LOVELAND, Colo., March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- While many middle schoolers cringe at the thought of math, 210 sixth and seventh grade students at Conrad Ball Middle School in Loveland, Colo. are eager to dive into their lessons. That's because they're taking part in McGraw-Hill Education's revolutionary Power of U, an all-digital learning program that uses Promethean ActivProgress to create an adaptive, personalized learning environment for students. The program's success to date demonstrates that students can improve their grades and test scores and increase their confidence in math when they have the opportunity to take more control of their own learning.

"We were looking for a program that would optimize personalization and provide individual learning roadmaps to drive student success in math, no matter their proficiency level," said Scott Elias, principal of Conrad Ball Middle School. "We've already witnessed how the adaptive nature of Power of U, which offers real-time, prescriptive feedback after each lesson, motivates students. It allows them to play a more active role in their own learning process and helps them make connections between what they're learning today and what they'll need to know tomorrow."

Administrators in Loveland's Thompson School District wanted to pilot Power of U because of the program's proven track record, the district's desire to introduce personalized learning programs through its "Vision 2020" plan, and a need to improve students' stagnant Colorado State Assessment Program scores in math. Power of U also addresses math achievement at a critical juncture in students' academic careers: middle school, a time when many students begin to struggle as the coursework increases in complexity.

Says Travis Hamilton, a director at McGraw-Hill Education, the program "is about putting the 'you' in learning." Hamilton's team developed the Power of U with partners CTB/McGraw-Hill and Promethean, launching the pilot program in Indiana in 2010 after extensive field research and testing. "Research shows that the closer teaching comes to a one-on-one interaction, the more effective it is. By using technology that recognizes and adapts to individual learning needs, innovative programs like the Power of U create a 'class of one' an experience that is personalized, customized and mobile, that can extend learning well beyond the classroom."

"Learning beyond the classroom is key," said Jim Marshal, president of Promethean North America. "By focusing on the learning needs and objectives, we are helping schools create 21st century learning environments. In this program, the students are not limited and are challenged to continually strive to higher levels of mastery. It also give teachers access to critical student progress data with the tools to help them build collaborative learning opportunities for all students."

In January, Colorado became the latest school district to pilotPower of U, which has already shown to improve student achievement in other schools.The program, which runs on Promethean's web-based data management and social learning solution toprovide real-time feedback to the student,empowers them to learn at their own pace, in their own way, using the method of instruction that works best for them. As a result, teachers have been able to focus less on administrative tasks and more on what matters most: teaching.

Every day, the data-driven Power of U program groups students according to their skill or content mastery, rather than using traditional class structures that are fixed at the beginning of the school year. The platform, which adapts to students' progress daily, also matches students with the most appropriate instructional method, whether its teacher-led instruction, small group instruction, one-on-one tutoring or independent study.

"We are proud to partner with the Thompson School District and excited to see that Power of U is making its way into classrooms across the country," said Hamilton. "The 'one size fits all' approach to learning no longer addresses the range of student needs found in the diverse 21st century classroom. Thanks to technology and programs like Power of U, we are able to personalize both instruction and learning, which benefits teachers and students alike."

Power of U, which is available via subscription, was introduced in summer 2010 to 26 sixth graders in Perry Township, Ind., all of whom were struggling in math during the regular school year and saw improvements in their grades after participating in the program. Power of U was officially adopted as the math curriculum in two Perry Township Middle schools and is now rolling out to school districts in other states. McGraw-Hill Education plans to extend the program to different grades across several disciplines.

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McGraw-Hill Education's All-Digital Math Program Makes It Personal For Colorado Middle Schoolers