With Blended Learning, Charleston is Prioritizing High-Quality Curriculum and Flexibility of Instruction As Schools Rebuild From Pandemic Learning Losses
Charleston County Becomes One of the Largest Districts to Adopt Open Up’s Nationally-Acclaimed EL Education Program
CHARLESTON, S.C., May 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Open Up Resources, a nonprofit increasing equity in education by making the highest quality curriculum accessible to educators, and Kiddom, the first all-in-one education platform for high-quality digital curriculum, announced today a new partnership to bring the top-rated EL Education K-8 English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum to Charleston County School District (CCSD) in support of the district’s blended learning efforts.
The partnership will provide teachers the ability to utilize the ELA curriculum on Kiddom’s platform to share assignments digitally, communicate with students, and deliver personalized feedback on submissions, while prioritizing student reading proficiency and content knowledge of science and social studies. Additionally, the partnership will equip CCSD with a full-service, multi-year professional learning plan from EL Education to support teachers, plus access to peer-to-peer communications within Open Up’s K-8 EL Education digital community.
“Putting students at the heart of this work has been our tagline for a while, but we watched schools make the decision to opt-out of what’s easier or more comfortable and that's the true evidence that we are putting students first,” said Emilie Woody, Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Charleston County School District.
“Charleston County School District understands the tough challenges students and teachers are facing in this unprecedented moment. That is why they are moving forward with a research-based English Language Arts curriculum that is both innovative and effective in teaching the next generation of students. The fusion of the high-quality curriculum Open Up offers with Kiddom’s easy-to-use digital platform will give teachers and students across 80 CCSD schools the tools they need to successfully increase reading proficiency and reverse learning losses during these uncertain times,” said Jessica Reid Sliwerski, CEO of Open Up Resources.
“The last couple years have brought so many classroom challenges into focus and we believe that high quality curriculum and digital tools that add value to teaching and learning are the solutions to those challenges,” said Ahsan Rizvi, CEO of Kiddom. “We’re thrilled to work with the Charleston County School District as they implement EL Education and Kiddom to address these challenges head on by providing a platform that streamlines workflows for teachers and students, gives teachers actionable insights on student progress, and offers flexibility to differentiate learning as needed.”
"By delivering hands-on, curriculum-aligned professional learning, we can empower teachers to make the most of our Language Arts curriculum. They'll be ready to bring the materials from Kiddom and Open Up to life in their classrooms, with practices designed for student engagement, growth, and equitable achievement," said Scott Hartl, President and CEO, EL Education.
ABOUT OPEN UP RESOURCES:
Open Up Resources is a 501(c)(3) that exists to increase equity in education by making the highest quality curriculum freely accessible to educators and providing implementation supports to the broadest number of teachers, empowering them to effectively and sustainably improve student outcomes in pre-K-12 English Language Arts and Mathematics. To learn more about Open Up Resources' mission and work, click here.
ABOUT KIDDOM:
Kiddom is the first all-in-one education platform for high-quality digital curriculum. It integrates curriculum management, instruction, assessment, and communication tools into one solution, saving schools valuable time, resources and money. With the flexibility to access and edit curriculum from any location, Kiddom is the only education platform that can effectively support teachers and learners engaging in in-class, blended, hybrid or distance learning scenarios, as well as in the quick pivots between them. Headquartered in San Francisco with an office in New York City, Kiddom is a team of passionate educators, designers, and developers building technology to enable all teachers and learners to unlock their full potential. To learn more, visit https://www.kiddom.co.
ABOUT EL EDUCATION
EL Education is a national nonprofit partnering with K-12 educators to transform public schools and districts into hubs of opportunity for all students to achieve excellent equitable outcomes. EL Education is guided by a vision of education equity embracing the genius in every child and by a reimagined definition of student achievement. EL Education offers research-proven resources and practices, including the acclaimed EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum, Core Practices, and aligned professional learning. EL Education was founded in 1991 and currently serves 440,000 students in diverse communities across the country. Learn more at ELEducation.org.
ABOUT CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS:
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is a nationally accredited school district committed to providing equitable and quality educational opportunities for all of its students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in South Carolina and represents a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves approximately 49,000 students in 88 schools and specialized programs. CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), Montessori, and charter schools. Options include programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), music and other creative and performing arts, career and technical preparation programs, and military.
Jennifer Levanduski, Head of Marketing, jennifer@kiddom.co
Jessica Cheney, CommStrat for Kiddom, kiddom@commstrat.com
