Funding Sources

Race to the Top is a competitive grant program designed to encourage schools and districts that are committed to education innovation and reform; achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing ambitious plans in four core education reform areas: adopting rigorous standards, recruiting and retaining effective teachers, turning around chronically low-performing schools and building data systems to track student achievement and teacher effectiveness. Learn how Learning.com is supporting the four assurances of Race to the Top.

Learning.com is committed to supporting the Race to the Top Competitive Priorities:

• STEM Education
• Adoption of Common Core

The overall goals of the ARRA are to stimulate the economy in the short term and invest in education and other essential public services to ensure the long-term economic health of our nation. The following funding sources are part of ARRA:

Title I - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged

Today's Title I students need the same opportunities for success as other students, and succeeding in the 21st century means knowing how to use technology to solve problems, communicate and become self-directed learners. See how Learning.com's solutions can help meet these goals.

Title IID - Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT)

Learning.com's standards-based, Web-delivered solutions help ensure your Title IID programs effectively meet the technology plan requirements of this program, including increasing student achievement through technology use, closing the digital divide, and integrating technology into instruction.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Learning.com's digital curriculum provide rich science, technology and math experiences to help your special needs students become powerful 21st century learners, while still providing an engaging, effective individualized instruction.

Title I - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged

Title I programs are committed to making sure economically disadvantaged students have the same opportunities for success, in school and in the world, as any other child. For today's Title I students, succeeding in the 21st century means knowing how to use technology to solve problems, communicate and become self-directed learners.

Learning.com's Web-delivered curriculum helps students build key foundational math, science, and digital literacy skills and gain critical 21st century skills, helping your Title I students become empowered learners.

• Web-delivered – immediate access from school, home or community, helping extend learning time and build parental involvement.
• Students love the interactive, engaging content in the games, lessons and activities.
• Flexible – use with whole class, small groups, individual students.
• Provides teachers with multiple models to teach critical concepts.
• Empowers teachers to effectively use technology to differentiate instruction.
• Provides student-level achievement data, helping to inform instruction and establish learning goals for each student.

Aha!Math

K-5 supplemental math curriculum that builds fluency and conceptual understanding. Built on the NCTM focal points.

Aha!Science

3-5 supplemental science curriculum that provides broad coverage of Earth and Space, Physical and Life Science.

EasyTech

K-8 technology literacy curriculum that effectively integrates technology skills into math, science, language arts and social studies instruction. Aligned with ISTE NETS and state standards.

Assessments that provide valid data

Learning.com's Web-based assessments meet Title I requirements for ongoing evaluation, data and reporting, providing Title I program administrators with the data to evaluate their programs' impact:

21st Century Skills Assessment

21st Century Skills Assessment provides data on how well students have mastered 21st Century skills with this criterion-referenced, psychometrically valid assessment. Developed in two versions, for elementary and middle school levels, and fully aligned to all 24 ISTE NETS-S 2007 Standards. It is also aligned to the P21 Student Outcomes: Learning and Innovation, and Information, Media and Technology Skills. The assessment includes pre- and post-tests and an optional portfolio assessment.

TechLiteracy Assessment

TechLiteracy Assessment provides criterion-referenced, psychometrically valid data on your students' technology skills, at both the elementary and middle school levels. It is aligned to the ISTE NETS-S standards and engages students with both knowledge and performance-based items.

Visit the TITLE I Web site to find tools and resources relating to Title I programs.

Title IID - Enhancing Education Through Technology

The 3 main federal goals of Title IID (EETT) are to:

• Increase student achievement through technology use
• Close the digital divide by ensuring that all students are technology literate by the end of the 8th grade
• Encourage effective integration of technology through teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful research-based instructional methods

Learning.com is committed to ensuring that your students and teachers get the greatest possible value from your Title IID programs. Learning.com's standards-based, Web-delivered solutions motivate and empower your students, help teachers become confident and effective with technology in the classroom, and give you data to show that your technology programs are helping your students become 21st century learners:

• No software downloads or installation – start using the programs in your labs or classrooms immediately.
• Students love the interactive, engaging content in the games, lessons and activities.
• Provides teachers with multiple models to teach critical concepts.
• Ensures teachers have the skills and confidence to integrate technology into their classroom activities.
• Assessments aligned to ISTE NETS-S or the 2007 NETS-S Refresh.

Creating 21st Century Learners

Learning.com's Web-delivered curriculum helps students build key foundational math, science, and digital literacy and gain critical 21st century skills, making your students become empowered learners.

Aha!Math

K-5 supplemental math curriculum that builds procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. Built on the NCTM focal points and aligned to state standards.
read the guide (PDF) >

Aha!Science

3-5 supplemental science curriculum that provides broad coverage of Earth and Space, Physical and Life Science, aligned to state standards.
read the guide (PDF) >

EasyTech

K-8 technology literacy curriculum that effectively integrates technology skills into math, science, language arts and social studies instruction. Aligned with ISTE NETS standards and state standards.
read the grant tool kit (PDF) >

Justifying 21st Century Investments

Learning.com's criterion-referenced assessment solutions provide valid proficiency data around technology literacy and 21st century skills.

21st Century Skills Assessment

provides data on how well students have mastered 21st Century skills with this criterion-referenced, psychometrically valid assessment. Developed in two versions, for elementary and middle school levels, and fully aligned to all 24 ISTE NETS-S 2007 Standards. It is also aligned to the P21 Student Outcomes: Learning and Innovation, and Information, Media and Technology Skills. The assessment includes pre- and post-tests and an optional portfolio assessment.
read the guide (PDF) >

TechLiteracy Assessment

provides criterion-referenced, psychometrically valid data on your students' technology skills, at both the elementary and middle school levels. It is aligned to the ISTE NETS-S standards and engages students with both knowledge and performance-based items.
read the guide (PDF) >

Visit the TITLE IID Web site to see how your school can impact the lives of your students with this program.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Educators working with special needs students are charged with integrating them into regular classrooms, but it is a challenge to provide these students with the individualized instruction and to provide accurate assessment and reporting capabilities. Common education issues like standards and accountability pose larger challenges for special education programs because of the need for more individualized educational materials.

Learning.com is committed to supporting the mission of special education and ensuring that your students receive all of the possible benefits from your program. Our digital curriculum can help you provide rich science, technology and math experiences that will help your special needs students become powerful 21st century learners, while supporting teachers to differentiate instruction.

Learning.com solutions:

• Create a non-threatening learning environment that supports all student skill levels and features engaging, motivating lessons with stimulating graphics and animations.
• Are based on the most current research and instructional theory with age-appropriate activities.
• Provide documentation for Individualized Education Plans – all instruction is easily customizable and teachers can assess student needs and individualize instruction.
• Monitor and provide data on student progress.
• Provide transition activities for school to life with content set in real-life situations.

Aha!Math

K-5 supplemental math curriculum that builds fluency and conceptual understanding. Built on the NCTM focal points.

Aha!Science

3-5 supplemental science curriculum that provides broad coverage of Earth and Space, Physical, and Life Science.

EasyTech

K-8 technology literacy curriculum that effectively integrates technology skills into math, science, language arts and social studies instruction. Aligned with ISTE NETS standards.

Visit the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Web site to find tools and resources relating to special education.

Title III (English Language Learner) Programs

For today's ELL students, succeeding in the 21st century means more than learning to communicate and build knowledge in English. It also means knowing how to use technology to solve problems, communicate and become self-directed learners. Learning.com's engaging curriculum targets these critical skills, positioning your ELL students for success in school and beyond.

21st Century Community Learning Center

Learning.com's solutions support the purpose of 21st CCLC Grant of including students' after school programs to the regular school day.

GEAR UP Grants

Learning.com solutions help your GEAR UP program students develop necessary foundational technology skills and then apply those skills across the curriculum and in the real world.

Title III (ELL) Programs

Title III (ELL) programs are committed to ensuring students for whom English is not their primary language have the same opportunities for success, in school and in the world, as any other student. ELL educators must also ensure proficiency in the same skill areas for ELL students as for native English speakers.

For today's ELL students, succeeding in the 21st century means not just learning to communicate and build knowledge in English, but also knowing how to use technology to solve problems, communicate and become self-directed learners. EasyTech's engaging curriculum targets these critical skills, in both English and Spanish, positioning your ELL students for success in school and beyond.

At Learning.com we understand the specific needs of English Language Learners. That's why our curricula, Aha!Math, Aha!Science, and EasyTech, integrate critical ELL instructional requirements at every level while helping students build key foundational math, science, and digital literacy skills and gain critical 21st century skills, ensuring your ELL students become empowered learners:

• Variations in the ethnicities of the animated students (digital coaches) means they are universally relatable.
• Instructional settings provide a relatable context for student learning. If students do not have the background for the setting, there is enough context within the lesson to create that schema.
• Non-academic vocabulary is used in a highly repetitive fashion, paired with visual cues.
• Each task is modeled, enabling the student to see what is expected after hearing the directions.
• Each game, instructional module, lesson and activity provides color-coding cues or other paired modalities to aid in comprehension.
• Each activity offers modeled grammatical forms while reinforcing the core concept.
• Self-paced, one-on-one instruction, creates a safe, confidence-building environment for students to practice new words and concepts.
• Built-in student assessment provides for targeted and differentiated instruction and provides immediate feedback to the student for reinforced practice.
• Easy access from school or home with a computer and Internet connection, building technology literacy across the learning community, enhancing parental involvement and extending learning time.
• Integrated, customized, and ongoing professional development for teachers.
• Teachers can customize assignments and individualize instruction through its easy-to-use digital learning environment.

Visit the LEP Partnership Web site or the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) Web site for tools and resources relating to Title III programs.

21st Century Community Learning Center Grant

After school programs find it increasingly important to establish or expand activities with opportunities for academic enrichment and to offer a broad array of additional services, programs and activities that promote positive youth development. This is the primary purpose of the 21st CCLC grant program and an effective implementation will tie students' after school activities to the regular school day, will evaluate those activities' impact on student achievement and encourage family and community involvement in learning.

Learning.com is committed to supporting the mission of the 21st CCLC grant program, and to ensuring that your program provides your students and families with the greatest impact.

EasyTech, Learning.com's award-winning technology literacy curriculum, is an ideal fit for a 21st CCLC program:

• EasyTech is a Web-delivered K-8 technology literacy curriculum that contributes to improved student learning outcomes in math, science, language arts and social studies.
• EasyTech allows you to seamlessly integrate technology into existing core curriculum, enabling students to master the skills required to succeed in the 21st century.
• EasyTech's proven methodology and motivating content engages students in technology-based activities they find relevant.
• EasyTech is aligned with the ISTE NETS-S and state standards to support students to achieve the technology proficiency skills necessary to meet the NCLB 8th grade technology literacy requirement.
• EasyTech engages students through its interactive and individualized learning environment that provides students with opportunities to develop and apply critical technology skills to classroom and real-world based projects.
• EasyTech promotes family and community involvement any time you have computer and Internet access.

Visit the 21st CCLC program web site to see how your school or community-based organization can impact the lives of your community's children with these programs.

GEAR UP Grants

It has become increasingly more important to ensure that economically disadvantaged students are given the same opportunities for success in high school and in college. Even with wider access to technology, low income middle school students still may not be developing the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century. The GEAR UP program was designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and the 21st century workplace.

Learning.com is committed to the goals of GEAR UP and to helping you ensure your program is teaching them exactly what they need to know for success in high school, college, and in the 21st century world.

EasyTech helps your GEAR UP program students develop necessary foundational technology skills and then apply those skills for enhanced learning across the curriculum and in the real world:

• EasyTech allows for seamless integration of technology into existing core curriculum, enabling students to master the skills required to succeed in the 21st century.
• EasyTech easily connects your GEAR UP program to existing classroom structure and offers lessons and activities in the core curriculum subjects of reading, math, science and social studies.
• EasyTech helps your GEAR UP students build critical problem solving and meta-cognitive skills with exploratory, self-paced curriculum.
• EasyTech engages students through real-world technology-based projects that are relevant to their lives.
• EasyTech promotes family and community involvement with access any time there is a computer and an Internet connection.

TechLiteracy Assessment allows GEAR UP program administrators to evaluate the impact of their program with criterion referenced, authentic assessment:

• TechLiteracy Assessment evaluates and tracks student, classroom and school progress toward acquiring technology proficiency.
• TechLiteracy Assessment facilitates meeting GEAR UP requirements for ongoing evaluation, data and reporting.
• TechLiteracy Assessment data informs instruction and ensures your students are prepared for success in higher education and in the 21st century world.

Visit the GEAR UP web site to see how your school or community-based organization might impact the lives of your local children with this program.