Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

2024 National Education Technology Plan targets the digital divide

Key points:

The latest iteration of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) takes aim at several obstacles limiting edtech’s ability to transform teaching and learning.

While past NETPs have largely served as surveys of the state of the field, the 2024 NETP frames three key divides limiting the transformational potential of educational technology to support teaching and learning, including: …Read More

3 strategies to support inclusive learning

Key points:

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), passed in 1975, ensures that eligible children with disabilities receive free public education along with the services they need to succeed. The IDEA act also guarantees that students with disabilities have the right to engage in the Least Restrictive Learning Environment (LRE) that best meets their individual needs.

The LRE ensures that students under IDEA are offered equitable access to education alongside their non-disabled peers. Under these requirements, special education students should be in the same classrooms as their peers to the maximum appropriate extent. The goal isn’t to make sure that special education students are in the mainstream classroom as much as possible, but to allow students to engage in a classroom setting that is the most beneficial to their academic success and development and to have equal opportunities to their peers. This requires some training for educators on how to create more inclusive classrooms.…Read More

IXL Math Meets Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier 1 Requirements in Randomized Control Trial Conducted by Johns Hopkins University

BALTIMORE, Maryland — IXL Learning, developer of personalized learning products used by millions of people globally, has unveiled the findings of a Johns Hopkins University study that affirms  IXL Math’s effectiveness in boosting student achievement. The evaluation of IXL Math’s impact meets the required rigor of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier 1 and What Works Clearinghouse standards for evidence-based interventions. 

The  Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University conducted an independent, randomized control trial in Spring 2023 at Holland Public Schools in Michigan. The goal of the study was to determine IXL Math’s efficacy on students in grades 3-5. Half of the classrooms were assigned to the treatment group and used IXL Math to supplement instruction, while the remaining students continued learning as usual. 

The  research revealed the following key findings:…Read More

You’re my hero

Key points:

I’ve always hated being put on the spot to answer some version of this question: “Who is your role model?  Who inspired your career?  Who is your hero?”

In my first act in life, as a television reporter, I had the opportunity to cross paths with celebrities, public figures, and just generally “important” people over the years.  And nearly every time, I was disappointed with by the experience because either the person was not as dynamic as their persona or, in some cases, was simply rude. I have a great relationship with my parents and credit them for many, many aspects of my life; one thing they taught me was hero status is a high bar because we’re all fallible humans.…Read More

Crunch the numbers: Edtech data you can use right now

2023 calculations by the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report reveal that fewer than 1 in 5 countries have legislation in place to prevent and act on cyberbullying in school. Some other key findings on cyberbullying show that:

      *Only 16% of countries currently have adopted legislation to prevent and act on cyberbullying in school; of those, 38% did so since the COVID-19 pandemic (visit UNESCO GEM Report PEER profiles for more)

      *In 2019, at least 10% of learners aged 8-10 had experienced cyberbullying in the past year, rising to 20% of learners aged 12-14 in 26 countries with data.…Read More

District leaders: Act now to avoid financial disasters after COVID relief funding ends

Key points:

Among all institutions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, few faced challenges as profound and fast-moving as America’s public schools. But as many large organizations return to normal, school districts face a daunting challenge: key federal relief funds are set to expire next September. 

In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed the CARES and ARP Acts, which created and added to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Program (ESSER). In total, ESSER funding has provided $190 billion for K-12 school districts across the country–an amount that has surpassed the annual budget of the U.S. Department of Education in recent years. For many districts, ESSER funding has been instrumental in helping serve students’ heightened needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed schools to avoid financial catastrophe. …Read More

An AI to-do list for educators

Key points:

The AI revolution is here, and educators are feeling the impact. For many, it is exciting, unsettling and overwhelming all at the same time.

The key to successfully navigating this maelstrom of emotions is to start small, break the challenge down into achievable tasks, and begin with actions that will have the most impact. This five step to-do list can help educators engage in artificial intelligence and begin using it to positively impact both teaching and learning. …Read More

Navigate360’s Suite360 Social-Emotional Learning Solution Satisfies Tier IV ESSA Requirements

RICHFIELD, Ohio /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —  Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, proudly announces the official validation and endorsement of their  Suite360 social-emotional learning solution by LearnPlatform. This achievement underscores Suite360’s effectiveness in meeting the stringent criteria set by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier IV, thus fulfilling the evidence-based intervention prerequisites necessary for educational districts to procure the solution using allocated ESSA funds.

Amid a nationwide situation where students are grappling with various challenges, a recent study conducted by Navigate360 unveils a concerning reality—educators are encountering difficulties in adequately addressing the well-being of their students. Additionally, a staggering 84% of educators express that their students are lagging in self-regulation and interpersonal skills compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. At the same time, the landscape of swiftly advancing education technology coupled with the ever-evolving landscape of social-emotional curricula making it harder than ever for educational leaders to determine what truly makes a difference in schools and districts. Nevertheless, the convergence of appropriate technology and comprehensive social-emotional curricula has the potential to wield a substantial influence on the teaching and learning processes.

“Suite360 stands as a beacon of transformative change, offering educational leaders an empowering tool to cultivate essential social-emotional learning skills in their students. With a meticulously curated collection of 1,800 research-backed lessons, Suite360 aligns with the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), enabling students to develop vital proficiencies such as self-awareness, social awareness and responsible decision-making. This endorsement by LearnPlatform reaffirms Suite360’s pivotal role in reshaping education, equipping educators to create a positive learning environment where students’ well-being thrives alongside their academic success,” said JP Guilbault, CEO at Navigate360.…Read More

Georgia Adds Classworks® Reading Screener to State-approved Universal Screener and Dyslexia Screener Lists

The Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) recently added the Classworks Reading Universal Screener assessment to two state-approved lists. The Classworks screener is now approved by the state as a Universal Reading Screener and a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3.

In April 2023, the Georgia Early Literacy Act (HB538) required the state to, among other requirements, establish a uniform standard for measuring literacy, approve high-quality literacy instructional materials for teaching students in K-3, and provide for the approval and use of universal reading screeners for K-3 students. The state provided a list of approved universal screeners and dyslexia screening tools to support school districts in choosing high-quality resources.

“Classworks Universal Screeners are already widely used by Georgia districts to effectively assess students’ proficiency and identify students who may need additional support,” notes Melissa Sinunu, Classworks President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are thrilled the GA DOE has added the valid and reliable resource as an approved assessment tool to help teachers identify students who may be at risk for dyslexia and as an essential part of school district’s comprehensive literacy programs.”…Read More

Could empathy become extinct?

Key points:

If empathy were an animal, it would undoubtedly be on the endangered species list–potentially on the cusp of meeting a fate comparable to the woolly mammoth or the saber-toothed cat.  Since 1973, the purpose of the Endangered Species Act has been to protect endangered animals and foster habitat, which not only promotes safety and recovery from the events or circumstances that led to rapid decline, but also advocates and educates for future changes in policy, procedures, and society to ensure the animals are nourished and safeguarded.  In short, the endangered species list attempts to save animals before it is too late.  Although not a living organism, empathy is on the verge of becoming an endangered social skill.

Unlike extinct animals, empathy will leave no skeletons below the surface, and without immediate attention, empathy may vanish from the face of the earth, without any evidence that it was ever here.…Read More

New Evidence for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Rating Reiterates i-Ready® Instruction’s Impacton Driving Student Outcomes

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.— A research study from Curriculum Associates recently received a Moderate (i.e., Tier 2) rating from Evidence for ESSA. The study demonstrated that students who used i-Ready Personalized Instruction gained significantly more points on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in English Language Arts and Mathematics than those who did not use i-Ready Personalized Instruction.

Evidence for ESSA is intended to provide educators with reliable, easy-to-use information on programs and practices that meet the standards of evidence in the ESSA. This classification of Moderate by the organization, out of the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins School of Education, demonstrates that i-Ready meets the standards of evidence in the ESSA as well as reinforces the validity of the program in driving significant positive student outcomes on rigorous state tests.

“Educators want—and need—to feel confident in the programs they are using to support their instruction and, in turn, student achievement,” said Dr. Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates. “This latest third-party validation underscores the power of i-Ready Personalized Instruction and its ability to effectively support the teaching and learning process throughout the school year.”…Read More

In school leadership, it’s not what we do–it’s how we do it

Teachers and school/district leaders are needing more support and help with the way(s) they react and interact with others, but they currently are limited by time, resources, and lack of people to turn to.

These were the major findings from a recent survey that provides a snapshot into the issues and dilemmas that educators are facing. When we take a step back and review the survey results, it isn’t a surprise.

For the longest time, we have provided professional development, training, readings and coursework on the instructional or logistical side of education and leadership. Most educators haven’t been on the receiving end of learning experiences on the human side of education and leadership – the ways we act, react, and interact with others. The ways to develop and build trust. The way to form a vision and grow a culture. The way to bring ourselves to work and harness our humanness.…Read More