Insert Hyperlink

ABOUT PEPPER

OUR STORY

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will touch the lives of nearly every teacher and student. For the first time in our history, a clear and unified set of expectations will guide classroom instruction to ensure that all students are ready for college and careers. Educators everywhere are diligently preparing to implement these standards and aligned assessments by the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, seeking the best possible resources to guide them in the process.

Pepper Team

PCG works closely with over 4,000 districts across the country and took note as educators articulated their Common Core needs. Teachers shared with us their excitement about a project-based, performance-oriented set of standards and accompanying assessments that encourage them to teach in new ways that active student thinking and intellectual engagement. They also expressed a need for guidance and assistance to effectively implement the Common Core.

WestEd, with over four decades of experience translating education research into practice, brings a wide range of subject matter expertise to the Common Core conversation, especially in the key curricular areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. As one of the nation's leading educational research, development and service organizations, WestEd knows how to translate education research into high quality professional learning. Through close contact with their clients, WestEd works to deeply understand the needs of schools, districts, states and policy makers, and delivers trusted content to address the nation's most pressing educational challenges.

EDU2000 has more than 20 years creating online educational resources in mathematics and science and has managed large technology platform implementations in multiple states.

When PCG, WestEd and EDU2000 sat down to combine their perspectives, they envisioned resources to address common themes expressed by every educator: resources that can be accessed online 24/7; resources to help every teacher become a CCSS specialist; and resources that allow ALL teachers to reflect and track their learning and share Common Core thoughts with colleagues.

As the backbone of these resources our team selected edX, a Harvard/MIT developed learning management system, to use as the delivery platform for the new program.

The result of this dynamic collaboration: Pepper, an online collection of the highest quality common core courses available to educators.

Pepper Power

With the launch of Pepper, districts now have a powerful solution to their Common Core needs, a perfect supplement to existing local efforts. Pepper makes a difference in how and when teachers learn, through a manageable online community that helps them navigate the new Common Core standards and assessments.

Why Teachers love Pepper
  • All teachers can enhance their mastery of Common Core at a time, place and pace of their own choosing without having to align their own busy schedules with those of district mentors and designated specialists.
  • Pepper course content is immediately applicable in the classroom, helping teachers to progress towards Common Core mastery.
  • Pepper Common Core courses offer something for every core teacher: Math and ELA/Literacy at elementary, middle school, and high school levels.
  • Courses are online, self-paced, available 24/7 to accommodate every teacher's unique schedule.
  • Accountability is built into the Pepper platform, helping teachers track their thoughts and questions through reflection and journaling about their Common Core needs and practices, as well as sharing them with supervisors and colleagues.
Why Administrators love Pepper
  • Principals and curriculum directors can provide quality Common Core professional learning to EVERY member of their staff using Pepper's self-paced course content.
  • For less than the cost of sending a few teachers to face-to-face training, administrators can purchase annual Pepper accounts for all teachers.
  • School leaders can build a consistent foundation of Common Core concepts through a shared conversation among teachers within the Pepper online environment.
  • Pepper provides leaders with a Common Core solution that not only supplements their existing programs, but also helps them unify and combine an array of district efforts.
How Students benefit from Pepper
  • Through the Pepper courses and community, teachers are able to make teaching and learning more relevant, effective, and appropriate to the needs of students.
How Parents benefit from Pepper
  • Parents want to know how Common Core will affect their children's current and future education. Teachers using Pepper allay parents' concerns and implement Common Core strategies to ensure student success.
  • Teachers using Pepper can provide parents with resources and strategies to help prepare their children for the new Common Core shifts and next-generation assessments.

Pepper Community

By entering the Pepper community, teachers and administrators will join a vibrant and growing network of educators dedicated to effective implementation of the Common Core. With access to high quality WestEd professional learning resources, and a collaborative group of colleagues across the nation, educators will engage in a common conversation around Common Core concepts and implementation.


If you have specific questions about Pepper, please feel free to reach out to us at pepper@pcgus.com.