USA TODAY and Learning.com Join Forces to Give Teachers Better Access to Digital Teaching Resources

Collaboration Pairs Current Events, News and Information Giant with Innovative, Educational Technology Developer

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY and Learning.com announced today that USA TODAY content, including educational resources developed by USA TODAY Education, will be part of the Learning.com national digital curriculum marketplace.

Learning.com launched its online marketplace in June to help teachers find, buy and use the best digital teaching resources available. The Learning.com marketplace gives teachers a single online point to find, organize, assign, and track students' progress with effective digital content that is safe and aligned to Common Core and state standards.

The following content from USA TODAY Education is available to teachers through the Learning.com marketplace:   

• Intensive Reading program: Improves struggling readers' ability and higher-order thinking skills through effective reading strategies and engaging real-world content
• Content-area reading program: Collection of graphic organizer-based lessons designed for content-area teachers to help students develop reading skills, organize their thinking and communicate more effectively
• Reading Boot Camp: For use during the weeks leading up to high-stakes testing, these hand-picked reading lessons offer students additional support and reinforcement preparing for the toughest reading standards
• Article packs: Collections of recently published USA TODAY articles on specific topics pique student interest and connect reading development with real-world news and information

"Through our relationship with Learning.com, students across the country will now have access to the in-depth resources of USA TODAY, which will engage them in a rigorous exploration of current, relevant topics to improve their literacy and critical thinking skills and prepare them for college and career paths," said Diane Barrett, vice president of USA TODAY Education. 

Learning.com marketplace provides teachers with free accounts that enable them to:

• Find resources by state or national standard and by keyword with a quick and easy interface
• Engage with a community of educators to learn and share best practices
• Access and use hundreds of thousands of free and fee-based digital resources provided by a growing number of digital publishers

"We are proud to collaborate with USA TODAY on this project," said William Kelly, Learning.com's Founder and CEO.  "The education team at USA TODAY has assembled a set of digital resources that teachers will find very helpful, and that students will find engaging and timely.  Coupled with Learning.com's tools for finding and organizing educational content, we think this solution will be very successful."

About USA TODAY

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Today, through its newspaper, website and mobile platforms, USA TODAY connects readers and engages the national conversation. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of more than 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website  launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.4 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than ten million downloads on mobile devices. The USA TODAY brand also includes USA TODAY Education and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

About Learning.com

Proven content, powerful tools, practical services—that's Learning.com. Founded in 1999, we offer curriculum and assessments and implementation, support and professional development. Our digital literacy and STEM solutions win awards and excite student learning. We help streamline classroom management, differentiate instruction and prescribe effective content. Our curriculum mapping, progress monitoring and resource tracking tools enable districts to make the most of their resources and expertise. Our vibrant online community and industry-leading marketplace with free and for-fee content deliver the best in blended learning. Improve learning outcomes with us. For more information, visit www.learning.com.

SOURCE USA TODAY