A teacher’s guide to building relationships with students
A teacher’s guide to building relationships with students
January 20, 2022
Categories:
Education Strategies,
Professional Development,
Uncategorized
Educators know that positive student-teacher relationships are crucial to classroom success. But building relationships with students is sometimes easier said than done. Research shows that even a few minutes of dedicated effort each day can help [...]
Product Highlights: Shared insights for educators, students, and families
Product Highlights: Shared insights for educators, students, and families
January 14, 2022
The last two years have brought many changes to K–12 education, especially around how educators interact and communicate with students and their families. You’ll find a number of new features in your Renaissance products to support greater student and family [...]
SEL competencies: The importance of social-emotional learning and the CASEL framework
SEL competencies: The importance of social-emotional learning and the CASEL framework
December 12, 2021
Categories:
Assessment,
Education Strategies,
Professional Development
For many years, the focus within classrooms has been centered on high-stakes assessments. How students were performing on state exams was supposed to tell the story of student achievement—or, at least, most of the story. However, the number of research [...]
Rethinking math milestones
Rethinking math milestones
December 10, 2021
When we talk about literacy, we often discuss an initial phase of “learning to read,” which is then followed by a second phase, “reading to learn.” This transition often occurs in grade 3 or 4. To foster literacy acquisition, many [...]
Formative assessment: What is it and why use it?
Formative assessment: What is it and why use it?
December 9, 2021
Classroom formative assessment is widely used in schools. However, there are multiple definitions of this term. There can also be confusion around whether formative assessment is a process or a product. So, what is formative assessment in education? And why [...]
How teachers can use item analysis to evaluate assessments
How teachers can use item analysis to evaluate assessments
November 18, 2021
Assessments are one of the primary ways educators can gain insight into student learning. These assessments may take the form of quizzes, tests, midterms, or final exams. Assessments also provide a key way for teachers to address students’ needs, [...]
New insights on progress monitoring this school year
New insights on progress monitoring this school year
October 22, 2021
In K–12 education, we often use medical analogies to describe our assessment practices. For example, it’s common to hear the state summative test described as a “post-mortem” on the school year. In contrast, formative assessments are often compared to a [...]
Understanding Depth of Knowledge
Understanding Depth of Knowledge
October 21, 2021
Alignment between standards or unpacking learning targets during assessment creation and instructional planning is crucial for developing a year-long Curricular/Assessment Scope and Sequence. Depth of Knowledge (DOK) is the thread that ties everything together. Consider the following scenario: educators [...]
Striking the right balance: Why a balanced assessment system is key to student success
Striking the right balance: Why a balanced assessment system is key to student success
October 15, 2021
Assessments are an essential part of K–12 education. Without them, teachers, education leaders, and policymakers would be in the dark about critical pieces of the education puzzle—including what students are retaining and where resources can most effectively be allocated to [...]
Product Highlights: Supporting continuous student learning
Product Highlights: Supporting continuous student learning
October 8, 2021
The COVID-19 disruptions have accelerated a process that was already well underway. Teaching and learning are no longer confined to brick-and-mortar classrooms and face-to-face interactions. Instead, technology allows teachers and students to connect from anywhere—and helps teachers to provide personalized, [...]
