The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools to Announce Launch of Ambitious Digital Strategy to Lift Achievement in LA's Inner City Schools During First Ever National Digital Learning Day

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is pleased to announce its participation in the first-ever national Digital Learning Day on Feb. 1, 2012. The Partnership will celebrate the day with the announcement of an innovative blended learning strategy across its network of schools followed by a media tour of classrooms to showcase blended learning in action at Dolores Huerta Elementary 260 E. 31st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90011 starting at 9am.

“We launched the Partnership to challenge the status quo and transform education, what better way to reform education than by arming our teachers with state of the art technology and programs that have long been ignored by the establishment,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “With the launch of our extensive blended learning program across our 22 schools we are altering the paradigm on a large scale to ensure that our students graduate with essential exposure to technology in order to compete in this demanding global economy.”

“As the largest turnaround organization in the country, we are in a unique position to revolutionize learning on a large scale in the inner city. Historically, schools in low-income communities have been disproportionately at a disadvantage when it comes to technology; we plan to change that,” commented Partnership CEO, Marshall Tuck. “By bringing technology into the classroom we are providing students with the kind of invaluable exposure to technology they need to compete in today’s technologically advanced job market. But technology alone isn’t enough, which is why we are undergoing an aggressive blended learning strategy that couples rigorous teaching tools that engage and inspire with teacher training and tailored instruction.”

The Partnership’s blended learning strategy involves the use of four primary blended learning programs including Lexia for elementary schools, ST Math for elementary and middle schools, Rev Prep for 8^th graders and high schools students, and Achieve 3000 for middle and high schools.

On Digital Learning Day, the media is invited to tour three classrooms at the Partnership’s Dolores Huerta Elementary to view the many ways blended learning is helping teachers and students; from Ms. Chavez’ computer lab where students work to improve their math skills using ST Math, to Mr. Guillen’s kindergarten class where he employs differentiated learning to meet student’s individual needs, to Mr. Orland’s class where a variety of technologies, such as Smartboards and iPads, are used for instruction.

Digital Learning Day is designed to celebrate innovative teaching and highlight practices that make learning more personalized and engaging for students, exploring how digital learning can provide all students with the opportunities they deserve—to build the skills needed to succeed in college, a career, and life. Through this work and by participating in Digital Learning Day, the Partnership strives to build momentum for a wave of innovation that changes policies, shifts attitudes, and supports wide-scale adoption of these promising instructional practices.

About the Partnership:

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools was founded in 2007 as the cornerstone of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s strategy to improve education in Los Angeles. It is a unique collaboration between the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District to turn around LA’s lowest performing schools and to create a model for doing so district wide. The largest non-district school operator in Los Angeles, the Partnership today manages 22 schools with nearly 17,000 students and 1,500 employees. The Partnership is a 501(c) 3 non-profit education management organization with nearly 37 full-time employees. For more information, go to www.PartnershipLA.org.