Community members and K-12 Solutions to give Detroit Public Schools a makeover before students return

Three underperforming schools will get spruced up in preparation for major academic turnaround

August 26, 2010 – Three chronically underperforming DPS schools are preparing for intense academic reforms this school year, but before reform starts on the inside, the schools will be reformed on the outside this Saturday.

Volunteers from the community and Pearson’s K-12 Solutions, the schools’ academic reform partner, will plant flowers, pull weeds, lay down woodchips, and apply new paint at White Elementary School, Farwell Middle School and Phoenix Elementary School on Make a Difference Day in Detroit.

Media are invited to cover the school clean up on Saturday, August 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at the three schools. White Elementary is located at 5161 Charles St., 48212; Farwell Middle is located at 19955 Fenelon St., 48234; and Phoenix Elementary is located at 7735 Lane St., 48209.

“We’re excited to get the community out to help us make these schools a welcome sight when students return in September,” said Scott Drossos, president of Pearson’s K-12 Solutions Group. “Intense, top-to-bottom academic reforms will begin when the students return, and we want them to know that they’re stepping into a challenging but warm, embracing environment, where they will be supported as they face new challenges to be their best.”

Detroit Public Schools’ classes resume on Tuesday, September 7. In August, Michigan approved Pearson K-12 Solutions to partner with the state to help turn around its struggling schools and provide professional development training for teachers. The state has identified 108 elementary, middle, and high schools in need of improvement.

“We are able to draw from Pearson’s vast experience and resources — including curriculum, assessment, technology, and professional development for teachers at every stage of their careers — to create customized reform plans for these Detroit schools,” said Drossos.

Pearson K-12 Solutions’ School Turnaround Education Partnership (STEP) plan includes a combination of 10 core elements that have helped improve underperforming schools for years, and has consistently demonstrated gains in student achievement as well as in school culture and distributed leadership:

Systematically Plan for School Improvement
Develop Instructional Leadership
Create Collaborative Education Partnerships
Emphasize School Culture
Embed Achievement Support
Align Curriculum
Optimize Conditions for Teaching & Learning
Foster Knowledge Driven Decision-making
Utilize Technology for Learning
Evaluate for Continuous Improvement

About Pearson

Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education, teacher training, education technology and school solutions, provides innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry.