• The virtual learning platform, Subject, was approved by the Board of Education for use in LAUSD High Schools.
• Subject’s educational videos integrate comprehensive lesson plans with advanced teacher instruction and have been shown to increase retention, engagement, and college readiness.
• LAUSD principals can offer Subject in classrooms to positively impact student success.
Subject Learning, an online learning platform proven to boost student engagement and learning, will be available in LAUSD schools beginning next year. Founded by Felix Ruano, an LAUSD alum, Subject offers students and teachers short form video content that can be integrated into classroom lessons. The company reports that classrooms that use Subject show higher student retention and enhanced learning outcomes.
“As an LAUSD alum, it is an incredible personal privilege and responsibility to serve LAUSD schools, educators, and students,” Felix Ruano, Co-founder and President of Subject, told Coachella Valley Times. “We look forward to providing the absolute best online course experience and supporting the progress of the district's strategic goals.”
Subject.com was developed in 2020 by co-founders Felix Ruano and Michael Vilardo during the COVID-19 pandemic-- a time when millions of kids were stuck at home. As the two observed long-standing issues within existing educational systems, their drive to leverage education to create a better life for students grew into a passion. With the help of Subject's team of educators and builders, the two founders built highly engaging video content used by teachers to accelerate learning and help students succeed.
Subject’s lessons support LAUSD’s A-G curriculum which requires all students to have attained the core knowledge necessary to succeed in college. To achieve this goal, Ruano, a first generation college student, and Vilardo brought together a team of dedicated educators, designers, and innovators to create a new approach to digital learning. Subject stands as an evidence-based program that has met the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Level IV requirements. The courses offered on the platform are approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
The Subject course library includes over 65 highly engaging and accredited courses. With Subject, students have the opportunity to be highly engaged by the cinematic-quality instruction in each offered course, designed to be as engaging as the streaming content students are familiar with today. The courses incorporate the three main principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and feature video micro-lessons, assignments, assessments, and educator insights and data tracking. The structure of the courses allows students the ability to fully understand each concept and promotes a more profound understanding and retention of the topic.
After graduating from LAUSD, Ruano continued his education at Harvard University. Before establishing Subject, he began his career at the management and consulting firm McKinsey & Company, while also being a founding board member and education leader at the Asia Society.
Participation in the program is subject to approval by the school’s principal. All schools in the district have the ability to participate in Subject’s educational platform, including:
- Roosevelt Sr. High (323) 780-6500
- Santee Education Complex (213) 763-1000
- Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez Sr. High School (323) 981-5400
- Jordan High School (323) 568-4100
- Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt (323) 780-4551
To access the complete list of LAUSD schools, visit SchoolDirectory.LAUSD.net.