Texas PTA Combats Summer Learning Loss While Raising Funds

According to John Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning, students lose (on average) approximately 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Making matters worse, teachers spend four to six weeks reviewing what was learned in previous years once students return. To combat this summer learning loss, the Texas Parent and Teacher Association (PTA) has joined forces with Apangea Learning to provide students unlimited math tutoring over the summer months.

 

Apangea Learning provides students personalized, one-on-one math tutoring through its unique combination of Web-based instruction and live, online teachers. Students tutored by Apangea Learning are automatically enrolled in the company’s motivation program, which includes a rewards system for work completed, contests and random opportunities to win meaningful prizes (iPods, Nintendo DL Lites, gift cards, etc.).

 

Utilized by school districts throughout Texas (and the United States), Apangea Learning’s proven approach to math tutoring has helped thousands of Texan students achieve significant academic success within the classroom. 

 

According to Mayen Nelson of the Houston Independent School District, 21 of her 26 eighth graders passed the TAKS exam because of the Apangea Learning program.

 

“I passed my TAKS exam. I’m going to high school!” Powerful words that Frida, a student at Grand Prairie Independent School District, thought she would never be able to say.

 

Through this partnership with the Texas PTA, parents can now purchase a full summer of individualized math tutoring for $100, of which $20 will be donated back to the parents’ local PTA. Parents can enroll their children at www.apangealearning.com/TexasPTA.

 

“The Texas PTA is very excited about our partnership with Apangea Learning. Not only are we helping to overcome summer learning loss, but also providing our members a great and easy way to raise funds this summer,” stated Isaac Simon, Texas PTA’s Director of Marketing and Fund Development.

Altruism: a true motivator

al·tru·ism   [al-troo-iz-uh m] –noun

 

1. The principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others

 

It is relatively easy to motivate someone with a dangling carrot if that carrot directly benefits them. However, would that same person be as motivated if that carrot only benefited another? In the end, the answer comes down to the individual. But, we were happy to discover that as a whole, today’s students (tomorrow’s leaders) truly have an altruistic spirit about them.

 

During the winter holiday, Apangea Learning held a national contest to encourage students to use SmartHelp over the winter break. Unlike previous contests, this contest did not have students competing one-on-one for prizes such as iPods and Nintendo DS Lite. Instead, it had a new twist: altruism.

 

During this season of traditional goodwill and giving, students would now work together as a class to compete against other classes not for gadgets or pizza parties, but for the opportunity to help complete strangers. Apangea Learning would donate $1,000 to the charity of the winning class’ choice.

 

The participation in this contest was phenomenal.

 

Since that contest, Apangea Learning has held additional altruism contests that yielded equally impressive student participation.  Winners of these contests (and the charities they chose) include:

 

• Bill Arnold Middle School (TX): Leukemia and Lymphoma Society North Dallas Chapter
• North Kenwood/Oakland Middle Campus of the University of Chicago Charter School (IL): Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
• Southeast Local Middle School (OH): Akron Children’s Hospital 

The students altruistic spirit did not go unnoticed. Click the following links to view a few of the stories that ran as a result of the students’ efforts: 

• Hyde Park Citizen: North Kenwood-Oakland Charter School Donates Contest Proceeds to Homeless Group
• KDAF Dallas/Fort Worth -CW 33 News at Nine: Arnold Middle School Donates to Charity
• Record-Courier: Celebrating math achievements; Program raising test scores; $1,000 donated to hospital

Apangea Learning and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel

To compete in the 21st century global economy, knowledge of and proficiency in mathematics is critical. Today’s high school graduates need to have solid mathematics skills—whether they are headed for college or directly into the workforce. The National Mathematics Advisory Panel (National Math Panel) was created in April 2006 to help ensure our nation’s future competitiveness and economic viability.

Recently, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel released its final report on best practices for the teaching and learning of mathematics (please see the above article: Focus on algebra, U.S. panel tells schools). The final report contains 45 findings and recommendations on numerous topics including instructional practices, materials, professional development and assessments.

Apangea Learning is well-positioned vis-à-vis the recommendations of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel.  SmartHelp is an excellent fit with the panel’s key recommendations. Additionally, it fully covers each of the benchmarks for the Critical Foundations of Algebra. Please click below for a detailed report on how Apangea Learning SmartHelp aligns with the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s final report.

Click to learn more

Apangea Learning Announces Record-breaking First Quarter!

“SmartHelp has been instrumental in helping thousands of students to not only learn and comprehend math, but also achieve academic success when taking state assessment exams. Much of our new growth this quarter can be attributed to our current customers sharing their success with other school districts. With a 100 percent renewal rate, this is a great testament to SmartHelp’s ability to serve the learning needs of all our customers.”

Louis Piconi, Apangea Learning’s CEO and Co-founder

I am happy to announce that Apangea Learning had a record-breaking first quarter for the 2008 fiscal year. The company signed 79 contracts, consisting of new customer acquisitions and current customer renewals.

Our online, supplemental math program, SmartHelp, is now being implemented in 29 states across the United States and the District of Columbia, representing a 25 percent increase in state penetration over the past three months. New customers utilizing SmartHelp include: Arlington Public Schools (VA), Augusta County School (VA), DC Public Schools (DC), Chicago Public Schools (IL), Huntsville City Schools (AL) and Pomona Unified School District (CA).

Additionally, Apangea Learning achieved a 100 percent renewal rate for its current customers whose contracts were up for renewal during the first quarter of 2008.

Our gratitude goes out to everyone who made this an amazing quarter – our current customers, our new customers and the dedicated staff at Apangea Learning.

Philadelphia School District and SmartHelp

 “Apangea Learning SmartHelp allows me to individualize math instruction for high school special needs students (grades 9-12) whose math levels range from (grades 5-10). With 15+ students in each class and no assistants, I would not be able to provide effective intervention with such a wide range of needs.” 

George Washington High School (Philadelphia School District)

Barbara Shoap, Learning Support Math Teacher

A Student Makes My Day

“I really like math thanks to Apangea Learning.”  ~ Apangea Learning Student

Every once in a while, something shows up in my email that makes a real impact on me.  This is one of those days.  What I like about what this student said is that it really strips away everything that we try to do as a company and boils it down to a simple, yet completely powerful statement.  So thank you, Michael, for putting a smile on my face and making my day.

~ MATT HAUSMANN, Vice President ~

Congratulations Kayla!

Kayla graduated!

Yes, another Apangea Learning intern has completed high school and is getting ready for the next step in her life. All of us at Apangea Learning have really benefited from getting to know Kayla. She’s somehow survived the wackiness that is Apangea Learning and the insanity that is the marketing department. (OK…it’s actually a fun place and we are pretty nice but “wackiness” and “insanity” make for a better posting!)

Congratulations Kayla!

 

~ Matthew Hausmann, Vice President ~

 

Let the Teachers Teach

Lately, we have been considering the following question:  what does Apangea Learning SmartHelp really do in the classroom?  And, I don’t mean this in a tactical sense, but in more of a philosophical sense.  As is so often the case, the answer came from one of our customers, Barbara Shoap, a teacher at George Washington High School in Philadelphia. 

“Some of us remain committed to give disadvantaged students some much-needed skills and some direction. It’s an uphill battle and it’s burn-out. There are always some kids who resist change or refuse help. But Apangea Learning PLUS my support kept them attending, engaged, and progressing, commensurate with the effort that they made to apply themselves within the program. I think that is a realistic definition of success. I was able to be more available to their individual needs, and my relationship to them was both teacher and facilitator.  Apangea Learning made my day better every day.” 

That simple, yet powerful paragraph provided us with the answer we were looking for:  Apangea Learning lets the teachers teach.  And, the more we thought about it, the more we realized that the reasons that people become teachers is for those special moments when they are able to interact with a student and help that child learn.  But, in these days of crowded classrooms, diverse student populations, and high stakes exams, we ask our teachers to do more and more with less and less.  Our job as businesspeople, as parents, as citizens of society as a whole is to help the teachers do what we want them to do and what they want to do:  teach.  And, that’s why we say: LET THE TEACHERS TEACH!

Raise Your Hand Texas

I recently had the opportunity to exhibit at the TASB/TASA Convention in Dallas.  As is usual at trade shows, I made my “new best friends in the world”… the people in the booths that were located close to my booth.  I had the pleasure of being next to a booth for Raise Your Hand Texas (www.raiseyourhandtexas.org).  This organization really captured my attention:  it is a not-for-profit, bipartisan advocacy group dedicated to supporting public schools in Texas. The people that I met from the organization truly have the best interest of kids and communities at heart. 

It is unfortunate that across the United States budget battles are being waged over how much money schools should receive and where it should come from (e.g., property taxes.). It is my hope that all people involved in these battles can gain insight from Raise Your Hand Texas and not lose sight of one very important goal:  providing kids with an excellent education that will allow them to achieve their life goals.  In doing so, I firmly believe that we are making not only for better communities, but for a better country as a whole. 

~ Matthew Hausmann, Vice President ~

Apangea Learning Continues to Take Urban School Districts by Storm

Apangea Learning, a leading provider of cost-effective differentiated math instruction, continues to build upon its successes in large urban settings throughout the United States with the implementation of SmartHelp in the Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Chicago Public Schools this fall.

 “Apangea Learning SmartHelp has been very successful in instructing students in large urban schools in New York City, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh to master fundamental and advanced math concepts, develop problem solving skills, and dramatically improve their performance on high stakes exams,” explained Apangea Learning CEO Louis Piconi. “SmartHelp’s multilingual capabilities, coupled with its three-tiered instructional escalation model, will provide Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Public Schools an amazing resource to help meet their students’ individual needs.”  

The Office of Extended Education Programs (EEP), headed by Dr. Esther Monclova-Johnson, is an initiative of Academic Services in the Differentiated Learning Division of the Washington, D.C. Public Schools. SmartHelp will be implemented in one of the EEP’s largest after school programs, the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, which provides students with academic intervention, support and enrichment. One of the primary goals of the SmartHelp program is to provide D.C. Public School students both content mastery and academic math proficiency.

Atlanta Public Schools will implement SmartHelp primarily in its middle schools for a 1,600 student program. This program will help those students struggling to master fundamental math skills and begin to instruct them in more advanced math concepts.

Chicago Public School sixth grade classes will be the first recipients of Apangea Learning SmartHelp this month with plans to expand further through the middle grades. SmartHelp will be integrated to directly meet the needs of each teacher’s overall math curriculum to provide differentiated learning.

Apangea Learning has been very well received by administrators, teachers and students.

“SmartHelp, plus my support, kept my students attending, engaged, and progressing. Many of the students made significant strides that they would not have made if the program had not been there for intervention support,” explained Barbara Shoap of the Philadelphia School District. “SmartHelp enabled me to be more available to my students’ individual learning needs. It made my day better, every day.”

 ~ Matthew Hausmann, Vice President ~