Catapult Learning’s new reading program features three core, integrated components:

Individualized Reading Instruction – Students work for one hour every day with a Catapult Learning teacher receiving intensive reading instruction. During the session, the teacher provides individualized instruction to target each student’s specific reading skill gaps, using personalized instructional plans developed in collaboration with the students’ classroom teachers and according to the results of a pre-assessment. One key goal of the program is to ensure that reading strategies learned in the Catapult Learning program are transferred to the regular classroom.

Speech-Language Assessment/Intervention – Certified speech-language pathologists from Progressus Therapy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Catapult Learning, monitor each reading instruction session. The speech-language pathologist identifies each student’s communication strengths and needs, and speech-language behaviors that may be interfering with mastery of specific reading skills. They then provide intervention strategies that will help the student improve performance. For instance, children with language characteristics such as limited vocabulary, word finding problems, inability to recall sequences, or language comprehension problems are given extra time to formulate their response to questions, provided with prompts or cues, or given checklists to help them recall directions and information.

Parent Involvement Program -- The final component of the new middle school reading program is a Parent Involvement Program which is staffed by a social worker and designed to support parents and guardians by linking them with community agencies and services to help them overcome obstacles that may be interfering with their children's academic progress. Through the Parent
Involvement Program, parents and guardians can attend workshops on a range of topics, such as how to effectively guide teens on developing and maintaining academic progress at home as well as in the classroom, or how to develop and maintain a constructive learning environment at home. Parents also receive regular updates showing individual student progress and are given suggestions on how to provide at-home support for their child's learning activities.

“From our 15 years of experience in working with Baltimore City Schools and schools around the country, we know that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the needs of students. This new reading program was tailored to address the individual needs of students identified by school officials at West Baltimore Middle School,” said Jeffrey H. Cohen, president of Catapult Learning. “This program is unique because it offers a ‘whole-student’ approach, blending reading instruction, parent involvement and speech-language services to create an educational safety-net for each participating student. As is our tradition, we will continue to work side-by-side with students, teachers, parents and school officials to monitor progress and make adjustments to ensure success.”

This new Catapult Learning program offers a promising blueprint for school districts nationwide as they seek solutions to help children with learning disabilities meet their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals. Additionally, the comprehensive and proactive nature of Catapult Learning’s intervention program provides school districts with an opportunity to access up to 15% of IDEA pre-referral funds which, following the 2004 reauthorization by Congress, may now be used to help identify and support general education students that are at risk of being referred into special education.

Since 1989, Catapult Learning and its predecessor companies have worked in partnership with Baltimore Public Schools providing customized education programs and services that are research-based, including diagnostic-prescriptive educational
services, speech and language support and other tutoring services to students. Catapult Learning initiated its first public school partnership with five of the lowest-performing schools in Baltimore City; today, Catapult Learning is working in more than 40 schools providing a range of educational services.

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About Catapult Learning
Catapult Learning, formerly known as Sylvan Education Solutions, is a leading provider of public school, non-public schoo, and community-based education services, including supplemental reading and math instruction and special education services. For more than 15 years, Catapult Learning has partnered with schools and school districts to provide high-quality, research-based supplemental education services, including those called for through the enactment of the landmark No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Catapult Learning is a sister company of Sylvan Learning Center, which operates well-known tutoring centers in locations across North America. Catapult Learning is a division of Educate, Inc. (NASDAQ: EEEE)