MIDDLEBURY, Vt., Dec. 5, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middlebury Interactive Languages , a premier language provider for K-12 schools, has been named an approved provider of academic resources for English Language Learners (ELL) in the Houston Independent School District. Middlebury Interactive will offer Houston ISD schools a blended approach for ELL instruction based on an academically-rigorous language immersion pedagogy, designed with a strong focus on culture and academic English. "We are very pleased for the opportunity to work with Houston schools to provide ELL students and teachers with the high-quality curriculum and digital tools needed to help the district's non-native English speakers succeed," said Middlebury Interactive CEO Jane Swift. "In schools across the county, ELL students embrace the academic rigor and cultural focus of our programs, often resulting in a renewed excitement about learning academic English." Middlebury Interactive's ELL programs, which include digital curriculum frameworks for elementary, middle and high school students and teacher professional development, were developed by Middlebury Interactive's team of language professors, ELL experts and education technologists. The programs are designed to engage ELLs with academically-derived language learning techniques and authentic cultural materials, like videos and games. The ELL programs have a strong focus on supporting the ELL teachers in the classroom through extensive professional development training and support. Middlebury Interactive materials are designed to meet the learning needs of the specific grade level, as well as the student's specific level of English language acquisition. The ELL curriculum is designed to correlate with essential proficiency standards, including ELPA21 and WIDA, and meets the language learning demands of the TEKS Standards. Middlebury Interactive's ELL programs are employed at districts across the country, including the Oakland (CA) Public Schools, Clarke County (GA) Public Schools and the Lawrence (MA) Public Schools. The ELL programs, which are also distributed by partner Fuel EducationTM, are modeled after Middlebury Interactive's immersive world language courses and, like those programs, integrate research-based learning techniques, cultural awareness and project-based activities into blended learning classrooms. The world language programs, offered in Chinese, French, German, Latin and Spanish, start in elementary school and run through high school and Advanced Placement courses. In addition to the new ELL designation, Middlebury Interactive is currently providing world language instruction to more than 700 students in the Houston district. Middlebury Interactive is providing French and Spanish instruction for K-5 students through a language lab at Briargrove Elementary. "I love how Middlebury Interactive is very straightforward and uses an imaginative approach towards student learning," said Maryam Muhammad, Briargrove's Language Lab Facilitator. "I also love that students are allowed to work at their very own pace. Middlebury Interactive makes learning a new language fun." A third-party evaluation of Middlebury Interactive's ELL programs in the Hartford Public Schools showed strong support for the program among students, teachers and parents, as well as evidence of early progress on a key student assessment for non-native English speakers. The study by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) found that Middlebury Interactive's ELL program had "a measurable benefit to pilot students according to both quantitative and qualitative factors." Please visit Middlebury Interactive's website for more information on the ELL programs, or to request a live demo. About Middlebury Interactive Languages Middlebury Interactive Languages is an academic leader in K-12 language instruction with engaging world language courses in Spanish, Chinese, French, German and Latin and an innovative online curriculum for English Language Learners. Middlebury Interactive, with its partner Fuel Education™, provides access to superior language programs and helps prepare students with the skills and cultural understanding to compete in the 21st century global marketplace. Middlebury Interactive has taken Middlebury College's renowned world language curriculum, developed and refined over the past 100 years, and translated it to the digital and K-12 setting. Middlebury Interactive also offers in-person language immersion summer academies for middle and high school students in the U.S. and abroad. About Fuel Education Fuel Education™ partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through 12th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK™, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education offers one of the industry's largest catalogs of digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. To learn more, visit getfueled.com and Twitter .
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