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
2.2.21 How MAP Growth helps elementary school teachers differentiate instruction Ask Susan Hankins about the most important factor in her school’s success, and she won’t hesitate to tell you: it’s the teachers. In her tenure as principal of Memphis Elementary... Read more
1.28.21 Why students with dyslexia aren’t “at risk” My mom had an in-home daycare when I was five years old. She read lots of books to me—I was surrounded by books—and every night my mom would read to me and my twin brother from a book of... Read more
1.26.21 5 ways to include disability in equity work 2020 raised our awareness of the yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots. Last year brought not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also an intensification of the public consciousness and... Read more
1.20.21 There’s an educator in the White House. What does this mean for policy? More votes were cast in the 2020 presidential election than ever before. People across the country are listening, debating, and volunteering—ready to take an active role in our... Read more
1.19.21 3 timely ways to make great use of assessment data With so many question marks in the air these days, isn’t there something reassuring about good data that gives us reliable answers? This is certainly true in education, where schools rely on... Read more