In 2015, Garland ISD received a request from its students that they offer courses in Latin, American Sign Language, and Mandarin Chinese. The district was excited about the initiative, but they were unable to locate teachers that met their certification and experience requirements. Garland ISD was also uninterested in Blended Learning programs; they wanted a teacher in front of their students so that they could receive maximum support.
Garland ISD explored their options and was eventually referred to Proximity Learning Inc. from another nearby district. After viewing a recording of a live class, they decided to implement a year-long pilot for Mandarin Chinese and measure success amongst their students. Garland was extremely impressed by what they saw – over 92% of students passed and subsequently requested a level II course. Garland expanded course offerings the following year to include Chinese, American Sign Language, and Latin. Fast-forward three years and Garland is now offering levels 1-3 Chinese, Latin, and ASL through Proximity Learning. They are still observing pass rates over 90%.
