Why test?

The Student:
 
• To identify starting points for monitoring year-to-year academic development
• To help develop a personalized learning plan
• To determine how best to adapt materials and instructional practices to address each student’s needs
• To identify academic strengths and weaknesses in order to guide the learning process toward achievement of curriculum goals, including possible early intervention strategies
• To track on-going skill development in incremental measures
 
The School Community:
 
• To obtain information on which to base instructional decisions
• To determine instructional gaps that need to be addressed
• To offer content and teaching strategies that will ensure student mastery of the school’s academic standards
• To use results as one of many sources of data collection by which to gauge   school effectiveness
• To promote student learning
 
What parents can do at home to prepare students for test taking:
 
1.  Talk to your child’s teacher often about your child’s progress;
2.   Make sure your child does his/her homework;
3.   Have a variety of age appropriate books and magazines at 
       home;
4.   Don’t be overly anxious about test scores, but use them as a
       point of reference;
5.   Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and is well-
       rested before test day;
6.   Make sure that your child eats a well balanced diet. Hunger can
       detract from a good  test performance;
7.   Encourage your child to prepare for tests by studying in a quiet 
       area, free from  distractions;
8.   Encourage your child to study over a period of time rather than
     “cram” the night    before;
9.   Encourage your child to ask questions about topics s/he
        doesn’t understand;
10.  If your child is nervous at test time, ask the teacher for tips on
         helping your child to relax;
11.  Make sure that your child is in school during the testing
        sessions. Do not plan any doctor or dental appointments on
        test dates;
12.  Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking
      directions given by the teacher and to ask questions about any directions that are unclear;
13.  Make sure that you are aware of your child’s performance and that you can interpret the results when they become available
  

Special Note to Parents About Stress and Challenging Times:
 
Test times can be stressful times, even when students are well-prepared and parents have provided the best of support, as outlined above.  There’s something about the departure from “normal” classroom activities that makes even the calmest student a little anxious.  As we all know, there are many challenges in our world at large, as well.  Ongoing economic worries may be reason for sustained anxiety in some families, while personal connections to or extensive news about catastrophic events, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, may impact others. Even in the best of times, families can experience periods of stress for any number of reasons.  During stressful times, it is important to think about the impact that parents’ anxiety has on children.  Some of the very techniques for helping students be well prepared for tests may be just the ticket for the whole family at these times, too! Creating that sense of normalcy and stability is more important than ever. Eating a healthy meal together at home and making sure you and your child get enough sleep are just two of the ways to maintain a healthy mind, body, and perspective. Why not check out books from the library and read together or sit and talk about your day instead of engaging in a pricey evening activity?  These activities help children find answers to questions that may worry them, so they feel both safe and empowered, and they contribute to a sense of stability at home, without tapping into the wallet. They also help boost academic achievement! Be sure to communicate with the school if you are experiencing challenges that may affect your student, as well.  This communication can help us provide appropriate support for students at school and help you make connections to needed services.  Remember that together, we can provide the stable and positive environment your child needs during test time and all the time!
 
The two websites below may be helpful to you whenever your family works through challenging times. The first site provides suggestions for families who are experiencing the effects of an economic crisis, but the ideas offered may be helpful during any time of heightened family stress.

www.nasponline.org/families/unsettlingtimes.pdf 
The next site provides excellent information on talking with your children and helping them cope during events such as global disasters.

www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/globaldisasters.pdf
 
Dawn D. Eidelman, Ph.D.
Chief Education Officer
Mosaica Education, Inc.

March 21, 2011 (Atlanta, Ga.) — Mosaica Education, founded January 1997, has received excellent commendations and is recommended for a five-year corporate re-accreditation from AdvancED, the world’s largest independent accreditation commission.

AdvancED’s district-wide re-accreditation will apply to all future charter schools operated by Mosaica, within the five-year period. This means new charters, will not be required to go through an accreditation process.

The AdvancED Quality Assurance Review Team also singled out Mosaica’s schools for special commendations on six different fronts:

• Passionate leadership, skill and expertise, which resulted in what AdvancED characterized as “a highly successful education management company”;

• The proprietary Paragon® curriculum and educational philosophy:

• An innovative operational culture that “values ‘edupreneurship’ and . . . innovation”;

• Acceptance of moral responsibility to students and staff for teaching and learning;

• The successful development of a scalable, sustainable model, as well as an organizational capacity for continuous improvement; and

• A demonstrated record of student achievement.

AdvancED is the world’s largest education community, serving more than 27,000 public and private schools and districts across the United States and in 69 countries that educate more than 15 million students.

Mosaica, which launched its charter schools on the vision of its co-founders, now operates 75 charter schools nationwide, including blended-model and online schools in Arizona and California, and it has expanded into global education, with 15 schools in the Middle East and plans to open more based on its acclaimed educational program.

Accreditation, significant for oversight and accountability purposes, includes a documented self-study and independent review panel of experienced educational professionals. This is designed to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards in the various jurisdictions where Mosaica operates.

At its core, Mosaica focuses on student achievement through the implementation of its proprietary Paragon® Curriculum.  Paragon® is a hands-on, inquiry-based Humanities program.

Dawn Eidelman, Ph.D., Mosaica’s co-founder and Paragon’s principal architect, noted that the college-preparatory program is specifically designed for 21st-century schools; it is delivered digitally and updated annually, with a focus on bringing together students, teachers, parents, and community partners to celebrate human excellence in a hands-on journey through the history of world culture.

“There is a palpable bond among the standing-room only crowds at Paragon Nights,” she remarked.

About Mosaica Education, Inc.
Mosaica Education, Inc. is a global education company that operates high-performing schools and provides related services in the United States and Internationally. Mosaica has educated over 45,000 children since its inception. The company currently manages 90 school programs in eight states, the District of Columbia and the Middle East. Mosaica-managed schools utilize a unique school design, which combines a proprietary curriculum Paragon®, with state-of-the-art technology. Paragon offers a hands-on approach focused on the multiple intelligences and individualized learning styles through a thematic approach of study that covers multiple subject areas.

About AdvancEd
AdvancED brings together more than 100 years of experience and the expertise of the two largest national accreditation agencies — the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). The AdvancED accreditation process, is a clear and comprehensive program of evaluation and external review, supported by research-based standards, and dedicated to helping schools, districts and education providers continuously improve. It is the world’s largest education community, serving more than 27,000 public and private schools and districts across the U.S. and in 69 countries that educate more than 15 million students.

Mosaica American Schools are opening its programs in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, in Fall of 2011.

Global Education is holding Recruiting Fairs in each city and invite all native English speaking teacher to attend and learn more about this exciting opportunity!

RECRUITING FAIR IN GURGOAN, Sunday March 27, 2011 9:00-5:00 PM:
IBIS Gurgaon
Block 1 Sector 53
Gurgaon, India 122002
Tel: 91-124-4755000

RECRUITING FAIR IN BANGALORE, Monday March 28, 2011 1:00-7:00 PM:
Mapple Whitefield Hotel
7E, 1st Phase, I.T.P.L. Rd
Mahadevapura, Bangalore 560048
91-080-40324032

RECRUITMENT FAIR IN HYDERABAD, Tuesday March 29, 2011

Teacher Responsibilities

To provide students with a first class learning experience that maximizes their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development, including the development of their ability to apply their intellect to solving problems and contribute to their communities as enlightened and responsible citizens.

Teacher Required Education/Qualifications/Skills

• Bachelor Degree in Education or related discipline (i.e., social science, humanities).
• Self Contained Classroom experience (3 years)
• Must have appropriate teaching certifications and be a Native English Speaker
• Must demonstrate competency in all areas of content responsibility and be computer literate
• Possess the determination to succeed and the passion to teach overseas

About Mosaica
Mosaica Education, Inc. is a global education company that operates high-performing schools and provides related services in the United States and Internationally. Mosaica has educated over 45,000 children since its inception. The company currently manages 90 school programs in eight states, the District of Columbia and the Middle East. Mosaica-managed schools utilize a unique school design, which combines a proprietary curriculum Paragon®, with state-of-the-art technology. Paragon offers a hands-on approach focused on the multiple intelligences and individualized learning styles through a thematic approach of study that covers multiple subject areas.

Atlanta, GA. (Mosaica Education, Inc.) March 8, 2011 – Foundation Academy is now the largest, fastest growing charter school in Richland County.  Foundation Academy opened in 2007 to 144 students and now serves more than 300 Kindergarten through 8^th grade students. With enrollment swelling, the academy is adding seven additional classrooms to serve 75 additional students. This will be the second time the school adjusts its classroom walls to make room for its growing population. Last spring, the school community moved from a smaller facility to a larger building on Wyandotte Avenue to meet the enrollment demand.

JoAnn Hipsher, the Chief Administrative Officer at Foundation is very excited about the growth. “We continue to grow,” Hispsher said. “I think parents and students are drawn to us, in part, because we have a good curriculum that includes integrated social studies and humanities.”

The construction for the building expansion is scheduled to be complete in mid-April; a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held in May.

Foundation Academy, a Kindergarten through 8^th grade public charter school located in Mansfield, OH and is managed by Mosaica Education, Inc. The academy implements Mosaica’s educational model which focuses on individualized instruction, technology in the classroom, parental involvement, community support, and the Paragon© Curriculum. Paragon© Curriculum offers a college liberal arts core education to students beginning in kindergarten. The student-centered, discovery-based, multi-cultural program is designed to addresses students’ multiple intelligences and individual learning styles.

About Mosaica Education:
Mosaica Education, Inc. is a global education company that operates high-performing charter schools and provides related services in the United States and Internationally. The company manages more than 90 elementary, middle and high school programs in eight states, the District of Columbia and internationally. Mosaica-managed schools utilize a unique school design, which combines a proprietary curriculum called Paragon©, with state-of-the-art technology.

About Foundation Academy:
Foundation Academy is a public charter school located at 1050 Wyandotte Avenue, Mansfield, Ohio. The academy offers an integrated program which includes; art, foreign language, individualized instruction, state-of-the-art technology and the Paragon© curriculum.