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/. 

Should Teachers Get Bonuses for Student Performance?

National Survey by School Improvement Network Reveals Educator Opinions about Pay, Bonuses for Student Performance

School Improvement Network released results of a national survey of educators showing educator perceptions of their pay, and opinions about possible bonuses for student performance. As part of their commitment to give educators a voice on issues impacting education, School Improvement Network regularly conducts educator surveys as part of the “Voices of Education” survey series.

“Educators are an invaluable and significantly underemphasized part of developing a strong workforce and stable economy through their impact on students,” said Chet D. Linton, School Improvement Network CEO and president. “It is vital that we invest in teacher growth and development to help them become as effective as possible and increase their ability to impact student performance and help students master the skills they need to graduate ready for college and career.”

The Educator Pay Survey revealed that 70 percent of educators nationwide feel they are fairly compensated in their work, and 81 percent have pursued additional training or certification to increase salary. Only 23 percent of educators said they would alter their teaching methods if a bonus were given for improved student performance.

Click here to see the full results of the Educator Pay Survey.

Click here to see the results of the Teacher Evaluation and High-Stakes Testing survey, including insight on high-stakes testing and student performance.

Click here to see other “Voices of Education” surveys.

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: