Technology Training Foundation of America Honors Pearson Digital Learning With Tech Hero Award
International Educational Services Company Recognized for Its Technical Excellence in Learning Software Using Technology as Delivery Methodology
San Diego, California, December 20, 2010 – The Technology Training Foundation of America(TTFA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the Digital Divide between Technology and Schools, has awarded Pearson Digital Learning its Tech Hero Award for Corporate Excellence for 2010. An education services and technology company, Pearson was nominated by six teachers and administrators from three different schools for its student-friendly, interactive software’s success in providing outstanding results in student achievement on state and local proficiency tests over a sustained period of time.
Teacher Ondrya Leavitt wrote, “We are honored to nominate Pearson Digital Learning to your consideration as a Tech Hero for 2010. Pearson’s digital software product SuccessMaker is a student learning product that has produced outstanding results for our students using the software effectively. We have seen the results of SuccessMaker over multiple years, and have followed cohorts of students to assess their progress in high stakes educational management using the SuccessMaker software in bridging the digital divide using the information superhighway. For instance, in one classroom in the first year of SuccessMaker implementation, 83 percent of the students achieved Proficient or Advanced level in English Language Arts.”
The Foundation cited in its Tech hero Award that the multiple year use of Pearson Digital’s software has provided the elementary students with highly differentiated instruction and independent practice individualized to meet the child at the individual, specific level they start school that year, and take them forward in their individualized academic progress from there. It cited results in reports that showed that over 80% of the students who achieve the high stakes management standards level when using Pearson’s SuccessMaker correctly attained Proficient or Advanced scores on the California State Proficiency Tests.
Teachers Lindsay Cota and Gene Yee stated in the nomination that In mid-2010, the Chula Vista Elementary School District had purchased the SuccessMaker at Home software module to add to its regular programming. “We were able to implement SuccessMaker at Home Online Summer School 2010 in two schools with two classes, even with the severe budget limitations. Student participants who used SuccessMaker at Home Online Summer School as instructed gained 4 times or more the expected gain during the one-month summer break. This Online Summer School was particularly effective with English Language Learners who were in the class. It is now being expanded this school year as an At-Home, Online, software-differentiated, expansion of the instructional day,” stated Cota.
The Foundation stated in its Award that it found that Pearson Digital Learning’s SuccessMaker software is currently used in about 120 school Districts in the nine Southern California counties, servicing about 754,000 students who are actively using SuccessMaker on computers, many of which were donated by the TTFA. Foundation President Jeanette Roache commented, “We feel that the computers donated by the TTFA to our schools have allowed them to effectively expand the use of Pearson Digital Learning products including SuccessMaker to help to make more students academic successes and high achievers, especially as shown on the California State Tests. We commend Pearson Digital Learning as a Tech Hero for 2010.”
The Tech Hero Award was presented at the Foundation’s 10th Annual Tech Heroes Banquet recently. Pearson was honored in conjunction with school Principals Richard J. Hanks and Gloria McKearney and eleven teachers, and two tech coordinators who received awards for their technology work in their respective professions. Pearson was the only Corporate awardee.
The Technology Training Foundation of America (TTFA) operates the Computers for Schools Program that utilizes public/private partnerships to donate technology to classrooms in underserved communities in California.
For more information about Technology Training Foundation of America, visit http://www.computers2learnby.org .
About Technology Training Foundation of America
The Technology Training Foundation of America (TTFA) is located in San Diego, California. It was established in 1998 by Jeanette Roache to enhance and improve the levels of technology use and technological equipment in schools through educational and environmentally friendly activities such as its Computers for Schools Program. Today, the Foundation, with a not-for-profit [501(c)(3)] tax rating, has donated over 22,000 refurbished computers to schools. The TTFA receives computers donated by individuals and businesses who have no further need or are upgrading their computer systems, and refurbishes them prior to donation to schools so that the classroom teachers have as-new. Equipment it receives that does not meet its placement standards get recycled keeping it out of our already over-crowded landfills.
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. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information about Pearson School, go to http://www.pearsonschool.com.
Media Contact
Jeanette Roache, President of the Technology Training Foundation of America at 858.547.3992.
