With so many skills to teach and so little time, where should you focus your efforts to maximize student growth? Research shows that certain skills lay the foundation for future learning, making them essential and non-negotiable. These are Focus Skills.

Watch this research-based webinar for new insights on Focus Skills—along with practical strategies for using Focus Skills to boost the power of instruction in your classroom and across your district. You’ll also explore:

  • How Focus Skills relate to state and national standards
  • How the number of Focus Skills differs by grade level and subject area
  • Why Focus Skills are critical for closing achievement gaps and improving student outcomes
  • How Renaissance identifies Focus Skills in reading and math—and where to find Focus Skills in your Renaissance Star Assessments

Presenters

Gene Kerns

Gene Kerns , EdD, is Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance and a nationally acclaimed speaker on assessment, learning progressions, and educational standards. He is co-author of the book Literacy Reframed: How a Focus on Decoding, Vocabulary, and Background Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension (2020).

Julianne Robar

Julianne Robar is Educational Content Program Manager at Renaissance. In this role, she leads the alignment of Renaissance’s state-specific learning progressions for reading and mathematics, and oversees the identification of Focus Skills.