FT. COLLINS, CO (Mosaica Education) January 26, 2010 — The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has selected Mosaica Education as an educational services provider to assist with the school restructuring and turnaround efforts of Colorado’s lowest performing schools.

The CDE identified Mosaica Education to provide support in the areas of academics, learning environment, leadership and planning. Following an extensive application process, the CDE only selected nine service providers to provide assistance in each of these four categories. An additional ten providers were approved for more limited service support.

Mosaica provides comprehensive school services in more than 75 school programs in the United States and internationally and has extensive experience in restructuring and turning around failing schools.

School improvement is required for chronically low-performing schools in Colorado under both federal guidance and state law. Federal guidance for Title I School Improvement Grants requires recipients to implement one of four school intervention models: (1) turnaround model (2) restart model, (3) school closure, or (4) transformation model.

Michael J. Connelly, CEO of Mosaica Education said, “Mosaica is proud to have been selected as an educational services provider in this critical area of work. We understand the challenge presented by these schools and we are well-prepared and very much looking forward to working with our colleagues in Colorado to identify, implement, and monitor viable solutions.”

According to Connelly, “Mosaica brings a strong track record of improving student academic performance in the schools in which it works. It does so by planning carefully, implementing aggressively, and holding everyone involved accountable for results. Mosaica’s experience working with low-performing schools has taught us that every school community is different – and we tailor our approaches to meet each community’s specific needs. The only workable, long-term and sustainable solutions are solutions customized to the unique set of circumstances in each school,”

Mosaica’s work with schools is driven by research-based interventions that become imbedded in the daily life of the schools. “We use innovative, effective instructional methods to include all students. Our hands-on approach supports the development of strong instructional leaders at the school level and includes the involvement of the community in the growth and development of the school”, said Mr. Connelly.

The providers identified in the department’s initial list will focus primarily on school turnaround and transformation efforts, but also may assist with more intensive interventions.

“We strongly encourage schools to avail themselves of the providers and the research-based, proven methods they offer,” said Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones. “The department is committed to partnering with schools and districts in the development of comprehensive turnaround plans and to assist in the effort to improve student achievement for all. This is urgent work.”

Consistent with federal guidance, the CDE has identified Colorado schools for intensive intervention based on data on student growth, achievement and graduation rates.

For more information
Contact:
Terry Gogerty
tgogerty@mosaicaeducation.com
720-838-4127

Join us as we celebrate Mosaica’s lucky 13th birthday! On January 15, 1997, on the 13th anniversary of our first date as a young couple, we incorporated Mosaica Education, Inc., bringing to life a dream of providing a world-class education for all children. Thirteen has always been a lucky number for us, and we are preparing for great things to happen this year.

Throughout the years, we’ve tackled challenges and celebrated successes, but we’ve never wavered from the important mission that all of you now share with us. As we enter the new decade, often referred to as a decade of global education reform, we are as enthusiastic as we have ever been about changes sweeping the world of education. Just meeting AYP is no longer good enough for our schools. We are committed to accelerate the pace of change in the next 18 months. The goal continues to be to perform in the top quartile by the end of this year, with each school designated as a “School of Excellence” and ranked among the top schools in the state by the end of next year. The focus of reform efforts today on best practices – ranging from parent involvement to extended learning time, to integrated technology and rich, engaging curricular content – has defined our model since Mosaica’s inception thirteen years ago.

We at Mosaica are uniquely positioned to help students see beyond the challenges of today, find hope in the future, and see themselves as the architects of tomorrow. Our dream of an interdisciplinary, multicultural college-preparatory education for all students is making its impact on the world of education reform and is transforming the lives of real children and their families. Now Paragon is starting to reach students studying at home in the U.S. through Mercury Academy Online. Soon we’ll begin serving students internationally in broadly dispersed geographies through Mercury Prep Online.

In addition to the mission that we share as a team in serving students, the greatest part of our journey with Mosaica over the past 13 years has been the extraordinary fellow travelers who have joined us to make the dream a reality that far surpasses our most optimistic hopes at the start. Many of our team members have been with us for a decade or more, often taking on multiple roles and responsibilities over the years – and sometimes moving across the country, or indeed around the globe, to do so. Our team members are vital to the growth we have experienced and to the future we will share together. The dream is deeper and more expansive because of our team contributions, and our work together is a joy because of the great people with whom we are privileged to work. As with any mosaic, the various pieces work together to create a beautiful composition that is far greater than the sum of its individual parts.

As we celebrate Mosaica’s birthday with the beginning of the new decade, we also take the time to celebrate 13 years of success.

Here’s to a new year, to a renewed commitment to success, and to our rite of passage at 13 into young adulthood!

Dawn and Gene Eidelman
Co-Founders
Mosaica Education, Inc.