Data continues to show the critical need for teacher retention in schools across the United States. A 2017 study from the Learning Policy Institute found that only one-third of educators who leave the classroom are retiring, and that teacher attrition in this country is twice the rate of other highly performing countries. Modern teachers need access to meaningful, affordable, and flexible continuing education options that help them better meet the needs of their students, and ultimately keep these transformative teachers in the classroom.
To meet this demand, Avila University (Avila) announced they will expand their existing partnership with The Learning House, Inc. (Learning House), the leading academic program manager to help partners thrive in a competitive higher education market, to also work with Advancement Courses, to provide graduate-level programs and non-credit professional development for K-12 teachers. Powered by Learning House, Advancement Courses offers a series of over 200 courses in 14 different subject areas covering both foundational topics and emerging trends in K-12 education and adds value to Avila’s existing course options.
Throughout the courses, teachers set individual goals and measure their own progress based on their own personal and professional development needs. Some additional unique features and functionality of Advancement Courses include programs that are:
- Developed by expert teachers with extensive classroom experience and a deep understanding of national standards and the skills that ensure student success;
- Designed to be meaningful and engaging by leveraging innovative techniques and approaches, and developing practical tools in the course that are immediately applicable for classroom implementation; and
- Accessible, with content available completely online or in a blended learning format with supplemental print-based materials.
“Advancement Courses’ online programs help us better serve our traditional and nontraditional students by diversifying their options for graduate-level courses through accessible, flexible and convenient delivery options,” said Avila President, Ronald Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA. “By leveraging Learning House’s deep knowledge and over a decade of experience in learning and higher education, our partnership with Advancement Courses will help teachers earn their graduate degrees, continue their professional development, maintain licensure and advance their careers.”
“Advancement Courses are an added value to our existing and new partners in need of an affordable solution for K-12 teachers looking to continue their education through non-credit professional development, as well as graduate-level credit options offered through universities like Avila,” said Todd Zipper, President and CEO of Learning House. “With over 17 years of experience in higher education, we truly understand teachers and the very real challenges they face in and out of the classroom. We’re thrilled to take our partnership with Avila to the next level by offering Advancement Courses to meet the diverse learning needs of their students and ultimately keep these transformative educators in the classroom.”
For more information on Avila’s Advancement Courses options, visit https://www.advancementcourses.com/our-partners#partner-av.
About Avila
Avila University, a Catholic University founded and inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, is a values-based community of learning providing liberal arts, professional, undergraduate, and graduate education to prepare students for responsible lifelong contributions to the global community. Avila has more than 60 undergraduate majors & concentrations and six graduate degree programs. It serves more than 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students at its Kansas City campus. Avila’s academic programs remain true to its Catholic roots and operate on its original collection of core values including service to society, quality academics, and the development of leaders. Avila University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Avila’s School of Education programs are nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. For more information, visit www.avila.edu or follow @AvilaUniversity on Twitter and Facebook.
About Learning House
The Learning House, Inc. helps people improve their lives through education. As an academic program manager, Learning House offers technology-enabled education solutions designed to meet the needs of a dynamic global market. Solutions include Online Program Management (OPM), Enterprise Learning Solutions, The Software Guild, Learning House International and Advancement Courses. With a focus on data-driven decision making, Learning House is on the leading edge of higher education. Learning House provides expertise in research and analytics, marketing, enrollment, retention and instructional design. Through its broad portfolio, Learning House delivers more students, more graduates and better outcomes. For more information, visit learninghouse.com or follow @LearningHouse on Twitter or LinkedIn.