Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
6 Key Questions to Ask
With the right assessment tools, K–12 educators can accurately measure students’ progress toward learning goals. Teachers can use this information to deliver more effective instruction, and administrators can use it to make system-wide planning decisions. When choosing assessments that can support better student outcomes, here are six key questions to ask.
…Read MoreLearning technology company HMH announced it has acquired award-winning software company Writable, building on a longstanding partnership between the organizations that includes the integration of Writable’s research-backed writing assessment and practice solution with HMH’s core ELA offerings for grades 3-12.
With the acquisition of Writable, HMH will also establish HMH Labs, a new incubation team focused on the development and customer experience of emerging technologies, including generative AI, in support of HMH’s high-tech, high-touch vision for K-12 learning. Led by Writable CEO and co-founder Andrew Goldman, who will become Executive Vice President of HMH Labs, the group will expand upon and support HMH’s focus on innovative technology and continue to develop Writable.
“HMH is excited to welcome the talented team from Writable into the HMH community,” said HMH CEO and President, Jack Lynch. “We have already seen the transformative power of Writable and are excited to harness the agile development capabilities of Andrew and team through HMH Labs in service of empowering educators and deepening the connection between teacher and student.”…Read More
The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) has re-endorsed Classworks® for an additional three years. The CASE Executive Committee designated the award-winning platform as a CASE-endorsed product that delivers high-quality assessment and instructional resources to special education teachers and students.
CASE has recognized Classworks as a tool that “successfully addresses the inherent challenges of special education,” since 2010. This month, CASE re-endorsed Classworks as a top-tier special education resource through 2027. Every three years, the platform undergoes a rigorous evaluation by the CASE Executive Committee. As part of the review process, CASE considers the impact on achievement for special education students as well as any new enhancements. In addition to the tremendous impact Classworks has on special education students, two significant product changes were made:
These and several other new Classworks enhancements answer the imminent need in the marketplace for comprehensive, valid and reliable programs that simplify processes for special education teachers, and provide a more engaging and motivating experience for students. …Read More
Staples, Minn. — SpringMath, an award winning, complete MTSS solution for math, recently received the highest possible rating for fall classification accuracy in every grade submitted to the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII).
SpringMath author Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden said, “The SpringMath team is proud to once again have our work validated by NCII. We have expanded the number of grades for which we have offered evidence, including middle school, and we now have the highest rated kindergarten screening tool! These ratings offer further evidence of the quality of our assessments, which are novel in this space.”
NCII is the premier site for rating intervention and assessment tools for education. Funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), NCII is comprised of national content and methodological experts who review assessments and interventions. The ratings are designed to evaluate the technical adequacy of screening tools, progress monitoring tools and interventions programs to assist educators in the adoption of tools that address their needs.…Read More
Key points:
Social-emotional skills are fundamental for success in school and in life. But how can we ensure that all students learn these valuable lessons so they can have positive relationships with each other, support one another and make good decisions?
Empowering students to take charge of their own social-emotional development through self-directed learning and assessment can pave the way for better relationships, improved well-being and enhanced academic achievements. For this to be effective, students must have a voice in their social-emotional skill development, enabling them to reflect on their skills, leverage their strengths, recognize opportunities for growth, and identify their support systems. …Read More
A comprehensive wireless network assessment helped this historic Maryland college identify the causes of pervasive wi-fi performance issues. Reporting and guidance allowed them to make data-driven changes to improve end user experience and security.
K12 school systems often experience similar challenges and can benefit from the same approach. Learn more in this brief case study.
…Read MoreBURLINGTON, NC — Carolina Biological, the leading school science supplier and the Smithsonian Science Education Center announced Smithsonian Science for the Classroom™, Phenomenon and Problem-Driven Edition, for grades K to 5. The print, digital and hands-on program raises the bar in student-driven 3D learning and 3D assessment. All modules in the updated core science curriculum are rolling out for the 2024-25 school year. The program still takes students on a journeyof hands-on experiences, observation, and collaboration, but added many more new opportunities for students to drive their own learning and: build reading, writing, and speaking skills; make sense of phenomena and real-world problems; drive learning with their own ideas and experiences. The new program features a robust and integrated assessment system, including a new assessment map. Accessibility for students is emphasized. Students cultivate scientific skills and knowledge through student-centric investigations as they figure out compelling phenomena and solve real-world problems. Teacher support is included. The new 2nd Edition was extensively field tested by educators and will be available for purchase through Carolina for the 2024-25 school year. Teachers can contact Carolina now to implement in classrooms next fall.
Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, 2nd Edition, is a high-quality comprehensive science program with life science, earth and space science, physical science and engineering modules developed to meet the *Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This elementary curriculum engages, inspires, and connects students firsthand to the world around them through a total of 24 student-driven modules. It helps teachers keep classes fresh and interesting to young students and integrate science, technology, math and engineering throughengaging and hands-on lessons. Smithsonian Science for the Classroom includes print and digital components, as well as hands-on materials.
Student Agency…Read More
LOS ANGELES (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GoGuardian, the leading company delivering proven solutions to create effective, engaging, and safer learning environments, today unveiled a unified ecosystem for its curriculum and instruction products under a new name: Pear Deck Learning.
Available now to school districts nationwide, Pear Deck Learning offers a comprehensive ecosystem of tools for instruction, engagement, assessment, and intervention that is rooted in learning science and designed to help K-12 classrooms — teachers and students alike — achieve their full potential.
Pear Deck Learning is introduced at a time when educators are seeking ways to close pandemic-related learning gaps while leveraging educational technologies to save time, support planning, and better enable the most important part of their work: driving positive learning outcomes. In a recent nationally representative survey1, one out of four educators expressed difficulty connecting data points from different edtech tools to form actionable insights. Pear Deck Learning solves this by delivering an ecosystem of integrated tools for a dynamic and enriching classroom experience.…Read More
Key points:
More children than ever are skipping school. The latest data shows that the number of public school students who miss at least 10 percent of their school days–whether excused or unexcused–has nearly doubled.
The White House Council of Economic Advisors found that chronic absenteeism significantly contributed to drops in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores, accounting for 16 to 27 percent of NAEP score declines in math and 36–45 percent in reading. …Read More
It’s one of the longest-running promises of edtech: Have students provide proof of work online. Get better assessment results. Provide students agency and enable them to express themselves creatively. Take teaching and learning to the next level.
For the most part, we’re still waiting. But not Gary Heidt, who leads the Innovation Lab at Perkiomen Valley HS in Pennsylvania and is a champion of a tool called Unrulr. In this conversation, we discuss the implementation and impact of Unrulr in his classroom, where he tries to focus on creating a more human and reflective learning experience. Joining us was Aaron Schorn, Head of Growth and Community at Unrulr to detail how students can document their learning moments, create exit ticket reflections, engage in discussion boards, and build larger learning journeys.
Here’s a link to a blog post that dives deep into Gary’s experiences when it comes to documentation and Unrulr. And here’s a link to the portfolio that Uses Unrulr public links throughout to tell the story of one student’s project journey.…Read More
Key points:
Teachers use a variety of methods to assess mastery of a topic. We use observations, quick formative assessments, longer summative assessments, and long-term benchmark assessments. The problem is that these assessments come in a variety of ways, depending on where you teach.
Many districts utilize pre-built assessments from curricular resource companies. Others build assessments based on curricular resources and change every 4-6 years with their new resource adoption cycles. Some will create assessments based on their state-approved learning standards and work to adapt the curricular resources to their true “curriculum” and assessments.…Read More
Charlotte N.C. – Aperture Education, a Riverside Insights company and the leading provider of social-emotional skills assessment and intervention solutions, and Committee for Children, the leading provider of social-emotional curriculum programs in the U.S., announced today that they will partner to offer four co-developed assessments to support schools in demonstrating the impact of evidence-based social and emotional programs.
Built from the Aperture DESSA suite, these assessments complement Committee for Children’s Second Step® programs, which are research-based social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula developed to nurture SEL in children’s daily lives, both in and outside of the classroom. By having integrated assessment and curriculum tools, educators can gain valuable insights from reliable, real-time data about instructional effectiveness and the impact of SEL curriculum on students.
“As schools introduce social-emotional learning into their curriculum, it’s imperative to show how these investments translate into improved outcomes for their students. Years of evidence show how Second Step improves critical life skills and mental wellbeing,” said Riverside Insights CEO Vivek Kartha. “We are proud to collaborate with the Committee for Children and contribute to improving student outcomes by aligning our gold standard DESSA assessments with their world-class curriculum.”…Read More