Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

4 pieces of advice for aspiring tutors

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.…Read More

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New Evidence for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Rating Reiterates i-Ready® Instruction’s Impacton Driving Student Outcomes

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.— A research study from Curriculum Associates recently received a Moderate (i.e., Tier 2) rating from Evidence for ESSA. The study demonstrated that students who used i-Ready Personalized Instruction gained significantly more points on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in English Language Arts and Mathematics than those who did not use i-Ready Personalized Instruction.

Evidence for ESSA is intended to provide educators with reliable, easy-to-use information on programs and practices that meet the standards of evidence in the ESSA. This classification of Moderate by the organization, out of the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins School of Education, demonstrates that i-Ready meets the standards of evidence in the ESSA as well as reinforces the validity of the program in driving significant positive student outcomes on rigorous state tests.

“Educators want—and need—to feel confident in the programs they are using to support their instruction and, in turn, student achievement,” said Dr. Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates. “This latest third-party validation underscores the power of i-Ready Personalized Instruction and its ability to effectively support the teaching and learning process throughout the school year.”…Read More

10 reasons we love teachers

My second-grade teacher made me love Ramona Quimby.
I’ve never forgotten my multiplication tables, thanks to my fourth-grade teacher.
My fifth-grade teacher taught me to confidently project my voice (much to my husband’s chagrin when I’m on video calls!).
My sixth-grade teacher inspired me to be a fast typist and gave me independent reading time so I could accomplish my goal of finishing Gone with the Wind.
My high school Algebra II teacher made me believe I was, in fact, really good at math.
My English literature teacher inspired me to write a book.
My Humanities teachers inspired me to travel the world.

Just seven days a year to celebrate teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week is hardly sufficient.  After all, they celebrate our students’ wins and teach them lessons through their mistakes every day of the school year. Let’s reflect on 10 reasons we love teachers…

  1. A Lifetime of Influence

    Growing up in a small town and attending a school with approximately 25 classmates from pre-school through eighth grade, I had a couple of teachers twice and interacted with all the teachers in the building regularly. Whatever the length of interaction, it can go a long way for students, like artist Dean Thompson. Dean shared his teacher’s valuable guidance: “Robert Dominiak was an art teacher who was a mentor to me. He taught me how to look at things with a different perspective, and he helped me put together a portfolio when I applied to the Art Institute of Chicago. With his help I received my degree from there, and I’m still in contact with him to this day.”…Read More

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    How are ELLs, students with disabilities IDed for gifted and talented?

    States with formal policies around gifted and talented programs tend to identify more English learners and students with disabilities for those programs, according to a new study from NWEA, a not-for-profit research and educational services organization serving K-12 students.

    The study uses data from the 2017-2018 Civil Rights Data Collection, the Stanford Education Data Archive, and the researchers’ own coding of individual states’ policies toward gifted and talented education.

    A number of key themes emerged:…Read More

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    Arkansas Department of Education Names Curriculum Associates’ Magnetic Reading™ Foundations an Approved English Language Arts Foundational Skills Program for Grades K–2

    NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently named Curriculum Associates’ Magnetic Reading Foundations to its list of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for foundational skills in English language arts. Now, districts across the state can use the instructional program, which is rooted in the Science of Reading, to help teachers in Grades K–2 deliver explicit instructional routines and a systematic scope and sequence that helps students become confident readers.

    “Arkansas DESE’s review of instructional materials provides teachers with access to the highest-quality resources available and underscores the state’s commitment to the overarching success of its teachers and students alike,” said Elizabeth Bassford, associate vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “Being named to the Arkansas DESE list of HQIM reinforces the power of Magnetic Reading Foundations in helping students develop the skills they need to excel in reading. Schools and districts in Arkansas can now confidently use our program—alongside our online i-Ready® program—to meet all their Grades K–2 reading assessment, instruction, and curriculum needs.”

    The Arkansas DESE review of instructional materials is conducted in partnership with EdReports, an independent nonprofit that conducts evidence-based reviews of instructional materials. The Arkansas DESE requires that all K–2 Literacy Curriculum Programs first advance through EdReports’ review process and then meet Arkansas-specific criteria.…Read More

    5 practical ways to support English learners in the classroom

    For English learners, acquiring language proficiency opens the door to thrive across all subjects. However, learning a new language can be a long, difficult process that requires courage, resilience and trust from students who initially might feel vulnerable and out of place.

    Schools are challenged by the growing number of English learners in their classrooms, with some districts having as many as 100 different native languages spoken by their students. While many regions of the country are equipped to integrate these students, there is still a struggle to find the best ways to support English learners and their caregivers. 

    It’s crucial for teachers to create classrooms that are safe places for students to try, experiment and get meaningful feedback that allows them to make sense of what’s going on around them. The first step requires developing a more comprehensive linguistic profile of students.…Read More

    VHS Learning Student Pass Rates on Advanced Placement® Exams Once Again Exceed National Averages

    Boston – VHS Learning students surpassed national average pass rates on their Advanced Placement (AP)® exams during the 2021-22 academic year, marking more than a decade of high achievement. VHS Learning has offered AP® courses online for the past 19 years, and it currently has a selection of 26 AP® courses available.

    A score of 3 or higher on an AP® exam is considered eligibility for AP® college credit at many universities. In AP® English Literature and Composition, 93% of VHS Learning students passed their exam in 2021-22, compared to the national average of 78%. In AP® Environmental Science, 76% of VHS Learning students passed, compared to the national average of only 54%. The largest difference was in AP® World History with 93% of VHS Learning students passing their exam, compared to the national average of 62%.

    VHS Learning’s online AP® courses give high schools the ability to easily expand their offerings, and they give students the opportunity to take courses otherwise not available to them. The high-quality, teacher-led online courses can be taken as part of a student’s school day at their local school, or from home. All students need is internet access and the motivation to succeed.…Read More

    5 tips to help students master foundational skills

    English language arts (ELA) standards identify a set of foundational skills students must master in their progression to becoming skilled readers. These skills include alphabet recognition, concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, and fluency.

    To effectively teach foundational skills within the classroom, educators need access to engaging materials that offer the right level of challenge for students and provide ease of usability. Unfortunately, only 7 percent of K-5 teachers use one or more high-quality ELA material for their classroom instruction due to common roadblocks like long adoption cycles and costs associated with the materials. But that statistic may soon change.

    The pandemic left a lasting, negative impact on the American education system. K-5 student test scores plummeted in math and reading nationwide this year, erasing two decades of progress. Now, many teachers, schools, and districts want to reassess their foundational skills instruction.…Read More

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    Designing fair and inclusive tests for non-native speakers

    Roughly 20 percent of U.S. residents, which is approximately 67.3 million people (equal to the population of France), speak a language other than English at home, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. When it comes to taking tests not in their first language, these groups can be at a notable disadvantage – especially for tests that influence a test-takers’ future. 

    Language is a significant barrier to fair and inclusive testing, particularly if language fluency is not relevant to the skill being measured by the test. This is why designing fair and inclusive tests for non-native speakers is a key component of equitable testing.

    Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development shows that migrants, on average, get significantly lower literacy and numeracy test scores than native speakers. About half of it relates to the language of the test, meaning that if the migrants were tested in their own language, about half the difference would disappear.…Read More

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