Alabama Launches Statewide Digital Platform to Help Pre-K Teachers and Families Manage Remote Learning Together

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education is partnering with Teaching Strategies, one of the most widely recognized and trusted brands in early learning, to launch the Alabama Distance Learning Solution -- a digital tool that is being made available to all First Class Pre-K, the Alabama Integrated Approach to Learning (P3) sites, and participating Head Start program classrooms, serving a combined total of more than 26,000 children and their families statewide.

"Having a high quality distance learning solution is critical to a successful reopening should remote learning be needed for Alabama's youngest students, their families, and our educators," said Governor Kay Ivey. "When talking to families about the 2020-21 school year, we overwhelmingly heard that access to digital tools and resources to ensure the continuity of high quality learning both inside and outside of the classroom was of utmost priority."

The initiative was developed in response to feedback from Alabama First Class Pre-K teachers and families pre-registered to attend First Class Pre-K. The First Class Pre-K Distance Learning Solution, powered by Teaching Strategies, will put all the essential resources and tools at the fingertips of families, making school transitions throughout the fall far more seamless for learners. The offering enables efficient and secure communication between teachers and families, as well as 24/7 access to all curriculum resources and assessment data to facilitate informed, individualized instruction on any device.

"Our educators are going above and beyond in the midst of this pandemic to maintain the academic, developmental, and social-emotional well-being of the students they serve," said Dr. Barbara J. Cooper, Alabama Secretary of Early Childhood Education. "More than 90% of our educators have indicated having access to digital tools, including research-based developmentally appropriate resources, digital lesson plans, and ongoing professional development, will support their virtual instruction and family engagement. We are grateful to Governor Kay Ivey for approving federal CARES Act relief funds to make these resources a reality."

The First Class Pre-K Distance Learning Solution enables educators and families to remain focused on social-emotional learning while delivering academic rigor alongside cognitive skills, meaningful interactions, and physical well-being in a whole-child approach to high quality early learning. All First Class Pre-K and P-3 programs currently use the digital platform in their classrooms, and now all Department-funded programs will be able to continue to do so outside of the classroom to individualize instruction, facilitate communication between teachers and families, streamline weekly planning processes, and offer access to new family-facing resources to build consistency in early education experiences regardless of the learning setting.

"The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education has demonstrated their deep commitment to supporting educators and families with developmentally appropriate learning experiences regardless of the setting ? distance learning, traditional in-person classroom, or a blended hybrid environment," said John Olsen, CEO of Teaching Strategies. "We are proud to support this work and ensure that the state's youngest learners aren't missing out on a pivotal year of learning and growth."

To learn more about the Alabama Distance Learning Solution, visit https://children.alabama.gov/.

About Teaching Strategies: 

For 40 years, Teaching Strategies has provided early childhood educators with innovative, research-proven, effective resources to help build a strong foundation for our youngest learners. With ground-breaking solutions and a strong belief that a child's first 8 years form a critical foundation for school success, Teaching Strategies provides the most innovative and effective curriculum, assessment, professional development, and family engagement resources to programs serving children from birth through third grade. Its products, including Tadpoles, the award-winning Creative Curriculum® for Preschool, and widely-adopted assessment solutions like GOLD®, reach over 2 million children each year. To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit www.teachingstrategies.com and follow us on Twitter @TeachStrategies.

SOURCE Teaching Strategies