Leading Florida Districts Select Penda Learning to Support Inclusive Science Instruction and Accelerate Growth

A unique combination of interactive activities, simulations, assessments, and instructional support tools help Florida educators close gaps and improve science learning.

LOVELAND, Colo., April 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With a strong foothold already in Florida, Penda Learning, a Learning 2020 company, is pleased to announce new district partnerships with Brevard Public Schools, Clay County District Schools, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Flagler Schools, and St. Lucie Public Schools. These leading Flordia districts selected Penda to support high-quality, rigorous science instruction for their students, grades 3–10. As educators continue to work to close gaps in science knowledge caused by pandemic-related disruptions to learning, Penda's advanced technology streamlines lesson planning, differentiation, grading, and progress monitoring. And, most importantly, the online platform's gamified science activities, crafted to FL-NGSSS, engage and motivate students to learn.

"As we reviewed options for online science curriculum, Penda really stood out," said Shaylia McRae, Chief of Transformation at Hillsborough County Public Schools. "It checks all the boxes in terms of meeting content alignment, data privacy, and interoperability standards, and it saves teachers time with auto assignments based on our curriculum scope and sequence. We ultimately chose Penda because the activities and simulations not only help students master science content, but also spark real and genuine interest and inspiration in science that could last a lifetime." 

Game-based, interactive learning has always been the foundation of the Penda science curriculum for grades 3–8, physical science, environmental science, and biology. A partnership with the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder enhances Penda's lessons and activities by enabling students to see and explore scientific concepts and phenomena. Teachers can use Penda activities to build students' foundational knowledge of scientific concepts. Then they can use the integrated PhET simulations to deepen that knowledge by providing students with the opportunity to apply it, test hypotheses, and see how concepts play out in real life.

Penda is dedicated to responding to the specific needs of their customers as well as the rapidly changing educational environment. This school year, Penda launched interactive, standards-aligned assessments. Unlike traditional assessments, students are challenged to achieve high scores and earn points to unlock virtual worlds, customize their avatars, and more. Teachers can use the data to identify learning gaps and personalize instruction within the Penda platform for small groups and individuals to help students achieve growth.

Penda also continues to advance its technology platform in order to simplify the student and teacher experience. Most recently, Penda announced seamless integration with the Schoology learning management system using Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) 1.3 Advantage. Teachers can do all their lesson planning within Schoology, including assigning activities to students. Grades are passed automatically from Penda to Schoology and all reports can be run from within Schoology, saving teachers time and the hassle of moving in and out of platforms.

According to Brad Baird, President/CEO of Learning 2020, "Our goal with all of our new product development is to make high-quality, technology-based science curriculum more accessible, inclusive and user-friendly. It's our mission to prepare and inspire the next generation of scientists. That's just one of the reasons more districts in Florida and around the nation are choosing Penda."

About Learning 2020
Learning 2020, parent company to Penda Learning, is dedicated to identifying pressing, unfilled needs within the K-12 education market and developing technology solutions that solve these challenges in innovative and cost-effective ways that will positively impact teaching and learning. Formed in early 2019 by Brad Baird and Bill Tudor, experienced education technology entrepreneurs, Learning 2020's current focus is on ensuring all students have access to high-quality science and math instruction whether learning at home or in school. www.pendalearning.com 

SOURCE Learning 2020