EMOs: Edison Project
FOUNDED by Channel One founder Chris Whittle in 1991, the Edison Project operates 51 schools in over 25 locations, with an enrollment of over 24,000 students. The Project's educational design is touted as being "research based," using research conducted by Johns Hopkins and University of Chicago. Edison students are taught in "academies," multi-grade groups of 100-180 students taught by four to six teachers. These teachers work with the same academy group until the students graduate to the next academy. Edison academies include Primary Academy (K-2), Elementary Academy (3-5), Junior Academy (grades 6-8), Senior Academy (grades 9 and 10), and Collegiate Academy (grades 11 and 12). Schooling is based on a 7-hour class day divided into 90 minute classes, with a 200-day school year.The youngest students of Edison schools are required to master basic math and reading before graduating from the Primary Academy. They also begin mandatory Spanish courses. There is also a significant focus on technology, where Edison students are given access to computers and the Internet as they need it for their work. All students within a given Edison school system are connected via "The Common" - essentially an Edison intranet. In order to encourage greater educational interaction between students and their parents, the parents are offered computer training, literacy tutoring, and other skill courses.
I'd like to examine other reform styles.
