Lightspan Adds 70 More Schools To New York City Internet Contract
Over Half Of New York City Schools Now Using The Lightspan Network
INTERNET WIRE -- Lightspan, Inc. (NASDAQ: LSPN - news), the nation's premier provider of quality curriculum-based educational software and Internet products and services used in schools and homes, announced today that 70 new schools have been added to a major contract with the New York City School District. Under terms of the partnership, Lightspan has customized content and correlated it to New York City standards in reading, language arts, and mathematics, providing teachers with a new tool for delivering standards-based instruction.
"This reflects remarkable progress on the part of the New York City public school system," said John Kernan, CEO of Lightspan. "The school district's ability to get over 550 schools up and running so quickly, and the fact that 70 more schools have asked to be added to this education initiative, is a major vote of confidence in this partnership between New York City Schools and Lightspan."
Mr. Kernan added, "The agreement covers more than 620 schools in New York City, a figure representing approximately half of the City's schools. Once implemented, over half a million children and approximately 40,000 teachers will benefit from Lightspan's proven technology."
According to Sandy Cooper, Director of Instructional Technology for New York City's Community School District 27 in Queens, training for thousands of teachers, district technology directors, and instructional support staff involved in the K-8 project began in August.
"The incredible pace of implementation and training has been driven by the enthusiasm from people who have been involved at all levels," said Ms. Cooper. "The staff involved in initial training felt an immediate ownership since they in turn helped train the thousands of other teachers, instructional technology support staff, and key district personnel. Parents were excited to see how The Lightspan Network opened up new lines of communication between home and school, increasing the involvement and understanding of their child's school activities and learning." Cooper also said it was encouraging to see a strong turnout for parent workshops, which were held on weekends and were available in English and Spanish.
Training sessions are scheduled to continue throughout the district this school year, involving school district teachers and staff, students, and parents. |
