11.14.23 Everything you ever wanted to know about early numeracy but didn’t know to ask There is a buzz in education right now about literacy and the science of reading. Within these conversations there is a particular focus on early literacy and what research indicates are the... Read more
11.9.23 How K–12 assessment is a part of learning In my book The Equity Expression: Six Entry Points for Nonnegotiable Academic Success, I address topics that are often missing from the equity conversation, such as teacher efficacy and academic... Read more
11.7.23 The zone of proximal development (ZPD): The power of just right The latest research into how kids are doing following COVID-19 school closures shows that achievement is still lagging, when compared to pre-pandemic data. Having so many students in need of... Read more
11.2.23 High growth for all kids: 4 guidelines for supplemental instruction We all know the challenges of the last three years. We’ve read the headlines and heard the research about the impact of COVID-19 on education. Given the stress that the pandemic put on... Read more
10.31.23 3 ways quality instructional coaching impacts teacher efficacy Now that the 2023–24 school year is fully underway, our NWEA instructional coaching team recently gathered to reflect on the common barriers teachers are currently facing in their daily work... Read more
10.26.23 How to build confidence in young readers Have you ever read a book and felt like the author wrote it just for you? A book that was so profound that you felt changed by the experience? Now imagine you’d never read that book. Or... Read more
10.24.23 6 things principals can focus on to improve family engagement When I was a school administrator, I thought a lot about family engagement. How could I get more parents and guardians to feel connected to our school and interested in getting involved? How... Read more
10.19.23 MAP Accelerator and professional learning workshops are here to support math teachers As a math teacher, I had some lightbulb moments when I watched the recent NWEA webinar “Supercharge math confidence (for teachers and students) with MAP Accelerator.” And I’ll admit it, as... Read more
10.17.23 From The Continuing Educator: How to bring inclusion, focus, and fuzzy feelings to your classroom If you’re a teacher who’s looking for new ways to keep your students focused and on task, there’s one technique (a bit unorthodox, perhaps, but guaranteed to get their attention) you might... Read more
10.12.23 How to evaluate classroom products Teachers rely on a myriad of classroom products to support teaching and learning. The goal of using them is to improve student achievement. In my book, The Equity Expression: Six Entry Points... Read more
10.10.23 MAP Growth can lower the cost and increase the accuracy of gifted and talented placements I first became interested in assessment because I believed in what it could do. I believed it could help educators, administrators, and policymakers better design and target instruction, which... Read more
10.5.23 3 academic interventions policymakers can support to help get students back on track According to the latest NWEA data, students last spring were, on average, 4.1 months behind pre-pandemic achievement levels in reading and 4.5 months behind in math. Students in middle school... Read more