SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Edgenuity, a leading provider of online and blended learning solutions, today announced it is the first recipient ever awarded the WebbAlign Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Partner certification from the Wisconsin Center for Education Products and Services. This certification was established by Dr. Norman Webb, creator of the concept of Depth of Knowledge, who is credited with rethinking how the assessment of student knowledge is measured. The recognition is a testament to Edgenuity's commitment to rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum with high-level student learning as the goal.
"To help students learn, we need high quality learning materials and assessments, which are aligned to demanding curriculum standards. The DOK framework is an important tool for improving alignment," said Dr. Norman Webb, founder of WebbAlign DOK. "This framework provides a tool for helping teachers assess achievement by asking students to demonstrate and apply their full depth of learning. We commend Edgenuity for becoming the first educational provider to step up and commit to the ongoing professional development and outside evaluation required by our partner certification program."
"In the education industry today, the word 'rigor' is used freely without a clear definition," said Sari Factor, CEO of Edgenuity. "The WebbAlign Depth of Knowledge offers a clear, common language for understanding 'rigor' and challenges educators to seek more than basic recall when assessing student understanding. Edgenuity is proud to lead the way in promoting these standards in blended learning classrooms."
DOK provides a vocabulary and frame of reference to analyze the degree that assessments, instruction and standards are aligned with each other. The DOK system has four levels:
- Level 1: Recall – Focus on specific facts, definitions, details, or using routine procedure
- Level 2: Skill/Concept – Focus on applying skills and concepts (in a familiar/typical situation), relationships (compare, cause-effect) and main ideas
- Level 3: Strategic Reasoning – Focus on reasoning and planning in order to respond (e.g. solve a non-routine problem never seen before)
- Level 4: Extended Reasoning – Requires complex reasoning, planning and thinking (generally over extended periods of time) for the investigation
The WebbAlign Depth of Knowledge partner certification is awarded to those committed to ongoing training on the use of DOK and implementation of the DOK framework in curriculum and assessment materials. Edgenuity's recognition spans its English language arts and mathematics curriculum. It began with an onsite training delivered by Dr. Webb, who trained Edgenuity's curriculum and assessment developers in evaluating the content complexity of assessment items across its courses. Edgenuity worked with the WebbAlign team to evaluate sample assessment items from high school mathematics and English language arts courses, using the team's feedback and analysis to improve the quality of assessments throughout its curricula.
About Edgenuity
Edgenuity provides engaging online education solutions that propel success for every student, empower every teacher to deliver more effective instruction, and enable schools and districts to meet their academic goals. Edgenuity delivers a range of Core Curriculum, AP®, Elective, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and Credit Recovery courses aligned to the rigor and high expectations of state, Common Core and iNACOL standards and designed to inspire life-long learning. Fully flexible for use in any blended or online learning model, Edgenuity supports an environment where personalized learning is possible. With more than 200 semester-long courses and growing, Edgenuity is driving outcomes for millions of students in schools and districts across the country. For more information, and to see Edgenuity in action, visit Edgenuity.com.
About the Wisconsin Center for Education Products and Services
WCEPS disseminates the innovative educational products and services created at the University of Wisconsin – Madison (UW). Separate from, but affiliated with, the UW, WCEPS extends the impact of the university's educational innovations to support further research and development. Visit wceps.org for more information on the diverse array of research-proven products and services available through WCEPS.
Contacts:
Hayley Milbourn
Sloane & Company
212-446-1870
Hmilbourn(at)sloanepr(dot)com
Leslie Sobon
Edgenuity
877-202-0338
Leslie.Sobon(at)edgenuity(dot)com
Sam Adams
WCEPS
(608) 217-2685
sam(at)wceps(dot)org
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