Dallas Independent School District has partnered with Hatch® to implement 171 Hatch iStartSmart® Mobile tablets into its classrooms this fall.
iStartSmart Mobile is a research-based technology that provides children with English language Shell Squad Games to teach important literacy and math skills needed for kindergarten readiness. Along with providing durable hardware, iStartSmart Mobile delivers kid-safe software that protects children from accessing non-age appropriate areas of the tablet. The Hatch Report Management System offered on the iStartSmart system monitors progress data while children play and learn, providing teachers with individualized teaching strategies. From this data, teachers and administrators can monitor device usage and ultimately refocus a child that may be having difficulty.
On September 9th, 2014, 60 teachers implementing the iStartSmart technology and supporting administrators will participate in all-day, on-site professional development training delivered by Hatch to provide support for the initial implementation into the classroom. To ensure the continued success of Dallas ISD teachers and children, Hatch will also be conducting on-site training for 16 education specialists who will offer support and professional development opportunities for teachers after the initial implementation.
“Kindergarten readiness has become essential in setting our children up for learning success now and later in life,” said Alan Cohen, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education. “By partnering with Hatch, their research-supported programs, and their commitment to supporting our teachers, we are ensuring that our Pre-K learners are given a greater opportunity to succeed in education, regardless of their circumstance or special need.”
In an effort to remain innovative and committed to providing heightened learning opportunities for all children, Dallas ISD expanded its partnership with Hatch to include the development of a Spanish language add-on to Shell Squad Games for implementation in Dallas ISD schools in 2015. With a significant and growing number of children under age 5 entering formal prekindergarten classrooms with Spanish as their primary language, there is a need to develop a Spanish language conversion of the currently existing Shell Squad Games.
