Feature News

DALLAS, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- District Administration magazine announced in its Special January 2009 Products Issue that three education programs designed by Voyager Expanded Learning(R) have been chosen as Reader's Choice Top 100 Products for 2008. The three programs recognized were:

• Voyager Passport(TM) , a comprehensive reading intervention for kindergarten through fifth-grade students
• Vmath(R), a systematic math intervention for third- through eighth-grade students
• VoyagerU(R) Targeted Courses/Comprehensive Courses, a professional development solution for teachers

"To have three of our programs named by the readers of District Administration as Top 100 Products for 2008 is wonderful news," said Ron Klausner, president of Voyager Expanded Learning. "We take our role in enabling educators to increase the trajectory of learning for our children very seriously and to be recognized by the readers is especially important because they do the 'heavy lifting' in educating our children."

Voyager Passport provides students with 30 to 45 minutes of daily, targeted intervention, with instruction in each of the essential reading components, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Lessons are based on the latest scientific knowledge about effective reading instruction. Ticket to Read(TM), the easy-to-access and easy-to-use website included with Voyager Passport, promotes reading practice at home and school. Students participate in phonics activities, read high-interest passages at increasing levels of difficulty and take quizzes to earn points to help them build virtual toys and customize their personal clubhouse. Students can independently practice important reading skills at school, home or the library with 24/7 access.

Vmath delivers 30 to 40 minutes of daily, targeted intervention via eight modules, each covering essential concepts and skills within a mathematical topic.

Vmath also provides a variety of assessments designed to provide teachers with the critical data they need concerning student performance. VmathLive(R) is a web-based technology that extends the school day. Students are engaged and motivated to improve their math proficiency by practicing their math skills, preparing for high-stakes tests and playing in real-time competitions of speed and skill. VmathLive provides built-in error analysis and correction opportunities, animated demonstrations of essential math concepts and instant access to online reports to give teachers the ability to track student progress.

The new VoyagerU Targeted Courses for kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers, combine independent studies, professional learning communities and classroom application activities to help teachers realize student success in reading. The four VoyagerU Targeted Courses, each 20 hours in length, are:

• Small Group Intervention
• Vocabulary
• Fluency
• Content Integration

During these courses, participants:

• Develop a shared knowledge of scientifically based reading research
• Collaborate online and face-to-face with peers to reinforce professional development
• Access online videos, quizzes, materials and digital coaching
• Apply and practice proven strategies in the classroom

VoyagerU's Comprehensive Courses are designed to teach teachers how to teach reading. The courses contain self-paced learning activities, classroom application items, videos and group meeting agendas and ideas. The VoyagerU Comprehensive Courses, ranging from 40 to 80 hours in length, include:

• Reading Academy
• Reading for Understanding
• Getting Reading Results: A Continuous Improvement Process
• Getting Reading Results: Content Integration

VoyagerU's Professional Development Courses align with the National Staff Development Council's standards for Professional Development.

To view the District Administration's special issue visit: http://www.districtadministration.com/newproducts/viewpage.aspx?pagename=staticpage/products09_toc.html

About Voyager Expanded Learning

Voyager Expanded Learning provides core, intervention and supplemental reading programs, as well as math intervention and ongoing professional development programs, for school districts throughout the United States. Founded in 1994, Voyager has delivered extended-time reading and basic skills intervention programs, as well as large-scale reading programs, to more than 1000 school districts in cities such as Miami, Richmond, New York and Los Angeles, resulting in dramatically improved student performance. Voyager Expanded Learning, Inc. is a business unit of Voyager Learning Company (OTC: VLCY.PK) and is based in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit www.voyagerlearning.com or call 1-888-399-1995.