Peoria Public Schools partners with HMH to promote digital learning

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced that Peoria Public Schools District 150 has implemented a multifaceted education solution aimed at fostering a digital culture and promoting connectivity.

HMH worked with administrators to identify specific needs and interests, while building a customized solution that met those requirements. Of the utmost importance for Peoria Public Schools was a learning management system that would support student academic performance, provide efficient management logistics, and enable better data and analytic capabilities. Peoria selected HMH’s Pinpoint Integrated Education Suite to complete these objectives.

“Peoria Public Schools is initiating a visionary plan to provide quality educational experiences for all children in the district,” said Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent, Peoria Public Schools. “We’re proud to work with a committed partner like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a proven organization that has mastered the use of technology to connect an entire learning community and bring incredible transformation to schools all over the country.”

Pinpoint is an integrated, district-wide information tool that connects all key education components into a standards-based curriculum. It brings components such as grading, attendance, professional development and analytics into one suite of tools, which allows teachers simultaneous access to information on student learning, individual learning styles, grades, attendance and behavior.

Peoria Public Schools, which implemented the ScienceFusion curriculum last year, will also initiate a key pilot program in September 2012 of HMH Fuse™: Algebra 1, the algebra curriculum for the Apple iPad®. Both programs are finalists for CODiE Awards, which will be announced in May. Presented by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the CODiE Awards recognize excellence in business software, digital content, and educational technology.

By blending print and digital components, ScienceFusiongives students a meaningful way to interact with key topics in earth, life, physical, and natural sciences, using video, animation, high–res imagery, Flash animations, sound effects and music stings to promote an interactive learning environment.

HMH Fuse™ engages students using the iPad: students watch video tutorials, swipe through pages, get hints and walk through complex problems. The platform encourages the use of personalized lesson plans by combining direct instruction, ongoing support, assessment and intervention in one suite of tools. Results of a yearlong pilot program at the Amelia Earhart Middle School in California's Riverside Unified School District were recently released, showing that more than 78 percent of HMH Fuse users scored Proficient or Advanced on the spring 2011 California Standards Tests, compared with only 59 percent of their textbook-using peers.