Why academic fluency matters in K–12 education
Why academic fluency matters in K–12 education
December 8, 2017
Products:
FastBridge
Educators sometimes ask me why so many FastBridge assessments are timed. The answer is that timing is necessary in order to document a student’s fluency with tasks. So, what exactly is academic fluency—and why is it so [...]
Educators, what are you thankful for this year?
Educators, what are you thankful for this year?
November 22, 2017
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and rejoice. While traveling and planning dinner can be stressful, nothing beats coming together with others. It also is a great time to take a moment and appreciate all that we have. We asked [...]
A new level of achievement: The Seal of Biliteracy
A new level of achievement: The Seal of Biliteracy
November 16, 2017
Categories:
Assessment,
Reading
The Seal of Biliteracy Caps and gowns, pomp and circumstance, faculty and family buzzing about students’ incredible achievements. Graduation ceremonies never fail to inspire. While some students graduate with honors, a testament to the extra requirements they’ve met, others are [...]
RTI Tier 2 intervention: Finding the ground truth
RTI Tier 2 intervention: Finding the ground truth
November 9, 2017
Categories:
Assessment,
Math,
Reading
Successful Tier 2 intervention As mentioned in a previous post, multi-tier systems of support work. Now, let’s explore how they work. More precisely, let’s seek to find the ground truth—information gleaned from direct observation rather than information [...]
Rising to literacy challenges with effective universal screening
Rising to literacy challenges with effective universal screening
November 2, 2017
Categories:
Assessment,
Reading
Almost two-thirds of students perform below proficiency in reading in public schools across the country (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2015). Literacy outcomes are even more dismal in large city schools, with three-fourths of all students failing to achieve reading [...]
Three library themes to supercharge student learning
Three library themes to supercharge student learning
October 12, 2017
Categories:
Reading
“A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them.” – Lemony Snicket School libraries are the beating hearts of [...]
How do we monitor the progress of English Learners?
How do we monitor the progress of English Learners?
September 28, 2017
Categories:
Assessment
| Products:
Star Spanish
Sharing the same goal As educators, we all share the same goal—to prepare students for college and career success. This academic achievement happens over time, and the process for English Learners is no exception. Since we’re talking a process of [...]
Lessons we can all learn from Reading Recovery
Lessons we can all learn from Reading Recovery
September 21, 2017
Categories:
Assessment,
Reading
When I was a Reading Recovery teacher, “Back to School” meant screening the lowest-performing first-graders for placement in the program. As I walked students down to my room for the assessment, I would try to put them at ease by [...]
Is ‘good enough’ good enough?
Is ‘good enough’ good enough?
September 14, 2017
Categories:
Assessment
Previously, we explored distinctions between proficiency and growth. Proficiency, from its Latin origin, means “to accomplish or make progress.” Accomplishments in the education setting are generally described as reaching an established performance benchmark. Most commonly, this benchmark [...]
Student growth: Why does it matter?
Student growth: Why does it matter?
September 7, 2017
Categories:
Assessment,
Reading
The first year of school is an exciting time for students and their parents. Riding the bus, meeting new teachers, and making friends are important milestones at the beginning of each school year. Let’s talk about Max, a student eager [...]
