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A++ Florida Prepares Middle and High School Students for the Challenges Ahead
| Florida A++ Plan Requirements |
PLATO Learning Solutions |
Middle School:
- Students will complete 12 core academic courses: three each in English, math, science, and social studies.
- Middle schools will offer at least one high school level math class.
- Students will complete a personalized academic and career plan.
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- PLATO® Courses enable students to receive academic credit in the lab or online for a successful entry into high school.
- PLATO® Algebra I Course ensures that middle school students sail successfully through this important gateway course with effective, self-paced instruction.
- Students can supplement instruction with PLATO Courses or PLATO® courseware to keep them engaged, interested, and actively learning during this critical developmental period.
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High School:
- Students must earn 16 core academic credits and eight elective credits in order to earn a diploma.
- Students will earn four credits in their selected major area of interest. Remaining electives may be used in a second major area of interest or in a minor area of interest.
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- PLATO Courses are rigorous, engaging, and provide individualized instruction to high school students in the core academic areas.
- PLATO Courses offer students an innovative way to take core academic courses online. PLATO Courses also enable students to accelerate so that they can spend class time pursuing credits in their specialized area of interest.
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Secondary Intervention:
- Middle and high school students reading at Level 1 on the FCAT will be required to enroll in an intensive reading course.
- Secondary students reading at Level 2 will be required to take an intensive reading course or another course that provides reading instruction.
- The state of Florida will be required to create research-based career and professional academies.
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- PLATO Learning provides age-appropriate, intensive reading intervention curricula that allow students to recover skill gaps and learn to read on grade level.
- PLATO courseware provides scaffolded reading instruction based on scientifically-researched course design.
- PLATO Courses are an innovative and effective way to deliver core academic curriculum for both the college and career-bound high school program.
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You have new milestones. PLATO Learning can help you achieve them.
All states are concerned about their students’ college readiness and question if they are equipped with the career and technical skills necessary to compete in today’s economy. The State of Florida, however, has raised the bar, breaking new educational ground with recent A++ Legislation that create new milestones for secondary school reform.
To keep up with the demands states such as Florida are making on their educational systems, PLATO Learning has raised the bar too, with the development of rigorous, relevant high school courses that feature innovative teaching and learning techniques.
- FCAT Science, Math and ELA Exam Intervention:
This innovative solution meets the criteria for an intensive intervention for Level 1 and 2 students as outlined in A++ legislation. Aligned to the 10th grade FCAT exams and (provided FCAT and Sunshine Standards are the two different things to which we’re aligning) Sunshine Standards and employing engaging, interactive content, PLATO® Exam Interventions provide intense practice with skills and concepts students have not yet mastered. With anytime, anywhere access, students can use PLATO Exam Interventions in the school lab or anyplace with computer and Internet access. When combined with PLATO® Professional Services to help teachers learn to manage language arts, science, and mathematics intervention programs, PLATO Exam Interventions will provide measurable improvement to FCAT exam scores.
- Credit Recovery:
Credit recovery programs are a vital option for students who might otherwise drop out—taking their future potential and your federal funding with them. When middle or high school students fall behind in their coursework, PLATO Courses offer a full-credit solution to get students back on track to graduate with their classmates.
- Initial Credit Accrual:
The debate between "seat time" vs. "instructional time" is winding down—with instructional time proving to be the greater predictor of academic success. In its wake, ever-growing numbers of school districts are offering virtual learning programs for full academic credit. With PLATO Courses as the cornerstone of your virtual learning program, you free students to pursue their studies on their own time, while retaining the ability to give input on assignments, monitor progress, and provide intervention if needed.
- Self-Paced Credit Acceleration:
High school graduation requirements are more stringent than ever. Add to that the emphasis in A++ Legislation on dual college enrollment, and middle and high schools need to increase the amount of instruction students are receiving even though the number of years students spend in school remains the same. For students on an accelerated path to college enrollment, PLATO Courses can get them farther, faster. The online format allows students to accumulate credits at their own pace and on their own time.
Middle and high school courses powered by the PLATO Learning Environment™
PLATO Courses are available on the new PLATO Learning Environment (PLE™). The PLATO Learning Environment integrates key aspects of the educational process—managing and delivering online courses and instructional content, assessing student progress and prescribing individualized instruction, managing national and state standards, and reporting and analyzing data.
Districts, schools, and teachers can use PLATO Courses "out-of-the-box," or they can customize and supplement the Courses to their local program’s needs. This includes re-sequencing the units, modules, and instructional activities within the Course to match district curriculum sequences; deleting items from the sequence; and adding activities and instructional resources from other licensed PLATO® content titles and local resources that have been added to the PLATO Learning Environment. When delivered via PLE, PLATO Courses also offer a number of reporting options, including progress reports, usage reports, and AYP reports.
| PLATO Courses for the 2006–07 School Year |
| Currently Available |
- English 7 A/B
- English 8 A/B
- English 9 A/B
- English 10 A/B
- Algebra I A/B
- Algebra II A/B
- Biology A/B
- Chemistry A/B
- Life Science A/B
- Physical Science A/B
- Geography A/B
- Basic American History I A/B
- Basic American History II A
- American History I A/B
- American History II A/B
- U.S. Government A
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| Future Release |
- English 11 A/B
- English 12 A/B
- Geometry A/B
- Basic American History II B
- U.S. Government B
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Additional middle and high school content titles currently available on the PLATO Learning Environment™:
Personalize Instruction
Not only does PLATO Learning courseware provide dynamic and effective instruction, it also simplifies the administration and delivery of that instruction for teachers. This allows them to address multiple student learning styles and paces, personalize instruction, and remediate students as required. As a result, students become more engaged and take a greater personal responsibility for their own success.
Forging a Professional Services Partnership
PLATO® Educational Consultants, in partnership with your school or district’s educators, are prepared to help meet the requirements of A++ legislation, as well as AYP goals. Focused on student success, our consultants will work collaboratively with you to design and implement the secondary school redesign plan that best fits your campus needs and goals—from credit recovery and initial credit accrual to FCAT exam intervention and self-paced credit acceleration. While our goal is to be your long-term partner, we also focus on helping you achieve selfsufficiency in your staff development program.
We are ready to help you make A++ a success. Call 800.44.PLATO for more information.
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