Escalate English®, a program designed to accelerate academic language growth for struggling long-term English learners, has just been honored with a 2017 SIIA CODiE® Award in the Best ESL, ELL or World Language Acquisition Solution category. Of course, everyone involved in developing the program from HMH is filled with excitement and pride. But more important, we are thrilled to have a program that is truly making a difference for students, who are the real winners.
According to Escalate English Program Author, Dr. Elena Izquierdo, “To be successful in school, ELs need systematic, scaffolded instruction that utilizes ongoing opportunities to interact with complex text and complex thought across listening, speaking, reading, and writing.” She also notes that the process of learning academic English needs to take place in an environment that simultaneously delivers grade-level content. “It is more than just learning English—it’s learning IN English!”
Built on the new English Language Development standards and designed to deliver best instructional practices for long-term English learners in grades 4–8, Escalate English achieves what its name implies. Students and instructors using the program enjoy the support of an intuitive and dynamic online learning environment developed to accelerate academic language growth.
Efficacy Research Brings a Twofold Win
Results are also in from a new yearlong efficacy study, conducted by the Educational Research Institute of America (ERIA), with students in grades 6–8 during the 2016–2017 school year. Students across all three grades saw significant growth and increased language skills and abilities to analyze complex texts, determine evidence, reason critically, and communicate thoughtfully.
Since 1986, the SIIA CODiE Awards (stemming from the term “Code”) have recognized thousands of software, information, and education technology companies for achieving excellence. As the only peer-recognized awards program representing these industries, the SIIA deems the award “a validation of innovation, vision, and overall industry impact.”
HMH is privileged to stand alongside past SIIA CODiE innovators, including Adobe, Google, Salesforce, and many others. Given that English learners comprise the fastest-growing student demographic in U.S. schools, it is a great honor to be serving this student population with distinction.
HMH is also honored to announce READ 180 Universal as a 2017 CODiE finalist in the Best Reading/English/Language Arts Instructional Solution category.
CODiE is a registered trademark of the Software and Information Industry Association. Escalate English® and READ 180® are registered trademarks of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
