Catapult Learning is extremely fortunate and excited to be participating and presenting as an Education Service Provider at this year’s at the Georgia Department of Education School Improvement and Turnaround Vendor Fair.

Please stop by and “Hello” to the Catapult representatives on hand at the fair.  They are more than happy to discuss the ways that Catapult Learning can help with School Improvement and Turnaround in your district.  We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have questions please contact Richard Blackburn at richard.blackburn@catapultlearning.com

Georgia DOE School Improvement and Turnaround Vendor Fair Agenda

 Tuesday, February 21, 2012 – Vendor Orientation

 1:30 p.m.  Sign in (Light refreshments)

2:00 p.m.  Dr. Michael Buck, Welcome and Purpose

2:30 p.m.  Sylvia Hooker, Overview of February 22, 2012 Activities

3:00 p.m.  Vendor Set Up (Projector, screen and laptop will be provided by GaDOE).

Please have your presentation on a thumb drive. We will load it on the laptop in your assigned room immediately following orientation.  We suggest however that you also have your presentation loaded on your personal laptop in case of technical difficulties.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 – Vendor Fair

7:00 a.m.  Sign in / Light refreshments- visit exhibits

8:00 a.m.  Sylvia Hooker, Greetings and Overview to participants

Concurrent Presentations: (We have built in each presentation five minutes for transition) Room assignments (A and C)

8:30 a.m.  Room A: Integrated Educational Strategies; Room C: Global Partnership Schools

9:10 a.m.  Room A: Institute for Student Achievement; Room C:  Highpoints Learning

9:50 a.m.  Room A: ViziTech USA; Room C:  Mosaica Turnaround Partners

10:30(break & vendor exhibits)

Vendor Presentations:

11:00 a.m.  Room A: Catapult Learning;

Room C: Academic Learning School Turnaround (Learning4TodayCompany)

11:40 a.m.  Room A: Vendor National Board for Professional Teaching Standards;

Room C:  NCS Pearson, Inc.

Lunch: 12:20 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (on your own) There is a dining facility on site.

Vendor Presentations:

1:00 p.m. Room A: The Leadership and Learning Center; Room C:  Teachscape, Inc.

1:40 p.m. Room A: C.R.A.M.; Room C:   American Reading Company

2:20 p.m.(break/light refreshments & vendor exhibits)

Vendor Presentations:

2:50 p.m. Room A: Kaplan K12 Learning Services, Room C: Scholastic, Inc.

3:30 p.m. Room A:  SREB; Room C: Edison Learning

4:10 p.m. Room A: Delaney Educational; Room C: Foundation for Educational Success

4:50 p.m. (complete evaluation)

About Catapult Learning

Achieving Beyond Expectations: Serving K-12 children who struggle with academics.

We believe the key to unlocking a child’s potential lies within a motivating learning environment that is sensitive to his or her unique instructional needs. That’s why we partner with schools and school districts to better understand the challenges children face, and offer customized solutions that range from small-group K-12 instructional intervention services, to extended-day and summer learning programs, to turnkey professional development and more.

For 35 years, Catapult Learning and our predecessor companies have partnered with education institutions, government agencies, and community groups, providing outcomes-based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and produce positive academic results.  Catapult Learning, a privately owned company, is a leading provider of contracted educational services to schools and districts nationwide and last year we provided more than 106,000 services to students in approximately 1,400 schools. We are currently the largest, most experienced provider of contracted educational services to non-public schools in the country.  Our instruction, our services, and our people motivate the students we serve to achieve great success in school and beyond.

It’s only February, not even two months into the new year of 2012.  Even though it’s been a mild winter many of us are still scraping ice from windows, shoveling out the driveway, and wondering how much more snow we’ll have before spring.  However, in many of the school districts around the country they are already thinking about the summertime.  Just not in the way you think!

They are thinking about what they can do to prevent the dreaded “Summer Slide”.  No, that is not the slip & slide that you played with in your backyard as a kid!  In reality, the Summer Slide is a term to describe what happens to struggling students each year when school goes into recess for the summer months.

Don’t get me wrong; summers are great.  Almost everyone has a ton of wonderful memories from their summers growing up; from bar-b-ques to baseball games, from the sea-shore to the mountains, from lemonade to ice cream cones, and a million other iconic summer experiences.

Unfortunately, there is another story about summer.

Summer Learning Loss:

For millions of disadvantaged and struggling students, summertime is a far cry from healthy intellectual stimulation.  Instead, these already struggling students are faced with a long summer of inactivity and it causes their achievement gap to widen.  The results are often irreversible.

Learning Leap Classroom: Summer 2011

In recent years, Catapult Learning has been working with schools and districts to reverse this trend.  Catapult Learning created a summer program called, Learning Leap.  The Learning Leap program combines academic instruction, cultural enrichment, and family involvement over a six week period.  Research shows, students who participate not only improve their academic scores, but are far more likely to continue their education.

In only a few short years the program has proven to be a great success in the districts where it’s been implemented.  In 2010, Learning Leap helped boost the achievement of 3300 students in the Detroit Public School Systems.  “The results were the academic equivalent of a no-hitter”, said Sean McGrew, Catapult Learning’s Director of Research and Evaluation.

Right now the School Partnership Directors at Catapult Learning are out talking to schools and districts throughout the country.  They are looking to expand the reach of the program and help more struggling students to prevent the “Summer Slide”.

Summer will always be summer, filled with all those great memories of fun and freedom!  Although, hopefully it will also be a time where programs like Learning Leap are there for students to stay engaged, enriched, and achieving beyond their expectations!

See Catapult Learning’s Summer Brochure here: Learning Leap Brochure 2012

If you have questions or you would like more information about implementing the Learning Leap program in your schools, please email: info@catapultlearning.com

About: Catapult Learning

Achieving Beyond Expectations: Serving K-12 children who struggle with academics.

We believe the key to unlocking a child’s potential lies within a motivating learning environment that is sensitive to his or her unique instructional needs. That’s why we partner with schools and school districts to better understand the challenges children face, and offer customized solutions that range from small-group K-12 instructional intervention services, to extended-day and summer learning programs, to turnkey professional development and more.

For 35 years, Catapult Learning and our predecessor companies have partnered with education institutions, government agencies, and community groups, providing outcomes-based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and produce positive academic results.  Catapult Learning, a privately owned company, is a leading provider of contracted educational services to schools and districts nationwide and last year we provided more than 106,000 services to students in approximately 1,400 schools. We are currently the largest, most experienced provider of contracted educational services to non-public schools in the country.  Our instruction, our services, and our people motivate the students we serve to achieve great success in school and beyond.

 

Catapult Learning recently hosted a vendor fair for Milwaukee Principals

Diana Barnes, Director of School Partnerships in Milwaukee (along with other Catapult Team members) blogged about the experience.  They also provided us with some great pictures.

I’ll let Diana and team speak for themselves!

Hi John, here is some info on the Milwaukee Vendor Fair.

The Milwaukee Vendor Fair was held in conjunction with the Milwaukee Public School’s consultation meeting with the non-public schools.  Currently, Catapult Learning provides Title 1 services to 44 schools in the area. Each year, schools have the option of selecting their Title 1 Service provider during a one month period of time.  Initiating this month long selection window is a Vendor Fair sponsored by Milwaukee public Schools.

Catapult Learning opted to create a display for utilizing stations staffed by Catapult Professionals that Milwaukee Principals browsed during the fair. Stations included Direct Instruction, Blended Learning, Technology, Counseling and Professional Development / Parent involvement.

It was a team effort by the entire Milwaukee team, Seppy and Prem.  We were able to showcase some new offerings with our Dashboard and Ipad Independent Practice.  Our exhibit was visited by current customers, customers that are currently using another provider, and potential new customers that are new to the Title 1 program.  The Milwaukee team not only targeted customer retention, but also reached out to new schools participating in the program as well as customers unhappy with their current service provider.

Diana (Zakiya and Marty)

Thanks Diana, we really appreciate you sharing this information!  Thanks also to your other team members Zakiya Courtney and Martin O’Malley (plus Seppy Basili and Prem Mandava).  I am sure that the Catapult team made this event a great success in Milwaukee.  Good luck in 2012 and beyond!

If you have questions about how Catapult Learning can help your school succeed, email Diana at diana.barnes@catapultlearning.com

Outside the midwest? Pease email info@catapultlearning.com

About: Catapult Learning

Achieving Beyond Expectations: Serving K-12 children who struggle with academics.

We believe the key to unlocking a child’s potential lies within a motivating learning environment that is sensitive to his or her unique instructional needs. That’s why we partner with schools and school districts to better understand the challenges children face, and offer customized solutions that range from small-group K-12 instructional intervention services, to extended-day and summer learning programs, to turnkey professional development and more.

For 35 years, Catapult Learning and our predecessor companies have partnered with education institutions, government agencies, and community groups, providing outcomes-based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and produce positive academic results.  Catapult Learning, a privately owned company, is a leading provider of contracted educational services to schools and districts nationwide and last year we provided more than 106,000 services to students in approximately 1,400 schools. We are currently the largest, most experienced provider of contracted educational services to non-public schools in the country.  Our instruction, our services, and our people motivate the students we serve to achieve great success in school and beyond.

Catapult Learning will be attending the Education Research and Development Institute’s Annual Winter Conference in Houston Texas.  Catapult Learning representatives are excited about attending this event, please stop by the Catapult table to hear about the tremendous impact our services are having throughout the country.

Learn More About This Event

About: ERDI exists to allow educational leaders the opportunity to influence the development, refinement and delivery of the products and services entering the educational setting in the USA so that those products and services can best meet the needs of children. Because the schools and districts that ERDI superintendents lead are important consumers, ERDI gives them a unique opportunity to comment on and shape what goes into the schools they serve. No other venue in this country offers leaders the chance to help create and streamline the products that affect the lives of the learners who will build a new future for our world!
At an ERDI conference, corporate client representatives receive a private 3-hour panel discussion with five leading educators. The agenda is determined by the corporate client and can address any issue. The client garners incredibly valuable information on those agenda issues and topics. Panels of expert superintendents provide frank, candid insight and feedback that clients typically incorporate to upgrade their products and services and to modify their marketing plans.

ERDI is proud to work closely with superintendents across the country. These superintendents are seasoned, leading experts in the field of K-12 education. These national leaders are the men and women who serve on ERDI panels.

About Catapult Learning

Achieving Beyond Expectations: Serving K-12 children who struggle with academics.

We believe the key to unlocking a child’s potential lies within a motivating learning environment that is sensitive to his or her unique instructional needs. That’s why we partner with schools and school districts to better understand the challenges children face, and offer customized solutions that range from small-group K-12 instructional intervention services, to extended-day and summer learning programs, to turnkey professional development and more.

For 35 years, Catapult Learning and our predecessor companies have partnered with education institutions, government agencies, and community groups, providing outcomes-based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and produce positive academic results.  Catapult Learning, a privately owned company, is a leading provider of contracted educational services to schools and districts nationwide and last year we provided more than 106,000 services to students in approximately 1,400 schools. We are currently the largest, most experienced provider of contracted educational services to non-public schools in the country.  Our instruction, our services, and our people motivate the students we serve to achieve great success in school and beyond.

Our programs employ over 3,200 full- and part-time staff, and have served more than one million students. Our streamlined administrative structure is designed to ensure that we meet planned, agreed upon goals in a highly cost-efficient manner.  Our managerial expertise enables us to seamlessly integrate our programs into schools, thus alleviating—and even eliminating—complex administrative responsibilities from the districts and schools we serve.

In addition to our signature K-12 instructional intervention services and programs focusing on reading and math, we provide a wide variety of additional services such as English as a second language (ESL) programs, speech/language assessment and intervention services, writing, study skills and test taking strategies, diagnostic therapy and counseling services, IDEA services, early childhood education, parent involvement programs, school nursing and social work, program evaluation, and a variety of consultative services.  We also provide Professional Development services using a diverse array of offerings.  We deliver these services under contract to school districts, county‑wide educational agencies, and municipalities.  We have earned a reputation for providing effective and cost-efficient educational services to schools.

On Thursday February 2nd, 2012 Principals in North Carolina attended a seminar on leadership.  The seminar was presented by Bill Blokker and Debbie Whitfill of Literacy First.  The mission of Literacy First is to:

Develop teacher and leadership capacity to accelerate students’ reading achievement.

Literacy First believes a strong foundation in literacy is the key to academic success. Literacy First helps you help your students build that foundation. The results prove it: over 85% of schools that work with the Literacy First program meet or exceed AYP/state standards each year.

Experts from Catapult’s Literacy First program work hand-in-hand with you to develop the capacity of teachers and school leadership teams with our unique program of professional development, coaching, and instructional materials. Let us enable you to improve student performance, accelerate learning, and eliminate achievement gaps in reading and all content areas.

Learn More About Literacy First HERE

Literacy First: Leadership Seminar North Carolina 2012

If you are located in another state, please email info@catapultlearning.com

Learn More About This Event

Catapult Learning is extremely honored and excited to be both an exhibitor and a presenter at this years Asociacion de Educacion Privada Convention in San Juan PR.  A handful of Catapult Learning representatives will be in attendance.  Among those are Guiseppe Basili and Michelle Doyle who will be presenting on the topics of Private School Equitable participation under NCLB and using intensive instructional intervention to narrow the acheivement gap.

The Asociacion de Educacion Privada Convencion 2012 is projected to be a large event with educators from throughout Puerto Rico looking for ways to improve on their schools performance.  Catapult Learning looks forward to sharing information on how our intervention services are currently helping struggling learners close the acheivement gap and how we can do the same for schools throughout Puerto Rico.

Please be sure to attend Catapult Learning’s presentation or stop by the Catapult Learning booth at this year’s convention to learn more about how Catapult can help your school to acheive beyond expectations.

If you would like more information about Catapult Learning, please contact Pat Lacognata at pat.lacognata@catapultlearning.com

Catapult Learning será presentador y expositor en la Convención 2012

Catapult Learning es muy honrado y feliz de ser a la vez un expositor y presentador de un año en esta convención en San Juan PR. Un puñado de representantes Catapult Learning estarán presentes. Entre ellos se encuentran Giuseppe Basili y Doyle Michelle que presentará en los temas de la participación de la escuela privada equitativa bajo la ley NCLB y el uso de la intervención de instrucción intensiva para reducir la brecha de logro de una manera.

La Asociación de Educación Privada de Puerto Rico Convencion 2012 se prevé que sea un gran evento con educadores de todo Puerto Rico en busca de maneras de mejorar en su rendimiento escolar. Catapult Learning espera que el intercambio de información sobre cómo nuestros servicios de intervención están ayudando a los estudiantes con dificultades cerrar la brecha de logro de una manera y cómo podemos hacer lo mismo para las escuelas en todo Puerto Rico.

Por favor, asegúrese de asistir a la presentación Catapult Learning, o visitar el stand de Catapult Learning en la convención de este año para aprender más acerca de cómo Catapult puede ayudar a su escuela para acheive allá de las expectativas.

Si desea más información sobre Catapult Learning, por favor póngase en contacto con Pat Lacognata en pat.lacognata@catapultlearning.com

Seattle's Famous Pike Place Market

National Title 1 Conference 2012 Seattle, Washington

The National Title 1 Conference 2012 was recently held in Seattle WA.  As we have mentioned here on the Catapult Learning website, a number of our employees were in attendance, and they were extremely excited to be a part of this years conference!

Matt Young from Catapult Learning shared his first hand perspective from the conference (along with some great snapshots):

The National Title 1 Conference was a wonderful event and a great way to kick off 2012.  This year’s conference “Soaring to Excellence” featured among others, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Michael Yudin and the ESEA Flexibility Team from the US Department of Education.  The sessions were very well attended, many over capacity, and overall feedback from conference attendees was positive. 

For Catapult Learning, the weekend was highlighted by our dinner on Sunday night at Sullivan’s restaurant.  Our guests enjoyed a well deserved night of dinner and great conversation (and not too far from the main hotel which everyone appreciated!).  A good time was had by all…..especially the folks from the New York area who were able to see the Giants make it to the Super Bowl on the big screen TV in the dining room!

This year was a tremendous success and we look forward to seeing everyone in Nashville, TN in 2013!

-Matt Young

Matt Young is the Director of School Partnerships for Public Schools in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.  He is also the School Partnership Director for both Public and Non-Public schools in Michigan.

If you would like to know more about how Catapult Learning can help with your Title I program, email: matt.young@catapultlearning.com

If you are located in another state, please email: info@catapultlearning.com

Catapult Learning Booth at the Title I Conference

 

About: Catapult Learning

Achieving Beyond Expectations: Serving K-12 children who struggle with academics.

We believe the key to unlocking a child’s potential lies within a motivating learning environment that is sensitive to his or her unique instructional needs. That’s why we partner with schools and school districts to better understand the challenges children face, and offer customized solutions that range from small-group K-12 instructional intervention services, to extended-day and summer learning programs, to turnkey professional development and more.

Catapult Learning and Literacy First Team Members @ Title I Conf.

For 35 years, Catapult Learning and our predecessor companies have partnered with education institutions, government agencies, and community groups, providing outcomes-based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and produce positive academic results.  Catapult Learning, a privately owned company, is a leading provider of contracted educational services to schools and districts nationwide and last year we provided more than 106,000 services to students in approximately 1,400 schools. We are currently the largest, most experienced provider of contracted educational services to non-public schools in the country.  Our instruction, our services, and our people motivate the students we serve to achieve great success in school and beyond.

Our programs employ over 3,200 full- and part-time staff, and have served more than one million students. Our streamlined administrative structure is designed to ensure that we meet planned, agreed upon goals in a highly cost-efficient manner.  Our managerial expertise enables us to seamlessly integrate our programs into schools, thus alleviating—and even eliminating—complex administrative responsibilities from the districts and schools we serve.

What a view! Seattle, WA 2012

In addition to our signature K-12 instructional intervention services and programs focusing on reading and math, we provide a wide variety of additional services such as English as a second language (ESL) programs, speech/language assessment and intervention services, writing, study skills and test taking strategies, diagnostic therapy and counseling services, IDEA services, early childhood education, parent involvement programs, school nursing and social work, program evaluation, and a variety of consultative services.  We also provide Professional Development services using a diverse array of offerings.  We deliver these services under contract to school districts, county‑wide educational agencies, and municipalities.  We have earned a reputation for providing effective and cost-efficient educational services to schools.

Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 7:00 PM – Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 1:00 PM South Bend, IN

Federal education programs require equitable participation for private school students, teachers, and parents. Are your students receiving all the services they are entitled to through federal education programs?

We invite you to join us for a FOUR DAY INSTITUTE this July on Private School Equitable Participation.  This Four Day Institute will be offered at the University of Notre Dame and features sustained online support throughout the 2012-13 school year!  The event is jointly sponsored by ACE Consulting at the University of Notre Dame and Catapult Learning.

All participants who complete the institute will receive a certificate from the University of Notre Dame awarding Professional Development Points equal to the total program hours of the institute.

• Are your students with disabilities provided with publicly funded supports?
• Do you know the funds generated by your students and how best to utilize them?
• Do you successfully work with your public school district to obtain services for your students?

What is it and why you should attend:

• 4 day summer institute on the campus of the University of Notre Dame
• 4 interactive webinars throughout 2012-13
• Development of an advocacy action plan for school or system of schools
• Online community for peer and professional support and interaction
• Opportunities to join in ND’s liturgical celebrations
• The Notre Dame Experience!!

By the end of this conference you will…

• Become knowledgeable about Titles I, II, III of ESEA and IDEA
• Get practical experience in solving common issues involved in obtaining equitable services
• Have techniques that improve your consultation skills
• Belong to a support community of private school educators involved in federal education program services

Availability is limited to 40 participants.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend this important event!  Click here to Learn More About This Event

Proposed Program:

 Day 1: Welcome; Advocacy for Students and Schools

• Equity for our children: A social justice issue.
• Setting the context: The history of private school participation in federal education program.
• Lunch Activity: Rate your skill in obtaining federal program services for your students.
• Case studies, best practices, and what not to do.
• Refresher course: Overview of ESEA programs and the consultation process. 
• Break into Facilitation groups: Assessment of access now, begin action plans.

Day 2: Let the games begin: preparing for your consultation meeting

• Strike one, strike two, strike three: Hitting a home run in ESEA. 
• All Stars in the Field: Panel of Best Practices. 
• Batting practice: Consultation role play/simulation. 
• Reflections on the consultation exercise. 
• Facilitation groups: Finalize action plans for presentation. 

Day 3: Putting it into practice: Presentation of action plans

• You’ll never walk alone: Support plan for participants. 
• Education for all: Advocating for our most needy through IDEA. 
• Incorporate IDEA into action plans. 
• Social event.

Day 4: Inside the beltway.

• Advocacy. 
• Funding.
• Reauthorization.

For more information email: matt.young@catapultlearning.com

Learn More About This Event

LUDA (The Large Unit District Association) was created in 1976 by a group of superintendents who recognized the need for an organization that would provide networking, professional development, and advocacy for large unit school districts.

Our purpose is to:

 2. Serve as a resource of information for large unit school districts

 3. Make known to the public the educational, financial, operational, and organizational needs and concerns of large unit districts in order to promote the common good and general welfare of the districts, their students, and their communities.

4. Influence legislation and regulations; disseminate analyses, studies, and research in order to assist in the development of sound educational policy. 

About: Catapult Learning

Achieving Beyond Expectations: Serving K-12 children who struggle with academics.

We believe the key to unlocking a child’s potential lies within a motivating learning environment that is sensitive to his or her unique instructional needs. That’s why we partner with schools and school districts to better understand the challenges children face, and offer customized solutions that range from small-group K-12 instructional intervention services, to extended-day and summer learning programs, to turnkey professional development and more.

For 35 years, Catapult Learning and our predecessor companies have partnered with education institutions, government agencies, and community groups, providing outcomes-based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and produce positive academic results.  Catapult Learning, a privately owned company, is a leading provider of contracted educational services to schools and districts nationwide and last year we provided more than 106,000 services to students in approximately 1,400 schools. We are currently the largest, most experienced provider of contracted educational services to non-public schools in the country.  Our instruction, our services, and our people motivate the students we serve to achieve great success in school and beyond.

Our programs employ over 3,200 full- and part-time staff, and have served more than one million students. Our streamlined administrative structure is designed to ensure that we meet planned, agreed upon goals in a highly cost-efficient manner.  Our managerial expertise enables us to seamlessly integrate our programs into schools, thus alleviating—and even eliminating—complex administrative responsibilities from the districts and schools we serve.

In addition to our signature K-12 instructional intervention services and programs focusing on reading and math, we provide a wide variety of additional services such as English as a second language (ESL) programs, speech/language assessment and intervention services, writing, study skills and test taking strategies, diagnostic therapy and counseling services, IDEA services, early childhood education, parent involvement programs, school nursing and social work, program evaluation, and a variety of consultative services.  We also provide Professional Development services using a diverse array of offerings.  We deliver these services under contract to school districts, county‑wide educational agencies, and municipalities.  We have earned a reputation for providing effective and cost-efficient educational services to schools.