Meet Angel Jannasch-Pennell of KOI Education in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Jannasch-Pennell.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Angel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
KOI Education is a Phoenix-based company that has it roots based at the ASU Skysong Innovation Center. KOI partners with educators and educational organizations to deliver practices and solutions that result in positive academic, behavioral, and social achievement in the K–12 environments.

The KOI vision is to share Knowledge that results in Outcomes that Impact society. We believe that all students deserve a quality education. That the foundation for learning rests in a strong pedagogical framework and use of research-based teaching and learning practices.

And that systematic behavior supports are essential to the success of a school community. Our mission is to deliver high-quality evidence-based practices and services that result in positive academic, behavioral, and social achievement in the education community.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When we were a grant project based at ASU, we were working towards the day that the project would become a stand-alone university spin-off company. That roadmap was accelerated greatly when our grant funder decided to abrupting go a different direction and left us without any financial backing. Luckily, thanks to the resources of several ASU departments at the time, we were able to literally hit the ground running — with no time to look back.

We had our first contract and check in hand before we even had a checking account open for the company! Another unknown is the constantly shifting political climate and how that affects funding available for k-12 schools — it can be a bit of a roller coaster for schools when new administrations (local and federal) take over the helm.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a way for schools to encourage good behavior. With PBIS, kids learn expectations of behavior, just as they learn other subjects like math or science. The key to PBIS is prevention, not punishment. PBIS seeks to reduce or eliminate poor behavior school-wide through the encouragement of positive behaviors. Creating an improved school climate for students and teachers.

To achieve the desired results, KOI focuses on implementing the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system, an applied behavior analysis and prevention approach that promotes positive behavior reinforcement. Currently, more than 15,000 U.S. schools in 46 states have implemented some form of the PBIS system. Improving student academic and behavior outcomes is about ensuring all students have access to the most effective and accurately implemented instructional and behavioral practices and interventions possible. PBIS provides an operational framework for achieving these outcomes.

More importantly, PBIS is NOT a curriculum, intervention, or practice, but IS a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students. KOI delivers a variety of professional services aimed at helping educators meet students’ changing needs.

KOI works with schools to establish systems to implement PBIS with integrity and durability with the goal to have teaching and learning environments that are:
*Less reactive, aversive, dangerous, and exclusionary, and
*More engaging, responsive, preventive, and productive
*Address classroom management and disciplinary issues (e.g., attendance, tardies, antisocial behavior),
*Improve supports for students whose behaviors require more specialized assistance (e.g., emotional and behavioral disorders, mental health), and
*Most importantly, maximize academic engagement and achievement for all students.

KOI offers several opportunities for schools to access and implement our training programs. PBIS Training Academy is an intensive multi-year program that includes on-site training, coaching, and assessment in addition to online learning communities, interactive textbooks, and more. KOI also offers a number of KOI-guided professional development services, including sessions on culturally responsive practices and trauma-informed practices.

Comprehensive and easy-to-use self-guided KOI PBIS Manuals are available in hardcopy and digital formats. KOI Education was the first organization in the nation with PBIS curriculum and materials published as interactive eBooks in the iBookstore. KOI also offers and intensive, week-long train-the-trainers certification program each summer called Teach, Lead, Coach (TLC).

KOI works directly with schools across the country, as well as, Australia.

What were you like growing up?
I was always the shortest person in my grade, 😉 but what I lack in height, I made up for in personality and determination. I have always been one to stand up for what I believe in – and to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I felt (and still do) it was my responsibility do something, to take action, to get involved locally, and get out there in order to make a difference. I think even at a young age, I understood that equal doesn’t mean equitable.

I am what you might call “a connector”, I am now and I was a kid. I like putting people together based on their strengths, hoping that they can go on to accomplish things important and impactful to them, and if nothing else they will have a new person in their lives with commons interest and goals…

Contact Info:

• Address: 424 S. 2nd St Ste.105 Phoenix, AZ 85004
• Website: koi-education.com
• Phone: 480-420-6564
• Email: info@koi-education.com
• Instagram: koieducation
• Facebook: koi-education
• Twitter: @koieducation

Image Credit:
Omar D. Valencia

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