GCPS To Use Suwanee School in eCLASS Pilot Program

Gwinnett County school officials gave the go-ahead Thursday night to plans to introduce eCLASS, a digital system designed to help teachers offer new ways to present lessons and enhance students' ability to learn.

Beginning next fall, five area high schools -- Archer, Berkmar, Duluth, North Gwinnett of Suwanee and Shiloh -- will participate in a pilot program. GCPS board members approved a four-year $20.8 million contract with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the company that will provide the educational software.

GCPS Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks said the school board had been reviewing and studying the idea of offering the new teaching and learning system for the past year. And they decided to "make this a reality."

Wilbanks said he and the board expect to "look back on this and say it was well worth the investment." Funding for the project is expected to be provided through an extention of the current education SPLOST funds.

The new digital learning system is expected to improve teaching by:

• Providing teachers with more information about their students' learning needs
• Providing teachers with information about their own teaching strengths

It's expected to improve the learning ability of students by:

• Enhancing how students use digital content
• Building on students' interests and capabilities

The first phase of eCLASS is expected to be introduced to the five pilot schools in August 2012.

In other news:

• GCPS announced that Dyer Elementary School has a new principal, Michael DiFilippo, who was the former assistant principal at Pharr Elementary.
• Tommy Welch, the interim principal at Meadowcreek High School has been chosen to become the school's permanent replacement for Bob Jackson, who passed away suddenly in July of this year.