EdWorks (Knowledgeworks)

KnowledgeWorks partners with schools to implement personalized learning through early college high school EDWorks now known as KnowledgeWorks, but the great work of early college continues Published: July 7, 2016 As the demand for personalized learning continues to grow across the country, KnowledgeWorks will enhance its ability to better serve schools, teachers and students by welcoming EDWorks Early College High Schools back under the organization’s umbrella. As of July 15, EDWorks, which has always been a subsidiary of KnowledgeWorks, will be known as KnowledgeWorks. The organization will continue building on EDWorks’ 10 years of early college high school successes throughout the country. EDWorks has helped improve educational opportunities for 180,000 students from elementary school through community college, and worked with more than 12,000 teachers to sharpen skills through professional development. “We’re proud of what we accomplished as EDWorks,” EDWorks Chief Operating Officer Deborah Howard said. “But we’re also excited to be going back to KnowledgeWorks, which is where our work started. This will bring even more great opportunities to our schools, teachers and students.” KnowledgeWorks has a rich history of working with early college high schools (ECHS), stretching back to 2003. EDWorks was created in 2007 to focus on the early college work. The ECHS team will continue to support schools under KnowledgeWorks’ teaching and learning team, which has expanded throughout the past year to include competency-based education. By combining efforts in early college high school and competency-based education, the organization will be a better partner to districts looking to improve student outcomes. “By partnering with schools and districts, we help build learning environments that empower students to think critically, solve problems and be prepared to compete in an ever-changing, global workforce,” KnowledgeWorks President and CEO Judy Peppler said. “After expanding our teaching and learning team to include competency-based education, it seemed natural to bring early college high schools back under the KnowledgeWorks umbrella. We’re thrilled by the growing potential to help even more teachers and administrators personalize learning to help all students succeed.” EDWorks partner schools and districts will continue to receive the same service they’ve come to expect with new access to a larger network of schools with a similar focus, expanded coaching and greater access to experts and resources at KnowledgeWorks. Schools will receive curriculum and instruction design, policy support, and ongoing leadership and professional development. Through ECHS models, which typically focus on traditionally underserved populations, students and their families have the opportunity to save time and money toward a postsecondary credential by offering a jumpstart on a college degree. The EDWorks model, which will continue as the KnowledgeWorks model, has been field tested in 50 school districts across nine states, showing that 79 percent of students complete at least one year of college credit before they graduate high school. In addition, one in three earns an associate’s degree or 60 hours of transferable college credit.