MARYLAND SCHOOLS GO ONLINE TO CURB DROPOUT RATES

Maryland education consortium will use Web-based curriculum to expand its dropout prevention program

CENTERVILLE, Md. – The Eastern Shore of Maryland Education Consortium (ESMEC) plans to expand its dropout prevention program through a partnership with EdOptions, thanks to a $223,250 earmark from the 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) spending bill.

EdOptions, an educational software firm based in Arlington, Va., will help ESMEC grow current programs and create new programs through the use of its Web-based curriculum, Stars Suite™. Used in more than 1,200 schools nationwide, Stars Suite’s curriculum and assessment tools have been effectively utilized in dropout prevention, credit recovery, alternative learning, summer school and homebound programs.

"If Maryland is going to be more competitive, we must focus on programs that are developing new technologies that lead to new products and industries that create new jobs that will never leave the United States," said Senator Barbara Mikulski in an October release.

Six out of the nine ESMEC districts currently use the Web-based program. One of the Consortium’s aims is to expand into the remaining districts.

EdOptions™ is an award-winning education technology firm located in Arlington, Virginia. The company’s premier product, Stars Suite™, serves more than 250,000 students nationwide and features 39 middle and high school courses, and Web-based solutions for state test preparation, high school preparation, and GED study. For more information, visit edoptions.com.

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For questions regarding the CJS spending bill’s ESMEC allocation, please call Executive Director David Jones at (410) 310-4571 or jonesdr@comcast.net.
For questions regarding the Stars Suite and its implementation at ESMEC, please contact Erin Rondeau at (703)-243-7460 or erondeau@edoptions.com.