HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Schools across the nation have begun breaking away from the traditional school day schedule by implementing blended learning programs in order to better serve a diverse student population. To encourage school leaders to be innovative with instructional area design and creative with the use of the school day, Evergreen Education Group took a deep dive into the blended learning programs at three schools using online course content from Fuel Education™ (FuelEd™) to examine how their use of space and time contributes to their success. Evergreen Education Group, in collaboration with FuelEd, has published their findings in a new white paper titled, “How Top Performing Blended Learning Programs Use Time and Space Effectively.” To download the free white paper, visit: getfueled.com/blendedtime&space.

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FuelEd White Paper: How Top Performing Blended Learning Programs Use Time and Space Effectively (Graphic: Business Wire)

In the white paper, Evergreen Education Group provides in-depth profiles of three schools that embody innovation. Poudre School District Global Academy is featured for their creative use of the school day schedule; Springs Studio for Academic Excellence is featured for their creative use of space; and Bend-La Pine Schools’ Summit High School is featured for its transformation from a traditional school into an innovative blended learning program by implementing small, but impactful changes.

Blended learning has proven to be beneficial for the students at these three schools. Poudre School District Global Academy reported it outperformed the average PARCC end-of-year assessment scores in math and English Language Arts in almost every grade level and the elementary and middle school students greatly surpassed the average typical growth in math and reading on the 2015 NWEA Measure of Academic Progress® (MAP®) Assessments. More than 80 percent of students at Springs Studio for Academic Excellence re-enroll for the next year, and almost every grade level has outperformed state averages in English Language Arts, according to the school. At Summit High School, students have the choice of working on in-class instruction or using online courses, which has improved students’ interest in the topic being covered and given them time management skills they may not have gained otherwise.

Although these schools have many differences, researchers found three common characteristics.

• The leaders and teachers at these schools are not afraid to rethink what school should look like and what practices will work best for their students.
• The three schools use online curriculum, which frees teachers from being the main source of instruction and allows them to try more alternative teaching methods like team teaching, block scheduling, personalized learning, project-based learning and more.
• Each of the schools embraces the change and realizes it is a process. By adopting a growth mindset, which they hope students will also adopt, the schools and their leadership were able to overcome any initial issues and are now reaping the rewards of blended learning.

“Along with online curriculum, there are many factors to consider when personalizing learning for each student,” said Gregg Levin, General Manager of FuelEd. “When schools have tools like online instruction; strong, supportive leadership; and creative use of learning spaces, they have the opportunity to break out of traditional practices and start to think differently about school and how it can serve students with different needs.”

About Fuel Education

Fuel Education™ partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through 12th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK™, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education offers one of the industry’s largest catalogs of K–12 digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. FuelEd has helped 2,000 school districts to improve student outcomes and better serve diverse student populations. To learn more, visit getfueled.com and Twitter.

©2016 Fuel Education LLC. All rights reserved. Fuel Education and FuelEd are trademarks of Fuel Education LLC or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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