What educators need to know about validity
What educators need to know about validity
April 2, 2015
Categories:
Assessment
In this post, we take a closer look at validity. In the past we’ve noted that test scores can be reliable (consistent) without being valid, which is why validity ultimately takes center stage. We will still define validity as the extent [...]
Driven by teachers—How our products evolve with real user feedback
Driven by teachers—How our products evolve with real user feedback
March 12, 2015
Categories:
Assessment,
Math,
Reading
What does it really mean to be customer-centric? Lots of companies claim to be customer-focused because it is an easy thing to say. Renaissance is grounded in our mission—to accelerate learning for all. We care about the teachers we serve.
A measure of stability in a time of uncertainty
A measure of stability in a time of uncertainty
February 19, 2015
Categories:
Assessment
The 2014–15 school year brings unprecedented change in summative assessment. More than 80 percent of US students will sit for a new assessment, whether it’s from The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), the Smarter Balanced [...]
The real truth about achieving excellence
The real truth about achieving excellence
February 5, 2015
Categories:
Assessment,
Math,
Reading
How important is talent when it comes to success? Our efforts to create excellence in students are inextricably linked to our beliefs about what constitutes talent. Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code, advances that to help students achieve excellence [...]
Effective teachers are empowered—and so are their students
Effective teachers are empowered—and so are their students
January 22, 2015
Categories:
Assessment,
Math,
Professional Development,
Reading
Educator effectiveness and grit are trending across educational media. Is it coincidence or inevitability that these two concepts should dominate current discourse simultaneously? Perhaps it is the potential for these ideas to be unified toward a single purpose: to empower [...]
Reflecting on education reform—Awareness of the past can unite us today
Reflecting on education reform—Awareness of the past can unite us today
January 8, 2015
As I reflect back on almost 40 years in the field of education, I note how fitting it is that the job from which I retire is with Renaissance Learning, as these 40 years can be viewed as an ongoing [...]
Learning with a destination in mind: The art and science of personalized goal setting
Learning with a destination in mind: The art and science of personalized goal setting
December 18, 2014
Categories:
Reading
A version of the famous quote from Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu states, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” But what determines whether that journey will be successful? If we’re listening to current research on performance and [...]
Informational text: The writing on the wall
Informational text: The writing on the wall
December 4, 2014
Categories:
Reading
From cave drawings to instant messaging, humans are uniquely wired to leave a record of our experiences. So, too, are we uniquely driven to comprehend the experiences recorded by others. In our efforts to make applicable meaning from ancient cave [...]
What kids are reading—and why it matters
What kids are reading—and why it matters
November 18, 2014
Categories:
Reading
Everyone—big or small, young or old—enjoys a great story. When you give a book, you give not merely words on a page but freedom, independence, adventure, intrigue, joy, introspection. You name it. But where can you find potential gift-giving literary [...]
Discovery: The power of finding what I didn’t even know I wanted
Discovery: The power of finding what I didn’t even know I wanted
November 6, 2014
Categories:
Reading
Can you guess America’s most-ordered ice cream flavor? It’s not butter pecan, and it’s not blueberry cheesecake, and it’s not mint chocolate chip. (These, however, are my most-ordered flavors….) A year-long study by GrubHub revealed that the most-ordered ice cream [...]
