La Petite Academy 'Journey' Preschool Students Are Excelling in Math and Early Literacy Skills
Posted on: Thursday, 6 July 2006, 12:00 CDT
CHICAGO, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Students enrolled in La Petite Academy's preschool program are continuing to learn at an accelerated pace, acquiring the educational skills necessary to be properly prepared for kindergarten.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060706/CGTH025 )
Child progress and outcome data collected during the 2005-06 program year using the Galileo online preschool assessment tool developed by Assessment Technology Incorporated (ATI), confirms for the second consecutive year students participating in La Petite Academy's Journey curriculum progressively learn and make significant developmental gains in math and early literacy skills over the course of a school year.
Students who completed the Journey program during the 2005-06 school year, on average, more than doubled expected developmental gains in learning early math skills, according to ATI's research-driven Galileo assessment(1). Students assessed in learning early language and literacy skills also made significant improvements, nearly doubling expected developmental gains.
"Education is the heart of our business," said Gary Graves, President and CEO of La Petite Academy. "Many early care and education providers say their children are learning what they need to know to be properly prepared for their next educational step, but we're unique in the fact that we have taken steps to independently test and show our parents their child is truly learning."
During the 2004-05 school year, LPA assessed 720 students enrolled in the Journey program in 40 academies across the country using the Galileo assessment tool. Students were assessed and evaluated in 53 math and 73 language and literacy learning capabilities. On average, Journey students showed a 118 point gain in learning math skills and a 113 point gain in learning language literacy skills over the course of a school year, far exceeding the assessment tool's 50 point expected learning benchmark. (Please see slide two below)
This year's study -- which more than tripled last year's sample size -- evaluated 2,400 students in 115 academies throughout the country, revealing almost identical developmental gains in math, while posting positive results in language literacy.
On average, Journey students showed a 113 point gain in math and a 97 point gain in learning language and literacy skills, again, far exceeding the assessment tool's 50 point benchmark of expected learning. (Please see slide one below)
"Parents who enroll their children in our preschool program can be confident their child will acquire the skills necessary for a productive and educational kindergarten experience," said Melissa Field, director of education and parent relations at La Petite Academy. "Prepping our students for kindergarten is our number one priority and the results of these assessments prove we are doing just that."
Parents whose children are enrolled in the Journey program can access and track their child's educational progress online, as well as have instant access to additional educational activities that supplement classroom learning. In addition, parents also receive a quarterly written progress report, as well as the opportunity for bi-annual parent-teacher conferences to discuss their student's achievements and future goals.
La Petite Academy parent Terri Todhunter said she has seen tremendous educational growth from her four-year-old son Jordan since she enrolled him into a LPA Journey program in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this year.
"We have all really watched him blossom," she said, referring to Jordan's increased word recognition, writing and listening skills.
"He is definitely going to have a leg up on some of his peers because of this program," Todhunter said. "I feel confident Jordan will excel this coming fall when its time for him to enter kindergarten."
Since 2003, LPA invested more than $2 million and thousands of hours of teacher training to help make the Journey program -- focused on meeting the specific developmental and educational needs of three- and four-year-olds -- a reality.
GALILEO ASSESSMENT TOOL
Galileo's research-based assessment methodology, validated on thousands of children, delivers rapid access to credible information about children's progress. With Galileo curriculum and assessment, teachers easily and efficiently include current assessment information into the lesson planning process. Dynamic tools in Galileo help educators respond to changes in curricular goals and methods.
ABOUT LA PETITE ACADEMY (LPA)
La Petite Academy, Inc. is one of the nation's largest privately held early care and education companies with more than 600 locations in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Headquartered in Chicago, LPA offers a variety of programs: from infants to toddlers; two-year-olds to preschoolers; as well as kindergarteners to school age children. For more information, visit http://www.lapetite.com/ .
ABOUT ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED (ATI)
Assessment Technology, Inc., an educational technology company founded in 1986, is the creator of the Galileo assessment tool designed to help teachers, administrators, and educational organizations improve student performance through assessments, instructional tools and reports. For more information, visit http://www.ati-online.com/ .
LINK TO ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION http://www.lapetite.com/public/100/assessments.jsp (1) Explanation of assessment method: In the fall, spring and early summer of this year, La Petite Academy teachers assessed the children in their classrooms for an extended period of time by reviewing work samples and directly observing how each child was progressing in specific areas. Using a "path-referenced" or stair-step approach (in which teachers viewed each student according to his/her progress along a specific developmental path) the teachers submitted detailed Class Observation Records to Galileo, the data was aggregated and then made available through the assessment's online system.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060706/CGTH025AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
La Petite Academy, Inc.
CONTACT: Scott Ray, La Petite Academy, +1-312-798-1244
Web site: http://www.lapetite.com/http://www.ati-online.com/http://www.lapetite.com/public/100/assessments.jsp
Source: PRNewswire
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