Opinion
Ed-Tech Policy Letter to the Editor

Pearson Responds to Article on Rollout of L.A. iPad Plan

November 12, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

We are disappointed that your story about the Los Angeles Unified School District’s iPad rollout with Pearson’s Common Core System of Courses excluded teachers who are enthusiastic about the program (“Concerns Over Curriculum in L.A. iPad Plan,” Oct. 30, 2013).

As we noted several times during telephone and in-person interviews, this is a rolling implementation. The iPads contain exactly what was promised for this initial phase: sample lessons for teachers to use and become familiar with alongside their current LAUSD curriculum. Pearson conducted training for nearly 1,500 teachers on the sample lessons and continues to have support teams on site at each of the 47 first-implementer schools.

The purpose of this phased-in approach is to help teachers transition more comfortably into three major changes—pedagogy, technology, and curriculum—in conjunction with the transition to the Common Core State Standards. The next phases of the implementation will include two to three full units with 60 days of instruction for teachers to use in their entirety, and then a full curriculum in every grade for K-12 English/language arts and K-8 mathematics.

Underlying Pearson’s development of its Common Core System of Courses curriculum is the belief that the teacher is key to the quality of education provided to students.

The curriculum is designed as a workshop model that engages students and teachers in a variety of activities. It provides opportunities for students to develop their ways of thinking about complex text and complex problems individually, in pairs, or in small groups, and then share them in a whole-class discussion. This ensures that students are developing deeper cognitive and meta-cognitive academic skills as well as their personal skills: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

The assessments in each unit, both formative and summative, provide teachers with the information necessary to differentiate education within their classrooms.

Because this is a digital curriculum, the feedback received from teachers and students can be used to continually improve the product.

Judy Codding

Managing Director

Common Core System of Courses

Pearson

Los Angeles, Calif.

Susan Sclafani

Vice President of Programs

Pearson

Washington, D.C.

A version of this article appeared in the November 13, 2013 edition of Education Week as Pearson Responds to Article on Rollout of L.A. iPad Plan

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by Boys Town
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Ed-Tech Policy Cellphone Restrictions Are Coming to California Schools
A new law requires all public schools in California to limit students' access to cellphones during the school day.
2 min read
Young girl using a cellphone in class. On her desk is an open notebook and a pencil.
skynesher / iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy From Our Research Center Why Schools Are Getting a Jump on Their Smartwatch Policies
A small but growing number of schools are adding smartwatches to their cellphone policies.
4 min read
Student is working in a school notebook with a pen. He has a smart watch on his wrist.
Forty percent of educators think smartwatches pose a behavioral or disciplinary challenge, new research shows.
galitskaya/iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy Teachers Want Cellphones Out of Classrooms
Members of the nation's largest teachers' union say they want bans on cellphones during class time.
3 min read
A sign is shown over a phone holder in a classroom at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
A sign in a classroom at Delta High School in February reinforces the policy of the rural Utah school that students check their phones at the door as they enter each classroom.
Rick Bowmer/AP
Ed-Tech Policy E-Rate Is in Legal Jeopardy. Here’s What Schools Stand to Lose
The FCC released a fact sheet about how the E-rate helps schools in response to a court ruling that threatens the program's funding.
1 min read
Photograph of a young girl reading, wearing headphones and working at her desk at home with laptop near by.
iStock/Getty Images Plus