3.16.21 4 things to focus on this spring as you begin your 2021–22 school improvement plan If you’re a school administrator, you know your state or district will require you to develop a school improvement plan for next school year soon. It will need to be based on data and... Read more
3.11.21 How to meet math students where they are Many of us are worried about how kids are doing in math right now. NWEA research released in December 2020 gives us reason to be concerned: students in grades 3–8 had a 5–10 percentile point... Read more
3.9.21 5 things to know about the new MAP Reading Fluency Dyslexia Screener Since 2018, MAP® Reading Fluency™ has made it easier for teachers to understand their students’ reading skills so they can spend more time teaching and less time testing. By assessing the... Read more
3.4.21 Rising to the occasion: 4 lessons learned about virtual teaching during COVID-19 It’s been a year since schools nationwide closed in response to COVID-19, and the shift to virtual learning has been extremely difficult for both teachers and students. Before 2020, most... Read more
3.2.21 4 apps you probably don’t use in your classroom—but should Even in the best of years, teachers can always use some fresh tactics come early March. It’s post-winter holidays and pre-spring break; it’s not quite one season or the other. Whether... Read more
2.25.21 MAP Growth data is shaping South Carolina education policy during COVID-19 South Carolina has its share of challenges. Poverty is pervasive, and the state tends to rank low in educational achievement relative to other states. On the positive side, elected officials and... Read more
2.23.21 The case for K–3 screening and intervention for dyslexia I vividly remember the first student I worked with at my first job as a special education teacher. Jacob was a sixth-grader, and the road to his dyslexia diagnosis was a long one. Despite... Read more
2.18.21 Early literacy: What we can do during COVID-19 In December, NWEA shared research about the effects of pandemic-era schooling on reading and math growth. The news looked better for reading than for math. But as someone obsessed with early... Read more
2.16.21 5 tips for supporting students with dyslexia during COVID-19 What is that awful sound? Upon hearing the screeching noise, my two middle-schoolers yelled from their rooms, “Be quiet!” My husband shouted the same from his basement office. I was in a... Read more
2.11.21 How to use flexible grouping remotely My son and three of his fellow seventh-graders were working together on a math assignment the other day. They had recently been introduced to two-step equations. They had cards with an equation... Read more
2.9.21 How one alternative high school uses virtual and home visits to support kids during school closures Picture a high schooler who is deeply engaged in his remote learning community. He actively participates in synchronous class sessions, turns in daily assignments, uses asynchronous resources,... Read more
2.4.21 2 ways to encourage older readers during COVID-19 2020 pulled us into uncharted educational territory, bringing a host of unique challenges for educators to contend with, including how best to serve students’ literacy needs in a way that... Read more