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District Administration and AutoSkill Announce First X-Factor Award winner!

Action-based Learning Program links physical activity with student achievement.

Norwalk, CT, and Ottawa, August 28, 2007 – The editors of District Administration have named the winner of the first-ever X-Factor Award, sponsored by AutoSkill International. The $30,000 top prize winner is Mohawk Elementary School in Bessemer, PA, for its innovative Action-based Learning Program.

“We had so many wonderful submissions,” says Dr. Odvard Egil Dyrli, Editor-in-Chief of District Administration magazine. “What makes this program stand out is its cross-curricular approach and creative use of physical activity to reinforce learning at a very young age.”

Each Friday Larry Carr and Lou Ann Miller, Mohawk Physical Education and Wellness teachers, work with kindergarten classes to combine movement with the introduction of basic concepts. Since research suggests that about 85 percent of children are kinesthetic learners, using movement in the learning process increases the retrieval and retention of information.

In one activity, students walk the “Action Based Learning Ladder” and call out the colors of each rung. Content cards are then placed between the rungs with numbers, shapes, and the alphabet to help anchor these concepts. As a result, stronger neural connections are built in the brain, leading to improved student academic performance.

 “In working with schools over the past 17 years, we’ve seen many grassroots programs that do so much to advance learning, particularly for struggling students,” says Susan Koch, vice-president of marketing at AutoSkill International. “We’re excited to be part of the X-Factor Award to promote the great work that is being done and contribute to the ongoing development of these essential initiatives.”

Mohawk Elementary School’s Action-based Learning Program is featured in the September issue of District Administration magazine, along with profiles of 15 other innovative programs from districts across the US.

The X-Factor Award will be presented to the winners at the Title I Conference in Nashville on Feb. 1, 2008. 

About District Administration
District Administration is for leaders in K-12 education. District Administration, which has a circulation of 75,000, is the only education magazine to reach every superintendent in the country, along with assistant superintendents, technology directors, school board presidents and federal funds administrators, among others. The magazine covers current trends and pressing issues in the K-12 education industry along with strong coverage of emerging technologies and leadership issues for district-level administrators.

About AutoSkill International
AutoSkill creates award-winning intervention solutions to help close the proficiency gap in K-12 schools. For over 17 years, its research-based programs have helped at-risk students to build fluency in the foundation skills of reading and math. The company’s core products, Academy of READING and Academy of MATH, deliver rapid, permanent gains so students progress in their education and administrators meet AYP targets. For more information, visit www.autoskill.com.

For more information, contact:
Nancy Fontanne
Manager Marketing Communications
AutoSkill International Inc
800-288-6754 x302
Email: nancy.fontanne@autoskill.com