DuPage Regional Office of Education prepares for fall by partnering with Bloomboard
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DuPage Regional Office of Education recently partnered with BloomBoard, a leading platform for educator advancement, to support DuPage County schools in providing effective blended instruction. The partnership will make BloomBoard's Fall Readiness Program available to DuPage County school districts.
"As our schools make decisions on how best to educate students this fall, we welcome the opportunity to partner with BloomBoard to provide DuPage educators with a comprehensive professional learning option to prepare themselves for blended instruction," said Darlene Ruscitti, regional superintendent of DuPage County Schools.
The advantages of BloomBoard's programs will be twofold: its Fall Readiness Program will coach educators to level up their blended learning instruction to meet students' academic and personal needs during this pandemic, and its micro-credentialing framework will provide districts a customizable continuing education program that can align with each districts' needs long-term, support teacher growth, and lead to improved student outcomes.
"Beyond this immediate need, micro-credentials have a proven ability to help enhance education and improve student outcomes because teachers learn by doing and demonstrating their competency," explained Ruscitti. "In the future, we strongly encourage districts to incorporate additional micro-endorsements from BloomBoard that align to district needs and strategic planning."
Jason Lange, founder and president of Bloomboard, agrees. "While our quickly evolving education system comes with its set of challenges, it also comes with great opportunities," said Lange. "This fall will stretch every educator in new ways, but we do have time to prepare. We're pleased to partner with DuPage Regional Office of Education to provide DuPage educators with meaningful preparation for the fall and beyond."
Lange says that by implementing an effective micro-credentialing program, district leaders:
• Offer teachers a selection of micro-endorsement options aligned to district strategic plans;
• Realize measurable results for improving teacher practice through job-embedded learning;
• Observe increased direct classroom application of teacher professional learning due to the competency-based learning experience and evidence required to earn micro-credentials, and
• Retain and recruit excellent teachers by offering better options for their career growth.
"While the 2020-21 might look different from other school years," Ruscitti said, "our commitment to providing DuPage County students with an exceptional education remains steadfast."
For more information about BloomBoard's micro-credential program, visit bloomboard.com/what-are-microcredentials/
About the DuPage Regional Office of Education:
The DuPage Regional Office of Education is a service organization whose role is to provide high quality service and support to all stakeholders and collectively expend every effort to prepare DuPage County children for the world they will face. In addition to the myriad services provided directly to educators and schools, the office also provides services and support to community members, private schools, parents, children, business leaders, and others. For more information, visit DupageROE.org.
About BloomBoard:
Founded in 2010, BloomBoard is leading the shift from professional development to educator advancement via micro-certification. The company partners with states and districts to enable a unique online learning experience where educators improve their instructional practice and advance in their careers by earning micro-credentials. BloomBoard aims to help all organizations transition to meaningful, purpose-driven educator development and advancement based on measurable certification. For more information, visit bloomboard.com.