Rural District Achieves Unprecedented Academic Growth with Personalized Learning and iPads

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Jun 21, 2018, 11:45 ET

MIFFLINTOWN, Pa., June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This year, students at Juniata County School District grew an impressive average of five percentile points on the NWEA MAP, a nationally-normed assessment on which the typical US student is not expected to see percentile gains over any given school year. Administrators attribute part of this growth to the district's new partnership with eSpark, a digital solution that personalizes learning with apps and creative challenges for math and reading.

"eSpark has quickly allowed us to maximize our one to one technology to provide individualized learning paths that are catered to the needs of each of our students in kindergarten through fifth grade," says Clint Mitchell, Principal of Juniata's Tuscarora Valley and Lack-Tuscarora elementary schools. "With eSpark, our iPads are more than just devices and instead are on-demand learning paths catered to each individual student's needs."

Juniata is a sprawling rural district that covers nearly 400 square miles and serves 2,867 students, 42% of whom qualify for free and reduced price lunch.

In 2016, the district rolled out one to one iPads with the goal of increasing the levels of learning, critical thinking, and problem solving found in Juniata classrooms. To achieve this ambitious vision, district leaders looked for a solution that would support teachers in identifying and managing high quality educational iOS apps.

Eager to bring purpose and rigor to Juniata's iPad implementation, district leaders partnered with eSpark in the fall of 2017 and envisioned the following plan for success:

Use eSpark on iPads for 20 minutes daily in math and reading classrooms
Leverage NWEA MAP data to personalize instruction to each student's needs
Streamline how iOS educational apps are used and managed
Achieve grade level proficiency by Spring 2018

With clear guidelines for usage and strong support from administration, eSpark was deployed in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms across eight of Juniata's 11 schools. The district used Jamf Pro, eSpark's preferred Mobile Device Management (MDM) partner, to simplify app distribution and minimize the amount of tech support teachers and IT staff needed to successfully use iPads and eSpark.

eSpark quickly became part of the daily routine in most Juniata classrooms. Every day, students received eSpark's selection of math and reading apps that were aligned to their unique learning needs and goals. While students worked independently, teachers were free to provide targeted support to individuals and small groups.

Juniata teachers were quick to see eSpark's impact on their students. "My students' MAP scores have really increased and they all hit benchmark," says Sheree Brogan, a first grade teacher at the district. "I wasn't seeing that type of growth before we started using eSpark."

At the end of the 2017-2018 school year, Juniata celebrated the following gains:

Consistent Usage: Teachers used eSpark five times a week in math and reading classrooms
Academic Growth: Students using eSpark grew an average of five national percentile points on the NWEA MAP assessment
Skill Proficiency: Classrooms gained proficiency in 32,911 math and reading standards in eSpark, approximately 27 standards per students

About eSpark
Putting students at the heart of instruction, eSpark personalizes learning in math and reading and nurtures critical thinking with interactive apps, videos and creative challenges. With tens of thousands of students across the country, eSpark Learning's solutions are enabling districts to realize ambitious goals with innovative technology. To learn more, visit esparklearning.com.

About Juniata County School District
Juniata is a public school district in rural Pennsylvania that serves 2,876 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district operates with the mission to help students to "accept challenges, pursue goals and become life-long learners." To learn more, visit: jcsdk12.org.

Media Contact
eSpark Learning
Tatum Travers, 312-404-4251
[email protected]

SOURCE eSpark Learning