What kids are reading: New insights on the path to college and careers

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What kids are reading: New insights on the path to college and careers

November 10, 2015

Categories: Reading

It all comes down to the first sentence. That’s how I decide. If the writing pulls me in, I’ll buy or borrow the book. If not, it remains on the shelf, whether physical or virtual. No matter how riveting a [...]

Are your students ready for the Smarter Balanced assessment?

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Are your students ready for the Smarter Balanced assessment?

November 10, 2015

Categories: Assessment,

In recent years, we’ve entered a new era of education—one that leverages data, insight, and, yes, testing to understand what learning looks like for every student and to meet new state standards. One of the new exams is the summative [...]

What educators need to know about measurement error

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What educators need to know about measurement error

October 15, 2015

Categories: Assessment,

At my first introduction to measurement error, the word error gave me pause, and I silently wondered what good could possibly come from it. To most of us, an error usually means something is terribly wrong! It doesn’t help either [...]

Differentiated learning: Closing the gap between theory and practice

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Differentiated learning: Closing the gap between theory and practice

October 1, 2015

Categories: Assessment,

Differentiation has been an education buzzword for some time, and yet, in a January 2015 Education Week commentary, James R. Delisle writes that “differentiation doesn’t work.” His commentary was met with a swift response from Carol Ann [...]

Math is “ruthlessly cumulative”: The truth about fluency and the promise of differentiated practice

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Math is “ruthlessly cumulative”: The truth about fluency and the promise of differentiated practice

September 3, 2015

Categories: Math

MIT Professor Steven Pinker made a statement that has stuck with me. He observed that math is “ruthlessly cumulative” (1997). Phil Daro expanded on this by noting that, when studying history, you can surely learn a great deal about World [...]

Getting students hooked on investing in their own learning

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Getting students hooked on investing in their own learning

August 20, 2015

Categories: Math, Reading

Over the past few years, an increased focus on educator effectiveness has permeated the literature and dominated conversations. The idea has been to identify the observable and replicable characteristics of teachers who routinely lead students to success. I reviewed these [...]

No datum left behind: Making good use of every bit of educational data

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No datum left behind: Making good use of every bit of educational data

August 6, 2015

Categories: Assessment, Math, Reading

“Just what do you do with all that data?” A superintendent asked me this question the other day, and I understand where she’s coming from. The educators in her district have put faith in Renaissance products. She is responsible for [...]

One key difference in math achievement: Jason Bourne and entity orientation

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One key difference in math achievement: Jason Bourne and entity orientation

July 6, 2015

Categories: Math

Are you a math person? Is there such a thing, and, if so, does being a “math person” make all the difference when it comes to success in math? According to Kimball and Smith (2013), there is one key difference [...]

Your state, your standards, your learning progression

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Your state, your standards, your learning progression

June 11, 2015

Categories: Assessment, Math, Reading

Demanding that you “have it your way” could come across as pampered and self-centered, but for educators striving to deliver education that meets their state standards, having it “your way” really means having what you need to successfully teach to [...]

Is formative assessment a tool or a process, and what makes it good?

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Is formative assessment a tool or a process, and what makes it good?

May 28, 2015

Categories: Assessment,

Not too many years ago, we fought some “wars” in our profession, and we may be on the verge of yet another. It started with the “Reading Wars” of Whole Language vs. Phonics. Then, we fought the “Math Wars” of [...]

Renaissance Blog

Latest Post

What kids are reading: New insights on the path to college and careers

What kids are reading: New insights on the path to college and careers

Recent Posts

Are your students ready for the Smarter Balanced assessment?

Are your students ready for the Smarter Balanced assessment?

What educators need to know about measurement error

What educators need to know about measurement error

Differentiated learning: Closing the gap between theory and practice

Differentiated learning: Closing the gap between theory and practice

Math is “ruthlessly cumulative”: The truth about fluency and the promise of differentiated practice

Math is “ruthlessly cumulative”: The truth about fluency and the promise of differentiated practice

Getting students hooked on investing in their own learning

Getting students hooked on investing in their own learning

No datum left behind: Making good use of every bit of educational data

No datum left behind: Making good use of every bit of educational data

One key difference in math achievement: Jason Bourne and entity orientation

One key difference in math achievement: Jason Bourne and entity orientation

Your state, your standards, your learning progression

Your state, your standards, your learning progression

Is formative assessment a tool or a process, and what makes it good?

Is formative assessment a tool or a process, and what makes it good?