Top online school, James Madison High School, implements Common Core Standards

March 6, 2012 - PRLog -- PEACHREE CORNERS, Georgia – James Madison High School (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/programs/high-school/) has proven to be an early adopter among the more than 130,000 primary and secondary schools across the United States. The accredited online high school is one of the first schools to implement The Common Core State Standards -- well in advance of the 2014 implementation deadline.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state led initiative intended to level set the learning expectations of students, grades K-12. The desired end result is a curriculum that transcends state boundaries and fully aligns with today’s college entrance requirements and work expectations.

Since the 2009 announcement, U.S. governors and state commissioners of education from 45 states, the District of Columbia and two foreign territories have committed to conforming to a common core of state standards in English language arts and mathematics.

“The Standards ensure that the curriculum schools offer is relevant for the real world, providing our students the knowledge, training and skills necessary to succeed in college and in a global economy,” said Rob Klapper, President and CEO of Ashworth College, the parent company of James Madison High School. “These changes will have a tremendous impact on the 25,000+ students currently enrolled in one of James Madison’s general education, career or college prep online high school diploma programs.”

A State-of-the-Art Education

JMHS’s early adoption of The Common Core is partially attributed to the online school’s need to upgrade its learning management system (LMS) – a software or cloud-based application that centralizes and automates administrative tasks as well as deliver, personalize and enhance learning content.

The combination of updating the curriculum to be compliant with Common Core with the online school’s contract with its current LMS provider winding down, Ashworth jumped at the opportunity to make some significant changes.

James Madison High School’s mid-January change over to its new LMS now allows the school to further enhance its programs with more online interaction, increased access to instructors and more opportunities to supplement lessons with a variety of multi-media tools. Pearson Education was engaged to provide the English and math curriculum to meet the new standards.

“Common Core Standards will help ensure that students receive a high quality education that is consistent, from school to school and state to state,” said Dr. Leslie Gargiulo, Vice President of Education for both Ashworth College and James Madison High School. “We’re excited to be among the very first schools to implement the curriculum so that James Madison High School students can have more education and career opportunities available to them than ever before.”

About Common Core State Standards Initiative

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

About Pearson Education

Pearson Education is an international educational publishing and technology company providing textbooks and other educational material. It was created in 1998 when Pearson purchased the education division of Simon & Schuster and is headquartered in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. It is part of Pearson PLC, which is headquartered in London, England.

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About Ashworth College

Ashworth College, a leading online school, has built a tradition of excellence spanning 25 years, offering students worldwide more than 115 online college degrees, online certificate programs, career training and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth also offers military education online as well as specialized programs for corporate partners and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Peachtree Corners, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. James Madison High School is further accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). For more information, visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/.