McGraw-Hill Education Congratulates California School District for Reading and Language Arts Achievement

BALDWIN PARK, Calif., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Baldwin Park elementary school students continue to make substantial progress in reading and language arts and their scores on California Standards Tests reflect those gains. District Assistant Superintendent Arturo Ortega credits excellent teachers, motivated students, involved parents, community support, and a strong curriculum. The district's curriculum includes McGraw-Hill's California Treasures core reading and language arts program for grades K-6 and its parallel Spanish reading language arts program, California Tesoros de lectura.

The Baldwin Park Unified School District is located 20 miles east of Los Angeles and serves more than 16,000 students. The district adopted California Treasures in 2009 after determining that all of the program elements aligned seamlessly with the needs of its constituents. The program meets the needs of the teachers, who appreciate and gain value from California Treasures' professional development and from the curriculum that clearly defines what is expected of them and their students. And the curriculum aligns with the needs of students and their parents, who sought a well-rounded and interactive program that would increase students' language skills and contribute to improved state test results.

California Treasures, a research-based, K-6 comprehensive reading language arts program, couples high-quality literature with guided instruction, ample practice, writing support and classroom management resources. The program was developed to meet California state standards, and reflects extensive input from California teachers.

Baldwin Park had been looking for a curriculum to support its special dual-language program, which enables students of all backgrounds to opt into a bilingual (English and Spanish) speaking environment regardless of their skill level. The comprehensiveness of California Tesoros de lectura, the parallel K-6 Spanish program that accompanies California Treasures, was one of the determining factors in the district's decision to adopt Treasures over other ELA programs. "Tesoros de lectura meets our district goal of fostering a bilingual, bi-literal and bi-cultural education," said Arturo Ortega, assistant superintendent of the Baldwin Park Unified School District. Mr. Ortega complimented Baldwin Park's elementary teachers for ensuring that California Treasures was implemented fully and with fidelity in their classrooms.  

"I have taught several different grade levels since the early 1990s and this is the first time that I did not need to supplement the language arts curriculum," explained Beverly Gonzalez, a fourth grade Baldwin Park teacher who has been using California Treasures in her classroom for over a year.  "Above all, we are absolutely thrilled with our students' state test scores after using the McGraw-Hill curriculum. In my class alone, 89 percent of my students scored proficient or advanced on the test, and 66 percent of the entire class actually scored advanced."  

"We are very proud to contribute to the continued improvements in the Baldwin Unified School District and in other schools across the country through our Treasures program," said Tom DeWitt, vice president of McGraw- Hill's School Education Group.  "The success of the program is a testament to the dedication of the district and the partnership we have developed to create language arts success for both English-speaking and bilingual students."

About McGraw-Hill School Education Group

The McGraw-Hill School Education Group, a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, is a leading 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. The School Education Group 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.

About McGraw-Hill School Education Group Literacy & Humanities Center

Literacy and civic skills develop critical thinking and are the foundation of educational success. The McGraw-Hill Education Literacy & Humanities Center helps students establish these skills as well as expands their knowledge of literature, social studies, and world languages. A variety of proven PreK-12 programs and digital platforms combine to improve students' literacy skills and build a strong foundation for success.

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education