Smart Horizons Career Online Education Partners with Hamilton County ESC to Re-Engage High School Students

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio and PENSACOLA, Fla., July 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE), the world's first AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district, announced today a partnership with Hamilton County Educational Service Center (HCESC) in Ohio to re-engage high school students and prepare them for careers and/or college. 

SHCOE, Rock and Roll Academy, and Usher's Music Industry Leadership 101 were selected by HCESC, in partnership with Beanstalk Innovation, as part of the HCESC's Learning RE-Engineered program funded by a Straight A Grant. Offered through the Ohio Department of Education, the Straight A Fund supports ideas from local educators that promote academic achievement and economic efficiencies within schools and districts. The HCESC's Learning RE-Engineered program uses these three innovative programs to re-engage struggling learners by redesigning the classroom to incorporate 21st century learning. The programs use blended learning practices to help engage students and keep them in school.   

As part of the SHCOE program, high school students are able to earn an AdvancED/SACS accredited workforce certificate in one of eight areas, including: Child Care & Education (CDA), Certified Protection Officer (CPO), Office Management, Commercial Driving, Homeland Security, Retail Customer Service, Food & Hospitality, and General Career Preparation.  

"The HCESC program is a truly unique and innovative initiative and we are very proud to be a part of it," stated SHCOE Superintendent of Schools Dr. Howard Liebman. "By creating a stimulating non-traditional learning experience with outcomes that are more relevant in today's world, we are able to re-engage high school students who may have felt alienated in a traditional educational environment."

The program has been recently implemented within four local districts in Hamilton County including: Deer Park Community City School District, Finneytown Local School District, Norwood City School District, Reading Community City School District, and HCESC's Learning Center at North Norwood.

"Working with the Straight A Fund, our team developed the Learning RE-Engineered program to help our struggling high school students in Hamilton County," stated Vikki Clemons, Executive Director of Instructional Services at HCESC. "Education is the best pathway to a brighter future and Learning RE-Engineered focuses on giving our students the best chance at success in school and beyond."

For more information on the HCESC program, please visit http://www.hcesc.org/learning-re-engineered.

About Smart Horizons Career Online Education
Smart Horizons Career Online Education, founded in 2009 and located in Pensacola, Florida, is a private, AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district. AdvancED/SACS District accreditation signifies that SHCOE and all of its schools are fully accredited and that SHCOE is recognized across the nation as a quality school system. Smart Horizons Career Online Education offers 18-credit, career-based high school diploma programs that are designed to prepare students for entrance into the workplace. Career certificate offerings include Childcare Education, Office Management, Protection Services, Homeland Security, Transportation Services, Professional Skills, Retail Customer Service Skills, and Food & Customer Service Skills.

About Hamilton County Educational Service Center (HCESC)
The Hamilton County Educational Service Center has provided service to the public school districts in Hamilton County and vicinity for more than ninety years. Traditionally, these services have been related to special education and professional development. However, in response to the challenging demands of state and federal legislation and the changing needs of today's students and educators, HCESC is focusing on innovation by bringing together educational best practices and leading-edge knowledge to serve 150,000 students and 10,000 educators in southwest Ohio. HCESC is staffed by nearly 600 professionals - experts in curriculum and instruction, special education and related services, early childhood, and school improvement consultants. Learn more at  www.hcesc.org.

About Beanstalk Innovation
Beanstalk Innovation is comprised of a select team of educational experts who have been working in the areas of curriculum, educational publishing, and technology industry for over two decades.  The group has supported the evolution of educational technology from a classroom tool that supplemented instruction, into a dynamic marketplace where new technologies are impacting the teaching and learning infrastructure. Through these technology tools, new models of education are being envisioned and realized. Our work within the education industry has provided us the experiences and relationships required to become a premier strategic consulting partner to districts and state departments who are seeking the realization of efficient, effective, enterprise systems of teaching and learning that are based on individual learning needs, preferences, and interests.

CONTACT: James McCusker, 203-585-4750

SOURCE Smart Horizons Career Online Education