Peoria Public Schools Partners with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to Spur 21st Century Transformation


PEORIA, ILL. -- Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced that Peoria Public Schools District 150 has implemented a multifaceted education solution aimed at fostering a digital culture and promoting connectivity. The partnership is focused on utilizing proven 21st century programs to prepare students, while engaging the entire education ecosystem to foster a learning environment like never before.

“HMH is proud to partner with a forward-thinking district like Peoria Public Schools,” said Linda K. Zecher, President and CEO, HMH.  “The educators in Peoria have shown a commitment to providing its students with a holistic, individualized education that implements dynamic digital components to engage each student.  We look forward to helping the district achieve these goals.”

Through a continued positive relationship with the school district, HMH worked with administrators to identify specific needs and interests, while building a customized solution that fully met those requirements.  Of the utmost importance for Peoria Public Schools was a learning management system that would improve student academic performance, provide efficient management logistics, and enable better data and analytic capabilities to ensure total accountability.  Peoria selected HMH’s Pinpoint Integrated Education Suite to complete these objectives.

“Peoria Public Schools is initiating a visionary plan to provide quality educational experiences for all children in the district,” said Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent, Peoria Public Schools. “We’re proud to work with a committed partner like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a proven organization that has mastered the use of technology to connect an entire learning community and bring incredible transformation to schools all over the country.” 

The Solutions Selected by Peoria Public Schools
Pinpoint is the only fully integrated, district-wide information tool available to educators. The platform connects all critical education components into a standards based curriculum. It brings multiple components, from grading and attendance to professional development and analytics, into one easy to use suite of tools. This streamlining of everyday processes allows teachers simultaneous access to information on student learning, individual learning styles, grades, attendance and behavior. Using this information, educators and administrators alike will be able to more effectively customize personal learning plans for each student.

Peoria Public Schools, which implemented the cutting-edge ScienceFusion curriculum last year,  will also initiate a key pilot program in September 2012  of HMH Fuse™: Algebra 1, the first ever Algebra curriculum for the Apple iPad®. Both programs are finalists for highly coveted CODiE Awards, which will be announced in May. Presented by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the CODiE Awards recognize excellence in business software, digital content, and educational technology.

By blending print and digital components, ScienceFusion gives students a meaningful way to interact with key topics in earth, life, physical, and natural sciences.  Designed specifically for today′s digital natives, ScienceFusion promotes 21st century learning skills by providing students with a self–paced, individualized learning experience.  Unlike similar product offerings on the market that are predominantly text–based, ScienceFusion is an internet–driven digital program that combines rich media such as video, animation, high–res imagery, Flash animations, clever sound effects and music stings, to promote an interactive and engaging learning environment.

HMH Fuse™ engages students in ways that traditional education cannot. Using the iPad, students watch engaging video tutorials, swipe through pages, get hints and walk through complex problems at home or on the go. The revolutionary platform encourages the use of personalized lesson plans by combining direct instruction, ongoing support, assessment and intervention in one easy-to-use suite of tools.  Results of a yearlong pilot program at the Amelia Earhart Middle School in California's Riverside Unified School District were recently released, showing that more than 78 percent of HMH Fuse users scored Proficient or Advanced on the spring 2011 California Standards Tests, compared with only 59 percent of their textbook-using peers.


About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
With education products and services used by 57 million students throughout all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company. The world’s largest provider of materials for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. Through curricula excellence coupled with technology innovations and professional services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students, providing interactive, results-driven learning solutions. Its Educational Consulting Services group works to increase student achievement in underperforming schools by developing, implementing and supporting education transformation through sustained district partnerships.  With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.