Curriculum Tools | News
Pearson Adds Interactive Elements, Reporting Options to SuccessMaker
Pearson has
updated SuccessMaker, its personalized digital math and reading
curriculum
for kindergarten through eighth grade, releasing its seventh
version of the
program.
Major
additions
and enhancement include:
- Content
alignment
to state standards for college and career readiness;
- Elements
that
make it more interactive and focus on reading and math skills;
- More
options
for course and reporting options for teachers;
- Access
to
additional learning resources in reading, math, science and social
studies;
- New
and
improved math content; and
- A
partnership with Java designed to streamline upgrades.
According
to
Pearson officials, SuccessMaker adapts to the learning needs of each
individual student, analyzing performance and identifying areas for
remediation
or acceleration. At the same time, it estimates the amount of time
necessary
for students to reach achievement levels.
As
to
its success with remediation efforts, Pearson pointed to the experience
of
the Killeen Independent School District in Killeen, TX, particularly in
the
schools around the Fort Hood Army Post.
More
than
50 percent of the students in the Killeen district are the children of
military personnel. Because of the frequency of military transfers, the
Killeen
district experiences a nearly 30-percent turnover in students each year.
That
is especially challenging for special education teachers.
Ruth
Roberts,
a special education resource teacher at Manor Middle School, said the
Pearson learning system has helped.
"One
student
came to me in the sixth grade and was basically a beginning reader,"
Roberts said. "He is now leaving for high school and has made almost
four years
of growth and has developed the skills he needs to function in high
school."
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.