Conference Calendar
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Dear Reader,
We hope you enjoyed your summer and are excited about fresh opportunities for teaching and learning!
Educators who attended a Cambium Learning Sopris West® Institute have begun experiencing the effectiveness of the strategies and techniques they learned this summer. We are happy to share some of their feedback on the Institutes in this issue's "High Marks" section.
This year, one of the most exciting developments at Cambium Learning Sopris West is the release of the new edition of our TransMath skills-based curriculum for students in grades 5-10 who are struggling with math. Learn about the improvements, updates, and additions that make this curriculum unlike any before in "Product Focus."
As you implement your response to intervention (RtI) strategy for the new year, don't forget about the importance of incorporating effective instructional supplements, targeted interventions, technology, and quality professional development programs. Check out "Insider's Insight" and "Sopris Spotlight" to learn more.
We look forward to hearing of your successes as the new school year unfolds. Please stay connected by sending comments, story ideas, and suggestions to Connections at e-newsletter@sopriswest.com.
Sincerely,
Your colleagues at Cambium Learning Sopris West
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| Sopris Spotlight
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Sopris West Joins Cambium Learning®
What you have known and loved about Sopris West Educational Services since 1978 will continue on as a core division of Cambium Learning®. As you may have already noticed, we are now known as Cambium Learning Sopris West® and will continue our mission to provide proven, evidence-based instructional materials, targeted intervention, and supplementals designed to raise achievement levels for all students.
We are honored to be a part of Cambium Learning, which is the leading educational company focused exclusively on at-risk and special student populations. Our three divisions-- Cambium Learning Sopris West, Cambium Learning Technologies, and Cambium Learning Solutions--collaborate to develop instructional materials, technology, and services for students in grades preK-12 who may be underserved by existing instructional materials. We also offer high-quality professional development, implementation services, conferences, coaching, and consulting to support the educators and administrators who dedicate their lives to these students.
Together, we are proud to be American owned and operated, reinvesting valuable resources into America's education system.
Here is a look at each Cambium Learning division:
We provide flexible literacy, math, and behavioral interventions that are thoroughly field-tested and backed by evidence of effectiveness. Our renowned authors share their life's work in order to make a difference in the lives of all students. Key curricula include Read Well®, LANGUAGE!™ The Comprehensive Literacy Curriculum, REWARDS®, Step Up to Writing®, and TransMath®.
We offer implementation services for these key curricula and other Cambium Learning Sopris West products and are the sole-source provider for implementation training. In addition, we provide curriculum-independent best-practices coaching and support.
We deliver training through comprehensive professional development programs such as LETRS®Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), on-site training and model teaching, online coursework, regional workshops, and annual conferences.
Member companies IntelliTools® and Kurzweil Educational Systems® provide adaptive technology and services for the full spectrum of struggling students--from those with significant cognitive and physical challenges to those who need a little extra support. Assistive technology, multimedia access, and online data management systems complement many Cambium Learning Sopris West products.
Visit MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "r20.rs6.net" claiming to be www.cambiumlearning.com to learn more or call (800) 547-6747 to connect with a local resource who can partner with you to customize solutions for your school or district. |
| Product Focus
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 New Edition of TransMath Available
We are excited to announce the Second Edition of the TransMath intervention curriculum for students in grades 5-10 who are struggling with anything from developing number sense to understanding the fundamentals of algebra.
"Incorporating customer feedback and experience from the First Edition, we've revised, tightened up, and rounded out the entire spectrum of content," says author John Woodward. "Whereas a lot of second editions can be little more than a facelift, this is a major leap forward for the program."
One major addition is TransMath mBook™ technology, which provides electronic access to the curriculum. The online Teacher Edition and Study Guide offer continual instructional support for teachers, students, and parents with animated instruction for concept building and an audio tutorial for every lesson. Interactive reinforcement exercises give students extra practice and immediate corrective feedback after quizzes, while online homework answer sheets give teachers daily feedback on student understanding.
Five Reasons TransMath Second Edition Is Your Intervention Solution
- Accelerates student learning through a balanced approach of computational skills and problem-solving applications
- Skills- and concepts-based approach with fewer topics, taught in greater depth
- Monitors student progress and provides individual instruction
- TransMath Online Assessment System and an enhanced, systematic assessment plan
- Provides differentiated instruction, remediation support, and continual reinforcement
- mBook Online Teacher Guide and Online Study Guide
- Deepens conceptual understanding and builds problem-solving proficiency through the use of explicit instruction and multisensory strategies
- Innovative student engagement strategies to facilitate learning and teacher prompts to inform instruction
- Achieves results so students can successfully enter algebra
- Meets National Mathematics Advisory Panel recommendations, including addressing the three critical foundations of algebra
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"It's imperative that there is some kind of daily technology
component," Woodward explains. "When you have wireless communications
in various platforms, all kinds of opportunities open up. As schools
increasingly modify and repurpose their technological capacity, it
becomes increasingly feasible to have smart board technology like mBook."
View full article.
Read the TransMath Second Edition program overview.
We want to hear how our products are working for you! Please drop us a line at e-newsletter@sopriswest.com.
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Insider's Insight
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 Questions & Answers with
Steve Mitchell
Vice President of Publishing, Supplementary Interventions,
Cambium Learning Sopris West
Q: What is the purpose of the Supplementary Interventions division?
A: Supplements exist to fix a variety of deficits and problems. We set out to build a large portfolio of research-based supplemental programs that could tackle the full spectrum of those challenged in literacy and math or in need of behavioral interventions. It's a nice balance, and it's unique in educational publishing to have a combination of successful core programs and successful supplements.
Q: What do you like best about your work?
A: Education is full of interesting people working together to solve some big problems for students. Our job is to make instructional ideas and solutions palpable to teachers.
It's the supplementary interventions that really move the needle on student performance and behavior. Educators have a lot more flexibility with supplements and more opportunities to pinpoint specific problems and implement the right solutions. When you do make a difference, it feels pretty special.
Q: How do certain supplemental products support behavioral issues?
A: We've found that if teachers are successful intervening with behavior problems, students' academic performance goes up, and if they are successful with interventions on
the academic side, behavior improves. We fill a need for behavior programs that recognize this relationship.
Q: How do your products work together to support RtI?
A: Research shows that you need to identify potential failures early, which is what DIBELS® (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) does. LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) pulls together many of our supplements with models of best instruction through true professional development. We continually seek out the very best supplemental programs that support our core programs.
Please tell us which experienced professional you'd like to hear from next and what education topics you'd like to learn more about by e-mailing e-newsletter@sopriswest.com.
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High Marks
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 Cambium Learning Sopris West's 2009 Institutes were a huge success this summer!
Here are just a few comments from attendees:
"I'm a first-time attendee, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. The presenters were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I can't wait to start the school year with what I've learned!"
- Sulema Garate
Kindergarten Teacher
Carbon County School District #1
Rawlins, Wyoming
"All of the sessions were targeted and dealt directly with interventions, especially how to respond to student needs. The research base was STRONG!"
- Cathy McGarry
Reading Specialist/Coach
Edwards Elementary School
Las Vegas, Nevada
"I thoroughly enjoyed this conference, and I have grown so much as an administrator. I can't wait to get back and share what I learned. I needed this!"
- Darlene Matthews
Principal
Scranton Elementary School
Scranton, South Carolina
- Roxanne Johnson
Refocus Room Coordinator
Pineview Elementary School
Casper, Wyoming
Please share your comments, success stories, and ideas with the Connections community by e-mailing e-newsletter@sopriswest.com.
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