Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

The organization uses integrated data and assessment platforms that provide real-time results to individualize support and differentiate instruction through blended learning.

State: California Number of Students: 14,500
School Type: Education Service Agency Free and Reduced Lunch: N/A
Grade Level: K-12 English Language Learners: N/A

School Context

Support Teachers and Leaders: Attract and retain principals and teachers, provide customized training and support, usemultiple-measure evaluations and build a pipeline for cultivating leaders within schools.

Go Blended: Use integrated data and assessment platforms that provide real-time results to individualize support anddifferentiate instruction through blended learning.

Families: Engage families through Parent College (monthly workshops that teach parents to become advocates for theirchildren’s education), deepen community relationships and continue to support the parent center at each school site.


State of Technology

Blended Learning Pioneers: Partnership for LA Schools was one ofthe first turnaround organizations to leverage blended learning as aturnaround strategy. They began with piloting ST Math in 2010. By 2010-11, blended learning was implemented in all the network’s middle schools.By 2013, the network had expanded pilots of ST Math in some highschools, along with other tools to target English language learning skills.The network now uses tools including Achieve3000, Lexia and ST Mathto target improvements in math, English and California High School ExitExam testing.

Teacher Training: Partnership for LA Schools works closely with teachersto ensure that they are prepared to implement these tools successfullyin their classrooms. They ensure every teacher has a chance to play withthe tools, understand how they work and how they can be leveraged forlearning. Then they ensure that teachers have the chance to observe thetool in action and provide teachers with resources to guide them as theyimplement it in their own classrooms.

Teacher Leaders: The network brings together 120-person cohorts ofteachers from each school to provide more intensive training and supportaround edtech tools. These teachers then go back into their communityas a model for others to learn how to integrate technology in theirclassrooms. They are also responsible for creating and sharing resourceswith other teachers.

Data Matters: The network creates benchmark charts to help school leaderstrack student progress on the tools, provides weekly reports to principals andhighlights which teachers are on or off track. It is highly important that thePartnership can easily see which schools are successful with the tools and whichneed more support.

Tech Investments: Over the past three years, the Partnership hasinvested $3 million in technology and software for its blended learningprogram. It plans on making a $1 million investment for its high schoolsbetween 2013-15, to spend on software like ST Math, Lexia and Achieve3000. The district also plans to provide $500,000 for laptops and iPadcarts over the next year.


Tech Needs & Requirements

Technology tools must be Common Core-aligned.


Initiatives

Spread Google Apps: Partnership LA hopes to evangelize teachers to become more enthusiastic users of Google Appswhen LAUSD gives them access this fall.

Collaboration: The network is looking for platforms that give all 16 schools a chance to collaborate with each other online.

*Content From 2015

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