Wake County Public School System Partners with Hatch to Bring Innovative Education Technology to Title I Pre-K Classrooms

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has partnered with Hatch®, a leading provider of technology for early learning, to bring award-winning education technology solutions, proven effective in increasing math and literacy outcomes, to the WCPSS Title I Pre-K Program. The school system installed 24 TeachSmart® interactive whiteboard learning systems and 39 iStartSmart® all-in-one, touch screen computers in its Title I Pre-K classrooms. With this installation WCPSS, the largest public school system in North Carolina and 16^th largest in the U.S., is leading the way in integrating cutting-edge education technology to provide the latest advancements in research-based tools that can help close the gap in early learning.

“Both iStartSmart and TeachSmart are research-based solutions that are designed to improve learning outcomes and provide a strong foundation for future learning, allowing schools to maximize their technology return on investment in early childhood education.”

“Our goal is to constantly seek tools to improve the academic performance of our students and to help those students who need additional academic support, or at risk of falling behind, to accelerate their proficiency levels,” said Beckie McGee, senior administrator for Wake County Public School Systems Title I Program. “The Hatch technology systems provide standards-based activities and progress monitoring capabilities that enable us to individualize learning so that we can ensure proficiency at each level and are able to know where each child is in their progress at any given time.”

Education Technology Systems Build Language Skills & Track Progress Toward IEPs and Standards

Approximately 65 percent of WCPSS Title I Pre-K students have limited English proficiency. The Hatch education technology systems contain research-based activities, tied to North Carolina standards, that are proven effective in increasing literacy outcomes and help build the crucial language skills these students need to be ready for kindergarten.

“In the few months that we have had the Hatch educational technology systems in place, we can already tell a difference in our students’ comprehension and language acquisition including expressive and receptive language skills – and this is a huge step,” said Kim Jackson, a teacher with WCPSS Title I Pre-K Project Enlightenment. “Each student has their own login and this allows us to track their individual IEP goals and language development, as well as monitor their progress toward state standards.”

A patented login designed for pre-readers allows children to independently access the iStartSmart Computer Learning System. The system provides more than 500 interactive activities that develop proficiency in 18 skill areas that early childhood research shows will lead to kindergarten readiness. iStartSmart identifies the skills students have mastered and where they need more help, automatically moving them to the next level. Individualized performance reports are tied to each child’s login and provide automated, standards-based progress monitoring for every student in the class.

The TeachSmart Learning System contains more than 1,100 research-based lesson plan activities for early learners, pre-loaded onto a Hatch computer with a SMART™ Board interactive whiteboard that correlate with state and national standards. Recently released, the first research study to evaluate the effectiveness of interactive whiteboard technology in preschools shows that the TeachSmart can significantly improve math and early literacy learning outcomes.

“Hatch is excited to provide WCPSS’ Title I Pre-K Program with innovative technology solutions that personalize learning, engage students and support teachers.” said Ginny Norton, president of Hatch. “Both iStartSmart and TeachSmart are research-based solutions that are designed to improve learning outcomes and provide a strong foundation for future learning, allowing schools to maximize their technology return on investment in early childhood education.”

About Wake County Public School System (WCPSS):

The Title I Pre-Kindergarten Program is designed to provide a child centered, developmentally appropriate experience for four-year-old children in need of academic support. The program stresses an environment that motivates learning through exploration and discovery. The goal of the program is to prepare children to enter Kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. For additional information on Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) please visit http://www.wcpss.net.

About Hatch®, The Early Learning Experts:

Since 1984, Hatch has been committed to supporting the needs of students and enriching early education. From classroom supplies and education materials, to interactive whiteboard content, to adaptive learning and mobile technology, Hatch® is the innovative solutions leader and most widely-used early learning technology provider nationwide. Hatch technologies combine child-appropriate hardware, research-based content tied to standards, and individualized progress monitoring tools, to create complete classroom solutions proven to increase math, literacy and social/emotional development. For more information, please visit http://www.hatchearlylearning.com.