Hawaii's Smaller Learning Communities Consortium Turns to Pearson for Early Warning System for Identifying At-Risk Students
Prevent From Pearson Helps Districts Nationwide Eradicate the Dropout Problem
Honolulu HI (PRWEB) December 6, 2010
Funded by a five-year 2008 U. S. Department of Education Smaller Learner Communities (SLC) Grant, Hawaii's Pinnacle of Success SLC Consortium is keenly focused on increasing academic performance for the nearly 2,400 students it serves. Now with the adoption of Prevent™ from Pearson, the consortium of six schools is ensuring improved academic success for all students by providing teachers and administrators with an early warning system for identifying at-risk students.
The six member schools in this SLC Grant Consortium - Roosevelt, Waipahu, Waiakea, Kauai, Kaimuki and Campbell High Schools - collaborate to improve overall student academic performance through extensive teacher training, leadership development and the implementation of small learning communities. Pearson's Prevent software program will allow educators in the consortium to aggregate the most relevant and predictive student information data points to pinpoint which students are most likely to drop out of school. By pulling together readily available data contained in current student information systems - including, but not limited to, a student's grade point average, discipline history, attendance and grade level - Prevent gives states, districts and schools the ability to proactively solve a national crisis: the dropout rate.
"As part of the Hawaii SLC Consortium, every day we focus on our mission to ensure that all of our students receive the high-quality education necessary to be prepared for college and careers in the 21st century," said Ann Mahi, principal at Roosevelt High School and lead administrator for the grant. "Now with Prevent, we will have a powerful tool for identifying students who may be straying off course academically, and can quickly develop a targeted intervention that will address their specific needs."
Mahi, who formerly served as the Hawaii state director of curriculum and instruction, continued, "Ensuring that all 2,400 students served by our consortium graduate from high school is crucial to their personal success, as well as the overall economic success of the state of Hawaii."
According to the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, about 64 percent of all students in Hawaii graduate from high school with a diploma in four years. However, there are significant personal and societal costs borne by the 36 percent who don't earn a diploma. Research from the Alliance for Excellence Education reveals dropouts from the class of 2008 alone will cost Hawaii almost $1.4 billion in lost wages over their lifetimes.
"Graduation rates are a key indicator of the success of our nation's public school system," said Gary Hensley, Prevent founder and director for Student Growth at Pearson. "Pearson is proud to collaborate with schools across our nation - from Honolulu to Washington, D. C. - as they turn to Prevent to identify at-risk students for early intervention and make great progress toward eradicating this critical social and economic problem for our country."
Currently, 1.2 million U. S. students drop out each year, which is the equivalent of 7,000 students a day, or one child every 26 seconds. This increasing dropout rate represents a national crisis for America's economic future, as students who do not earn a high school diploma earn up to 80 percent less than their diploma-earning peers. In addition, the National Center for Education Statistics have shared statistics that illustrate nearly one in three ninth graders (26.8 percent) at public high schools are not earning their diplomas in four years.
For more information about Prevent, go to http://www. preventdropout. com.
About the Assessment for Learning (A4L) Group of Pearson
The Assessment for Learning (A4L) group of Pearson combines Pearson's expertise in assessment, instruction and digital technology to create innovative products and services that support educators in personalizing learning for each student. Formerly Educational Assessment, A4L's products include Limelight™, GRADE™, GMADE™, WriteToLearn™, Prevent, My Voice Survey™, techSteps™ and Children's Progress Academic Assessment. A4L is part of Pearson, the global leader in education and education technology.
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, provides innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher licensure testing, 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 the Assessment & Information group of Pearson, visit http://www. pearsonassessments. com/.
For more information, press only:
Adam Gaber, Assessment and Information Group of Pearson, 800-745-8489, @APGaber (twitter)
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