. Beverly Kellar, the Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, said that Gaston administrators are looking for Classworks to make a quick impact.
Were anticipating some positive results this year, Kellar said. Several of our schools are rotating students through Classworks labs daily, and others are using flexible schedules. Our students who are most at-risk of not meeting the proficiency levels are getting priority, and there is a lot of excitement about having those students work with the program.
These districts are just two of a growing contingent of Classworks schools and districts in their states, as North Carolina added 28 Classworks sites in 2007, while 10 percent of Utah school districts now use Classworks.
About Curriculum Advantage, Inc.
Curriculum Advantage, Inc. is based in Duluth, Ga. Its flagship product is Classworks (www.classworks.com), a leader in computer-based student instruction in K-12 for English/Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics and Science. Classworks was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as one of only a handful of computer-assisted instruction programs to demonstrate that it improves student achievement, and has earned several software industry honors. Classworks Language Learner Series, another component of the program, addresses English as a Second Language with content that focuses on auditory, visual and tactile/kinesthetic components.