Ohio School District Not Just "Teaching to the Test"

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Administrators are preparing teachers, students and parents to implement an innovative new Pathways of Choice program in Ohio's Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District (CHUH). District schools will follow one of three pathways—education themes that emphasize learning from particular perspectives—and students will choose their schools.

CHUH is one of many districts nationwide outsourcing research to find new ways to enrich education and engage students. President Obama emphasized the need for districts like CHUH in Tuesday night's State of the Union Address: "Grant schools the flexibility to teach with creativity and passion," he said, "to stop teaching to the test."

Joe Micheller, Director of Special Programs & Compliance for CHUH, emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making and analysis for Pathways.

"Reports from Hanover Research led us to explore schools of choice as a way to meet students' varied learning needs," said Micheller. There were other unexpected benefits: "Research shows that when parents and students have a vested interest in their school community, they do better socially, emotionally and academically. Additional learning opportunities for us unveil naturally as parents and students think about what their ideal learning environment would look like."

CHUH continues to outsource research to Hanover to inform the design, development and implementation of the Pathways of Choice transformation.

"This is a big undertaking," said Cam Wall, Managing Content Director at Hanover Research. "As the project developed, Superintendent Doug Heuer and his team worked through a lot of questions at a rapid pace: What resources can the district offer to help students choose the right Pathway? What are some innovative ways to redesign learning spaces? How will they know the Pathways model is improving student success? They utilize outsourced research when making these decisions."

Micheller echoes this sentiment: "Transforming our district from an industrial age model to one suited for 21st Century needs will continue to create challenges; outsourced research will continue to help district schools make informed decisions; it is vital to the program's success."

Visit http://www.hanoverresearch.com/2012/01/pathways to learn more about the CHUH Pathways of Choice program.

Media contact: Gretchen Novak, 202-559-0045, [email protected]

SOURCE Hanover Research