PITTSBURGH, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Distance Electronic Learning Academy (PDELA) recently kicked off the 2006-2007 school year with new leadership. Dr. James Hoover joined the school as the Chief Administration Officer in the spring, and is ready to guide in the new school year.

"It is exciting to join the cyber charter school movement," Hoover said. "This is the new frontier of education, and I am eager to contribute to its growth and development."

Dr. Hoover has thirty-three years of experience in public education and most recently worked as a principal and technology coordinator at West Allegheny School District where he was a finalist for the National Distinguished Principal Award in 2005. He had also been previously nominated for the award in 2002. Prior to West Allegheny, Dr. Hoover taught for twenty- one years in the Beaver Area School District.

Dr. Hoover has also been published many times with articles centering on improving student performance. "Improving student achievement is central to my goals here at PDELA," Hoover said. Publications include "A Dozen Ways to Raise Student Test Performance" (Principal Magazine, January 2002), "Ten Winning Strategies to Improve Student Performance on the PSSA" (Pennsylvania Administrator, May 2003), and "Don't Let Good Data Go to Waste" (Principal Magazine, September 2004).

Hoover is a 1998 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he earned his doctorate in education. He had previously earned his Administrative Certification in 1991 at Youngstown State. He also has a Master of Science in Business Administration from Robert Morris University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Education.

PDELA is entering its third year of operation in the state. It is a home- based, distance learning charter public school in Pennsylvania for grades K-12 with a current enrollment of 600 students. PDELA uses a multimedia approach to learning, combining text-based and computer-based instruction for each student. More information about PDELA can be found at http://www.pdela.com/.

CONTACT: Valerie Hoffman of White Hat Management LLC,
+1-330-535-6868 x 1072, for PDELA

Web site: http://www.pdela.com/