Education Alternatives Inc. will continue to negotiate a new contract to manage nine Baltimore public schools, company spokeswoman Lory Sutton said yesterday.
EAI officials will meet soon with school Superintendent Walter G. Amprey and city finance officers to "put the fine tuning on the funding as well as the performance standards," Ms. Sutton said.
On Monday, the city invited EAI to continue working toward TC modified contract, basing the decision on an independent evaluation of seven of the EAI-managed schools and improved student test scores.
EAI responsed this week to the study by the Center for Educational Research at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
"We were favorably impressed by the report," said Ramon Harris, EAI's divisional president for Maryland.
"It does identify significant progress we have made in standardized testing. As with any good assessment, there are areas of strength and areas of opportunities."
As EAI prepares for the Sept. 6 opening of school, Mr. Harris said, the company will take note of the researchers' suggestions and criticisms.
For example, based on the report's findings, EAI will review one of the key elements of its program in the schools -- the use of computers for instruction, he said.
The study suggested that despite the use of the computers, students weren't improving enough in reading.
EAI will look into whether more staff training is needed, Mr. Harris said.
