Aspire Public Schools Expands Successful Blended Learning Program Throughout Los Angeles

Blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns in a traditional classroom setting as well as through online delivery of instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace. Supported by an investment from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, four Aspire schools in Los Angeles – Aspire Tate Academy, Aspire Inskeep Academy, Aspire Slauson Academy and Aspire Gateway Academy – will begin the blended learning conversion process in February. By the end of the 2015-16 school year, all Aspire Los Angeles elementary schools will have completed the transition.

“With an unrelenting focus on providing teachers and students the tools they need to be successful, we are excited to expand our blended learning program to more Aspire schools,” said James Willcox, chief executive officer at Aspire Public Schools. “Blended learning supports Aspire’s successful model of small-group and personalized instruction by enabling teachers to spend more one-on-one time with students to master specific concepts.”

Already in five Aspire schools, blended learning is producing early successes for teachers and students. For example, based on internal assessments at Aspire Titan Academy in Huntington Park, the percentage of K-5 students reading at or near grade level rose from 66 percent in October 2012 to 80 percent in October 2013.

“Because of blended learning, students are getting more quality time with their teacher in a smaller, focused setting,” said Mark Montero, a second grade teacher at Aspire Titan Academy. “This is an incredibly powerful instructional tool that would not be possible without technology in the classroom.” 

With the goal of ensuring a smooth transition and adequate teacher support, Aspire schools adopt this approach incrementally, beginning first with a six-month pilot. Additional support is provided by a dedicated blended learning instructor, who helps teachers monitor and use performance data and help students throughout the day.

Aspire’s blended learning approach allows teachers to personalize instruction for and spend more one-on-one time with students. This is facilitated through a rotational model, which combines small-group teacher instruction with computer-based learning at various times during the school day. Because teachers can collect more data about student learning through online programs, they can quickly identify individual student challenges and address instructional needs.