Technology-Inspired Leadership: Three Honored with Inaugural PLATO Learning Inspired Educators Award

The Inspired Educators Award distinguishes the inspired vision, innovation, and leadership exemplified by educators within three categories--Innovative Spirit, Corner Stone, and Efficacy Advocate--and seeks to celebrate best practices and unique implementations so they may be replicated across other schools and districts. The Innovate Spirit category recognizes the breaking of new ground to define, build, and implement a first-of-its-kind program; Corner Stone honors implementation champions working as change agents over time to expand and grow programs; and Efficacy Advocate commends the use of data-driven decision making to individualize programs and demonstrate positive academic results.

This year's winners include three exceptional educators--Michael Albano of Pittsfield Public Schools, Mass. (Innovative Spirit), Vicki Beaty of Bradley County School District, Tenn. (Corner Stone), and Nancy Frink of Thompson School District, Colo. (Efficacy Advocate).

"Our customers develop new and effective ways to help students grow every day and the PLATO Learning Inspired Educators Award allows us to honor and reward individuals who are making a difference in education," said Vin Riera, president and CEO for PLATO Learning. "We are very proud of this year's winners' leadership efforts to create, expand, and sustain results-oriented programs that integrate PLATO Learning technology-based instruction."

"I am incredibly honored to be recognized as an inspired educator by PLATO Learning for the Secondary Options for Achievement Resulting in Success (SOARS) program I was instrumental in developing," said Nancy Frink, coordinator of the SOARS program at Thompson School District, Loveland, Colo., and winner of the Efficacy Advocate category. "We used PLATO(R) Courses to develop a first-of-its-kind dropout prevention program, which allows kids in our area who have not thrived in the traditional school setting to succeed. The program's flexibility enables each classroom of 20 students to be in 20 different courses, each making progress at their own individual pace--it's differentiated learning at its best."

Michael Albano--Innovative Spirit Winner

As a teacher in the Juvenile Resource Center at Pittsfield Public Schools, Michael Albano led the creation of a vanguard instruction, intervention, and credit recovery program designed to accommodate the needs of students at risk of dropping out and possibly entering the criminal justice system. The program runs in collaboration with the sheriff's office, Berkshire juvenile court, the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, and Pittsfield Public Schools. In the past year, 28 students graduated who otherwise would have dropped out of school--halting the increasing annual dropout rate the district was experiencing. As a result of its success, this progressive program model is being replicated in other communities across the commonwealth as a means to strengthen the connection between public education and public safety.

Finalists in this category were Nerissa Linell Calub, Sheepshead Bay High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. and Natalie Roberts, Celebration High School, Kissimmee, Fla.

Vicki Beaty--Corner Stone Winner

Until Vicki Beaty championed the creation of Bradley County School District's award-winning program, the district in Cleveland, Tenn. never had a credit recovery system in place to help students stay on track for graduation. Over the years, Beaty's vision and leadership helped expand the credit recovery program to include alternative school replacement instruction, Tennessee Comprehension Assessment Program (TCAP) remediation, and high school gateway remediation. This year alone, the implementation is responsible for the remediation of more than 85 special education students and has enabled 421 students to recover credits.

Finalists in this category were Cindy Merlo, Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria, Calif. and Mary Raymer, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Nancy Frink--Efficacy Advocate Winner

Having led the efforts to establish a dropout retrieval and credit recovery program at the Thompson School District, Nancy Frink has since run the program for more than five years. The program typically enrolls more than 200 dropouts and 250 credit recovery students per year. This year, the program expanded to all high schools in the district and has been a massive success, with nearly 350 students completing more than 1,100 classes. As a result, 156 seniors graduated instead of dropping out. Thanks to Frink's meticulous data collection and analysis, this year alone the program retrieved $400,000 on an operating budget of only $220,000, which is helping keep both students and funding in the district.

Finalists in this category were Heidi Ballog, Roswell High School, Roswell, Ga. and Clint Tyler, Elk Lake School District, Dimock, Pa.

For more information about the PLATO Learning Inspired Educators Award program, visit http://www.plato.com/IM/2009/05/Inspired-Educators-Award-Main.aspx.

About PLATO Learning

PLATO Learning is a leading provider of e-learning instruction for kindergarten through adult learners, offering curricula in reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and life and job skills. The Company also offers innovative online assessment and accountability solutions and standards-based professional development services. With over 6,000 hours of objective-based, problem-solving instructional content, plus assessment, alignment, and curriculum management tools, we create standards-based curricula that facilitates learning and school improvement.

PLATO Learning is a publicly held company traded as TUTR on the NASDAQ. PLATO Learning educational software, delivered via the Internet, is primarily marketed to K-12 schools and colleges. The Company also sells to job training programs, correctional institutions, military education programs, and corporations.

PLATO Learning is headquartered at 10801 Nesbitt Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota 55437, 952.832.1000 or 800.869.2000. The Company has offices throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, as well as international distributors in the United Kingdom and South Africa. For more information, please visit http://www.plato.com.

Copyright (C) 2009. All rights reserved. PLATO(R), Straight Curve(R), and Academic Systems(R) are registered trademarks of PLATO Learning, Inc. PLATO Learning is a trademark of PLATO Learning, Inc. PLATO, Inc. is a PLATO Learning, Inc. company. All other company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE: PLATO Learning

PLATO Learning 
Vin Riera, President and CEO, 952-832-1000 
or 
Rob Rueckl, Vice President and CFO, 952-832-1000 
or 
Neal Hauser, Marketing Manager, 952-832-1000