Bradenton Students Return to Class With McGraw-Hill's Digital Literacy Program

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Manatee School of Arts and Sciences is known for its commitment to driving student achievement through the use of technology in the classroom. When tasked with selecting a school-wide literacy program to support its digital mission, administrators unanimously chose McGraw-Hill's LEAD21, a groundbreaking digital K-5 reading program that engages students at all skill levels with an innovative approach to helping students achieve reading proficiency. The implementation of LEAD21 marks the school's first-ever digital adoption. LEAD21 is the first program offered on the McGraw-Hill Companion Touch PC powered by Intel, which was built specifically for elementary education and combines the features of a netbook and a touchscreen tablet.

"Integrating technology into the classroom has always been a priority at our school and we are thrilled to introduce our students to LEAD21, a program with a delivery system that aligns effortlessly with what our students know and love: laptop computers and online challenges," said Miriam Jolly, Manatee School of Arts and Sciences principal. "Our students -- who are passionate digital natives -- finally have a program that will empower them to take control of their learning, strengthen their literacy skills, and keep them engaged throughout each lesson."

Today's students are diverse, with different learning and instructional needs. At the Manatee School of Arts and Sciences, teachers are quickly discovering that LEAD21's digital tools offer instructional resources to teach a variety of learning styles. Teachers also find that LEAD21 assists with classroom management, which impacts the way in which they engage with their students and narrows the achievement gap between all levels of readers. LEAD21 supports a variety of instructional models including classroom differentiation, blended whole group and small group instruction and contains a built-in acceleration plan to ensure students read at or near grade level by the end of the school year. A key feature is the gradual transfer of responsibility from teacher to student that occurs over the course of the program, with students gaining independence as the year progresses. With built-in online assessments, teachers can seamlessly and effectively gauge each student's improvement as they progress through the program and take on more responsibility.  

"To succeed in today's global economy, it is imperative that students develop 21st century skills and this starts with strong instruction supported by the latest technologies," says Stephen Mico, senior vice president of McGraw-Hill School Education's Literacy and Humanities group. "We are pleased to partner with the Manatee School to offer a program that will engage students through an innovative approach and to enhance their learning experiences in a subject that is of the utmost importance."

LEAD21 will be used by more than 200 students who attend the Manatee School and read at grade level. For the small percentage of students reading below grade level, remedial programs will be incorporated into daily lessons.

About McGraw-Hill School Education

McGraw-Hill School Education, a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, is a leading global innovator in the development of 21st century teaching and learning solutions for K-12 education markets, offering traditional and digital instructional, assessment, and reference content and tools for teachers and students. McGraw-Hill School Education addresses critical areas in primary and secondary education through Learning Solutions Centers focused on improving student learning outcomes and promoting digital innovation in literacy, STEM, college and career readiness, and intervention and special needs education. All of McGraw-Hill's content for elementary schools and secondary schools is available in digital form. McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com.

Contact:
Tom Stanton
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SOURCE McGraw-Hill School Education