School Improvement Network Releases Edivation, a New Personalized and Adaptive Learning Solution for Educators

Edivation Replaces PD 360 and Brings a New On-Demand Professional Learning Platform, Personalized Content Recommendations, and Advanced User Interface

PD 360 is now Edviation. This represents a significant new direction for School Improvement Network, and the new platform will be the single vehicle for innovative personalized learning products for educators in the future.

“The evolution from PD 360 to Edivation is yet another landmark in School Improvement Network’s long history of innovating education,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “In 1991, we were the first company to document classroom best practices on video. In 2007, we were the first to deliver these resources online and on demand. Now, in 2014, with the transformation of PD 360 to Edivation, we are the first education company to create a resource that intelligently serves personalized content from a rich supply of resources research-proven to increase student achievement and educator effectiveness.”

The name Edivation derives from “edification,” “innovation,” “elevation,” and “motivation,” meant to represent the breadth and depth of the resources available to support educators in every aspect of their work beyond professional development content. The green “i” in the logo represents “implementation” and “individualized” or personalized” learning.

Through Edivation, educators will have access to the resources formerly available in PD 360, Common Core 360 and Observation 360 (the Educator Effectiveness System), such as thousands of videos showing best practices in education with master teachers, lesson plans and classroom aids, meaningful and personalized observation templates, and access to a professional learning community of more than a million educators. But with Edivation, these resources will be automatically served to educators based on their profile and administrator-assigned PD. In coming months, this Edivation feature will be expanded to deliver educators personalized content based on their interests and previous searches. Administrators can also seamlessly make and implement professional development plans for an entire district or system or a single educator.

Independent, peer-reviewed research in the Journal of Instructional Psychology found that when educators used the tools within Edivation for at least 10 minutes a week, student proficiency on standardized tests increased by an average of 18 percent in a single year compared to district averages. The same study showed dropout rates decreased by 20 percent, discipline issues decreased by 33 percent, and 10 percent more students expressed intention of attending college compared to district averages.

For more information about Edivation, visit http://www.edivation.com/. 

Educators Speak about the School Improvement Innovation Summit

The School Improvement Innovation Summit was a great success! July 11, 12, and 13 were filled with dynamic speakers and presentations focused on improving today's world of education and sharing ideas and skills that can be used firsthand in the classroom and the overall school. We want to thank everyone who participated as a presenter and especially for those committed individuals who came to learn how to create real transformation in their local districts. We could go on, but we thought we'd let you hear for yourself from those who attended the Summit.   

School Improvement Network-Atomic Learning Partnership Gives Educators New Tools

Districts across the U.S. are utilizing numerous resources to provide teachers with a well-rounded professional development program. While the use of multiple resources allows districts to provide comprehensive training, it creates a challenge for end users in accessing resources from various websites and managing multiple logins.

To begin addressing this challenge, Atomic Learning and School Improvement Network announce a collaboration to provide shared resources to guide educators on a path to technology-empowered learning.

With the release of Atomic Learning’s new Effective Online Teaching and Learning spotlight program and PD 360’s Technology Pedagogy training, the companies have come together to build a free educator forum where all educators can explore the topic of online teaching and learning.

Learn more about the benefits of this partnership here.

Duane Sprague talks with Jon Blissenbach, Director of Product Management at Atomic Learning, about the recent partnership between Atomic Learning and School Improvement Network:

Why Job-Embedded Professional Development Is So Effective

Research has shown that job-embedded professional development, when conducted correctly, is more effective than traditional PD because it better addresses the needs of adult learners. In job-embedded PD, educators work on concepts or initiatives more than once, making the learning more effective and longer lasting. 

PD 360 Creates Big Change in Small Missouri District

Although a small, rural district in a high-poverty locale of Polk County, Humansville R-IV School District in Humansville, MO is taking big steps to bring quality professional development to their schools. Like other rural districts, Humansville has been faced with budget cuts, time restraints, diverse teacher needs, a small teaching staff, and high teacher turnover.

While searching for solutions to some of their greatest challenges, Humansville R-IV discovered the quality research-based on-demand platform PD 360 and realized it was a perfect partner in achieving their professional development goals.

As a small staff, Humansville teachers are delighted with the ability to share support and ideas with teachers around the country through PD 360’s interactive communities and groups. Teachers and administrators can share best practices, learn from one another, and eliminate classroom isolation.

Most importantly, PD 360 is having a positive impact on student achievement. In the Missouri Assessment Program, Humansville’s Math proficiency scores have progressed from 26.9% in 2007 to 40.1% in 2010. And the Communication Arts proficiency scores have advanced from 32.2% in 2007 to 40.6% in 2010.

View the full case study of Humansville R-IV here.