Obviously, the past few years haven’t been easy for anybody. But the strain on school intervention specialists thrust into remote learning during group trauma has been especially great. In this conversation, Rami Tulp, assistant director of intervention for Katy ISD in Texas details some of the ways her district has catered to the needs of both students and faculty. Have a listen and scroll down for some edited excerpts.

We support intervention teachers who work with the students who are most at risk of dropping out—the students who struggle the most. And, you know, that cannot always be the most appealing job when you’re looking at teaching. So we really have been making sure that we support our intervention teachers with good resources as well as professional learning where you want to come back every year and continue to be an intervention teacher and support struggling kids…Coming out of the pandemic, some student struggles with learning have increased. And we need new strategies on how to support these kids. We need to keep building on the strategies that we already have, but also some new ideas, some new techniques. We’ve been doing a lot of campus visits, getting out to campuses and supporting teachers whenever they call, whenever they need an extra set of hands or an extra set of eyes with a class.

Some of the stories that some of our teachers shared when they were working with students virtually is that the home that the children were in wasn’t always somewhere they felt safe or comfortable. They didn’t want to unmute because in the background there might be screaming or something like that happening. We did have quite a few kids who were having to watch over their younger siblings. So there could be little screaming kids running around. We had some kids zooming from a bathtub because it was the quietest place in the house…Some kids were worried about how their hair looked because they haven’t been able to go out and get their hair fixed.

When you have all of that going on and you’re below grade level in reading or math, that just adds to it because you’re not feeling comfortable and you’re not feeling safe. So those are those things that virtually a teacher has to try and reach that kid through the screen and engage them and motivate them and make them feel safe and comfortable in a virtual setting. That’s a huge job that not everybody maybe understands. That’s more than just teaching a concept. That’s why having resources that are engaging already—prepared for a teacher can really benefit them because they have something to go off of while they’re also trying to make the kids feel safe and comfortable.

I know my big hope for our district is that we continue to inspire people to remember why we all became teachers. We are really inspiring the next generation. We’re the catalyst of what comes in our future and we have so many wonderful people in our district that are working so hard and supporting kids no matter who they are, where they’re from, and no matter what their needs are. The work we do with kids is so important and we need to keep supporting our teachers and keep having a positive outlook for what teaching is and what we’re doing.

AMERICAN FORK, UTAH (PRWEB) — YouScience®, the leading technology provider dedicated to closing the growing skills gap between students and employers, is proud to announce that it has administered over 1 million certification exams to high school students across the U.S., during the 2022-23 academic year. With  industry-recognized certifications, students can demonstrate and quantify their skills to share with future employers. This significant milestone illustrates the company’s commitment to bridging the skill and labor gap in the United States and equipping the future workforce with essential industry skills.

The nation faces a  critical challenge in matching available jobs with skilled workers. As industries evolve and technology advances at a rapid pace, traditional education systems struggle to keep up with the changing demands of the labor market. Recognizing this pressing issue, YouScience has developed a  comprehensive solution to empower high school students and ensure they possess the necessary skills for success in the workforce.

With its innovative platform,  YouScience® Brightpath, the company offers students an opportunity to explore their aptitudes, interests, and strengths, providing them with valuable insights into potential career paths. The platform utilizes a unique combination of aptitude testing and career discovery tools, enabling students to identify and align their natural abilities with the skills required in various industries.

To address the skill and labor gap further, YouScience collaborates with industry experts to develop rigorous certification programs that validate students’ competencies in specific fields using the  YouScience® Industry Certifications. These certifications provide a tangible demonstration of proficiency and equip students with a competitive advantage in the job market. They also cover various industries, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and more, ensuring students have access to diverse career opportunities.

Key takeaways of YouScience® Industry Certifications:

• Over 1 million industry-recognized exams have been administered to high school students during the 2022-23 academic year.
• 43 states, 848 districts, and 1,635 schools across the United States participated in these exams.
• YouScience® Industry Certifications are the nation’s most extensive library of industry-recognized exams with over 200 entry- to mid-level certifications available. Exams are available for all  16 National Career Clusters including 21st Century Skills.

“Administering 1 million industry-recognized exams is a great achievement,” said Edson Barton, CEO of YouScience. “This is a testament to our commitment to equipping the next generation with the skills they need to thrive in the workforce. We believe that by bridging the gap between education and industry, we can create a brighter future for both students and employers.”

YouScience’s impact extends beyond individual students, as it plays a vital role in building a stronger economy by addressing the skill shortage across various industries. By fostering partnerships with educational institutions, employers, and policymakers, YouScience aims to amplify its efforts and scale its impact, ultimately driving economic growth and prosperity.

About YouScience

YouScience® is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills and exposure gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their aptitudes, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 7,000 educational institutions and millions of users nationwide.

Key points:

• As students continue to struggle with reading, it is critical that teachers receive structured literacy training in teacher preparation programs
• Literacy serves as the foundation of learning, and families should be involved in this learning process
• See related article: How to support reluctant readers with literacy strategies

After 14 years in education, I consider myself to be a good reading teacher. Unfortunately, the path to getting where I am today was a long, frustrating journey.

Growing up, as the child of two teachers, education was in my blood.

After college, I was accepted into a graduate program to get my teaching certificate and Master of Arts in Teaching. I learned the latest and greatest in elementary education instruction and pedagogy…or so I thought.

But I was never taught HOW to teach students to read.

I landed my first job as a fourth-grade teacher in a suburban district outside of Portland, Oregon. Before the students arrived, I set up a cozy classroom library, complete with a couch, rug, lamps, and boxes filled with rich literature and chapter books.

It didn’t take long for me to recognize that a handful of my students could not read the district-provided curriculum. I was surprised, because I thought that by fourth grade, students were reading to learn, not learning to read. I had no tools in my proverbial tool belt to help my students that year. I did not learn this in my teacher preparation classes.

Key points:

• You don’t have to be an expert to be a tutor–you just need a willingness to learn as an adult
• Working with a reputable tutoring organization is essential
• See related article: 6 keys to effective tutoring

What do directing planes to land successfully on the runway and directing students to read successfully in the classroom have in common? A lot, as I found out during my transition to tutor following three decades of managing the flow of aircraft around the country. 

When I joined the Air Force in 1988, I became an Air Traffic Controller. I didn’t know it then, but this job would lead me down a path that included an eight-year military career and 22 years at the Department of Defense. During my 30 years of service, I managed both the training, and standardization and evaluation departments before becoming the tower chief controller.

As I looked toward retirement in 2019, I knew I still wanted to do meaningful work, but I wasn’t sure what I was qualified to do. My daughter, who was teaching English online, inspired my next steps, and now I’m in my fourth year of tutoring, supporting students and my fellow tutors to develop their skills. While controlling air traffic and online tutoring are worlds apart, there are a few key considerations that made all the difference in my career shift. Here are my tips for those considering a career switch to tutoring:

1. Work with a reputable tutoring organization. They can help you channel your natural skills and qualifications and focus them into being an effective tutor. I started my orientation by attending a workshop where I learned to use tutoring programs. My cohort and I had several days to practice the lessons and become familiar with the platform to gain confidence and familiarity with what our students would see. By the end of this time, I felt confident in my abilities and the resources I had available to ensure my, and my students’, success.

Charlotte, NC ) — To keep students engaged in learning while on summer break, Discovery Education and select partners have created free dynamic digital resources for students and caregivers to use at home. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

The following selection of family activities that connect families to engaging learning experiences anywhere learning is taking place:  

Build the Change: Take the power of play beyond the classroom with collaborative activities that inspire students and families to learn through play by solving creative challenges as a team while exploring their own local environments with these activities from Build the Change, a program by the LEGO Group’s sustainability team. 

Conservation Station: Explore the unexpected connections at the heart of the energy-water nexus and discover how to conserve water and energy with engaging at home activities from Conservation Station: Creating a More Resourceful World—an educational initiative with Itron.  

Pathway to Financial Success in Schools: Nationally recognized with the Jump$tart Coalition’s 2021 Innovation Award, Pathway to Financial Success in Schools is a personal finance education resource with Discover Financial Services. These family resources are easy-to-use resources to help families conduct very important conversations with your teens. Students can take the learning further with 40 self-paced modules that turn what they learn into practice.  

Science at Home: 3M’s Science at Home video series is a collection of simple, watch-then-do science experiments that feature 3M scientists and special guests using common household items to reinforce core scientific principles and make STEM learning more accessible. Through these at home activities, STEM solution seekers can experience scientific phenomenon through creative and fun projects that range from engineering with marshmallows, to chemistry with baking soda. 

STEM Forward with Olympic Swimmer Katie Ledecky: Join Katie Ledecky, 3-time Olympian, 7-time Olympic Gold medal swimmer, proud STEM advocate and Team Panasonic athlete, for an immersive deep dive into game-changing technology that powers society and enhances our lives. The Winning with STEM Virtual Field Trip created in partnership with Panasonic transports students to five Innovation Centers across America with the accompanying family activity that connects STEM principles to everyday life.  

Working in Harmony: Inspire collaborative learning experiences through Country Music. Celebrate the power of STEAM with easy-to-use activities designed to bring the whole family together by creating a backyard light show and music production. These activities are from Working in Harmony, a partnership with the Country Music Association. 

“At Discovery Education, we’re committed to preparing learners for tomorrow by creating innovative learning experiences connected to today’s world. That means keeping learning alive, and exciting, during the summer,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Social Impact at Discovery Education. “These partners have stepped up to ensure all students can continue learning.” 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn. 

### 

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com. 

Key points:

• An inclusive learning culture support high-quality SEL instruction
• UDL makes learning accessible for all students, leading to impactful SEL
• See related article: 5 to thrive: SEL resources to help students grow

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a critical component of education today, and that’s especially true in the wake of the global pandemic, which has left many students grappling with anxiety, depression, and other social-emotional challenges. While high-quality SEL involves many elements, at its foundation is the need to establish a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for every student.

SEL is the process by which students learn the skills they need to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. These skills are essential for navigating both academic and non-academic environments successfully, and they’re critical for improving behaviors, attitudes, and educational outcomes.

For SEL instruction to be effective, however, educators must create a welcoming and inclusive learning culture for everyone. As the Global Citizenship Foundation notes: “Fostering welcoming communities, promoting equity and equality, combating discrimination, and developing respect for others are all objectives aligned with SEL.”

It’s not realistic to ask students to develop an understanding of and empathy for diverse people and perspectives if their own needs and perspectives aren’t valued and supported within the classroom environment. Educators must practice and model these ideals for themselves if they expect students to acquire them—and this starts with designing inclusive learning environments in which everyone feels welcome and empowered to reach their full potential.

Key points:

• School-home communication is critical in boosting attendance and decreasing absenteeism
• A thoughtful school communication plan is as important to good schooling as a great teacher
• See related article: 5 ways video improves school-home communication

When you think about Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, do you think “HVAC?”

While ESSER funds were vital for making schools safer during the pandemic, they cover more than infrastructure. The true goal of ESSER funding is learning recovery, and the heart of learning recovery is attendance.

Attendance is an important predictor of student success.

School communication is an essential piece in supporting attendance and reducing absenteeism. Parents can’t help if they don’t know what’s going on. Consistent school-home communication helps home adults understand the benefits of coming to school. If school communication is the bridge between home and school, let’s leverage ESSER funds to ramp up the percentage of students crossing that bridge.

Here are three core areas for ESSER funding and their connection to school-home communication:

1. Technologies for educational interaction

The more teachers communicate with parents and caregivers, the more successful students are. The reason is that it builds trust. When teachers share what’s happening in the classroom, parents feel better able to support their learners.

FREEPORT, Maine – Wayside Publishing^®, the fastest-growing, U.S.-based K–12 world languages publisher, announces the acquisition of Lit^®, a leading creator of comprehensible input animated video stories. 

Wayside Publishing has been in business since 1988 and creates proficiency-based print and digital world language programs and Comprehension-based Readers. With a focus on innovation, Wayside continues to expand their range of creative and time-saving technologies for educators—ones that also provide students with engaging and supportive learning-enhancement tools. 

“We will immediately begin using the Lit library of videos to enhance new and future products, and the in-house video production will allow us to create content faster and at a lower cost,” said Wayside President Greg Greuel. “The combination of Lit content with our products will enhance our offerings and add to what our customers have been asking from us.” 

“I am grateful to the Wayside team for recognizing the value of our language learning approach,” said Founder and CEO of Lit, Mati Amin. “This acquisition brings significant benefits to Wayside’s customers, as they will now have access to Lit’s engaging animated stories and activities that foster contextualized language learning. With Wayside empowering teachers and learners and fostering a love of languages and cultures, the future of world language education is bright.” 

About Wayside Publishing^®: Wayside creates innovative teaching and learning products to meet the needs of world language classrooms today and in the future. Their suite of print resources is complemented by leading-edge classroom technology solutions that bring together the written word and flexible digital tools. Wayside is positioned to continue rapid growth as more and more teachers, district leaders, and state review committees choose their proficiency-based products. 

About Mati Amin: Educator and entrepreneur Mati Amin has chosen to sell Lit, in part, to focus on creating applications that help girls in Afghanistan receive an education. Mati is on the board of SOLA, the School of Leadership, Afghanistan, founded by his wife, Shabana Basij-Rasikh. 

FOLSOM, CALIF. – PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, today announced the release of My PowerSchool, a cohesive user experience that consolidates all relevant information and applications into a single, streamlined platform. My PowerSchool simplifies how families interact with their children’s school and how school technology leaders manage their PowerSchool solutions by providing a central point of access based on if the user is an educator, student, or family member. My PowerSchool Family, the first release of the My PowerSchool experiences, will be available in the fall, allowing families and educators to share one source of information, including grades, attendance, assignments, calendar, completed and in-progress forms, behavior, and fees, in a seamless experience.

“My PowerSchool marks a significant milestone in empowering the education community,” said Marcy Daniel, Chief Product Officer, PowerSchool. “This new release will provide an upgraded experience to families using the current family portal in PowerSchool SIS and showcases our commitment to providing user-centric solutions that streamline processes, enhance communication, and foster collaboration among families, staff, and administrators.”

My PowerSchool Family will provide users with multiple benefits including:

• An enhanced family experience: Families will now have a comprehensive view of their child’s educational journey, eliminating the need to switch between different systems. From assignments and grades to attendance and fee payments, all information will be consolidated into a single, intuitive interface. My PowerSchool is designed to help foster increased family engagement and accountability, and support student success through collaborative efforts between families and teachers.
• Streamlined administrative account management: Administrators will save valuable time by eliminating the hassle of managing multiple accounts for separate systems. System administrators will have a unified user management system, reducing the complexity of managing individual users and providing staff with a modern authentication system.
• Empowering students: My PowerSchool puts students at the center of their educational journey. By logging in with a single account, students gain easy access to all relevant school information. They can stay organized, prioritize tasks, and plan their studies effectively. With visibility into assignments, grades, test dates, and project deadlines, students can take charge of their learning, supported by engaged families and teachers.

Additional My PowerSchool experiences, including the educator and administrator experiences, will be available in the coming months.

About PowerSchool

PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America. Its mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their full potential, in their way. PowerSchool connects students, teachers, administrators, and parents, with the shared goal of improving student outcomes. From the office to the classroom to the home, it helps schools and districts efficiently manage state reporting and related compliance, special education, finance, human resources, talent, registration, attendance, funding, learning, instruction, grading, assessments and analytics in one unified platform. PowerSchool supports over 50 million students globally and more than 15,000 customers, including over 90 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States, and sells solutions in over 90 countries. Visit  www.powerschool.com to learn more.

© PowerSchool. PowerSchool and other PowerSchool marks are trademarks of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Key points:

• Teachers have juggled so much during the pandemic and the return to school–it’s no wonder they’re burnt out
• High-quality substitutes are key to teachers’ ability to take breaks, and technology can aid in recruiting subs
• See related article: Survey highlights troubling teacher morale issues

In the wake of the pandemic, student mental health is a top concern for K-12 leaders, as it should be. But teacher wellness is also at crisis levels, and this has important implications for the quality of education that students receive.

When education shifted online in spring 2020, teachers had to learn new technologies and instructional strategies in a very short amount of time. Many endured the loss of friends and family members to COVID-related illness. When school districts returned to in-person learning, several teachers worried about their own safety. Teachers have had to deal with a sharp rise in behavioral issues and address a growing number of social-emotional needs among their students. They’ve worked long hours to facilitate learning recovery.

It’s no wonder teachers are burnt out, and many are leaving the profession. We’re asking them to do a lot, and it’s taking a toll on their well-being. In fact, pandemic-related anxiety was higher for teachers than it was for health care workers, one study reveals.

Students can’t learn if they don’t have dedicated and highly qualified teachers who can fully focus on their students’ academic and social-emotional needs. This becomes nearly impossible to do when teachers are worried about their own mental health.

Key points:

• The latest assessments have made it clear that math achievement has plummeted
• A combination of home-school communication and play-based activities can help students struggling with math
• See related article: We can teach math better–here’s how

As the most recent nation’s report card made painfully clear, American students are struggling in math. At the same time, administrators, teachers, and parents are finding new ways to help these students address learning loss.

During my 20+ years in K–12 education, I’ve seen technology play a growing role in making learning more accessible and effective. As schools explore edtech solutions to improve learning outcomes, I want to bring to light three evidence-based learning methods that have withstood the test of time. Regardless of the resources at their disposal,  educators and families alike can benefit from these simple and effective strategies.

1. Extend learning into the home.

Research has shown that schools that developed strong, trusting relationships with families prior to the pandemic had a smoother transition back to in-person learning and suffered less learning loss. It certainly makes sense for educators to build and sustain partnerships with families, but what does that look like on a day-to-day basis?

One effective way to build the capacity of both educators and families is Dr. Karen Mapp’s Dual Capacity-Building Framework. It’s based on the “4 Cs:” Capabilities (i.e., skills & knowledge), Connections, Cognition, and Confidence.

Sometimes the most insightful interactions at events don’t come from keynotes or session panels but from random conversations in a hotel lobby or airport gate. This seems to be the case whenever I bump into Kari Stubbs. In this conversation, which was reconstructed in a Zoom recording this week, we run the gamut—from post-pandemic hybrid event models to ramifications of the ISTE-ASCD merger, to AI noise, to new ways to better balance industry involvement with instructional inspiration. Click below to listen in and scroll through some of the edited highlights. You can read and see more about her ISTE experiences on LinkedIn.

Her ISTE highlight:

All of our teams need some elevated care right now—kind of the long tail of those emotions coming out of the pandemic. We have continued teacher resignations and ed leader resignations. And then for our business partners in the education space, we also have an elevated need for team care. Our panel looked at female leadership as a potential solution for making that happen. And it was a phenomenal conversation. I don’t know that I’ve ever been a part of a panel that struck a nerve quite as deeply as this one.

On the ISTE/ASCD merger:

I had the very enormous privilege and honor of serving on ISTE’s board for six years. So I came to this event really curious about the ASCD merger. I was curious how it was going to be messaged to the crowd. I made sure I went to the opening main stage event and I prioritized reconnecting with my fellow board colleagues to kind of peek behind the curtain. The one big takeaway for me is—this is a BIG merger <laugh>. I have some optimism about the merger. I have some question marks about the merger. I don’t know that I left with as many answers as maybe I was hoping I would get.

On ways the event could evolve:

We’re trying to bring fresh ideas to teachers. We’re trying to entice the admins that have purse strings to buy stuff because the conference can’t be put on if the exhibitors don’t sell stuff. It’s a vicious circle. So I left this show thinking it feels noisy…I know in the past ISTE has played with and continues to iterate on the model of having smaller, separate, topic-specific events—like a content creation type of event and a leadership event—but they historically have been at different times of the year. 

I’m curious if in two or three years there are some sort of mini-events nestled within the larger event. They all happen in the same city, but they are somewhat concurrent and folks can focus on their lane while we all still go to the same parties. I just think the models going to have to be more pliable than it’s been. I think it needs to change further and I think it needs to evolve further.

WOBURN, Mass. – The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) has selected FEV Tutor as an approved tutoring service in the state’s new Connecticut High-Dosage Tutoring (HDT) Program. The HDT program is a new state initiative that aims to accelerate mathematics recovery for priority students in grades six through nine during the 2023-24 academic year. School districts that successfully apply to the program will receive a brief list of vetted and approved tutor providers, including FEV Tutor, as well as grant funds for implementing tutoring services.

The HDT program’s classification of “priority students” includes:

– Students with disabilities

– Students receiving free- or reduced-priced meals

– English learners

– Students performing below proficiency

– Students experiencing homelessness

– Students who have been chronically absent

“Connecticut’s 2022 Smarter Balanced assessment scores indicated that students in grades six through eight may be a year or more behind in math. Students classified as ‘priority’ are the ones most likely to be struggling to get back on track,” said CEO of FEV Tutor, Jim Tormey. “CSDE has selected a well-researched strategy to address those students’ needs. We are honored to have been chosen to be part of the state’s commitment to learning recovery.”

Since 2010, FEV Tutor’s targeted high-impact tutoring intervention has focused on accelerating learning outcomes for the hardest to reach low-performing students.

Today it offers a proven model for integrating with the academic ecosystem of partner districts and driving growth based on results that matter to educators. It takes a consultative and collaborative approach to designing personalized tutoring initiatives while grounding plans in districts’ core academic goals and initiatives, student demographic data, and pre-existing assessment results along with research pillars for effective tutoring from the Annenberg Institute. FEV Tutor’s offering also meets the Level Two Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the national education law that helps ensure success for students and schools. In addition, FEV Tutor earned the Research-Based Design Product Certification from Digital Promise and continues to pursue industry-leading product certifications and accolades.

The quality of FEV Tutor’s services has garnered broad industry recognition; in 2022 the company won a Tech & Learning “Back to School” Award of Excellence and an Educators Pick Best of STEM Award. It has also been recognized as EdTech Digest’s 2021 Cool Tool for Best Tutoring Solution and as the 2021 Best Tutoring/Test Prep App or Tool by Tech Edvocate.

“FEV Tutor has a track record of closing equity and achievement gaps for priority and high needs students,” added Tormey. “Every single student deserves access to learning opportunities, especially those that address learning recovery. This problem needs urgent and ongoing support, and we’re thrilled to partner with Connecticut districts to deliver best-in-class, live 1:1 high impact tutoring for their students.”

About FEV Tutor

Based in Boston, FEV Tutor is the leading research and evidence-based online tutoring platform working nationally to effect change in K-12 education. Its ESSA-approved programs are strategically designed in close collaboration with each partner school, district, charter school, and other organizations to accelerate learning for every student. FEV Tutor leverages technology to deliver 1:1 high-impact and transformative personalized learning pathways through live, virtual tutoring sessions. For more information on FEV Tutor, visit fevtutor.com or follow on Twitter

Santa Barbara, CA — The summer break gives district and school administrators time to evaluate the efficacy of the approaches they used in the previous academic year and create new strategies as needed. To help educators increase the support that both students and teachers receive from family engagement, ParentSquare, the award-winning unified school-home engagement platform for K12 education, has compiled resources for improving school-home communications in the upcoming school year.

The primary resource is the company’s updated “Back-to-School Checklist For Successful School-Home Communications,” a comprehensive list for organizing and implementing critical tasks. Based on ParentSquare’s experience of working with thousands of schools and districts for more than a decade, the checklist includes:

• 4 steps to help readers take stock of what’s working and where to improve
• 5 ways to benchmark your processes and plans against K12 best practices
• 6 items to include in your annual communications plan
• 6 set-up or administrative tasks
• 7 key launch activities to start your year off right

The checklist also includes a “Other Back-to-School Tasks” section where users can add items that are specific to their school or district.

“We’ve made the checklist available as both a PDF and an interactive Google Sheet,” ParentSquare President and Founder Anupama Vaid said. “We’ve also added relevant resources and tools to the checklist items that includes our own tools and resources as well as external ones where relevant. For example, beside the checklist item for completing a retrospective on what did and didn’t work, we added a link to ConceptBoard retrospective templates.”

ParentSquare has created a second checklist that focuses on family engagement. Titled “7 Ways to Maximize Family Engagement When K12 Goes Back-to-School,” this checklist is organized into seven categories, each containing three or four task items:

1. Treating families as partners at every level

2. Consolidating tools and reducing time-consuming tasks

3. Reaching families where they already are (e.g., preferred languages and channels)

4. Creating a welcoming environment for families

5. Collaborating with the community

6. Training families, staff and students before school starts

7. Supporting families through non-school-related challenges

In addition, ParentSquare has compiled a comprehensive selection blog posts that provide back-to-school communications advice and guidance for educators at specific school and district levels:

• 8 Tips for School Technology Leaders Preparing for a Successful New School Year
• Back-to-School Communication Tips and Strategies for Principals: Building Strong Connections for a Successful Year
• Effective Back-to-School Communication: Tips and Strategies for Teachers
• School Communications Leaders: Tips for Managing Time and Mental Health During Back-to-School Season
• Welcoming Staff Back to School: 6 Strategies for Superintendents

“Education leaders can use the tips from the relevant blog posts and items from the family engagement checklist to round out the ‘Other Back-to-School Tasks’ section in the comprehensive ‘Back-to-School Checklist’ offering,” added Vaid. “But they could also opt to keep the two checklists separate or use the resources in some other way that works for them. Our goal is to help educators feel assured that nothing is falling through the cracks and that they’ll be starting the new school year with their best foot forward.”

About ParentSquare

ParentSquare is the leading provider of modern family and community engagement solutions for K-12 schools. Millions of educators and families in 49 states rely on the multipurpose unified platform that includes mass notifications, classroom communications, school websites, and other communication-based services, all supported by visual dashboards. ParentSquare’s technology platform features comprehensive integrations with school administrative systems, translation to more than 100 languages, and app, email, text, voice, and web portal access for equitable communication. Founded in 2011, the company is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA. Learn more at https://www.parentsquare.com.

Key points:

• Sustainability initiatives are increasingly important to school districts, students, and their communities
• One school district is combining sustainability initiatives with STEM learning to empower students in their learning
• See related article: How outdoor learning spaces lead to STEM engagement

Modesto City Schools is located in Northern California, and we receive more than 260 days of sunlight annually. While the sunshine typically provides ideal climate conditions, it can also be a double-edged sword. For several years, California residents have been affected by drought and have gained a thorough understanding of the need for water frugality and sustainable lifestyles.

Modesto City Schools has prioritized sustainability initiatives designed to address climate change, reduce our carbon footprint, combat air pollution, and educate the next generation of students about a sustainable lifestyle—and that includes renewable energy.

Our district has invested in several infrastructure upgrades including: the electrification of our school bus fleet, the construction of vehicle charging stations, solar PV parking structures, and the transition to battery powered maintenance equipment.

While these projects are critical to our sustainability journey, Modesto City Schools has taken the initiative a step further by investing in the construction of six new Sustainable Outdoor Learning Environments (SOLES) to help inspire the next generation of sustainability leaders.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.”

I learned to love reading as a kid, spellbound by wizarding worlds and ghost stories. I wanted to share this love, so I became an intervention teacher, working with struggling readers and special education students. 

Kids love reading. I don’t care what think pieces say about screen addiction, children still gravitate towards books. If they can’t read, they like looking at the pictures in “Dogman” or listening to Junie B.’s antics. 

In my eight years of teaching in Philadelphia and its suburbs, I’ve worked with first through fifth graders from diverse racial and economic backgrounds. I’ve worked in both low-performing schools and higher-performing ones, and the same problem keeps cropping up: So many kids can’t read. I’ve seen first graders who don’t know what sound “a” makes and fifth graders who can’t read two-syllable words. 

Why is this happening? People blame COVID, but the problem predates the pandemic.

As long as I’ve been teaching, I’ve seen students ushered grade to grade, even when they are several grade levels behind. And there’s pressure on teachers to move too quickly through content. Halfway through first grade, direct reading instruction may get phased out for standardized test skills, such as main idea and inferences. The content just keeps getting harder, especially as reading becomes a key part of all subjects, even math. If they can’t read by third grade, they have a much harder time catching up and are less likely to graduate from high school, research has shown. 

CARMEL, Ind. – Ellipsis Education, a leader in computer science curriculum for K-12 education, has launched the Curriculum Delivery Platform (CDP) that will provide everything educators need to teach computer science in one place.

The CDP is an online portal where teachers access and navigate Ellipsis courses. Designed to be mobile-responsive, the CDP makes the curriculum teachers know and love easier to use. Features of the CDP include:

• Streamlined organization; 
• Increased access to resources; 
• Improved look and feel;
• Access to a standards map on the lesson-level page; and 
• Easier movement between courses.

“We hope that teachers will find this delivery tool efficient to use and attractive to view,” said Dr. Whitney Dove, CEO at Ellipsis Education. “Our goal is to put the curriculum at teachers’ fingertips, so they spend less time gathering their materials and more time doing what they do best—teaching!”

With the new CDP, teachers will only see the courses they have access to, color-coded by grade band, on their home screen. Tiles on the homescreen will also provide important information about course structure, such as number of days, along with quick access to course-level resources. A “Course Details” page provides days of instruction to make it easier to group lessons. It also offers important lesson-level information such as lesson title, type, length and sequence, with easy access to information such as activity descriptions, standards addressed, and materials and additional lesson-level resources. The “Lesson Detail” page offers the full lesson plan on the left of the screen along with all materials and resources needed to teach it linked on the right.

“As someone who has used the curriculum for the past three years, I was so excited to try out the new Ellipsis Education platform,” said Crystal Kistler, middle school teacher and Ellipsis Education customer. “I just LOVE the new platform for instructional materials. The new format for each lesson is much more user-friendly than the previous format. In addition to the Syllabus, Pacing Guide, and Standards Map located in the header of the home page for my course, lesson materials are easily accessed right at your fingertips and a click away, without looking for links within the lesson plan. Bravo on the new format!”

Users new to Ellipsis Education will automatically be set up and ready to use the new CDP. Current users have the option to use the new CDP as of June 1, 2023. Administrators who wish to switch their teachers over to the platform can email support@ellipsiseducation.com to request the transition. All teachers will have access to the new platform as of January 1, 2024.

For more information, interested educators can visit EllipsisEducation.com.

About Ellipsis Education
Ellipsis Education is removing barriers to teaching computer science. In every K-12 course, Ellipsis delivers all the curriculum, resources, and support needed for teachers to build confidence and capacity. The curriculum includes detailed lesson plans (beyond just coding), pacing guides, standards maps, and training. With school and district partners, Ellipsis Education is imagining a world where all learners have equitable access to high-quality computer science education. For more information visit EllipsisEducation.com.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (PRWEB) — TouchMath announces the release of  DySc, the comprehensive dyscalculia screener and individualized intervention guide aligned to American Pschiatric Associations The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) and available at no cost. TouchMath, a multisensory math program that makes learning foundational math concepts accessible and clear for students who struggle to understand grade-level content, designed the DySc to identify students as young as three who may be at risk for dyscalculia, a specific learning disability in mathematics.

Widely underdiagnosed,  dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental learning disorder estimated to affect  3-7% of the worldwide population. Early screening for dyscalculia and evidence-based interventions are critical to addressing the learning disorder’s short- and long-term educational, personal, and social impacts. The DySc offers educators and parents a valid assessment to detect early math difficulties and provide targeted interventions.

“We’ve developed the DySc, a free screener, as a powerful tool to recognize the critical role of early identification and intervention in addressing learning difficulties, paving the way for academic success and beyond,” stated Dr. Sandra Elliott, Chief Academic Officer at TouchMath. “Similar to the effectiveness of routine screenings for hearing, vision, and dyslexia, we firmly believe that schools should prioritize early math screening to unleash the potential of every child. With the DySc, we’re equipping educators and parents with a comprehensive screening solution that not only identifies dyscalculia but also provides evidence-based interventions to foster students’ mathematical development.”

The DySc aims to address the need for an accessible and efficient dyscalculia screener that can be used as early as age three and throughout adulthood. By accurately assessing individuals struggling with mathematical concepts and skills, the DySc enables timely intervention and support, minimizing academic struggles in later years. When compared to other available screening tools, the DySc goes beyond identifying math difficulties and skill by grade level and instead assesses critical areas of mathematical performance outlined in the DSM-5-TR. Skills assessed include number sense, math facts memorization, calculations, reasoning, and problem-solving.

TouchMath built the DySc screening tool to be easily administered by school-based professionals, early childhood educators, and parents for learners in the following age bands: 3-4, 5-7, 8 and up. Standardization of delivery enabled by the web-based tool ensures the most accurate results. Upon completion of the screener and the survey, DySc will generate a report that consists of four key outputs, including:

• Results of the DySc screener
• Copy of the DySc educator/guardian survey
• Recommended action plan
• Recommended intervention plan based on the learner’s results

“With an estimated three million students in the United States alone living with dyscalculia, the DySc is a vital tool to support these individuals in reaching their full potential,” said Sean Lockwood, CEO of TouchMath. “There is still much more work to do, but this paves the way for us to better understand this learning disability and how students can benefit from early screening and intervention. Together, we can cultivate success and ensure that individuals of all abilities and learning styles thrive in their mathematical journey.”

The DySc screening tool takes up to 15 minutes to complete. The free, web-based screening tool will also be available in Spanish during the fall of 2023. Visit  https://dysctest.com/ to access the free tool today.

To learn more about supporting learners with dyscalculia, visit  touchmath.com/dyscalculia-101.

About TouchMath
TouchMath provides a wide range of curriculum and tools for educators and their students who struggle to understand grade-level content. TouchMath is committed to maximizing student potential through its worldwide delivery of hands-more, visit  https://touchmath.com/.

Key points:

• It’s time to transform district virtual schools from pandemic stop-gaps into pioneering models of 21st-century learning
• The sustainability of district virtual schools hinges on whether they can evolve beyond the current versions we see in most districts
• See related article: 5 tips to keep online students motivated

Imagine a classroom where learning transcends physical boundaries, and where every student’s need is met with individualized attention. This isn’t a distant dream, but an emergent reality born in the wake of the global pandemic. 

Prior to the pandemic, approximately 375,000 students attended online schools—less than 1% of the total number of US K–12 students. But as the crisis unfolded in 2020, virtual schools became a preferred educational choice for a significant number of families. Our survey in August 2021 found that 43% of districts had introduced a full-time virtual school option during the pandemic. These were new schools that students and families could opt into, separate from the emergency remote instruction commonly provided during the pandemic though existing brick-and-mortar schools.

Yet today, as pandemic emergency declarations officially draw to a close, a recent Hechinger Report article reveals that a lot of these newly minted virtual schools face tenuous futures. Many of the students who enrolled in them during the pandemic have returned to brick-and-mortar settings, leaving the durability of virtual options hanging in the balance.

Shuttering these newly formed schools would be an incredible loss for K–12 education as a whole. 

Key points:

• Societal challenges are contributing to students’ absenteeism
• Remaining in consistent communication with adults and caregivers can help reduce chronic absenteeism
• See related article: 5 ways video improves school-home communication

Adolescents are in crisis right now. Social media, pandemic isolation, gun violence, and structural racism have formed a perfect storm. It’s been so devastating to teens that the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association together declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health.

CDC data show 42 percent of teens feel “persistently sad or hopeless,” and 1 in 5 have seriously considered suicide. Just tally up the effects of the past few years. The number of anxious and depressed teens soared during and after the pandemic. The harmful impact of Instagram, particularly on adolescent girls, was all over the news. Recently, the Surgeon General issued a warning about social media, saying, “We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis.” While coming to school should be for learning and friendship, students are pausing to practice in case an active shooter bursts in, leading to a syndrome called vicarious traumatization.

It’s no surprise absenteeism is at an all-time high.

So, how do we get kids back in school?

There’s no quick fix for the societal challenges we’re facing, but there are steps we can take to address absenteeism.