The Clark County School District (CCSD) will be one of just a few school districts nationally whose students and educators will benefit from participating in a new MAP Accelerator pilot program to bring greater equity and access to students.
MAP Accelerator is a unique new classroom tool created by nonprofit organizations Khan Academy and NWEA designed to help teachers deeply integrate personalized learning and assessment to accelerate student learning.
Sal Khan discussed the new pilot program at the National Charter Schools Conference in Las Vegas.
“The Clark County School District is thrilled to embark on this partnership with two of the best nonprofit organizations committed to equity and excellence with world-class assessment systems and personalized learning programs that improve the classroom experience for all students,” said Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara.
“CCSD has set out a five-year plan to increase proficiency in reading, math and science, and to significantly narrow opportunity gaps,” Jara said. “We cannot meet our ambitious goals without providing our teachers with the best research-based resources they need in order to succeed. I strongly believe that this new partnership will serve as a catalyst to accelerate student growth throughout the Clark County School District.”
The MAP Accelerator will help school districts and teachers easily and effectively differentiate instruction for students with diverse academic needs, particularly those students who are traditionally underserved.
The new platform, powered by Khan Academy, helps teachers quickly and easily deliver personalized learning pathways to each student based on MAP Growth results. Teachers are empowered with rich insights to identify which students need extra support to fill gaps and accelerate learning while also maintaining flexibility to implement the tool in the best way to serve their class.
“If I had to pick between an amazing teacher and amazing technology, I’d pick the teacher every time. That is why we wanted to build a tool that really empowers teachers. Partnering with NWEA takes our tools and resources for teachers to the next level,” said Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy. “We’ve long heard from teachers who want to use MAP Growth as more than just a benchmark. Now teachers are able to inform personalized practice that integrates with any curriculum so they can help focus student learning on what is needed most. And it is simple and time-saving which is super important since teachers already have so much on their plates.”
MAP Accelerator will be piloted in limited release during the 2019-2020 school year for Math grades 3-8 in English and Spanish, with English-Language Arts support being introduced with general availability for the following school year.
“Khan Academy is a truly innovative organization with a mission very similar to ours. Our partnership helps teachers make better decisions about the next instructional step for every student through a close connection between MAP Growth assessment results and suggested Khan instructional resources,” said Chris Minnich, CEO of NWEA. “Teacher-informed and teacher-driven, MAP Accelerator enables students to focus on their own needs, and empowers teachers to support them every step of the way with actionable data.”
One of CCSD’s top priorities in the Focus: 2024 strategic plan is to increase equity and access to underserved and underrepresented students. CCSD is working with Khan Academy to provide all educators with free resources to assist with equity and access throughout K-12 education.
