Pascagoula School District Brings Home National Renaissance(R) Conference Award for 'Outstanding Student Achievement'

Pascagoula School District Brings Home National Renaissance(R) Conference Award
for 'Outstanding Student Achievement' 


MADISON, Wis., March 24  /PRNewswire/ -- Recognized for their "outstanding
student achievement," Pascagoula School District in Pascagoula, Miss., was
awarded the Renaissance Solutions Award at the fifth annual National Renaissance
Conference.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001108/RENAISSANCELOGO )

The National Renaissance Conference, which was held March 16-19 in Orlando,
Fla., is hosted once a year by Renaissance Learning(R), Inc., a leading provider
of learning information systems and school improvement programs for pre-K-12
schools.

Pascagoula students in grades K-8 were recently challenged to read half a
million books.  Librarians reported record numbers of books in circulation as
students flocked to computers to take Accelerated Reader(R) quizzes.  Signs
gauging progress were placed throughout each city so residents could watch the
steady rise in the number of books read.

In May, a "Read-N-Ride" rally was held at the high school stadium to celebrate
students' reading efforts.  More than 10,000 people, including the Governor, the
state superintendent of education, and officials from the U.S. Department of
Education.

The end of the school year, however, did not signal the end of reading. The
district's "Storyland Express," a bus renovated into a bookmobile, took reading
to a new level by parking at area grocery stores throughout the summer.  While
parents shopped, students read books and took Accelerated Reader quizzes. 
According to district officials, not only has this process instilled a love of
reading in the students, but rising test scores also attest to its success.

This year's National Renaissance Conference was attended by about 3,000
educators from across the country who gathered to network with others dedicated
to educating our nation's children, receive professional development training,
hear motivational speakers, and view RenaissanceLearning's newest products and
services.

Taking center stage this year were demonstrations of Renaissance Place(R), the
Company's enterprise wide suite of products which offers centralized data and
web-based consolidated school- and district-wide reporting, and English in a
Flash(TM), a revolutionary new research-based product to help teachers address
the needs of ELL (English language learners) and ESL (English as a second
language) students.

The 2004 National Renaissance Conference was also highlighted by keynote
presentations by Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos cookies and nationally
recognized literacy advocate, Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House
children's series, and Jim Trelease, motivational speaker and author of The
Read-Aloud Handbook.  Attendees were treated to the opportunity to meet many
famous authors and attend several of the more than 100 professional development
workshops offered on a variety of subjects -- from the latest teaching
techniques and research to funding opportunities, technology briefings, and
detailed discussions of Renaissance products.

The 2005 National Renaissance Conference will be held March 3-6 in San Antonio,
Texas.

Renaissance Learning(R), Inc., is a leading provider of research-based learning
information systems software, school improvement programs, teacher training and
consulting. Adopted by over 65,000 schools, Renaissance information technology
products give students and teachers continuous constructive feedback that helps
motivate students, dramatically accelerate learning, improve test scores, and
help students master all standards, while reducing teacher paperwork. Over
500,000 educators have received Renaissance training. Renaissance Learning has
six U.S. locations and subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, India, and the United
Kingdom. 

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001108/RENAISSANCELOGO

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DATASOURCE: Renaissance Learning, Inc.



CONTACT:  Jonas Berberich of Renaissance Learning, Inc., Toll free

office, [phone], Fax, [phone],  



Web site:  http://www.renlearn.com/ 

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