During this time of online education, Russellville City Schools is receiving two honors from Imagine Learning for the system’s use of Imagine Learning programs.

Russellville City Schools was named a 2019-20 Imagine Nation Beacon District as part of Imagine Learning’s Imagine Nation Awards.

RCS received this award for enthusiasm and innovation of Imagine Learning among staff and students, exemplifying the spirit of the Imagine Learning partnership, consistent program use and best practices in program implementation.

“This is without a doubt an honor,” said RCS Superintendent Heath Grimes. “We are extremely proud of our partnership with Imagine Learning and are appreciative of the great resources Imagine provides us.”

RCS was among 97 school systems in the nation to receive this honor from Imagine Learning, which is an education technology developer of supplemental adaptive curriculum for Pre-K through eighth-grade students, according to an RCS press release.

“Christy Sanders, our Imagine Learning representative, nominated RCS for this award, and we are so appreciative,” Grimes said. “Christy and the Imagine team have been a wonderful support for RCS. We couldn’t be more pleased with the product and the partnership.”

In addition to the award RCS received, Russellville Middle School was selected as a 2019-20 School of Excellence for its use of the Imagine Learning Imagine Math Facts program.

RMS was one of 134 schools in the nation to be selected for this and was the only school in Alabama to receive this recognition.

“This is a tremendous honor for our school and for our math teachers,” said RMS Principal Tony Bonds. “They have done an excellent job implementing this program and using it to make learning fun and interactive for our students. I’m excited RMS is being recognized and proud of the hard work and dedication our faculty, staff, students and parents have shown in regards to this curriculum.”

Imagine Learning representatives said this award is the highest distinction in the Imagine Learning recognition program, with rigorous usage standards required to be designated as a School of Excellence.

“We are so proud of Russellville Middle School, Mr. Bonds and the faculty and staff who made this award possible,” Grimes said. “It’s a great accomplishment, especially considering RMS was the only school in our state to receive an award for their Imagine Math Facts program. We know the students who participated in the program will reap the benefits as they move forward in their educational career.”

Grimes said Imagine Learning has been very helpful to students, but he knows it would not work as well without the dedication of the RCS teachers, staff and administrators or the parents and students who work hard to make the best use of the resource.

“Our faculty, staff, and administrators go above and beyond for our students in everything they do, so it came as no surprise that they have been extremely dedicated to this program, knowing the benefits our students could achieve through it,” Grimes said. “I truly appreciate their high level of commitment, enthusiasm and educational innovation.”

Imagine Learning uses multiple measures, including usage and implementation data, to designate top schools for the Imagine Nation Awards, according to an RCS press release.

“Today, we applaud the educators’ and staffs’ exceptional efforts supporting students and families during school closures. They have worked tirelessly to implement and transition their instructional plans into a new at-home learning experience helping their students make incredible progress in language, literacy and math,” said Jeremy Cowdrey, chief executive officer at Imagine Learning. “We look forward to continuing our partnership promoting rigorous and equitable learning across all subjects, transforming students into stronger and more confident learners.”