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.

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. 

With more than 18,000 attendees, this year’s ISTELive 23 in Philadelphia had a little something for everyone, from AI and esports to security solutions and engaging visual displays.

Here’s a look at some of the top edtech the eSchool News editors saw at ISTELive 23:

Acer America and the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) announced their alliance to help schools launch or expand their student esports program. Through this alliance, NASEF and Acer America will provide the training, coaching modules and course certification for schools to structure, implement and maintain an esports program. Plus, Acer America, the premier hardware provider for NASEF, is paying the $499 esports coaching certification fee for eligible K-12 schools and universities initiating programs in the 2023-24 school year. The coaching certification for the award-winning NASEF platform prepares teams to participate in the program; having Acer America pay this fee could potentially save a school district thousands of dollars.

Airtame, creator of the hardware-enabled SaaS platform that allows seamless collaboration in schools, demonstrated its award-winning Airtame 2 and all-new collaboration features, which provide a seamless collaboration experience for educational institutions. Airtame also spotlighted its new partnership with Rise Vision, which enables standardized emergency alerts to be sent to entire school systems to streamline communication, response time, and safety.

Autodesk’s Tinkercad platform recently released a new feature called Sim Lab that allows students to experiment with their 3D designs in a simulated space—similar to a video game. Students can simulate the effects of gravity on their 3D model, add materials (like rubber, wood, plastic) to an object, and even build simple machines. Educators can also copy and tinker with more complex, pre-made designs so they don’t have to start from scratch. Sim Lab draws inspiration from children’s favorite video games, bringing the excitement of gaming into the design experience. 

Avantis Education, provider of virtual reality technology for K-12 schools, has partnered with the Washington-based EdGate to align its 400+ immersive, virtual reality lessons to U.S. state standards in science, social studies and English Language Arts. Avantis Education’s lessons are housed in the Eduverse, Avantis’ award-winning, built-for-education online platform. The Eduverse is accessible on any device, and is also the content hub for schools using ClassVR, Avantis Education’s award-winning all-in-one VR headsets. In addition to the more than 400 full lessons, the Eduverse provides access to thousands of pieces of immersive, educational VR and AR content to supplement instruction, all in a secure, teacher-controlled virtual environment.

BenQ, a provider of visual display solutions, demonstrated the award-winning BenQ Boards in action with live demonstrations done by teachers who are users. Also at the booth were BenQ’s new LH730 LED and LH820ST laser projectors, InstaShow WDC20E wireless presentation system (WPS), as well as its latest integration partnerships.

Capstone, an innovative learning company merging children’s content with easy-to-use edtech tools for K-5 classrooms, libraries and homes, discussed its licensing agreement with ISTE, which includes plans to publish a collection of children’s books promoting digital citizenship awareness and the positive and creative use of technology and digital tools. The first title debuting in the ISTE Young Innovators collection, Sonia’s Digital World (pub 8/1/23), is written by award-winning librarian Shannon McClintock Miller, an ISTE Making IT Happen Award recipient, Future Ready Librarians spokesperson, Follett thought leader, and AASL Leadership Luminary social media superstar. The picture book follows the characters on a virtual trail as they chat, create and play together, and make discoveries and connections with digital tools. Preview an advance copy of the book at bit.ly/SoniasDigitalWorldARC. The license includes world rights for print and digital books, with ISTE providing supplemental resources supported by the ISTE Standards, a framework for using technology to support learning.

ClassIn, a provider of hybrid, blended, and remote learning solutions, promoted the recent launch of its platform in the United States. The ClassIn platform has been purpose-built for education and based on nearly a decade of research, development, and in-market experience. Through its software and hardware solutions, ClassIn provides the digital infrastructure for the hybrid future of education by building classrooms in both the virtual and physical worlds. ClassIn is the only end-to-end education platform with a full suite of innovative tools and features, all designed with hybrid-first pedagogy at its core. It supports active learning, student flexibility, and various teaching and learning methods.

Key points:

• Trends change–but great teachers can take trends and transform learning
• SEL, gamification, and project-based learning are all some of the most popular instructional tools in 2023
• See related article: Are you following some of today’s biggest learning trends?

Teachers, we’ve made it! After a long and arduous school year filled with challenges, we have finally reached summer vacation. First, take a moment to give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. The world of education has only gotten more complicated over these last few years. Many students are still working through the effects of the pandemic, while countless schools have found themselves embroiled in political bickering. That you continued to show up for your students and deliver the best education possible demonstrates just what a champion you are.

Now that we have a little time and space to relax, it’s important to take time and reflect on the school year as a whole. What worked, what didn’t, what could be improved, and what ideas have the potential to bring positive change in the next season?

Van Andel Institute for Education recently asked this very question, and since we always like to go a step further, we’ve compiled the top 6 trends in education for 2023. Here are the latest ideas that teachers should keep an eye on in the next school year:

1. Social-emotional learning: Social-emotional learning (SEL) is not exactly a trend, but it is “trending”.Following the events of 2020, more and more schools are including SEL in their curriculum. SEL is all about teaching students to manage their emotions, practice healthy communication, and collaborate successfully with others. Teachers looking to increase their SEL content can take advantage of free strategies from Blue Apple while also exploring the topic in more detail with these charts.

Key points:

• In schools, an asset-based approach encourages partnership by celebrating progress and growth
• Shifting away from this deficit-based approach requires leaders to change the way they see their students
• See related article: How to focus on classroom accessibility

Since the pandemic began, the number of technologies districts use has nearly tripled, but not all of these tools have been effective. As education leaders review the utility and effectiveness of those solutions, an asset-based approach is an essential criterion in the evaluation process.

Leaders should be wary of products that convey urgency and impact through deficit-based design. A deficit-based approach emphasizes the weakness of groups or individuals, calling attention to negative outcomes such as falling behind or missing out. Although it is a pervasive advertising tactic, studies show that a deficit-based approach can affect students’ long-term resilience and lead them to feel isolated when they are seen as “the problem.”

Shifting away from this deficit-based approach requires leaders to change the way they see their students. Rather than highlighting students’ inadequacies, an asset-based approach values their existing competencies. Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with our students?” it empowers educators to ask:

1. What are our students doing well?
2. What opportunities exist to strengthen what they’re doing well?
3. What is within our scope of control?

Key points:

• Alarming declines in NAEP scores are prompting educators to look for ways to increase academic achievement
• Understanding each individual student helps educators design supplemental educational programs
• See related article: What do superintendents really think of the NAEP?

For decades, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has pursued a mission to monitor student academic performance, providing insights into educational progress and long-term trends. It’s a record of consistency that has earned NAEP scores a reputation as “the nation’s report card.”

Recently, that report card revealed some worrying trends. In May, NAEP reported that eighth grade students’ U.S History and civics scores declined significantly between 2018 and 2022. Only 13 percent of eighth graders were at or above the level that NAEP categorizes as proficient in U.S. history—and only one in five were at or above the proficiency level in civics.

That concerning news comes on the heels of the revelation that reading and math scores also fell between 2020 and 2022–a drop that acting NCES Associate Commissioner Daniel McGrath described as “some of the largest declines we have observed in a single assessment cycle in 50 years of the NAEP program.” Student performance in these subjects has declined to a level not seen in the last two decades.

An obvious contributing factor to this alarming trend is the COVID crisis, and the resulting pandemic pressures that have played a role in disrupting student learning and adversely affecting mental health for many young people. School violence and bullying have increased in recent years, and teacher absences and educational staffing vacancies have also played a role in making learning more challenging for many students.

Key points:

• By fostering stronger educator and caregiver communication, students can be better equipped to retain learning this summer
• In order to inspire a lifelong love reading, consider guiding students to identify reading opportunities that complement their interests in their daily lives
• See related article: 6 ways to help reluctant readers become booklovers

It’s been great to see students’ faces back in-person collaborating with one another and their teachers, but there’s no doubt the pandemic has impacted their academic and emotional learning. Reading scores dipped considerably due to the pandemic, with fewer than half of students qualifying at their grade level standard.

Even more, we are facing a student mental health crisis, with studies showing nearly 8 million children worldwide lost a parent or primary caregiver to a pandemic-related cause. Educators continue to work hard to keep students motivated and engaged in learning to read while helping them cope with mental health challenges.

Summer break, however, poses a risk to students retaining what they have just learned, according to the NWEA’s Map Growth assessments. As a reading specialist leading evidence-based programs at Holman Middle School, here are tips educators and other mentors can leverage to keep students motivated to read this summer.

Relationships come first, and reading comes quickly after

Teachers don’t always get to decide the culture of their classrooms themselves – a lot of it comes in predetermined by student interests, needs, and skill levels, and our success as educators rests in our ability to understand and connect with our students.

Key points:

• Audiobooks are popular, but print still commands a majority of the audience
• A balance of both offers students increased accessibility
• See related article: 5 long-term benefits of our online literacy programs

My 2023 #BritReads book tally experienced a massive slowdown in April when my husband and I welcomed Holden Lane to the world. After about a week of silent late-night feedings, I found myself dozing off while reading a print book. It had nothing to do with the nature of the content and everything to do with the fact that I was simply tired. Because I’m a compulsive multi-tasker, I decided the overnight feedings called for earbuds and audiobooks. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t dozed off or zoned out for a section here or there, but overall, audiobooks have allowed me to get my #BritReads book fix in, even with a newborn. 

Despite my affinity for audiobooks, looking at the book industry sales figures, it is clear print is still king. I agree, there’s nothing like turning the page of a print book. But audiobook critics say the format doesn’t count as reading…I disagree.

There’s a time and a place for each format in my life…and in schools today.

While I listen to audiobooks to multitask while cooking, cleaning, or driving, they can also help reluctant readers get excited about books through their often-high-quality production. Therese Bennett Hatfield, the librarian at Valley Middle School in Carlsbad, California, encourages the use of audiobooks in instruction. “Audiobooks are being used as a tool to assist ELL students or students who may be reading a bit below grade level,” shared Hatfield. “Audiobooks allow the student to consume the same content as their peers and participate in discussion. Students can follow along in their physical copy while listening to the audiobook, allowing them to strengthen word recognition both in text and spoken word. They also allow students a different way to consume books. Students may think they don’t like reading, but an audiobook can allow a book to come to life for them, broadening what ‘being a reader’ means.”

For me, a story is a story no matter in what format it’s consumed. Many educators, like Tom Bober, Library Media Specialist (AKA Captain Library), District Library Coordinator in the School District of Clayton, agree that the preference should be student driven. “Information is information regardless of the format and how a student may access it,” Bober shared. “So, to recommend an eBook over a print book really looks at how and when the student wants to access the book. If they want a book that isn’t in our collection, sometimes it is quicker to purchase an eBook than to wait for a print book to be delivered. If the student is going to be outside of school or has another reason digital access may be easier, that may be another reason to suggest an eBook. Also, some eBooks have annotation and tracking tools that students prefer as part of their reading experience which make another beneficial reason to suggest an eBook.”

eBooks and audiobooks give students additional accessibility options as well, as educators everywhere realize. Graeme Boyd, Middle and High School Librarian for Lincoln Community School in Accra, Ghana, told me this: “As students move into elementary and middle school, they can take advantage of the accessibility tools in eBooks that are not available in print books. Students can look up the definitions of words they don’t understand at the exact moment they are reading them without having to leave the book to do so. Students can highlight books and annotate their reading all while saving those notes for an upcoming classroom discussion. Most eReaders allow for students to personalize their experiences through using dark contrast mode and the ability to change text size and use fonts such as those specifically for Dyslexia. At this age, students can take full advantage of accessibility tools in eBooks to help them learn to become better readers.”

“In high school, students can access a wide variety of books through a digital school library that is available to them 24/7. Gone are the days of the classroom teacher bringing the whole class to the library for checking out books, so they must rely on the ability to access the library materials in new ways. As students transition into their adolescent and teen years, they often become more exploratory about the genres and formats they like to read. Digital books allow them the flexibility to explore these new formats on their own at their own pace. They are empowered as readers to make those individual choices on their own in a platform where materials have been carefully curated for them.”

Kira Brennan, Innovation and Library Systems Specialist at Parkway Schools in Missouri uses eBooks that have read-along capabilities with her youngest students. “At a very early age, children can access eBooks that are read alongs. Every page is there and available in vibrant full color just as it looks in a print book,” said Brennan. “The advantages of digital read aloud are plenty. The text is often highlighted as the narrator reads aloud, enabling children to see the connection between spoken and written language. Often, the narrator is a well-known voice with professional training in narration. Sometimes there are even soundtracks that go along with the read aloud which allow the child to engage and interact with a book in an immersive way that just isn’t possible when reading a print book. The enjoyable experience that students begins to spark the reading joy that we want our students to possess to become lifelong readers.”

Despite the documented value of diverse book formats, the pendulum has swung from almost all digital during the pandemic to almost all print post-pandemic. “Print can provide visual clues such as illustrations and iconography which aid language comprehension,” Boyd said. “Graphic novels especially, by their very nature, can facilitate critical thinking and vocabulary proficiency through stimulating and enjoyable visual representations. The strongest student readers I have encountered have come from households of readers. Parents are role models. Teachers (and parents) are role models. Both should be seen reading, both should read aloud to their children or students, both should visit bookshops and public libraries.” 

Bober shared that the traditional library filled with print books allows students an opportunity to discover. “I think one of the benefits of a print library is the layout. With genre-fied sections and collections that thoughtfully put students accessing the story or information they want easily; a print collection can cater to a student’s interest when they don’t know a specific title they are interested in reading. The browsability of a well-organized print collection encourages a student to parlay interest into a book selection that they will love.”

In face of the digital fatigue and return to in-person instruction, Bober encourages teachers to keep an open mind about digital resources, “I did see a swing as teachers wanted to move students from digital devices as much as possible as soon as we were back to teaching and learning in person. I think that has settled back into a better place. And what those many months revealed to a lot of librarians and teachers is how simple digital access can be. Even though we were embracing digital resources, eBooks and audiobooks, the beginning of the pandemic forced us to push that thinking and embracing of that resource even further. The benefits that revealed themselves around ease of access and the fact that some students prefer that method to access information and story are things that we don’t unsee as we come to a new normal of how we provide resources to our learners.”

Many educators I know feel a blend will continue to be critical in the future. The discussion should not be around whether to provide print or digital material, but rather how to provide equitable access to both types for all students. Students’ ability to navigate both formats with proficiency will allow them the best chance for success in both their current classroom and the educational experiences that lie ahead. “We live in a digital age in which relying on one format or the other will have a profound negative impact on the ability for our students to interact with the world around them,” continues Boyd.

As we prepare for a new school year, I’d encourage everyone to sample a different book format this summer and use it as an opportunity to set an example for the students in your classroom or in your lives.  Whether you love it, hate it, or find yourself adopting all three, you can have a new conversation about reading.

P.S. Now that I’m reading children’s books out loud each day, I have an even greater admiration for audiobook readers because doing multiple voices takes a talent I don’t possess! 

Related:
How to support reluctant readers with literacy strategies
As we embrace the ‘science of reading,’ we can’t leave out older students

Key points:

• Texting has its place, but it also leads to underdeveloped communication skills
• Teachers could harness students’ fondness for texting into classroom-appropriate activities or in writing prompts
• See related article: AI writing tools can be disruptive–here are 5 ways to counteract their influence

“because she wants to have fun”

This was an eighth-grade student’s response to a question I posed in a reading response assignment tied to the play, “The Diary of Anne Frank.” The question asked was: “Why does Anne hide Peter’s shoes?” Technically, the student is correct–Anne hides Peter’s shoes because she is bored and tired of being cooped up in the small apartment she is forced to hide in. The student understands the underlying motives driving the character’s behavior here. But there are some problems with this response.

Notice the missing initial capitalization, the lack of closing punctuation, and the use of a sentence fragment. These errors are not random; they are very particular. They mirror the shortcomings of communication via texting. This was not an isolated response, but one example of a type I saw over and over again throughout the school year. These students suffered from “Texting Sickness.”

That was the joking term that my fellow English teachers and I came up with to describe what we were seeing. Our joking masked a real concern. Was early exposure to texting crimping our students’ ability to write correctly? To engage in the critical thinking process that underpins the ability to write?

Texting’s oversized influence

According to a recent Stanford Medicine study, the average age that children receive their first phone is 11.6 years of age – 5th or 6th grade. As anyone with preteens can tell you, texting and group chats take on outsized importance and time commitment in the lives of many children at that age. Texting quickly becomes the dominant space for written communication in their lives. Not surprisingly, for many of our eighth-grade students, how they texted was bleeding into how they approached writing in the classroom.

Key points:

• The pandemic has impacted college-going students’ views on higher education
• Cost and mental health concerns are other factors influencing students’ decisions
• See related article: A smarter way to think about college

A growing number of high school students point to concerns over affordability as well as academic and mental health preparedness as primary reasons behind their decision not to enroll in college, according to a new report from education company EAB.

The report summarizes the results of a new survey of more than 20,000 “Gen P” high school students–those whose college-going behaviors have been influenced by the pandemic.

“It’s no secret that the pandemic has taken a toll on student mental health and academic preparedness,” said EAB President, Enroll360, Hope Krutz. “This new data shows us that it is having a profound impact on whether high school graduates decide to attend college at all.”

According to the National Student Clearinghouse, total undergraduate enrollment is down by more than 1 million students compared to pre-pandemic levels. The recent slide exacerbates a national trend of declining college enrollment over the past decade.

Key points:

• Optimizing instructional time and empowering students have shown to contribute to student growth
• A study of two diverse schools reveals actionable insights into instructional practices
• See related article: How a major MD district boosted middle math achievement

A deeper look into instructional practices driving high academic growth has revealed 10 instructional strategies that use small changes to teaching practices leading toward growth outcomes for students.

The findings come from a new study from K-12 assessment and research organization NWEA. Led by Dr. Chase Nordengren, principal research lead for Effective Instructional Strategies at NWEA, the study zoomed into two schools that have historically shown high growth for diverse populations of students, including through the pandemic. The findings

“We wanted to understand what makes these schools tick and how, year-over-year, they were able to produce higher-than-typical student growth, across each decile of student achievement,” said Nordengren, “One of the big takeaways is the way these schools balance meeting students where they are AND providing access to grade-level content they need to succeed.”

The two schools in the study are an elementary school and middle school in Schiller Park, Illinois, which reflect similar demographics to many schools across the country. Fifty-five percent of students in that district are non-white, 62 percent receive free or reduced-price lunches, 25 percent are identified as English language learners, and the district’s per pupil spending in 2021 was below the state average.

Key points:

• End-of-year statewide assessments are vital, but are flawed in several ways
• A “through-year” system administers shorter tests throughout the year that can give teachers immediate feedback
• See related article: 3 new trends in student assessment

All around the country, school has ended for students and summer break is underway. In many schools, students spent the last few weeks of the year sitting for standardized tests to assess the year’s instruction. Unfortunately, those tests will be locked away until they’re graded at some point this summer, with parents and educators not learning results until late in the summer, or in some cases, after students start school next year. By that time, students will have a new set of teachers, and these teachers a new set of students with different learning styles and needs.

There is no question that assessments provide useful data. Historically, these tests have been used to help direct resources to schools and districts around the state. Republicans have declared it’s a good check on a system we pour our valuable taxpayer dollars into. Democrats have asserted that this information is the most impactful tool for advocates, communities, and families to ensure that every child is being served by the school system. And while these are important metrics, these tests don’t always suit the immediate needs of kids.

In the wake of the pandemic’s disruption, our student assessment rituals and rationales are showing their age. End-of-year statewide assessments are vital, and when done well, they can measure how a system is serving the students we promise to prepare for college, career, and life. But they are flawed in several ways. Most notably, they give teachers too little information, too late to adjust lessons for the year. The good news is that a new and more comprehensive approach is in development that can give the system those valuable measures while providing teachers with actionable data that can directly impact classroom learning—and it can do so in real time. 

A “through-year” system administers shorter tests throughout the year that can give teachers immediate feedback, providing them real-time information to personalize and accelerate student learning in their current grade. At the end of the year, these tests can then be combined to provide education officials with what they need to make data-driven decisions for upcoming years.

Key points:

• Video reflection is a popular PD tool used across many professions
• Video PD helps teachers reflect on their interactions with students and improve their culturally responsive teaching
• See related article: 3 ways educators can embrace and enable inclusive programming

Equity is a widely-used term in education today.

However, talking about equity is not the same as taking action to create more equitable learning environments that benefit today’s students. For equity to truly exist, educators need to be more culturally responsive in their teaching.

This is a major focus of our teacher certification program at City University of Seattle. We want our teacher candidates to teach with a culturally responsive lens. We want them to know how to support students from a variety of backgrounds. And, we want them to know what equity actually looks like in today’s K-12 classrooms.

So, how do we go about this?

Using video to create reflective teachers

Video reflection is a widely-used professional development method across many professions. Take social work, for example, where the training process is often filmed. Human interactions, such as body language or one’s tone, are then watched back and reflected upon to help social workers improve their practice.

This process of video reflection, in part, prompted us to use video to help our teacher candidates reflect on their own interactions with students as they work to improve their culturally responsive teaching.

Key points:

• Students often struggle to transition to the workforce, and mental health can be a big factor in that struggle
• One educator launched a new approach to student mental health to complement an existing emphasis on pre-vocational skill development
• See related article: How our district engages students in a CTE program

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

As a longtime public school occupational therapist, I know what students look and sound like when they’re ready to transition from the work lab to the workforce.

In recent years, I’ve personally witnessed more of my students struggle to make that transition or not make it at all. It has nothing to do with a lack of technical skills, as I’ve seen them master complicated vocational concepts and tasks — graphic design, woodworking, 3D printing, and CNC programming. The struggle has everything to do with skyrocketing anxiety, depression, and trauma experienced by my students as they prepare to enter the workforce. 

Our students are experiencing a mental health crisis across our state and country, and that’s something all of us can and must work to address. That’s why I’m focused on helping our general education and special education students develop job skills and strengthen their mental health while still in our hallways. 

Starting about six years ago, I worked with my colleagues at Warren Woods Public Schools in Warren, Michigan, to launch a new approach to student mental health and wellness to complement our existing emphasis on pre-vocational skill development. The program, available at our district’s two high schools, includes an OT lab that combines technology-driven and traditional machines, a reset room where students can process emotions in a calming environment, and an after-school program called Scratch the Surface. 

Key points:

• To improve student engagement, strive to create a positive learning environment
• Offer multiple means of engagement using technology inspired by UDL such as voice/screen capture or different ways to present a project

While schools have largely returned to normal classroom instruction, some ripple effects of the pandemic remain. Educators are searching for a spark to re-engage students in the learning process. According to a recent survey, 38 percent of students reported decreased motivation to excel in school. In comparison, 80 percent of educators feel the pandemic made students less motivated.

In some cases, children traumatized by the pandemic struggle with mental health issues. In most cases, teachers may only need to provide different opportunities and multiple means of engagement to increase participation.

Motivating students starts with building a positive learning environment. The first steps require educators to create a physically and emotionally safe classroom where each student is valued and respected. Fostering student connections, encouraging voice and choice, adding relevance to lessons, and nurturing student ownership results in a supportive community where students feel comfortable as active participants in their learning.

Each student approaches learning uniquely. Prior knowledge, interests, learning styles, language skills, and physical abilities affect a child’s aptitude for learning and achievement. Meeting children where they are and differentiating instruction can mean the difference between a fully engaged learner and a passive learner who tunes out.

Key points:

• Adopting collaborative edtech tools creates a dynamic classroom environment
• Students often are more engaged when teachers take on a guiding role rather than a purely instructive one

What’s been lacking in education up to now? From secondary schools to master’s degrees, educators often adopt a unidirectional approach, where information flows solely from teacher to student. However, it is imperative for students to actively become part of the teaching process, and teachers must cultivate an environment conducive to peer-to-peer learning.

Edtech tools for teachers made mainstream during the pandemic have undeniably enhanced student collaboration and facilitated the creation of more modern learning classrooms. The projected growth of the edtech industry to $605.8 billion by 2027 is a testament to that.

But I’m not referring to Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, quizzes, or virtual breakout rooms. The discussion extends far beyond these well-known online learning tools. There are some emerging peer-learning and social-learning edtech tools that can further transform every facet of the classroom experience, particularly heightening engagement. Let’s see how.

What is student engagement?

Student engagement refers to learners’ level of involvement, motivation, and commitment. And high levels of active participation directly correlate with positive academic outcomes.

Key points:

• There are several reasons it can be problematic for teachers to be assessors
• New staffing models could create more balanced assessments and grading
• See related story: 8 questions for educators as they use assessments to support student learning

As a restaurant manager, how would you feel if you were suddenly tasked with inspecting the food in your own kitchen? Or as a gymnastics coach, how would you react if you were asked to score your own team’s performances in a competition? It’s clear that when one person is both a manager or coach and an evaluator, conflicts of interest can arise. Yet, in the field of education, it’s common for teachers to both instruct their students and grade their academic achievements.

In conventional K-12 education, teachers are expected to wear many hats. They must design and deliver effective lessons, assess student learning, manage classroom behavior, and build relationships with students and families. But what if we could unbundle the role of the teacher and distribute these responsibilities across a team of experts?

It may be time to rethink the role of the teacher as an assessor and separate the two responsibilities.

Highlighting the need for change

Here are four reasons why it’s problematic for teachers to also be assessors:

1. Inaccurate grading. Developing a reliable and objective grading system is a complex process that requires expertise in psychometrics. Teachers simply don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to this endeavor. As a result, they may resort to creating their own assessments, which may not be scientifically sound and can lead to inaccurate grading.

Key points:

• Assessment discussions are examining how AI like ChatGPT might play a role
• Individualized assessment offers a fair and equitable option to meet varying students’ needs
• See related article: Strategies for using alternative assessments in the classroom

The National Council on Measurement in Education’s (NCME) annual meeting has always offered an opportunity to learn about innovative research and new trends in student assessment. It is a chance to get hints of where the field is moving and what will be available to school districts, teachers, and students.

This year did not disappoint. There were three notable topics at the conference that signal new directions in assessment: through-year assessment, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and individualized assessment.

1. Through-Year Assessment

Through-year assessment is a type of assessment that has several different versions. In general, through-year assessment refers to testing that takes place throughout the school year to provide feedback on student progress and ultimately make a proficiency determination. At least three different sessions at NCME’s annual meeting dealt with through-year, and each one focused on a different version of it.

In one version, through-year assessment blends interim and summative assessment together. The interim assessment is given in the fall and winter, while the summative test is given in the spring, to make a proficiency determination. A second version of through-year makes proficiency determinations for specific curriculum standards as they are taught. Another version of through-year assessment is somewhat a blend of the prior two. It uses an interim assessment during the school year, but test content is cumulative, and the proficiency determination is made in the spring.

Key points:

• Online literacy programs help educators differentiate instruction
• Engaging literacy solutions help students absorb learning material

When we started using a new literacy program 10 years ago, our reading scores were mediocre. Within a few years we had moved up to being a Level 1+ school, which is one of the highest rankings for Chicago Public Schools’ rating system (which is currently being replaced with a new system). We’re using the literacy program as a main component for grades K-5 in addition to another program for fifth graders.

We really like how both online literacy programs differentiate instruction for students, identify learning gaps and place students at the right levels for their individual needs. This functionality also lets teachers know when to pool students for the offline Skill Builders to help move past specific challenges students are facing. Additionally, the data that we get from the platforms is invaluable; we’ve become so used to looking at it and then using it to help inform our instruction.

5 reasons to be in it for the long haul

Here are five long-term benefits that we’ve seen from using our literacy program for the last 10 years:

1. Teachers decide how they want to break it down and implement it within their 90-minute reading blocks. We leave it up to the reading teachers to decide how they want to use the programs. Some teachers assign it for homework and others build it right into their classroom time. Other teachers set up different stations or centers throughout their classrooms and have students rotate through the literacy platform that way. I feel like if we just told teachers they had to use it or otherwise mandated it, they wouldn’t have been so quick to embrace the online literacy platforms. Instead, they see the power in the programs, and how they can use them with their students, plus the data that they can get out of the software.