The Learning Accelerator Announces New Partnership in Ohio

Posted on January 15, 2015

Ohio Blended Learning Network receives investment for state-wide support of blended learning

Cupertino, CA - January 15, 2015 – The Learning Accelerator (TLA), a nonprofit organization supporting the implementation of high-quality blended learning in school districts and states across the U.S., today announced a new partnership in Ohio. Ohio will join TLA partner state Rhode Island as the most recent recipient of investment designed to help accelerate blended learning throughout a state.

“Schools and districts across Ohio are awakening to the possibilities of blended learning,” said Lisa Duty, Partner at The Learning Accelerator. “We’re excited to work with leadership to pursue the best ways to leverage new blended models to improve schools and advance student achievement.”

TLA is providing support to the Ohio Blended Learning Network (OBLN), a collaborative of districts and schools currently implementing blended learning, facilitated by the nonprofit Smarter Schools. The Network will convene a community of state actors to create a roadmap that identifies the human, financial and technical resources required to help Ohio make the shift to blended learning state wide. The partnership will leverage TLA’s recent publication: Framework for Catalyzing and Accelerating Blended Learning at the State Level.

The Clayton Christensen Institute will survey early adoption in Ohio, with Executive Director Michael Horn, co-author of the recently published book Blended, joining Lisa Duty as ex-officio members of the Stakeholder Advisory Group that will convene beginning January 22 in Columbus, Ohio. "Blended learning has enormous potential to personalize learning so that all students can succeed," Horn said. "We're excited to be working in Ohio to identify the early pockets of innovation and help educators move forward."

“This investment from The Learning Accelerator will help us understand the status and nature of early adoption more deeply,” says Andy Benson, Executive Director, Smarter Schools. “Together we can help to devise an effective strategy to support schools and districts over the next 3-5 years.” The Ohio Blended Learning Network was recently selected to participate in the highly anticipated national pilot of a blended learning principal training program led by the Friday Institute.

For more information about TLA’s state initiatives, contact TLA Partner Lisa Duty at lisa.duty@learningaccelerator.org or on Twitter @LisaDuty1.

Contact: Lisa Duty Partner, The Learning Accelerator 614.806.0607 - Andy Benson, Ohio Blended Learning Network 513.313.5109