News - KEH Communications

Wyoming Department of Education Selects PublicSchoolWORKS as Approved Suicide Prevention Training Program for 2014-2015

State Superintendent of Public Instruction recommends programs to address the state’s recent adoption of the Jason Flatt Act

Cincinnati, OH (September 10, 2014) — The Wyoming Department of Education has named PublicSchoolWORKS an approved provider of training on suicide prevention fundamentals and core competencies for all staff in school districts. As part of its adoption of the Jason Flatt Act, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, Wyoming educators are required to receive a minimum of two hours of training each year to maintain their state teaching licenses. Wyoming is the 13th state to do so as part of its state-wide initiative to address suicide prevention for students. While requirements vary by state, the Jason Flatt Act supports state legislation that provides suicide prevention training and resources to teachers, parents and students.

KidWind Launches New STEM REcharge Labs

Starting in October, KidWind will host training sessions nationwide to help teachers spark excitement about STEM and renewable energy learning in students

(Saint Paul, MN) September 9, 2014 – KidWind, the nation’s leader in clean energy education, is launching a new nationwide professional development program for educators called REcharge Labs. The training sessions will provide educators of grades K-12 with standards-aligned knowledge and tools to help their students build connections between STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and math—and the social and environmental benefits and issues relating to wind and solar energy.

New Online Curriculum Brings Life Sciences Concepts to the Classroom through the Lens of the Rainforest

EdTechLens’ first online curriculum offers K-5 educators and students life sciences instruction through standards-aligned mixed media content

SCHENECTADY, NY September 4, 2014 – To help educators teach science concepts to students in grades K-5, EdTechLens created Rainforest Journey, a subscription-based and standards-aligned online curriculum that uses the rainforest as a springboard for a comprehensive learning experience. Rainforest Journey uses high-resolution original photographs and videos that correlate with the written text to illustrate scientific concepts – such as adaption, the water and life cycles, predators and prey— in ways that foster curiosity about science.

PresenceLearning Publishes New White Paper on the Feasibility and Benefits of Implementing Online Counseling

“Extending Your Reach: Online Counseling” white paper is free to download from PresenceLearning’s growing library of special education resources

SAN FRANCISCO, September 2, 2014 – As seen in tragic headlines and news stories, America is experiencing a mental health crisis. In 2010, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) stated that 75 to 80 percent of students in need of mental health services do not receive them. This gap in services — whether attributed to a shortage of therapists, a misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all — is detrimental to student outcomes in both academic and extracurricular environments. To guide school districts in the development and deployment of high-quality counseling services for students, PresenceLearning, the leader in online speech therapy and other special education-related services for K-12 students, has published the “Extending Your Reach: Online Counseling” white paper. Based on psychological assessment and psychotherapy expert Dr. A. Jordan Wright’s “Changing Minds” webinar, the white paper explains how schools can affordably, flexibly and effectively provide counseling services in an online format.

TeacherLists.com Hits 650,000 School Supply List Milestone

The National School Supply Lists Directory at TeacherLists.com is the largest and most accessible school supply lists directory

Wrentham, MA (August 27, 2014) – Right in the midst of the busy back-to-school shopping season, TeacherLists.com hit a major milestone by surpassing 650,000 school supply lists in its National School Supply Lists Directory, making it the largest and most active school supply lists directory available to teachers and parents today.

PresenceLearning Featured on Inc. Magazine’s 33rd Annual Inc. 500 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies

Company ranked 146th overall and third in the education category based on its significant three-year sales growth

SAN FRANCISCO, August 27, 2014 – PresenceLearning, the leader in online special education, was ranked 146th overall – and third in the education category – on Inc. Magazine’s 33rd annual Inc. 500|5000 list, which is an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The company also ranked as the ninth fastest growing firm in the Bay Area and sixth fastest growing in San Francisco. PresenceLearning was chosen based on its significant three-year sales growth of 2,634%.

The Best for Babies Book Provides Expert Advice for Assessing Infant-Toddler Programs

Alice Sterling Honig highlights the nurturing interactions that children need for optimum development

Lewisville, N.C. – August 27, 2014 – In The Best for Babies: Expert Advice for Assessing Infant-Toddler Programs from Gryphon House Inc., a leading publisher of early childhood resources, Alice Sterling Honig offers practical ideas for guiding children’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional learning and development.

PresenceLearning Launches New Three-Part Fall Webinar Series for Special Education Administrators

First SPEDexpectations webinar on September 23rd, 2014 will help administrators navigate ever-changing legal landscape

SAN FRANCISCO, August 25, 2014 – Special education administrators are responsible for ensuring that students with special needs receive a free and appropriate public education. However, an ever-evolving legal environment leaves school districts vulnerable to legal blunders when developing and implementing educational programs for students with special needs. To help special education administrators stay up-to-date—and educate their colleagues in general education—PresenceLearning is hosting a free webinar with Julie Weatherly, Esq., an expert in special education law, on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 10 AM Pacific time (1 PM Eastern time). This free webinar, “Staying Out of Due Process in Special Education: Five Timely Do’s and Don’ts,” is the first of three webinars in PresenceLearning’s new SPEDexpectations fall webinar series.

To sign up for the webinar, visit: http://pages.presencelearning.com/spedexpectations-julie-weatherly-register.html.

Learning First Alliance Supports Additional Time to Get Common Core Implementation Right

U.S. Department of Education announcement respects educator voice, provides delay in tying teacher evaluations to standardized assessments

Washington, D.C. – August 21, 2014 – Today, the Learning First Alliance (LFA), a partnership of leading education organizations representing more than 10 million parents, educators and policymakers, released the following statement:

“The Learning First Alliance supports the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to allow states to delay tying teacher evaluation to standardized assessments aligned to new standards, including the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

The Enlarged City School District of Middletown Improves Student Outcomes with Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready®

District’s elementary schools effectively use online diagnostic and instruction program built for the Common Core State Standards for blended learning

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., August 21, 2014—The Enlarged City School District of Middletown, a National Race to the Top District (RTTT-D) in Middletown, NY, has improved student outcomes through its use of Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Diagnostic & Instruction. During the first year of its blended learning initiative in 2013–14, the district implemented the online program, which is built for the Common Core State Standards, in 33 elementary classrooms. Middletown chose i-Ready to meet its academic needs based on a collaborative design and content selection process that involved district leaders, teachers, and its partner, Education Elements, which helps design and implement personalized learning plans for districts.