Two content developers share their favorite books (and more) from 2017
Two content developers share their favorite books (and more) from 2017
December 21, 2017
Categories:
Reading
Alexa, read me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. (Did you know Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the most requested book for Amazon’s Alexa to read aloud in 2017?) This past week, Amazon published its annual This Year [...]
6 models for measuring student growth
6 models for measuring student growth
December 14, 2017
Back in the days of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), schools were given credit for the percentage of students achieving the state’s “proficient” level. The amount of ground that students needed to cover in order [...]
New book on student talent and expertise
New book on student talent and expertise
December 14, 2017
Categories:
Professional Development
I’m thrilled to announce the release of my new book, Unlocking Student Talent: The New Science of Developing Expertise. As the chief academic officer at Renaissance, one of my top priorities is helping educators understand how advances [...]
Why academic fluency matters in K–12 education
Why academic fluency matters in K–12 education
December 8, 2017
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 [...]
