Key points:

• Research can shed light on the best strategies for increased math achievement
• What research says about how students learn math
• NAEP scores shed light on how the pandemic impacted student learning
• For more news on math learning, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

After results from the 2024 NAEP were released, it became evident that students are struggling with math achievement. Amid disappointing and stagnant scores, district leaders are looking for a solution that addresses the heart of the issue: How do students learn best?

The answer may lie in research-based approaches that leverage neuroscience to align math instruction with how the brain naturally processes information.

Focusing on how students learn can be the impetus for positive change.

“How can we teach better?” is a great question, but there’s a fundamentally better question: “How do we learn?” says Nigel Nisbet, VP of content creation at MIND Education. “Once you flip that paradigm and stop thinking so much about what you’re doing and how you can teach better–all of which is good to think about–you start asking what learning actually looks like and what mechanisms are there for us to learn. It turns out that a lot of our assumptions about how we think learning happens are not right, and there are better ways of doing things.”

To learn more about how neuroscience plays a critical role in math achievement, click here.

Key points:

• When it comes to student assessments, it’s time for new ways to gauge learning
• A critical shift in digital instruction in 2025
• Closing the digital use divide with active and engaging learning
• For more news on digital resources, visit eSN’s Digital Learning hub

In today’s evolving educational landscape, effective student assessment goes beyond multiple-choice tests and letter grades. According to a recent study, over 60 percent of educators believe traditional assessments fail to fully measure student understanding.

With the rise of digital tools, teachers now have innovative ways to assess learning that provide deeper insights and engage students more meaningfully. Here are five powerful resources that can transform how you evaluate student progress.

Wakelet: Wakelet is traditionally known as a curation tool, but its versatility makes it an excellent assessment platform. It allows students to compile evidence of learning through text, images, videos, and links, fostering creativity and critical thinking.

Unlike traditional tests, Wakelet empowers students to demonstrate understanding in a personalized and reflective way. It also facilitates peer and teacher feedback, making assessment a more collaborative process.

For a history project, I ask students to create a Wakelet collection on the causes of the American Revolution. They include primary sources, personal reflections, video summaries, and even AI-generated artwork to illustrate key concepts. Reviewing their collections provides a richer, more comprehensive view of their understanding than a standard test would.

Adobe Express: Adobe Express allows students to record video responses to prompts, making it a good choice for educators looking to assess verbal communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Its intuitive interface empowers even young learners to express themselves confidently. 

I love how students can articulate their thoughts verbally, encouraging creativity and deeper reflection. For educators, this personalized approach illuminates student thought processes, highlighting not just what they know but how they’re reasoning, interpreting, and connecting ideas. 

For a science project, I ask students to create an Adobe Express web page explaining the water cycle. They incorporate images, infographics, short video explanations, and AI-generated visuals to illustrate key concepts. Reviewing their projects provides deeper insights into their understanding than a multiple-choice test would.

Canva: The polls available from Canva offer a fresh take on gauging student understanding. Through the easy-to-use templates, educators can create real-time polls to assess knowledge, check for misconceptions, or gather feedback.

I love how simple it is to create the polls, and how fast they are, making them ideal for formative assessments during or after lessons. The visual appeal and interactivity of Canva ensure students stay engaged, especially in online or hybrid learning environments. 

For a literature assignment, I have students design a Canva infographic analyzing a novel’s themes. They include key quotes, character relationships, and symbolic imagery. Their designs offer a deeper, more personalized understanding of the text than a written summary alone. It’s also a fantastic way to make students feel heard, particularly when polls are used for classroom decision-making or feedback.

Padlet: Padlet is a dynamic online whiteboard platform that encourages creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. It allows students to share their work in real-time using posts that can include text, images, videos, or links.

I love how Padlet facilitates a collaborative environment. It is perfect for group projects, brainstorming sessions, and peer-to-peer feedback, making learning more interactive and engaging. 

For a geography unit, I have students create a Padlet board on climate change. They add research articles, video explanations, data charts, and personal reflections. Reviewing their boards gives a broader, more nuanced perspective on their understanding than a written quiz would.

Discovery Education Experience: Discovery Education Experience is an essential classroom companion for not only interactive content, but also formative assessment. Among the great assessment tools in Experience is the Quiz tool. Quiz allows educators to embed questions directly into videos, turning passive watching into active engagement.

I love the ability to assess comprehension in real-time. This helps ensure that students stay engaged and allows me to adjust instruction on the spot. The pre-made quizzes also offer instant feedback, helping students reflect on their learning process.

For example, in a middle school science class, I rely on the Video Quiz feature to assess understanding of the water cycle. Students watch a short video, answer embedded questions, and discuss their responses in small groups. I love that I can find a library of pre-created quizzes or create my own. This formative approach helps me identify misconceptions and provides targeted support before moving to a summative assessment.

Assessment should be as dynamic as learning itself. By leveraging digital tools, educators can move beyond one-size-fits-all tests and embrace assessments that capture student growth in meaningful ways. With technology at our fingertips, it’s time to rethink how we measure learning and ensure that every student can showcase their knowledge in ways that work best for them.

Key points:

• Educators should build a classroom culture that values learning over compliance
• 5 practical ways to integrate AI into high school science
• A new era for teachers as AI disrupts instruction
• For more news on AI and assessments, visit eSN’s Digital Learning hub

In recent years, the rise of AI technologies and the increasing pressures placed on students have made academic dishonesty a growing concern. Students, especially in the middle and high school years, have more opportunities than ever to cheat using AI tools, such as writing assistants or even text generators. While AI itself isn’t inherently problematic, its use in cheating can hinder students’ learning and development.

As educators, it is important to understand the underlying causes of this behavior and develop assessments that encourage academic integrity. This article explores the major reasons students resort to cheating and using AI, and offers strategies to help teachers design assessments that minimize these tendencies, informed by the latest research on assessment practices.

1. The material feels irrelevant or unvaluable to students

One of the primary reasons students cheat is that they don’t perceive the material being tested as valuable or relevant to their lives. When students fail to see the connection between what they’re learning and the real world, they lose motivation to engage meaningfully with the content. This lack of relevance can make assessments feel like an obstacle rather than a learning opportunity.

How this leads to cheating: When students view an assessment as irrelevant, they are less likely to take it seriously. Instead of investing the time and effort required to study and prepare, they may turn to AI or other shortcuts to complete the task quickly.

Solution for teachers: To combat this, it’s important to make learning experiences relevant. Teachers should strive to connect the content to real-world applications that resonate with students. Research indicates that authentic assessments, which apply classroom learning to real-world contexts, can significantly increase student engagement and minimize cheating. Teachers can implement project-based learning or real-world problem-solving scenarios, which not only align with educational standards but also enhance the relevance of the content for students.

2. Lack of focus on academic integrity, trust, and relationship building

Students are less likely to value academic integrity if they don’t understand its importance or don’t feel connected to their teachers. A lack of trust in the classroom can lead students to believe that they won’t face consequences for cheating or that they will be unfairly judged, reducing their sense of accountability.

How this leads to cheating: Without an emphasis on academic integrity or a strong student-teacher relationship, students may feel less inclined to follow the rules. AI may then seem like a less risky alternative, as they believe there are no strong repercussions for dishonest behavior.

Solution for teachers: Teachers can foster a culture of integrity by establishing trust and open communication. By building strong relationships with students, teachers can create an environment where students feel valued, understood, and respected. Research on virtual assessments suggests that having clear and consistent communication about academic honesty and integrity can enhance trust and reduce cheating behaviors. Additionally, teachers can integrate discussions on the value of learning and integrity into the curriculum, using tools like student reflections and peer feedback to reinforce these values.

3. More focus on grades than learning

When students are preoccupied with grades, they often lose sight of the learning process itself. The pressure to perform well on assessments can create a situation where the grade becomes more important than the actual knowledge being gained. This emphasis on grades over learning can lead to unhealthy study habits and a desire to cheat.

How this leads to cheating: In environments where grades are the primary focus, students may be more inclined to take shortcuts–such as using AI–if they feel it will help them achieve the grade they desire. They may view learning as a means to an end, rather than a valuable process.

Solution for teachers: Teachers can shift the focus from grades to mastery of content by using assessments that encourage learning and growth. Research supports the use of formative assessments–ongoing checks for understanding that provide both teachers and students with timely feedback. This approach encourages a focus on learning rather than performance. When teachers prioritize feedback and progress over final grades, students are more likely to see value in the process and less likely to turn to cheating.

4. High stress, pressure, or anxiety around assessments

The pressure to perform well on high-stakes tests or assignments can be overwhelming, especially for students who struggle with anxiety or feel that they have something to prove. This anxiety can lead students to seek out AI tools as a quick and easy solution to avoid failure or mitigate their stress.

How this leads to cheating: When students are under significant stress or pressure, cheating may feel like a way to protect themselves from the potential consequences of failure. The fear of not meeting expectations can make the use of AI seem like a necessary coping mechanism.

Solution for teachers: To reduce stress and anxiety, teachers can create a low-stakes environment where assessments are viewed as opportunities to learn rather than tests of ability. Research into virtual assessments highlights the importance of minimizing student stress by reducing the high-stakes nature of assessments, using alternative assessments that require more than just factual recall. Teachers can use methods such as open-book assessments, project-based learning, or assessments with clear criteria that allow students to revise and improve their work. This approach reduces the fear of failure and minimizes the need for cheating.

5. Students have no agency in the assessment process

When students have no say in how they are assessed or the types of assignments they complete, they may feel disconnected from the assessment process. This lack of agency can result in disengagement, making cheating or using AI more likely because students feel that their input doesn’t matter.

How this leads to cheating: If students feel disempowered or uninvolved in the assessment process, they may lose motivation to engage with the material in an authentic way. AI may become a quick fix for tasks they feel hold no personal connection or value.

Solution for teachers: Teachers can empower students by involving them in the assessment process. Offering choices in how they demonstrate learning–such as selecting project topics or choosing between different types of assessments (e.g., written essays or multimedia presentations)–can help students feel more invested. Research suggests that when students have opportunities to demonstrate mastery through alternative, performance-based assessments, they are more engaged and less likely to cheat. Additionally, providing clear rubrics, involving students in self-assessment, and offering opportunities for revision can increase student ownership of the learning process.

Understanding why students cheat and use AI is crucial in designing assessments that promote academic honesty and meaningful learning. By addressing the root causes–such as irrelevant material, lack of focus on integrity, the pressure of grades, high stress, and lack of student agency–teachers can create environments where students are motivated to engage with their work authentically. Research into virtual and formative assessments suggests that using strategies like alternative assessments, continuous feedback, and collaborative learning opportunities can help reduce cheating and encourage a deeper connection to learning. When assessments are designed to foster learning, trust, and student ownership, the temptation to cheat diminishes. It’s up to educators to rethink traditional assessment methods and build a classroom culture that values learning over compliance.

Works Cited

Hanover Research. (2020). Best practices in virtual assessments. Hanover Research.

Liberman, J., Levin, V., & Luna-Bazldua, D. (2020). Are students still learning during COVID-19? Formative assessment can provide the answer. World Bank. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/are-students-still-learning-during-covid-19-formative-assessment-can-provide-answer

National Center on Educational Outcomes. (2020). Five formative assessment strategies to improve distance learning outcomes for students with disabilities. National Center on Educational Outcomes. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?q=formative&ft=on&ff1=dtySince_2016&pg=2&id=ED605750

O’Keefe, L., et al. (2020). Delivering high-quality instruction online in response to COVID-19: Faculty playbook. Online Learning Consortium. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?q=collaboration+online+learning&ft=on&ff1=dtySince_2016&id=ED605351

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. (2020). Remote learning and the formative assessment process. Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Retrieved from http://www.smarterbalanced.org/remote-learning-and-the-formative-assessment-process/

Key points:

• A majority of teachers believe they can help students catch up academically
• Quality over quantity: Rethinking edtech time in the classroom
• 4 ways to address learning gaps for underserved students
• For more news on learning gaps, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

A lack of parent or family prioritization of academics is the primary reason for learning gaps, according to 46 percent of respondents participating in a recent Study.com survey. Eighty-seven percent of educators believe this could be the top area for additional support to address learning losses.

Other top causes for learning gaps include mental health and social-emotional struggles (38 percent) and lack of students completing their homework or studying (35 percent).

The recently released National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores, often referred to as the nation’s report card, show a lack of progress in math and reading achievement with results continuing to lag pre-pandemic (2019) levels. Study.com’s survey provides educator context to the factors affecting student achievement as most teachers (41 percent) report 50-75 percent of their students are academically at grade level while 25 percent say 26-50 percent of students are on par, and 24 percent indicate more than 75 percent of their students are at grade level.

Those higher-performing students that teachers report being at grade level are driving test improvements while students at the lower end are falling further behind. According to the NAEP report, more than two-thirds of the lower-performing group come from historically disadvantaged populations, including 40 percent Hispanic and 25 percent English language learners.

“The growing disparity that systemically impacts historically disadvantaged populations will continue to expand if it isn’t addressed through effective educator, student and family support. With the expected growth in our Hispanic population–especially non-native English speakers–effective education technology can be a bridge to help all learners,” explained Dana Bryson, SVP Social Impact at Study.com. “Further, increasing the number of Hispanic educators to better reflect the student population also can have a positive impact–not just on the academic success of Hispanic students but all students.”

Seventy-one percent of teachers feel confident they can help their students catch up academically. They also shared top support for addressing learning gaps:

• Increased parent/family support for prioritizing schoolwork (87 percent)
• Smaller class sizes (80 percent)
• Mental health support for students (76 percent)
• High quality instructional resources or curriculum (76 percent)
• Expanded after-school or summer learning programs (68 percent)

Additional findings include insights on edtech and student behavior:

Technology in education

• 41 percent of teachers use technology-based tools several times a week to address learning loss while 25 percent use them daily
• 68 percent believe technology is very or somewhat effective in closing learning gaps, with adaptive learning platforms and gamified apps seen as the most effective tools
• 50 percent of teachers report positive learning outcomes for students with consistent access to technology

Behavioral and environmental factors:

• 49 percent of teachers believe reducing behavioral issues would significantly help students catch up academically while 47 percent think it would help somewhat
• 49 percent of teachers report losing up to 3 hours each week to behavioral issues and 28 percent of teachers lose between 4-6 hours weekly
• Disruptive classroom behavior (50 percent), difficulty concentrating (47 percent) and social-emotional challenges such as anxiety and frustration (46 percent) are the top behavioral challenges teachers face with their students

This press release originally appeared online.

Key points:

• Focus on what students can do, instead of what they can’t
• Design thinking in the 21st century is an imperative
• Empathy, adaptability, and real-world readiness: Supporting students in 2025
• For more on a growth mindset, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

In the words of Carol Dweck, “Becoming is better than being.” As novice sixth grade math and English teachers, we’ve learned to approach our mid-year benchmark assessments not as final judgments but as tools for reflection and growth. Many of our students entered the school year below grade level, and while achieving grade-level mastery is challenging, a growth mindset allows us to see their potential, celebrate progress, and plan for further successes amongst our students. This perspective transforms data analysis into an empowering process; data is a tool for improvement amongst our students rather than a measure of failure.

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities grow through effort and persistence. This mindset shapes how we view data. Instead of focusing on what students can’t do, we emphasize what they can achieve. For us, this means turning gaps into opportunities for growth and modeling optimism and resilience for our students. When reviewing data, we don’t dwell on weaknesses. We set small and achievable goals to help students move forward to build confidence and momentum.

Celebrating progress is vital. Even small wins (i.e., moving from a kindergarten grade-level to a 1^st– or 2^nd-grade level, significant growth in one domain, etc.) are causes for recognition. Highlighting these successes motivates students and shows them that effort leads to results.

Involving students in the process is also advantageous. At student-led conferences, our students presented their data via slideshows that they created after they reviewed their growth, identified their strengths, and generated next steps with their teachers. This allowed them to feel and have tremendous ownership over their learning. In addition, interdisciplinary collaboration at our weekly professional learning communities (PLCs) has strengthened this process. To support our students who struggle in English and math, we work together to address overlapping challenges (i.e., teaching math vocabulary, chunking word-problems, etc.) to ensure students build skills in connected and meaningful ways.

We also address the social-emotional side of learning. Many students come to us with fixed mindsets by believing they’re just “bad at math” or “not good readers.” We counter this by celebrating effort, by normalizing struggle, and by creating a safe and supportive environment where mistakes are part of learning. Progress is often slow, but it’s real. Students may not reach grade-level standards in one year, but gains in confidence, skills, and mindset set the stage for future success, as evidenced by our students’ mid-year benchmark results. We emphasize the concept of having a “growth mindset,” because in the words of Denzel Washington, “The road to success is always under construction.” By embracing growth and seeing potential in every student, improvement, resilience, and hope will allow for a brighter future.

Related:

• When it comes to civics, the right resources make all the difference for students
• How digital tools and AI can enhance social studies
• 5 ways to teach and assess learning in the age of AI
• For more news on curriculum resources, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

This school year marks my 20^th year in education and my 12^th year at Rockingham Early College High School in Wentworth, NC. Our school is a five-year program that works to create first-generation college students. North Carolina is a leading state in the number of “early colleges,” which allow students to earn a college degree with their high school diploma. As the first person in my immediate family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, this mission is near and dear to my heart.

I live in a rural community, and unfortunately, a county with one of the highest poverty rates in North Carolina. So, I know firsthand how important equitable access to resources is, and how hard we educators work to set our students up for success. Teachers in rural areas are exceptionally creative, working around limited library access, funding restrictions, and the ever-present battle with scaling best practices to support their students.

I always work to make my lessons both informative and accessible for each kid. Finding interesting resources goes a long way in boosting my students’ engagement with the material, better positioning them for lifelong success. I do that by finding content that nurtures their curiosity around civics, so they can leave my class informed, engaged, and inspired.  

Here are some of my favorite (free!) tools and tricks, so all students can be excited about civics:

iCivics

iCivics offers free, nonpartisan classroom resources on civics, government systems and operations, and U.S. history. The materials are aligned to state standards and designed to encourage students to engage with complex content and build interest in politics and current events. There are resources available for grades preK-12, so teachers at every level of school can find relevant and informative materials for their students.

This is a great resource for civics teachers to utilize in the classroom. The information is heavily vetted–I can trust its correctness without having to check it again. I use it to support my lesson planning and to supplement that material with content students would find exciting, like online games and activities. Students can argue actual Supreme Court cases, practice advising the president in key historical moments, learn to build and balance national budgets, and more.

My favorite is The “Federal” in Federalism lesson. This lesson is part of the Constitution unit and is available in English and Spanish with several integration options, so the material can be adapted to whatever your classroom needs may be. In the lesson, students learn how to differentiate between state and federal power, gain an understanding of where that power comes from, and can connect and contrast this information to other government systems to create a more dynamic conversation around important decisions in U.S. history.

iCivics takes a topic that can be sort of sedate and makes it engaging and interesting. From lessons focused on the U.S. revolution to more recent discussions on rights and liberties, there are lesson plans and activities available for whatever unit your students need.

America’s Field Trip

America’s Field Trip by America250 and Discovery Education is a nonpartisan national contest for students in grades 3-12 to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Students submit original artwork or a written piece responding to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” to highlight young voices during this historical milestone for the United States. Contest winners get to participate in behind-the-scenes experiences at iconic American historical and cultural sites as part of America’s Field Trip.

As part of the teachers’ advisory group for America250 and as one of the fellows in the America 250 NC Freedom Fellows’ inaugural cohort, I got incredible tools and resources that help students understand our state’s unique and diverse history and the important role it played in the American Revolution. As part of the cohort and with the free, standards-aligned resources from America250 available to all (including the contest for students), I get to try new technologies and ideas right in my classroom.

I specifically love the contest as it’s a chance for students to tap into their individual interests and emphasize their skills and talents in their submission. Students get to compete and interact with peers not only in their own school but from around the country, which brings them different perspectives, new ideas, and, in some cases, new friendships. I see the difference having the freedom to be creative for an assignment has on students when they aren’t thinking about it impacting their GPA.

There are also peripheral benefits to students being part of community projects and national contests like America’s Field Trip. One big benefit is the prizes: a private guided tour of Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming or a candlelight tour of Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. I wish there was a teacher version of the prizes!

These community-based projects encourage students to take ownership of their learning and instill a sense of responsibility and connection to their local community. This enhances their educational experience and cultivates a generation of informed, active citizens who are equipped to contribute positively to society.

Picture books

One of my all-time favorite resources to use in my lessons are picture books–yes, picture books in a high school classroom! Picture books are an undervalued and underutilized form of information as our students get older. But they are a staple of early education for a reason, and should be used more often as a creative way to present complex information.

Picture books can help break a complicated topic into easily digestible pieces, acting as an accessible and engaging entry point for students. Children’s books are designed to grab the attention of the reader and keep it. There are a ton of authors who take key moments in history, complicated government systems, and other civics concepts and turn them into children’s books that can be used by students of all ages.

I combine the picture books with Gilder Lehrman essays in my classroom. They are at an early college level, which fits in nicely with my students reading college-level literature. The length is manageable for a classroom setting, and the essays cover a wide variety of topics. This allows me to be creative in how they connect to our lessons and the picture books complement the material nicely.

Picture books are also a fantastic way for teachers to learn more topics–they help me dive into new concepts all the time! Remember the guy from Jeopardy! a couple of years ago who said he used children’s books to study? That was James Holzhauer, and he is the third highest winning contestant ever on the show. He swears by using children’s books to learn and maintain information, as they are full of pictures and infographics and engaging language that keeps the audience entertained.

This principle can be extended to the classroom. My students love using picture books as part of our lessons–they feel like it is a brain break while I know they are really soaking up even more information.

My advice: Model what you teach

As I encourage my students to get involved in civics, I do the same. That may sound like a lot, but I keep it simple. My involvement with our local museum, the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County, and the creation of community service projects like The Rural Experience in America Community Civics through Historical Inquiry by the NCHE, have spurred my interest in extending teaching beyond the classroom walls.

Resources like the ones I recommended here make a difference not only in my classroom, but also in the personal and academic growth of my students. When students sense that you are all-in for them, they are more likely to give you their best in the classroom. That, in turn, makes for less hectic days with better classroom management. Having students excited about the lesson kickstarts a transformation in student and teacher alike that helps refuel that passion for learning about–and being a part of–history.

Key points:

• Integrating engaging digital tools can sharpen students’ money management skills
• Increasing K-12 tech accessibility
• Teaching ethical edtech for future innovators
• For more news on curriculum trends, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Financial literacy is greatly undervalued in today’s digital age. Half of all U.S. adults are financially illiterate, as millions don’t know how to calculate interest or protect themselves against inflation.

Similarly, many Americans overrate their financial knowledge but don’t understand fundamental monetary concepts like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Millions of people may be sleepwalking into financial trouble due to inadequate financial education.

Educators can improve money management skills and improve financial literacy by using digital tools to teach the next generation of savers, investors, and consumers. This can help people ensure their money goes further and will make for a more stable economy in the long run.

Digital financial resources

Research shows that students need to be more prepared to enter the world of commerce. This sentiment is echoed by Fred Fransen, CEO of Certell, who states, “If students don’t improve their understanding of economics and finance at the high school level, they may never be exposed to it.”

However, many students overlook economics and personal finance courses in favor of the traditional array of courses. Educators can buck this trend and get more students into money management classes by offering more curriculums packed with engaging digital tools that help shape students’ money management skills.

Today, educators can tap into resources like Discovery Education’s financial literacy resources to create lesson plans that excite students and improve money management skills. Discovery Education has partnered with recognizable brands like the NBA and WNBA to create detailed resources that help students understand the value of being sensible with their money. Similarly, Discovery Education offers age-appropriate resources like the Fixies Channel. This educational content is perfect for younger students who are new to the idea of saving, spending, and investing.

Video games as teaching tools

Video games have always been popular with teenage boys. However, in recent years, the video game industry’s gender ratio has moved closer toward equilibrium. This is great news for educators, who can use engaging video games to push the value of money management skills to their students.

Money management video games don’t have to be boring, overtly “educational” playing experiences, either. In fact, many of the world’s most popular titles now teach financial literacy. Educators creating a personal finance curriculum can use video games that teach students about money, like:

• Roblox: A hugely popular title, Roblox is a free-to-play online app that has a plethora of games on offer. Educators can choose to assign games like Theme Park Tycoon 2 and Work At A Pizza Place to teach young children the value of budgeting.
• Animal Crossing: Originally released in 2001, Animal Crossing is a social simulator game that incorporates key skills like saving, labor, and loans.
• No Man’s Sky: No Man’s Sky (NMS) is perfect for older learners. They’ll have to budget for resources, increase their investment in revenue-generating activities, and learn many of the skills that small business owners overlook.
• The Sims: The Sims is a multi-generational classic that literally simulates the process of educational attainment, labor, budgeting, and financial planning. It’s a great way to teach children of all ages about taxes, utilities, and saving for material goods.

Crucially, educators cannot assign students video games and believe their job is done. For video games to be educational rather than pure entertainment, educators must prompt students to think about the skills they’ve learned along the way.

For example, a teacher who assigns a semester of Stardew Valley should pair this “homework” with regular formal and informal reflections. This may mean that they ask students to free-write about the financial lessons they’ve learned while gaming–or, when larger projects are due, ask students to produce presentations that reflect their financial progress within the game.

Educators will still need to talk about real-world financial concepts, too. This ensures people can successfully apply their knowledge of NMS’s “Units” and The SIm’s Simoleons to real monetary concepts like debt, cash flow, and investing.

Getting started with real money

Teachers who lead personal finance classes can’t tell students what to do with their own money. However, they can give students the best chance of making their cash go further by giving them access to reliable resources. Educators can guide students through potential pitfalls that many young people face, too.

For example, teachers who are leading a class of older students may want to deliver a few lessons on best practices when they open a bank account. This includes:

• Collecting documents: Students will need a valid form of ID in addition to basic identifying information like an SSN.
• Proof of address: Most financial institutions require evidence of proof of address.
• Choosing an account: Opting between a checking and savings account will ensure that students are storing their money in the right place for their needs.
• Understanding fees: Students should be aware of fees placed on accounts that don’t meet their standards. For example, some banks require a minimum amount in savings accounts or will charge for the service.

Teaching young people how to open their own accounts can help people escape financial abuse, too. This is crucial, as 65 percent of teens have reported that others have exerted financial control over them, and may be at a heightened risk of facing financial abuse. For many, opening their own bank account marks the first step towards regaining control of their finances.

Digital tools can aid efforts to teach key financial concepts related to saving, spending, investing, and budgeting. Even simple video games, like those offered on Roblox, can improve financial literacy and empower students to take control of their finances. However, educators who do decide to invest in edtech need to ensure that engaging digital lessons are followed up with reflections and robust testing.

Key points:

• Aspects of the popular game reinforce curricular concepts for students
• How I’m making learning more engaging for my gifted students
• How one high school became a Minecraft powerhouse
• For more on curricular approaches, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

I grew up in the 1980s, and Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) was a big part of my teenage years. I was definitely a kid who fell through the cracks because I didn’t want people to notice me.

As a high schooler with undiagnosed learning differences, who often felt misunderstood, D&D became my escape. It was a way to dive into a world where I could be anyone I wanted, at a time when I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere. Like many parents at the time, mine were concerned about the game’s reputation. They even joined a support group for parents of kids who played D&D! Looking back, it’s a little funny, but it also highlights how different things were back then.

Fast-forward to 2024, marking the game’s 50th anniversary. I’m now an English teacher and case manager at NewHope Academy in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where we integrate Dungeons & Dragons into our curriculum. After a short-lived stint as a musician in my 20s, I knew I needed a plan B, which lead me to a career in education.

I felt a real passion to ensure kids didn’t feel like isolated as I did growing up. I’ve worked at the school for twice-exceptional students–those who are both gifted and have learning or developmental challenges–for nearly 20 years, and having the game be part of my work is a full-circle moment. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to use something I loved as a teenager to support my students today.

NewHope Academy students are bright, imaginative, and full of potential, but they often struggle with social interaction and teamwork. That’s where D&D comes in. The game naturally fosters collaboration and problem-solving, skills that can be difficult for these students to practice in traditional academic settings.

D&D was introduced at NewHope by another teacher in 2010 after reading studies indicating that tabletop role-playing games can give people with autism a low-risk way to engage in social interactions. Since then, it has evolved into something much bigger. Today, it’s so popular at our school that we offer a Dungeons & Dragons elective and also have an after-school club to help new players get started.

Our students are so completely invested in their characters and storylines that they often don’t even realize they are practicing math, language arts, and critical thinking along the way. For example, basic algebra and arithmetic are involved in die rolls, which are reinforced by friendly peer pressure. When students care about the outcome of the game and the events they help construct through their actions, it demonstrates plot elements and arc, seasoned with literary archetypes and tropes. Whether they’re calculating ability scores or challenge ratings or writing character backstories, they’re constantly learning–without feeling like they’re sitting through a typical class.

More importantly, Dungeons & Dragons has helped build a sense of community among our students. As other educators may know, this group of students is typically very averse to working in groups. Many of them struggle with shyness and social connections. Through the game, they learn how to work as a team and support one another. I’ve watched students who were once introverted and reserved give confident presentations, and I’ve seen friendships form that might never have existed outside of the classroom.

For me, D&D is more than just a game or pop culture nostalgia; it’s a powerful tool that helps my students thrive. When you stop to think about it, it’s pretty amazing how many educational goals the game can help students attempt to achieve. It allows them to embrace their creativity, practice essential academic skills, and, most importantly, feel like they belong. For a someone who felt like a misfit as a teenager and as a long-tenured special needs educator, there’s nothing more rewarding than that.

Key points:

• Educators want math curricula that fosters natural learning environments
• 6 tips to select the right assessments for your district
• How I’m making learning more engaging for my gifted students
• For more news on curriculum, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

When I sat down with educators at the recent ISTE conference, our conversations were vibrant and enlightening. Instead of asking for the usual feedback on curriculum, I posed a different question.

Here are the passionate and clear responses educators provided when I asked, “What does your ideal math curriculum look like?”

1. It empowers teachers to facilitate collaborative learning.

Every teacher and administrator I spoke with mentioned the idea that, in the ideal math classroom, the teacher sets clear expectations and acts as the facilitator while the students collaboratively engage in hands-on activities and games. The challenge is to create resources that foster this kind of environment naturally. You see this ideal at work when students go to college and suddenly enjoy learning more, because college classrooms are more likely to be collaborative environments. Collaboration is a natural way to learn, and I heard from many teachers who are seeking support in creating this kind of atmosphere.

2. It inspires problem-solving and productive struggle.

Problem-solving is a critical part of the learning process, but too often, math curriculum asks students to learn procedures first and then problem-solve–making them separate processes. Problem-solving and learning are the most important life skills that students learn from math, and are so intimately connected that it was surprising that so few educators I spoke with could talk about the difference between productive and unproductive struggle. The difference is the story students tell themselves. When they are telling themselves they can do it, they are struggling productively, and when they are telling themselves they can’t, they are struggling unproductively. Different kinds of problems are more or less encouraging of productive struggle, so the content teachers give students plays a role in the stories they tell themselves.

3. By engaging students, it improves classroom management.

What was surprising about this takeaway is that the responsibility for classroom management often falls entirely on the teacher, with little consideration that the curriculum could support them in this area. Student engagement and classroom management are intimately linked, so leveraging a curriculum designed to naturally engage students can significantly ease management challenges.  For instance, asking questions that spark wonder and curiosity or allowing students to figure out what they are supposed to do as the first step in an activity can lead to improved engagement and smoother classroom management.

4. It enhances a teacher’s flexibility and creativity.

Most teachers want to feel some level of creativity in their teaching. They chose their profession for the opportunity to create those moments when a student “gets it” and the learning just explodes out of them. They don’t want to feel stifled by the standards, assessments, or state and district mandates. The question we’re left with is this: Is there a way a curriculum could amplify teachers’ flexibility and creativity, while also helping them cover all the standards they need to meet by the end of the year?

5. It’s student-centered and flexible.

Teachers want a curriculum that focuses on student needs and personalized learning by including open-ended questions that help students understand the process and the “why” behind the math.

To see an example of people not knowing the “why” behind math, ask an adult why subtracting a negative is adding a positive. They’ll tell you it’s because two negatives make a positive. The truth, however, is that subtracting gives you the inverse of whatever comes after it. If you teach students that “why” when you teach them subtraction, when they get to subtracting negative numbers later, they’ll intuitively understand that subtracting a negative is adding a positive.

Every teacher I spoke with agreed that all curriculum claims or aims should be student-centered. But adults are the ones who decide which curriculum to buy, so often curriculum creators design their products to sell to those adults rather than to meet students’ needs. Ironically, a truly student-centered curriculum will produce better student outcomes, but it may be more difficult to sell.

A thread that runs through all these top five takeaways is that teachers want a curriculum to help them teach better–and they don’t want to have to take a lot of PD to get started. As we continue these conversations, the question we are left to answer is, “How can we create curricula that foster natural learning environments for both teachers and students?”

Key points:

• Assessments are key to track progress toward learning goals
• Why the right assessments make all the difference
• How we reached student success with assessment proficiency
• For more news on assessments, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Ensuring student achievement is on track is critical, particularly as post-pandemic academic progress still remains slower for some student groups. When districts have the right assessments in place, educators are better able to help measure student progress.

This is why district leaders must have the right tools to weigh which assessments will best support students in their academic journeys. A new whitepaper outlines six essential questions to ask when making decisions about assessment tools.

1. Why are we assessing our students? Assessments determine what students know and what they can do. Your district’s assessments should support the priorities district leadership teams have outlined.

2. How easy is it for teachers to understand the data? After all, teachers must be able to interpret available data if they are to act on it. A high-quality assessment will also offer action steps after teachers are able to understand data.

3. Do the data support district leaders’ big-picture decision-making? Teachers must be able to understand and act on data, but district leaders want to recognize long-term trends and get big-picture views of student achievement.

4. How can we get the right data to inform decisions? Multiple assessment types and formats can ensure the right kinds of data at the right times.

5. Do the assessments align with our technology and curriculum investments? Close alignment means educators can be confident in their measurement of students’ skills and progress.

6. Are the assessments supported by relevant and timely professional learning? A high-quality assessment system ensures support for teachers and leaders.

For more details on these questions, check out this key resource on assessments.

Key points:

• Videos are a great way to engage students and introduce new topics
• How digital tools and AI can enhance social studies
• How I’m making learning more engaging for my gifted students
• For more news on learning resources, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Whenever a national historical event or celebration rolls around, it inevitably raises questions about the nation’s history, why we observe the holiday, how different traditions formed, and what’s behind the celebration.

Though classrooms are closed, these TED-Ed Lessons explore a bit of the nation’s history when it comes to Independence Day.

The TED-Ed platform enables educators to build lessons around any TED-Ed Original, TED Talk, or YouTube video. Once you find the video you want to use, you can use the TED-Ed Lessons editor to add questions, discussion prompts, and additional resources.

If you’re already thinking ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, you might want to use these TED-Ed Lessons for brain breaks, to introduce new learning units, or to inject some fun and engaging conversation into your class.

1. The oddities of the first American election: How did George Washington become the first president of the United States in 1789? Who got to decide–or vote–who would become president, and how did they decide the winner? Kenneth C. Davis unveils the surprising story behind America’s first presidential election.

2. Why do Americans vote on Tuesdays? Since 1845, Americans have been voting on Tuesdays–but why? In this humorous talk, Jacob Soboroff shares the history of Election Day and shows how voting on a Tuesday affects voter turnout.

3. What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence: In June 1776, a little over a year after the start of the American Revolutionary War, the US Continental Congress huddled together in a hot room in Philadelphia to talk independence. Kenneth C. Davis dives into some of the lesser known facts about the process of writing the Declaration of Independence and questions one very controversial omission.

4. The making of the American Constitution: How did a meeting intended to revise the Articles of Confederation lead to the new Constitution for the United States? Discover how a handful of men–sitting in sweltering heat and shrouded by secrecy–changed the course of history for America in 1787.

Key points:

• Phenomena-based learning uses concepts and techniques from different scientific disciplines
• 5 helpful hacks for managing a STEM classroom
• Why diversity and STEM education are critical to our future workforce
• For more news on science learning, visit eSN’s STEM & STEAM hub

I was terrified, to be very honest, when my district switched to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and I had to begin using phenomena-based instruction. If you look at the standards, they’re a scary, giant book!

Once I set my mind to jump in, however, it was exciting to see my students becoming energized and engaged because they were able to see for themselves why science is relevant to their lives. Here’s how I was able to overcome my fear and get started–and why phenomena-based science is so important for our students.

How does phenomena-based teaching help?

Phenomena-based learning is an inquiry-driven model that asks students to investigate complicated phenomena using concepts and techniques from different scientific disciplines. Before I adopted phenomena-based instruction, most of the questions students asked were some variation on, “Is this going to be on the test?” They were focused on whether they would have to memorize this fact or that process to pass a test.

With phenomena-based instruction, students create the “driving question” that they are trying to answer, and therefore never ask me if it’s going to be on the test. Instead, they are constantly asking themselves, “How does this connect to my driving question?”

I think most teachers have heard students asking again and again, “Why do I need to learn this?” The exciting thing about phenomena-based instruction is that they don’t wonder why what they’re learning is relevant. They see how to make the connections for themselves. As teachers, we know that they need to learn science so they’ll be able to make informed decisions as adults and citizens of the world, and when they engage in phenomena-based learning, they see for themselves how scientific information is applied to everyday life. Even if they don’t become a scientist or some other kind of “science person,” I want them to understand how science works, how it affects their lives, and how it can help them build their critical thinking skills. Phenomena-based instruction provides an opportunity to practice all of that.

Challenges of phenomena-based teaching

As a science teacher, I help students make connections between concepts and their lives every day, but coming up with phenomena for students to study can be overwhelming. A good phenomenon should be something:

• You can see in your classroom
• That both you and your students are interested in
• Complex enough that students will draw on multiple scientific disciplines to understand it
• Aligned to the appropriate standards
• Not easy to Google

A recent example of a chemistry phenomenon relevant to students here in California is wildfires, which provide opportunities to explore the combustion reaction, why wildfires are more common than they were in recent history, how to perform a stoichiometry calculation to determine the amount of carbon dioxide released, scaling carbon dioxide release from a toothpick to all the wildfires in a particular year, and the effect on students and climate change.

Since I adopted phenomena-based instruction, I have been using the curriculum from Kognity because it provides me with the phenomena so I don’t have to come up with new ones myself day after day. It has made it easier for me to jump straight in and begin guiding my students as they ask questions and begin exploring their phenomena. The curriculum also includes an outline and suggestions about what to include and how to teach it, which I really appreciate because it allows me to sequence the lessons in a way that highlights the concepts relevant to the phenomena more clearly for my students.

Another challenge I’ve encountered since adopting phenomena-based learning is the need to give students so many opportunities to discuss connections to their phenomena’s driving question over and over again. I like a lot of classroom discussion, and I always encourage students to think out loud and help each other in general, but I still had to remind myself to get into a pattern of asking them at the end of class, “What is your driving question?” and, “Tell your partner what you can explain about your driving question so far.” It’s not like traditional instruction where you just teach the subject and move on. You have to give them time to synthesize the connections multiple times. In addition, certain topics will spiral back later in another unit, diving deeper into the topic. This allows the students to see that this is a relevant concept to many scientific topics, and you have to make this explicitly known to them.

Another challenge I see a lot of teachers struggle with when it comes to phenomena-based instruction is the fact that it’s just not how we learned science. We haven’t taught this way before, either. It’s hard to make changes during our careers, but the improved student outcomes are worth it in this case.

Embracing phenomena-based teaching

The key to diving into phenomena-based instruction for me was finding a resource that offers high-quality phenomena to get my students started. Kognity is also a useful resource for reading and review material, because each lesson includes several different sections that are easy to hide or highlight, depending on where I want my students to focus their attention. I love when my students are curious and want to learn everything they can, but sometimes I don’t want the most eager students in the class to get ahead of everyone else.

Having those resources, along with assignment and assessment options, made it possible for me to use the phenomena in the curriculum and see how I needed to rearrange things from the more traditional approach to science instruction I used to use. I still use many of the same labs, activities, and even worksheets that I found effective before I adopted phenomena-based instruction. Just like students, teachers learn better when we can explore and try new things out and see how they relate to what we already understand and know is effective.

Last year was my first using phenomena-based instruction, and of course, with a big change like that there are always some ups and downs. Overall, however, I saw more engaged students right from the beginning. In my second year, I have figured out the flow a little better, and those ups and downs have mostly leveled out. My students understand chemistry better. For example, stoichiometry is a heavily math-focused concept that students struggled to apply because it was just math and chemistry word problems. By connecting it to the combustion unit and its driving question, “How do scientists estimate the amount of carbon dioxide that is released from a wildfire?” students were able to use their stoichiometry skills to calculate how much carbon dioxide was released from a lab–first in the classroom by burning two toothpicks and then scaling up to all 2020 wildfires in California. After completing some additional research, they were not only able to see the relevancy, but to evaluate the limitations to the method. Though it’s still early, my students are also testing well above the average on state assessments, scoring 22 percent above the state’s “met and exceeded standard” and 10 percent above the county’s “met and exceeded standard” on their 2022-23 California Science Test (CAST). Maybe the most exciting part to me is that I have had more students asking how they can continue in the sciences because they feel more comfortable with the subject now.

For fellow science teachers considering a similar shift, I will say this: If you make the change to phenomena-based learning a continuous and gradual process, it’ll be easier to manage than you might think–and it won’t just benefit your students. It’s made teaching exciting for me again. It has energized me and refreshed my excitement to teach new things. When my students feel connected to the information they’re learning, it makes me feel confident that I am not just getting them ready for a test, but preparing them to spend their lives exploring and understanding the world around them.

Key points:

• Digital tools and AI can prepare students for active citizenship in a global society
• 6 ways you’re already using AI in the classroom
• 4 ways to ensure academic integrity as AI tools gain popularity
• For more news on AI in education, visit eSN’s Digital Learning hub

In recent years, the integration of digital tools into educational settings has revolutionized the way students engage with and learn about social studies. From interactive simulations to online databases of primary sources, these tools offer educators a wide array of resources to enrich their curriculum and foster student learning.

This article explores the significance of digital tools in social studies instruction, delving into their benefits, implications, and the emerging capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in both elementary and secondary settings.

Social studies education serves as the cornerstone for cultivating informed and engaged citizens capable of understanding the complexities of the world around them. With the rapid advancement of technology, digital tools have emerged as powerful assets in achieving this goal. These tools encompass a broad spectrum of resources, including educational apps, multimedia presentations, virtual field trips, and interactive maps–all of which have the potential to enhance the teaching and learning of social studies.

Benefits of digital tools in social studies education

Enhanced Accessibility: One of the primary advantages of digital tools is their ability to provide students with access to a vast array of historical documents, primary sources, and multimedia resources. Online archives such as the Library of Congress’s Digital Collections and the National Archives offer students the opportunity to explore primary sources firsthand, gaining insights into historical events and cultural phenomena that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Interactive Learning Experiences: Digital tools facilitate interactive learning experiences that actively engage students in the exploration of historical events, geographical locations, and cultural practices. Interactive simulations and educational games, such as iCivics and Mission US, allow students to step into the shoes of historical figures, make decisions that shape historical outcomes, and gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of the past.

Personalized Instruction: With the advent of adaptive learning platforms and personalized tutorials, educators can now tailor instruction to meet the individual needs and learning styles of each student. Digital tools such as Khan Academy and Newsela analyze students’ progress, identify areas for improvement, and provide targeted resources and activities to support their learning journey.

Collaborative Learning Opportunities: Digital tools facilitate collaboration and communication among students, enabling them to work together on projects, share ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions. Online discussion forums, collaborative document editors, and social media platforms provide students with platforms to collaborate with peers, exchange perspectives, and learn from one another.

Capabilities of AI in social studies education

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, its potential applications in social studies education are becoming increasingly apparent. In elementary settings, AI-powered educational tools can provide personalized learning experiences tailored to each student’s needs and interests. For example, AI-driven adaptive learning platforms can assess students’ knowledge and skills, identify areas for improvement, and recommend targeted activities and resources to support their learning journey.

In secondary settings, AI can enhance historical research and analysis by automating tasks such as data collection, text analysis, and pattern recognition. Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms can help students analyze primary sources, extract key information, and generate summaries or interpretations. AI-powered virtual assistants can also provide instant feedback, answer questions, and facilitate interactive discussions, enabling students to engage more deeply with course content and develop higher-order thinking skills.

To implement AI in social studies education, educators can incorporate AI-driven tools into research projects, inquiry-based learning activities, and historical simulations. For example, students can use AI-powered research tools to explore historical topics in depth, analyze primary sources, and develop their own interpretations of historical events. Additionally, educators can use AI-driven assessment tools to evaluate students’ historical thinking skills, such as sourcing, contextualization, and corroboration.

However, despite the potential benefits of AI in social studies education, educators may encounter challenges related to digital literacy and ethical considerations. Educators must ensure that students understand how AI technologies work, including their limitations and potential biases. Additionally, educators must address ethical concerns related to AI, such as algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the impact of automation on historical research and analysis.

Implications for educators

Incorporating digital tools and AI into social studies instruction requires thoughtful planning, professional development, and ongoing support for educators. Teachers must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively integrate technology into their teaching practices, select appropriate digital resources, and assess their impact on student learning. Professional development opportunities, peer collaboration, and access to technical support can help educators navigate the complexities of digital integration and maximize the potential of technology-enhanced instruction.

Digital tools and artificial intelligence offer unprecedented opportunities to enrich social studies education, engage students in meaningful learning experiences, and prepare them for active citizenship in a global society. By harnessing the power of technology, educators can inspire curiosity, cultivate critical thinking skills, and foster a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the past and present.

As we continue to embrace the digital revolution, it is essential to recognize the transformative potential of digital tools and AI in shaping the future of social studies education. With thoughtful implementation and ongoing support, educators can leverage these tools to create dynamic and engaging learning environments that empower students to become critical thinkers, informed citizens, and lifelong learners.

Key points:

• Use “hooks” to captivate students’ attention and foster excitement for learning
• Student engagement requires more than edtech tools
• PBL isn’t used enough–let’s change that
• For more news on teaching trends, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Learning is a dynamic process, one in which learners must be actively engaged. However, studies suggest that a significant percentage of students feel disengaged in their learning, posing a challenge for educators. As teachers strive to adapt their instructional methods to nurture student curiosity and drive deeper student engagement, the principles outlined in Teach Like A Pirate offer valuable insights. 

A few years ago, I read the book Teach Like A Pirate by Dave Burgess, and the ideas resonated with me and changed my perspective on instructional practices. In his book, Burgess emphasizes the importance of Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask/Analyze, Transform, and Enthusiasm (P.I.R.A.T.E.) in teaching. Central to this approach are the hooks – strategies that captivate students’ attention and foster excitement for learning. Here, we explore five effective hooks I’ve shared with the educators I support that are inspired by the book, along with specific examples of their implementation: 

1. The Mystery 

Creating a sense of intrigue and anticipation can significantly enhance student engagement. Simple yet effective strategies, such as presenting a mystery box or revealing half of an image, encourage students to speculate, discuss, and inquire. By tapping into their curiosity, educators can stimulate deeper learning experiences. 

Within their K-12 platform–Discovery Education Experience–the team at Discovery Education has created an entire section on Instructional Hook Strategies as part of their Spotlight On Strategies resources. Two examples that I implemented in my classroom, were Half of the Picture and Half the story.  

Present students with half of an image and prompt them to speculate on the missing portion. For example, show only the right half of an image of soldiers and ask students to guess what the soldiers are preparing for.  

Zoom in on a projected image, revealing only a portion to students. Prompt them to guess what it could be, gradually zooming out to unveil the full image. These strategies encourage curiosity and critical thinking, setting the stage for deeper exploration of the day’s lesson. 

2. The Technology Hook 

The use of technology can be a hook in itself, but it can also be combined with most of the other hooks to amplify the learning experience. The mystery hook could be applied when connecting to experts, authors, or other classes. Students could try to guess who they will be meeting with or where they are from.  

Technology not only engages students but also offers opportunities for alternative assessments that encourage creativity and individuality. By incorporating alternative assessment formats, students can demonstrate their understanding in unique ways. For instance, when prompted with questions such as ‘Were the colonists justified in rebelling against the British?’, one reserved student expressed her thoughts in a British accent during an audio recording. This unexpected approach not only revealed her personality but also showcased her depth of understanding. Such personalized assessments serve as catalysts for further exploration of students’ interests and capabilities. 

Embracing alternative assessment methods not only fosters deeper engagement but also unlocks students’ creativity and individuality. Projects using platforms like Flip,  Garageband, Russel Tarr’s ClassTools Fakebook page, Matt Miller’s Ditch That TextBook templates, and Ryan O’Donnell’s Creative Ed Tech site offer innovative ways for students to showcase their understanding while connecting to their interests. 

By harnessing these resources, educators empower students to demonstrate mastery authentically, fostering deeper engagement and meaningful learning experiences. 

3. The Kinesthetic Hook  

Engaging students through movement is a powerful strategy that enhances active participation and deepens learning experiences. By incorporating kinesthetic hooks into teaching practices, educators can create dynamic and immersive environments that promote collaboration and critical thinking.  

Gallery walks provide a transformative approach to traditional presentations, fostering active participation and deeper learning experiences. Rather than passively listening to student presentations over multiple class periods, gallery walks utilize both classroom and hallway spaces as dynamic learning resources. This setup encourages students to actively engage by moving around and interacting with various materials. 

During gallery walks, students have the opportunity to explore a variety of resources, including posters, QR codes linked to slide presentations, and informational materials. This station-like setup allows students to interact with multimedia content such as text resources, video clips, and presentations, thereby enhancing their understanding and retention of the material. 

By offering a multisensory approach, gallery walks engage students on multiple levels, catering to diverse learning preferences and fostering a deeper connection with the content. As an educator who has transitioned from traditional presentations to gallery walks, I have observed firsthand the transformative impact of this approach. It ignites greater student engagement and enthusiasm for learning, ultimately leading to more meaningful educational experiences. 

4. The Safari Hook  

Scavenger hunts and interactive challenges offer exciting avenues for students to apply their knowledge while fostering independent learning and problem-solving skills. Utilizing tools like Google Forms, educators can craft digital scavenger hunts with self-assessing questions, promoting engagement and autonomy in learning. Incorporating elements of gamification, such as unlocking clues or prizes, enhances motivation and bolsters learning outcomes. 

For instance, digital photo activities like the alphabet photo book engage elementary students in identifying letters by capturing images around the school. This approach extends beyond traditional assessments, allowing educators to assess various skills and knowledge through student-generated content. 

Another hook is bringing the Amazing Race into the classroom. Educators can leverage Google Forms and response validation questions to create unique challenges at each ‘Pit Stop.’ By incorporating QR codes for easy access and navigation, educators immerse themselves in the activity, gaining valuable insights into students’ engagement and understanding. 

Alternatively, activities like BreakoutEDU provide a thrilling experience by presenting students with clues to open locks and reveal hidden treasurers. Platforms like  Flippity.net offer flexibility in designing scavenger hunts, replacing physical locks with digital counterparts and providing endless possibilities for creative challenges. 

Regardless of the chosen activity, participants of all ages delight in the opportunity to move around and engage in thought-provoking challenges, reinforcing learning in an interactive and enjoyable manner. 

5. The Picasso Hook 

Visual storytelling and sketchnoting are powerful tools for comprehension and creativity. With touchscreen devices and digital whiteboards, students can create visual representations of concepts, enhancing understanding and fostering creativity. Sketchnoting allows students to capture information from text, video, or presentations using drawings, facilitating better retention and understanding through visual connections. 

Technology makes sketchnoting accessible to students of all skill levels. For instance, touchscreen devices like iPads enable students to use apps like Freeform for drawing. Additionally, tools like QuickDraw by Google assist students in generating visual content by predicting drawings and offering clip-art style options. 

Digital notebooks offer another avenue for visual expression. Students can use templates in Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote to add information, take notes, and include images to support their understanding. Tools like Google Drawing can be used to annotate images or create hand-drawn copies, allowing students to personalize their learning experience and showcase their understanding effectively. 

Incorporating these hooks into instructional practices not only revitalizes classroom experiences but also cultivates a deeper connection between students and learning. By stimulating curiosity, fostering creativity, and promoting active participation, educators can create dynamic and immersive learning environments that inspire a lifelong love for learning. 

Key points:

• The Talents Unlimited model and edtech resources play a role in this educator’s strategy
• 5 of the biggest education trends in 2024
• Edtech tools to beat our state of emergency in reading and math achievement
• For more news on instructional strategies, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub

Keeping gifted students focused and engaged in learning can be challenging. They complete tasks quickly, are often motivated to dig deeper into a subject, and are prone to boredom if not sufficiently challenged. This can lead to disengagement, especially for gifted students.

To better support my gifted and talented students, I have integrated the Talents Unlimited approach into my classroom practice. The Talents Unlimited approach to education was created by Dr. Calvin Taylor, who researched the thinking skills people need to be successful in the world of work. Specifically, the Talents Unlimited model identified the following five key thinking abilities that lead to success: Productive Thinking, Communication, Forecasting, Decision Making, and Planning. Nurturing and expanding these talents can help students develop creative and problem-solving skills.

Here are some examples of how I am helping my gifted students by combining the Talents Unlimited approach and using Discovery Education Experience to ensure engagement for all students no matter their learning level:

Productive Thinking

Productive Thinking refers to a student’s ability to think up many, varied, and unusual or one-of-a-kind ideas. To support my students’ ability to undertake Productive Thinking, I use the Z Chart, which is one of Discovery Education’s research-based Spotlight on Strategies. The Z Chart is a graphic organizer that helps students summarize information using linguistic and nonlinguistic representations. The Z Chart strategy provides a quick way to present ideas. One of the best parts is that it works well as an individual reflection tool and as a tool for cooperative groups to use when discussing a jigsaw activity. This makes sure that students across abilities can dive deep into a topic together or through self-directed learning.

Communication

• The Communication skills Talents Unlimited seeks to develop are:
• Giving many, varied, single words to describe something.
• Giving many, varied, single words to describe feelings.
• Thinking of many, varied things that are like another thing in the form of a simile
• Letting others know that you understand how they feel.
• Making a network of ideas using many, varied, and complete thoughts.
• Telling your feelings and needs without using words.

Discovery Education Experience’s DEmystified series features short videos (most are around two minutes long) that answer questions in a plain and simple, straightforward fashion. I use these videos to model several excellent communication skills addressed by Talents Unlimited.

For example, when my students watch the video “Characteristics of Stars,” I challenged them to complete the simile “Stars are as hot as _________.” Students brainstormed about things that may be hot in order to compare to the heat of stars. These are perfect for grabbing attention as a hook into a unit of study, a brain break, or even a rainy-day recess!

Forecasting

The Forecasting Component of the Talents Unlimited framework asks students to think of many, varied and unusual ideas to examine cause and effect by answering one of two questions: What might have caused…? and What might happen if…?

I address this component of the Talents Unlimited framework using Discovery Education Experience’s Life Skills Channel. For example, I have shared with my 2nd grade students the video entitled “Bang the Drums”, which is a story about the passion of making music. Following the video, the class discussed and described the effects of finding our own passions, and what steps need to be taken to pursue our own passions.

In addition, there are videos on goal setting, which helps students see the importance of setting realistic goals. In both cases, my students have a great opportunity to think through essential forecasting as it relates to their own lives.

Planning

Talents Unlimited seeks to help students develop their planning skills, and their ability to discern and the steps necessary to develop a comprehensive plan to carry out a decision.

To support the growth of student’s planning abilities, I utilize Discovery Education’s Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) to transport my students beyond the classroom. Before the “trip” my class and I discuss what things we would need to bring with us if we were actually going on a trip to one of the VFT destinations. Together, we have traveled to places like the Arctic, and Washington, D.C.

We then talk about what we are planning to do on the trip, the order of the steps they need to take to do them, and we identify potential problems. These projects can become very detailed. For instance, for my 6th graders planned “trip” to Washington, D.C., they created detailed budgets and researched flights, lodging, and food. After the field trip they used their communication talent and created travel brochures to encourage others to visit Washington, D.C.

Decision Making

Helping students build their decision capabilities is the most complex challenge of using the Talents Unlimited framework. It involves helping students think of things they could do, which are called alternatives. Then students develop questions that serve as a guide between choosing alternatives, then they weigh those questions to make decisions, and ultimately, support that decision with varied reasons.

To support the development of my students’ decision-making skills, I have created a simple chart that I use for decision making lessons. Students will consider each alternative and apply it to the criteria in a process called weighing. This will lead them to the final decision. Finally, they give reasons for reaching this decision.

I have used two Discovery Education channels, National Parks, and Sharks, to teach with this talent. Discovery Education’s channel on the national parks has informational videos about several of the parks. After viewing a few of these, we completed a decision-making activity about deciding which park to visit. The alternatives were three of the parks: Yellowstone, Everglades, and Olympic. The criteria for visiting each included: Liking the temperature there, the proximity of the park to home, and if there are things there that students would like to see. After weighing these, students could arrive at a decision on which park to visit. There are many other videos that this model could be applied to. Another of my 4th grade’s favorites is the Shark Channel, where we have used decision making to determine the most dangerous shark.

I am a firm believer in using the Talents Unlimited framework and Discovery Education can be used with all students in any grade level. Students of any age and ability level will enjoy activities like these and develop some critical thinking skills along the way.

Key points:

• Conflict resolution can help students better manage interpersonal relationships
• See article: Friday 5: Teaching strategies for classroom success
• See article: Innovative ideas for school libraries
• For more news on instructional strategies, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

I agree with you, Mr. Arthur Miller, “the woods are burning” indeed.  America’s current political climate seems like a blazing forest fire of disagreement.  We are unable to see each other through the smoke of our confirmation biases, and unable to hear each other over the crackling whirling flames in our self-created echo chambers.  As educators, we should all work together to help lead our country through this self-destructive conflagration. Teaching various methods for conflict resolution to our students might be one prescription public schools could employ for this monumental challenge. 

Aside from the obvious classroom management benefits of teaching conflict resolution to students, children would also develop better interpersonal relationships outside of the classroom.  Perhaps, eventually, our democracy could improve too?

I have compiled several strategies for conflict resolution based on modern psychology and neuroscience. I have been incorporating them into typical English Language Arts and Social Studies high school content for several years (Piccoli 2-5).  Using a Rogerian rhetoric writing style I focus on teaching students to express empathy, find common ground, and ask questions instead of using facts to persuade (Piccoli 2-5). 

Below is an example student activity of how to integrate these strategies into a lesson on the conflict between Dr. Frankenstein and his monster in Mary Shelley’s famous gothic novel, Frankenstein.

Directions: Pretend that you are Dr.Victor Frankenstein at the beginning of Chapter 17.  The monster has just finished explaining the rejection he faced from so many people after Victor (you) abandoned him and has asked you to make him a female companion for him.  However, you know that you should not because the female monster might be evil, might not love the monster, and or this situation might result in a new monster species. Follow the Rogerian Rhetoric style argument outlined below (1-8) to persuade the monster to understand Victor’s (your) point of view.   

1. Express empathy by describing how they feel and why they feel it.

It seems like you feel angry because you are lonely.  People have unfairly rejected you because of how you look, because of how I designed you to look.  On top of all that, you feel betrayed because I abandoned you. 

2.Continue to express empathy by steelmanning their POV: Describe the best possible version of their arguments back to them so that they know you fully understand their POV. Be sure to emphasize and acknowledge any new information they told you.

Your argument is that if I make you a female monster you will live away from people. Therefore, there are no risks in me creating a monster companion for you. You’re saying it’s not too much to ask to have one companion.  Also, I didn’t realize you were rejected by the townspeople, the De Lacey Family, and were shot in the arm after saving a little girl’s life.  That must’ve been devastating. 

3. Find common ground (common goals) and list any part of their argument that you agree with and or to what extent you agree with them. 

I totally agree that I shouldn’t have abandoned you, that was wrong of me.  We both don’t want to keep destroying each other’s lives. 

4. Offer a “welcome mat statement,” a statement that aims to encourage your opposing party to feel less defensive or foolish about changing their POV and “stepping” towards your POV.

I thought making you a companion monster would be a good idea at first too until I asked myself some questions. 

5. Ask “flashlight question(s);” higher-level thinking questions (How or What) that “flashlight” on your arguments but allow your opposing party to discover your arguments on their own.

How will you know if the female monster will be good or evil?

What would happen if you both had monster children?

How can I trust you?

6. Propose a compromise(s):

 I’ll try to make you look less “monstrous” to other people.  I’ll introduce you to people, a little at a time.  Can I have some time to think about it?

7. Listen and try to understand their objections, repeat 1-7 as necessary.

A similar activity could be designed in Social Studies lessons between two historical figures involved in a disagreement:

Directions: Choose a role: A supporter of President Woodrow Wilson is debating a 1st Amendment advocate on whether free speech should be limited under the Espionage Act and Sedition Act during World War I. Use the same Rogerian Rhetoric style outlined above. 

Admittedly, a Rogerian style argument is not appropriate for all types of conflicts.  These conflict resolution strategies would not be appropriate in a courtroom, under a threat of physical violence, or conversing with anyone arguing in bad faith.  Additionally, some students may find it difficult to resist the temptation to try and “win the debate” instead of focusing on empathy and finding common ground.  Teachers are well advised to offer students an alternative choice assignment in the event students resist these techniques.  However, offering students a practical set of steps for better conflict resolution might help them transfer these skills into their everyday lives and improve their interpersonal relationships.

Still, a few worksheets on the topic of conflict resolution are just scattered seeds on the smoldering forest floor of our disagreements.  All educators need to emphasize the value of having an open mind, and model how to listen to and empathize with those with whom we disagree. Throughout human history these tenets were often the seeds that grew the trees of peace, love, and understanding.  We all grow our history together, every day, for better or for worse. Is it too late for us to change, to learn to love our enemies? 

I’m reminded of wisdom reminiscent of an ancient Chinese proverb. The best time to plant the seeds of peace, love, and understanding was 20 years ago.  But, the second best time is right now.   

Links

New Jersey English Journal: ELA Strategies for Teaching Students How to Disagree Productively
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/nj-english-journal/vol11/iss2022/8/

Owl.Purdue: Rogerian Rhetoric
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/historical_perspectives_on_argumentation/rogerian_argument.html

Kids fight with their parents this many times before they turn 18
https://nypost.com/2018/12/03/kids-fight-with-their-parents-this-many-times-before-they-turn-18/

PEW Research: America’s Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/americans-dismal-views-of-the-nations-politics/

How to Build an Exit Ramp for Trump Supporters
https://hbr.org/2016/10/how-to-build-an-exit-ramp-for-trump-supporters

Lieberman, Matthew D et al. “Putting feelings into words: affect labeling disrupts
amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli.” Psychological science vol. 18,5 (2007): 421-8. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.
01916.x

Rozenblit, Leonid, and Frank Keil. “The misunderstood limits of folk science: an illusion of explanatory depth.” Cognitive science vol.
26,5 (2002): 521-562. doi:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1207/s15516709cog2605_1

Shapiro, Shauna.Mindfulness Practices for Challenging Times: Emotion Regulation, Shifting Perspective, Compassion for Empathy Distress. Alternative and Complementary Therapies.Jun 2020.109-111.http://doi.org/10.1089/act.2020.29277.ssh

Taber, Charles S., and Milton Lodge. “Motivated Skepticism in the Evaluation of Political Beliefs.” American Journal of Political Science, vol. 50, no. 3, [Midwest Political Science
Association, Wiley], 2006, pp. 755–69, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3694247.

Westen, Drew., Pavel S. Blagov, Keith Harenski, Clint Kilts, Stephan Hamann; Neural
Bases of Motivated Reasoning: An fMRI Study of Emotional Constraints on
Partisan Political Judgment in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election. J Cogn Neurosci
2006; 18 (11): 1947–1958. doi https://direct.mit.edu/jocn/article-abstract/18/11/1947/4251/

Key points:

• With or without AI, it’s possible to engage students in authentic learning experiences
• See article: Data really is the secret sauce in the K-12 classroom
• See article: Expanding ‘through-year’ assessments to boost achievement
• For more news on instructional strategies, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

There is a lot of excitement surrounding ChatGPT, the cutting-edge chatbot powered by OpenAI. Some experts believe this new technology can have a positive impact on teaching and learning, while others fret it may weaken the teaching of critical thinking and increase bias by spreading misinformation about different groups and cultures.

While both can be true, it is up to educators to create classroom conditions for students to use ChatGPT and other AI tools in a responsible way. Educators can draw on their long practice of nurturing student agency and authentic engagement, as they have always done. This approach goes even further when combined with teaching global competencies such as appreciation for diversity, perspective-taking, and global engagement, empowering students to take ownership over their learning. Educators can even tap student enthusiasm for new technology by assigning–and assessing student learning using–multimedia projects.

Does this all sound far-fetched? The Global Scholars virtual exchange program has reached more than 105,000 students, cumulatively. Over the past decade, we’ve seen students engage in multiple ways productively (with one another, with the subject matter, with their peers worldwide). Working with more than 500 teachers annually, and with Project Zero from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to analyze our e-classroom discussion boards, we have qualitative data on what works to keep students engaged in learning.

Underlying the 5 steps below are 2 “secrets,” which will come as no surprise to today’s educators.

Secret 1: Multimedia assignments. Multimedia projects such as podcasts, interviews, news articles, infographics, 3D spaces, and videos tap student enthusiasm for new technology, but for creative purposes. These types of assignments are also harder to farm out to AI! Additionally, multimedia projects offer educators alternative ways to see evidence of student thinking. A student’s role in building a collaborative website, video, or even community garden may not be as easy to evaluate as a 5-paragraph essay—which ChatGPT could handle more easily—but it offers educators a window into key elements of critical thinking skills such as creativity, problem solving, decision-making, strategic planning, and verbal communication as they develop.

Secret 2: Student expertise. Students ages 10-13 are rarely seen as experts or asked to share their perspectives and lived experiences. Asking for students’ personal experience and insights about their own communities is both inspiring and, once again, hard to fake. Educators can take it up a notch by emphasizing the diversity of local cultures in any community or classroom and coaching students to listen for and to value different perspectives.

To promote engagement and support the development of critical thinking skills in your classroom, here are five ways to teach and assess student learning in the age of AI that we’ve learned from the Global Scholars international virtual exchange program:

1. Action! Motivate students to act by incorporating action planning into assignments. This involves breaking down tasks into smaller steps. Encourage students to create goals and list the action steps themselves. Bonus: Have them measure and note the impact of each action. Students can measure impact by gathering data from surveys or documenting testimonials.

2. Community. Encourage students to look beyond the classroom for deeper learning. For any topic, they can conduct interviews with local experts.

3. Own it. To promote student agency in group activities, offer students the opportunity to select their preferred roles and responsibilities. By giving students the freedom to choose, they can feel more invested in the project and take ownership of their contributions. This approach also fosters a sense of collaboration since each group member contributes to a shared goal.

4. Invite new perspectives. To limit bias and prejudice, set up authentic, structured encounters with peers of different backgrounds. This empowers students to speak about their own lived experience and to listen with care to that of others. A virtual exchange program such as Global Scholars, Open Canopy, or a resource like iEarn makes these authentic encounters easier to arrange. If this is not available, take advantage of the diverse experiences in your own classroom to encourage reflection and respectful exchange.

5. We can work it out. Develop assignments that promote inclusive problem-solving and multiperspectivity. Have students design a community survey to gather insights from family and community members on any topic. Bonus: Have them show survey responses in pie charts or bar graphs or edit a video of an interview.

An authentic assignment or heartfelt exchange teaches students not only to avoid reliance on received responses such as those from ChatGPT; it also launches them on a lifelong learning adventure.

References

Understanding AI Writing Tools and Their Uses for Teaching and Learning at UC Berkeley | Center for Teaching & Learning. (n.d.).

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, Washington, DC, 2023. 

Young, J. R. (2023, July 27). Instructors rush to do “assignment makeovers” to respond to CHATGPT – Edsurge News. EdSurge.

Key points:

• Assessment creation can be uncomfortable, but it is also one of the most important steps in accelerating student learning
• Teachers are the only professionals who can most effectively build these assessments for their students
• See related article: 4 engaging assessment ideas for middle and high school
• For more news on assessment, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

Teachers use a variety of methods to assess mastery of a topic. We use observations, quick formative assessments, longer summative assessments, and long-term benchmark assessments. The problem is that these assessments come in a variety of ways, depending on where you teach.

Many districts utilize pre-built assessments from curricular resource companies. Others build assessments based on curricular resources and change every 4-6 years with their new resource adoption cycles. Some will create assessments based on their state-approved learning standards and work to adapt the curricular resources to their true “curriculum” and assessments.

It’s no wonder teachers are more cautious and insecure than ever about their abilities to assess and close learning gaps effectively. That is clear in the most recent surveys on the state of assessment, including Instructure’s 2023 State of Assessment in K-12 Education.

Curricular companies vs. teacher-built assessments

Teachers are amazing individuals and assess students in a variety of ways all day long. However, pressure is often heightened when it comes to building an effective assessment that identifies skills directly related to state learning standards in a variety of skill levels. The need to collect effective data that can be used to drive instruction and intervention can increase levels of stress and uncertainty. 

This anxiety and lack of confidence in the educator’s ability to create an effective assessment is why district administrators often go with premade assessments from curriculum companies. It’s easy and it takes a task off of a teacher’s already overloaded schedule, so why not? Shouldn’t these companies have the most expertise in the content they are writing for the resource? The short answer is no.

Assessments, by design, should show a stair step of understanding toward mastery of state-approved learning standards. But assessments also need to provide a clear picture of student understanding within those skills so teachers can take that information and fill in the gaps.

Curricular companies do not know my individual students in De Soto, Missouri, but I do. While it creates an uncomfortable feeling for teachers to be thrown into the pond with assessment creation, it is also one of the most important steps we can take to help accelerate student learning.

Breaking down the assessment process

Teachers are the only professionals who can most effectively build these assessments for their students. With support and training on unwrapping standards, creating learning targets, designing proficiency scales, and analyzing data through collaborative professional learning communities to drive instructional decisions, teachers can better design assessments. And through that guidance and support, teachers will maintain the rigor of end-of-year state assessments, yet provide levels of mastery that are used to meet students where they are and provide the interventions they need to be successful.

Teachers want nothing more than to find success for struggling students. In order to do this, they want to have a deep understanding of their state learning standards. Teachers want to identify what the barriers are that are holding a student back from success, and they are excited when they can find this in assessment data. Most importantly, teachers are more successful when they can do this work in a collaborative environment such as a professional learning community.

In De Soto, we have found success using these same essential components over the last few years. Our state assessment scores have increased by double-digit percentage points in many areas year over year, with growth in almost every area across the board this previous year in grades 3-12.

Finding a viable solution in De Soto

The ingredients are simple, yet the work is difficult. Collaboration and data analysis are key, leading to a big payoff for students! We have spent the last few years reviewing our deep dive into unwrapping our state standards, creating effective learning targets, designing proficiency scales, and learning about effective assessment design. Though this is work we have done as a district many times in the past, it’s now even more important. We had a vision in mind for finding the most effective way to diagnose student learning gaps and provide the most effective interventions to support them.

However, an assessment is only as good as the data you receive. That is where Mastery Connect by Instructure came into play for De Soto. Mastery Connect is a program that gives teachers a platform to create assessments with individual questions aligned to specific standards. After facilitating the assessment, teachers get immediate graphical and data feedback showing student mastery for each standard assessed, and a breakdown of that data by question, class, teacher, and team. This gives teachers the tools to effectively analyze data and drive instructional decisions to best support students.

While we are asking teachers to jump into the deep end with assessment creation, we are providing some life preservers through programs like Mastery Connect that can show them immediate, effective feedback of that assessment work, and give them the information they need to see the big payoff in student growth.

Assessment work is always a work in progress. We will always refine, revise, and improve our assessments to provide better data, increase rigor, and more closely align to state standards. It is this work, however, that can have the greatest impact on student achievement. Teachers, more than anyone, have the expertise and ability to create and design effective assessments for their students. Partnered with effective collaboration and tools such as Mastery Connect, we can see those learning gaps continue to close and students continue to achieve.

Key points:

• Easy access to valuable data is key in supporting students
• A new approach to structured literacy can yield improved outcomes
• See related article: 10 instructional strategies that lead to academic growth
• For more news on classroom data, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

Along with all of the educational technology that’s made its way into the K-12 classroom over the last 10 years, we also now have a constant stream of useful, actionable data that we can use to improve student outcomes. This is especially true with literacy, where it’s all too easy to lose track of student progress and performance as students make their way through elementary and middle school.

Knowing this, we opted to pilot the Lexia Core5 Reading adaptive blended learning literacy program a few years ago. Our initial goal was to improve the reading support we offered students based on their literacy data, specifically in the area of foundational skills. We were collecting data from a variety of assessments, but the interventions we were using just weren’t showing that students were making consistent progress as readers.

We had recently implemented a re-rollout of small group guided reading instruction, but it was showing limited results. We were primarily using a reading workshop and balanced literacy model to teach reading. We had added additional phonemic awareness instruction into kindergarten and first grade classrooms, but we knew we still needed to make improvements to our district literacy program to better support our students.

Luckily, our literacy program pilot went well, and we slowly expanded our use of our literacy program across the elementary schools in our district with a before-school program. In the spring of 2020, we obtained unlimited licenses for the literacy program, which the company was offering at no charge due to the pandemic, and rostered all of our elementary and middle school students so they could use it at home. In the fall of 2020, we purchased unlimited licenses for all of our elementary schools and started implementing our first structured literacy program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.      

Needless to say, our access to reliable data improved significantly once we had a unified literacy program in place. Here are four top benefits we’ve seen as a result of making this move:

1. A gateway to structured literacy. Embracing a new approach to literacy instruction was paramount to driving improved outcomes for our students. When we implemented a new structured literacy reading program that we could integrate with our Lexia programs, we found the real gateway into structured literacy. With whole group structured literacy reading lessons and a literacy center block to provide time for daily personalized literacy instruction for students on our literacy platform and Amira, a digital reading tutor, I never imagined that there would be acceleration support for our students like what we have now. We are lucky to have these different programs that are aligned when it comes to teaching kids to read and then supporting them as they become advanced readers.
   
2. Easy access to valuable data. We are pleased with the results of our multi-year approach to improving literacy and extracting the data needed for effective decision-making and performance monitoring. As we continue refining our whole-class and small group structured literacy reading lessons, we will keep supporting consistent student usage on our literacy and digital tutoring programs. For example, if usage and progress data doesn’t meet teachers’ expectations, our teachers can quickly gain an understanding of how students are performing on the programs and intervene accordingly. This was a big shift for us because we now have access to an ongoing collection of data points quickly to better support students.
   
3. Better reading test scores. For the 2022-23 school year, 84 percent of our students met usage expectations on Core5 and 74 percent of all students advanced at least one grade level of material. During the same period, 65 percent of students who used the literacy program with fidelity and 49 percent of all students reached skills at or above their grade level. Students’ NWEA RIT scores also improved—to the point where the district’s median RIT percentile was higher than usual. We had growth data in every elementary school like we’ve never seen before. In fact, a comparison of NWEA reading test results from SY 2019-20 to SY 2022-23 showed K-5 students went from 37 percent at or above norms of growth rate to 93 percent. Similar results were gained on the NWEA Language Usage test for students in grades 3-5 where students went from 37 percent at or above norms of growth rate to 96 percent.  We tend to have good growth data because we have a lot of students who show growth across the full year, but typically not from fall to winter. The solid growth we saw at every elementary school this past year was amazing.  
   
4. A reading program that everyone loves. The positive momentum of the literacy program has been an important factor in our district’s literacy journey that supports students, teachers, and families throughout the school year and into the summer months. Teachers understand the literacy program now and it can support their students. Teachers get excited when they see students making progress and they see that our literacy program has a direct connection to those students’ educational progress. We also like how we can view the program’s data through different lenses. For example, principals can easily see metrics connected to their building literacy data, while we can also access district literacy data. Teachers, interventionists, special education staff, and paraprofessionals can view class, caseload, and student data to target the literacy needs of students more effectively.

Our district now has the data that it needs and a structured literacy approach that’s already producing impressive results in the way of improved reading scores.

Key points:

• Standardized tests aren’t inclusive and often lead to unnecessary stress
• Educators should shift focus from standardized tests to ensuring students become independent learners
• See related article: What’s the state of K-12 assessment?
• For more news on assessments, see eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

Standardized testing has long been a contentious topic in the field of education. While the primary goal of standardized testing is to measure student achievement and set benchmarks for educational standards, it carries unintended consequences. This article delves into the multifaceted impact of state tests on various aspects of education.

Standardized reading tests

In recent years, the landscape of reading instruction has undergone a dramatic transformation. Teachers now find themselves navigating a shift away from the immersive experience of novels towards a regimen of skill-and-drill exercises. The pressure to align curricula with the test format has led to a prioritization of short-stories. This shift, while intended to improve test performance, comes at a cost. It robs students of the opportunity to lose themselves in the rich tapestry of novels, to fall in love with books over extended periods of time, and to develop a profound and lasting connection with literature.

Furthermore, this myopic focus on test preparation diminishes the joy of reading for pleasure. By constraining students to short-stories (designed to mimic the test format), we risk stifling their exploration of diverse genres, complex characters, and critical thinking skills that occurs within the context of experiencing a well-crafted novel. The unintended long-term consequence is a generation of students who may excel in meeting the demands of a test, but who miss out on the deeper, transformative power of literature to shape the minds and hearts of learners!

Standardized math tests

The evolution of math education has been marked by a shift towards conceptual teaching methods insofar as students no longer memorize rote procedures. In other words, students are now tasked with understanding the underlying principles when engaging in mathematics. For instance, instead of simply learning that the decimal point moves when multiplying or dividing decimals by a power of 10, they grasp the dynamic of the digits shifting. The change towards deeper comprehension and conceptual understanding is a positive development.

However, standardized tests have lagged behind in adapting to this new pedagogical approach. While modern math education emphasizes not just arriving at a solution, but understanding the reasoning behind it, standardized tests remain fixated on the final answer. This dissonance creates a misalignment between classroom instruction and test expectations. By failing to account for the importance of explaining mathematical thinking, these tests fall short in accurately assessing students’ true understanding and problem-solving abilities. In this way, the very tests meant to measure mathematical proficiency inadvertently hinder the development of critical thinking and comprehensive understanding of mathematical concepts.

Miscellaneous

In addition to the specific areas discussed above, state tests are entangled with a host of broader concerns. Research consistently highlights that standardized assessments perpetuate racial disparities, placing marginalized students at a disadvantage. Additionally, the high-stakes nature of these tests can lead to heightened levels of anxiety and stress among students (and their families), potentially impacting their overall well-being and mental health. Furthermore, standardized tests do not consider multi-modal approaches to both teaching and assessing.

A compelling alternative to state tests is the use of portfolio reviews. This method offers a more comprehensive view of student progress and fosters a growth mindset. By showcasing a range of student work, portfolios enable educators to assess individual strengths, growth, and areas for improvement more accurately. This shift towards a portfolio-based assessment not only aligns with modern pedagogy but also ensures a more equitable evaluation of student achievement, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Nonetheless, in a shifting landscape where holistic admissions processes are gaining traction, standardized tests continue to wield disproportionate influence in college admissions. Many higher education institutions recognize the limitations of relying solely on test scores and are striving to adopt a more comprehensive approach to evaluating applicants. However, the state tests, which heavily impact high school transcripts, do not reflect this shift towards a more holistic evaluation.

Placing an undue emphasis on standardized test scores may cause colleges to overlook other crucial dimensions of a student’s profile, such as extracurricular activities, personal essays, and letters of recommendation. This narrow focus on test performance can impede the admissions process from truly capturing the diverse talents and potential of students. As colleges aim to create vibrant, diverse communities, it is imperative that they reevaluate the weight placed on standardized test scores and consider a more balanced, multifaceted approach to admissions.

It is time for education policymakers and stakeholders to engage in ongoing discussions, challenging the status quo and advocating for a more balanced and effective approach to assessment in education. While rote memorization is important to an extent, educators should be able to shift their focus from standardized tests to instilling students with skills (research, critical-thinking, project-based learning, etc.) that can allow them to explore various topics with minimal assistance from their teachers so as to become independent learners.

Key points:

• To personalize learning, teachers need actionable data more frequently
• A new partnership in Montana will support student achievement in just this manner
• See related article: What’s the state of K-12 assessment?
• For more on assessments, see eSN’s Innovative Teaching page

The Montana Office of Public Instruction is focusing on using assessments throughout the school year to give teachers the data they need–as early as possible–to positively impact student achievement through personalized learning.

Montana OPI will offer Discovery Education’s DreamBox solutions to the 53 school districts participating in the second year of the state’s Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot program. MAST is an initiative designed to improve learning achievement by implementing “through-year assessments,” a formative approach to assessment that provides teachers with actionable data that can inform instruction throughout the academic school year compared to relying on end-of-year assessment data. With more data insights throughout the year, teachers can quickly identify students’ target areas for growth and acceleration. 

The partnership will provide DreamBox Math and DreamBox Reading Plus to nearly 30,000 students (grades 3-8) across the state. DreamBox, which was recently acquired by Discovery Education, is the only provider of digital solutions rated “Strong” by Johns Hopkins’ EvidenceforESSA.org in both mathematics and reading.

DreamBox solutions will then expand to all educators and students in the 2024-2025 school year.

“This partnership emphasizes innovative solutions that accelerate student success,” said Montana State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Discovery Education’s DreamBox focuses on student-based teaching and learning, which reflects our MAST program. I am confident that teachers, students, and families will benefit from these programs that increase academic achievement.”

DreamBox Math and DreamBox Reading Plus are designed to adapt problems and questions based on how each student learns. DreamBox personalizes the learning experience for students, and district administrators and educators will have access to tools and resources that save them time and increase productivity as they support student success, including recommendations for specific activities and lessons. Parents and caregivers can also view their students’ learning growth through a family dashboard.

“This [partnership] is honoring that time that a teacher spends teaching. And it honors the student for learning. The immediate feedback in our model accentuates that personalized learning. I believe Montana is leading the nation in outcome-based education,” Arntzen said.

“Discovery Education believes every student deserves a high-quality, personalized learning experience, so we’re thrilled to expand our collaboration with Montana OPI to support even more Montana students and educators,” said Dr. Tim Hudson, Chief Learning Officer at Discovery Education. “Both Montana OPI and Discovery Education share a commitment to supporting teachers with effective resources and tools that align with education standards and improve intervention and remediation during the whole school year.”

“We’re inspired by Montana OPI’s leadership and commitment to learning innovation,” said Dr. Jason Sinquefield, Senior Vice President of Educational Partnerships at Discovery Education. “Our team looks forward to working alongside district leaders, educators, parents and caregivers, and community members across Montana to accelerate learning for all students and improve student skill development.”

Key points:

• Educators are looking to formative and summative assessments to inform classroom instruction
• Concerns remain about assessment literacy and quality
• See related article: 4 engaging assessment ideas for middle and high school

The majority of educators believe their school or district has an assessment-focused culture, but there are gaps in K-12 assessment literacy and familiarity with state standards, according to the 2023 State of Assessment in K-12 Education report from Instructure and Hanover Research.

With post-pandemic learning loss a continued focus, educators and administrators are relying on both formative and summative K-12 assessment data to direct classroom instruction. However, they are concerned about K-12 assessment literacy; the value placed on assessments; quality and reliability; identifying the right technology to deliver data; and effectively balancing assessment with instruction.

While 81 percent of educators believe they have an assessment-focused culture, there are discrepancies in assessment literacy, a lack of comfort with state standards, and the burdensome nature of the current assessment model. Only 62 percent of educators feel proficient in assessment literacy and 51 percent have concerns over the negative impact of assessments on instructional time. This emphasizes the need for relevant professional development opportunities, the use of embedded (or in-course) assessments, and systemic improvements that create an impactful and supportive assessment environment for both educators and students.

The findings suggest five common trends and best practices to drive more balanced assessment in K-12 schools:

1. Assessment literacy needs to be prioritized. There is a need to invest in professional development for teachers to build confidence in assessment design and practice, as well as how to effectively use the data to drive learning.

• Four out of five educators perceive their district or school culture to be “assessment-focused,” yet only three out of five consider themselves “assessment literate.”
• With less than two-thirds of educators (64 percent) feeling comfortable with their current state standards, further efforts are needed to promote standards-aligned assessment.

2. Both administrators and teachers value assessment – for different reasons. The survey uncovered diverging perspectives between administrators and teachers regarding the value of assessment.

• 62 percent of teachers expressed concerns over the negative impact of current assessment models on instructional time.
• The impact of interim and summative assessments differs between teachers and administrators. Administrators are 17 percent more likely to view interim assessments as an opportunity to measure student growth than teachers.

3. Quality and reliability (still) matter most. Assessment remains top-of-mind for educators. Almost twice as many educators are evaluating their assessments annually compared to one year ago. As schools continue to evaluate assessments and consider changing models in upcoming years, three characteristics are valued above all: reliability (91 percent), validity (90 percent), and quality (91 percent).

• Of the 70 percent of educators evaluating their assessments at least once yearly, half implement new assessments annually. This number is significantly higher than 38 percent in 2021.
• 87 percent of educators agree that aligning assessments with state standards and accurately representing the district’s scope and sequence is crucial.

4. The right technology embeds the right assessment data at the right time. Choosing the right educational tools is crucial for schools, especially given the abundance of options and approaching funding deadlines.

• Top data priorities include the ability to track student mastery of learning standards (46 percent), align content to standards (46 percent) and efficient, real-time data delivery (42 percent).
• Many educators report they are more likely to embrace technology that provides valuable data (51 percent), is promoted by school leaders (47 percent) and saves them time (47 percent).

5. Educators continue to balance the assessment approach. As the post-pandemic new normal sets in, educators’ confidence in summative assessment appears to be returning.

• More than two-thirds of educators reported positive perceptions of summative assessments, compared to just over half of educators in 2021.
• Educators cite that summative assessments help them to see trends over time (76 percent), provide valuable data that influence classroom instruction (73 percent) and encourage them to grow as teachers (70 percent).

“Based on the findings, educators need efficient and effective tools to create and deliver assessments that measure student growth beyond achievement,” said Karl Rectanus, SVP of K-12 Strategy at Instructure. “The report shows the need for learning platforms that can seamlessly and safely integrate assessment into content to optimize effective teaching and learning.”

Partnering with Hanover Research, Instructure launched the study designed to understand how 1,000 K-12 teachers and administrators across the United States feel about assessment today, how they use assessments and outcomes data in practice, and their opinion of the future of K-12 assessment.

This press release originally appeared online.

Related:
10 instructional strategies that lead to academic growth
We need a new approach to student assessment

Key points:

• The SAT will transform from its dated paper format to a dynamic, streamlined online format
• The most fundamental evolution of the SAT is undoubtedly its adaptation to each student’s capabilities
• See related article: 4 simple strategies to help students ace standardized tests

In the shifting, ever-changing landscape of American education, a major transformation is on the horizon. The SAT, an iconic rite of passage for college hopefuls since its inception in 1926, is shedding its paper skin to embrace the digital age. The College Board, the body governing the SAT, has already begun rolling out groundbreaking moves to transform the test from its dated paper format to a dynamic, streamlined online format. 

This pivot to the virtual realm is set to usher in a new era of efficiency and accessibility, but it does arrive with its own set of new challenges for students. With its U.S. debut in March 2024, the now Digital SAT (DSAT) will arrive with a new structure and layout to modernize the test-taking process. 

So what do these changes mean for students, teachers, and even parents, across the country? 

1. A more adaptive, personalized test

The most fundamental evolution of the SAT is undoubtedly its adaptation to each student’s capabilities. Traditional standardized tests, including the previous version of the SAT, have long been criticized for their rigid, one-size-fits-all structure. The revamped online format, however, adjusts the difficulty of future questions based on a student’s performance on earlier questions.

The initial module of each section presents a range of questions that assess the student’s competency. How well a student performs in this segment determines the level of complexity of the second segment; once questions in the second segment are adjusted, the score cap of the entire section is adjusted as well. 

A stronger performance in the first stage will unlock more challenging questions, potentially leading to a higher overall score. It is important to note, however, that while the format is changing, the new version is just as challenging as the traditional SAT – it simply offers a different approach to measuring a student’s abilities.

2. Fewer questions, more weight

In addition to its new adaptive capabilities, the newly designed SAT has also decreased the total number of questions. Under this new structure, each question becomes more impactful, increasing the premium on accuracy and strategic answering. 

The test is no longer about answering as many questions as possible. Instead, it’s a steep and demanding curve where each question holds the potential to significantly influence a student’s overall score.

This shift in the SAT’s structure calls for a change in preparation tactics. Students will now need to emphasize understanding concepts thoroughly, mastering problem-solving techniques, and honing precision in their responses, rather than aiming to complete a large volume of questions.

3. A new opportunity to manage time wisely

Along with trimming the number of questions, the College Board has also cut down the amount of time students have to take the DSAT. The previous version of the SAT clocked in at three hours, but it’s now set to occupy a notably shorter timeframe of two hours and 15 minutes.

Like its paper predecessor, the DSAT is not only testing students’ knowledge and problem-solving skills but also their ability to effectively manage their time under pressure. In a race against the clock, every minute—and indeed every second—is of the utmost importance.

While managing time is tough when students take paper practice tests, that’s not the case for digital practice tests, where students get immediate feedback on the amount of time they spend on each question. This helps them develop sound time management skills needed to turn in their top performance. 

4. Navigating the digital terrain is crucial for success

As the SAT shifts to the online format, students must master the new testing environment. More than just understanding the subject matter, the revised DSAT requires technological fluency as an essential part of achieving success.

In this new setting, it’s not enough to merely understand mathematical formulas or have a robust vocabulary. Proficiency in using online tools, such as a digital calculator, becomes vital. For instance, during the math section of the DSAT, students will now have access to Desmos, an online graphing calculator, for the entire math section.  

This change to an online medium for standardized testing redefines what it means to be prepared for the SAT. It introduces another level of complexity to the test, requiring students to be comfortable with digital interfaces and calculation tools, honing their skills in using technology to solve complex problems more efficiently.

5. The return of vocabulary questions

While we do see that the SAT’s newest evolution is geared towards the present day, the exam catches a glimpse of the past with the reintroduction of vocabulary-focused questions. Where once the SAT had moved away from these questions in favor of context-based reading comprehension, the redesigned exam includes a renewed focus on language proficiency.

The return of vocabulary questions emphasizes the need for students to possess not just a passive understanding of language, but an active, constructive use of it. Students will need to engage deeply with language, mastering the nuances of a wide range of words and their applications.

Bottom line 

As the SAT transitions from a traditional paper-and-pencil format to a digital platform, it will introduce a series of profound changes, each reinventing the way students and educators navigate standardized testing. From being enhanced with an adaptive and streamlined system to introducing new digital tools, the DSAT has finally caught up with the times and will rapidly become the “new normal” for standardized testing.

Every aspiring college student who is able should take the test, even when it’s not mandated. This will only serve to enhance the chances of selection into our nation’s top learning institutions.

Related:
Why college test prep is like Ironman triathlon training
We need a new approach to student assessment

Key points:

• When students have different ways to demonstrate learning, educators can collect more accurate data
• Middle and high school students benefit from choice, and different assessment options can lead to better engagement
• See related article: 3 new trends in student assessment

As an educator and leader who grades holistically, it becomes important to consider how to create well rounded assessments that offer students myriad different opportunities to demonstrate their learning.

Providing students with authentic and varied assessment opportunities helps educators gather datapoints on a student holistically. What is equally important is that we provide varied assessment opportunities so students can demonstrate understanding in different ways. This article offers ideas that are outside traditional essay writing and test taking mediums.

Here are 4 ideas I have found to be successful in my educational context, which is the IB’s Middle Years Programme.

1. Speech an expert

Students can write speeches on a particular topic that connects to the unit being studied. Presenting these speeches in front of an expert in the field augments the authenticity. Finding an expert can be difficult.

Enter: Skype a Scientist. This website has been a goldmine for us at our international school. The site acts as a repository of scientists who have volunteered their time to discuss topics with students of interest. The scientist is either working within the field of study or degreed in that particular field, giving students the opportunity to meet and work with experts.

Best of all: The website is free! Check out Skype a Scientist and try having a virtual expert visit to watch students’ speeches or presentations on a topic. Any subject could connect to science–in literature, we discussed symbolism and how it impacts our brains.

2. Debate

Teenagers love to argue and have avenue for voice. Students are encouraged to argue with each other and also negotiate with the teacher as part of the approaches to learning skills in our MYP IB program. A debate provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate the approaches to learning the Middle Years Programme. Fruitful research opportunities also exist; students can defend their arguments with research. This idea adds substantiation and an opportunity for an educator to teach research literacy skills.

I suggest structuring the debate using methods that are suggested by other organizations or countries. Some examples you may want to consider are below:

• British Parliamentary
• World Scholars Cup
• One Canadian method of many (from Alberta province)

You could also debate multiple times per year using different structures each time. This way students see, through an international lens, different debate styles that are used throughout our shared planet.

3. Filming a YouTube-style rant

A quick story on why I decided to share this assessment in this article: After a grade 7 student finished filming her rant on her laptop and was packing up to the leave our classroom, she stated the following: “This was the most fun assessment I have ever done in my life”

This was a turning point for me as I realized I had to share this idea with other international school leaders and educators, because it was the first time in my career where a student made a comment about an assessment.

Rants are an excellent way to give students an opportunity to use an informal register. Students can also watch expert ranters on YouTube to glean insights on how rants are used. As an educator (and if you are given leeway to do so), students can even explore political diatribes to gain a sense for how to be professional (and not professional, if students watch certain political examples) when ranting. Deepening students’ understanding of formal and informal register can also be done through compare and contrast.

A nice complement to this assessment could be to have students research the topic they ranted about and see if there is alignment between their opinions and what research has to say. Students can then use this research to write a more formal speech, paragraph, or argumentative essay. Doing this gives students an opportunity to see how formalities and informalities operate within different text types (such as an essay compared to a rant video)

A rant also gives students a chance to let out their emotions in video form, which is something students will appreciate.

4. Court trial

Studying a novel where a particular character does some possibly illegal actions towards another character? Reading Ender’s Game as a class where one of the characters goes through a court martial in the story? Studying a famous historical person who may have committed war crimes? Looking into a scientist who may have taken the world’s scientific discoveries two steps further, but did some throat-cutting along the way that may require retroactive legalities? No matter the subject you teach, there is likely a place for a court trial for your classroom and students. And from my experience, students have enjoyed experiencing a court trial.

Pitting students in a court room provides a lot of opportunity for student agency and empowerment, and as the professional educator, this assessment offers you a lot of space to make adjustments based on the students you serve.

Students can choose to be either prosecuting or defense attorneys. Allow objections (or not), get students to handpick their jury (or not), give students power to use preemptory strikes on a jury member if they feel that person is biased (or not), have students role-play different characters from the novel studied, from history, or from science (or not), and ask a student to take the role of judge (or not). Options are plentiful; the possibilities give educators much liberty to make professional judgments to suit the learning needs of their students.

A small bit of reflection from me: I found that allowing unlimited objections for my MYP grade 9 class was a bit too much. In the future, I would limit the number of objections, because some students dropped non-sequiturs.

Each teenager we teach is unique. I am in a professional capacity where, according to the IB, I must grade holistically. Varying assessment styles and types is one way to make sure that I am seeing students demonstrate learning in myriad different assessments. Consider these assessments to support the students you teach.

Related:
Outsourcing student assessments can revitalize teaching
We need a new approach to student assessment

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.

Texting obviously has its place. It’s a quick and convenient mode of communication that is readily available on a device that is close at hand. I rely on it throughout the day to communicate with my children, my wife, colleagues, far-off friends, my dentist, even my power utility. As a mode for communication, texting is ubiquitous in our culture. It’s not surprising that it now casts a long shadow over how our children write–even as we are teaching them the fundamentals. But it does have some problems.

Texting’s awkward physicality

What is surprising is how omnipresent texting has become given how awkward the physical act of texting is. Most texters rely on their thumbs, positioned on either side of the phone screens, to tap the digital keyboard that pops up from the bottom of the screen after they open a conversation in their texting app. The main purpose of the human thumb is to help grasp objects with the other fingers on the hand, not tapping out letters and emojis at a rapid pace.

The unsuitability and awkwardness of using thumbs to text feeds into the distraction with which we often approach this task. It’s not a natural fit, so we tap as quickly as we can, engage, and withdraw. As the primary means of written engagement for preteens and teens, the physical awkwardness of texting colors the experience, imprinting the cognitive process with negative, awkward associations. It sets students off on the wrong path from the beginning.

Texting shortcuts lead to vague communication

While thumb awkwardness is the cause for some of the distraction, the very convenience and casualness of texting also leads to a decreased engagement in the moment of texting. We use texting to navigate many relationships, often at the same time. This time-consuming reliance on texting in our relationships inevitably leads to seeking communication shortcuts–the quickest, easiest way to get across what needs to be said.

I first became aware of this years ago when I was texting with a colleague about a project we were working on together. Part of the workflow required that he approve content I was posting. His responses were often one letter, “k.” This was confusing to me, but I eventually figured out that this was a shortened form of “okay.” Convenient for him, confusing for me. These kinds of communication shortcuts common to texting lead to vague and misconstrued communication.

Texting lacks nuance

Texting also lacks a way to clearly convey emphasis and tone, often leading to misunderstanding. Going back to my former colleague’s responses, using “k” or “OK” in a text is a notoriously misconstrued response that most of us have experienced at one time or another. Without any context or emphasis, “OK” can be read numerous ways – moderate approval, passive approval, straightforward approval, skeptical approval. This lack of detail and nuance common to texting inevitably leads to confused writing.

Texting undercuts compositional thought

In understanding how exposure to texting is undercutting students’ ability to write and think critically, I can’t leave out auto-correction. Auto-correction is an AI-powered feature that offers suggestions for how to complete a sentence.

This is another aspect of texting that short-circuits the critical thinking process that is needed for writing–stringing together a collection of words to build a complete sentence; considering options and making choices on the most appropriate and the most apt sequence of words to best communicate your message. Not surprisingly, students become reliant on auto-correction in texting and then struggle with developing competent, complete sentences in the classroom.

Don’t ignore texting’s influence

As teachers, it’s incumbent on us to recognize texting’s influence and address it in how we teach. That could mean harnessing student enthusiasm for texting into discussions and activities touching on different writing formats, the differences between formal and informal language, or how texting develops our ability to summarize our writing and thoughts. While our culture treats texting as a benign teenage pastime that parents just don’t understand, we need to better acknowledge its influence in how we teach.

Related:
Why teach digital writing to students in 2022?
How peer feedback can improve student writing skills

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.

“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.

Based on classroom observation and in-depth interviews with the school staff, 10 instructional strategies were identified as effective instruction that helps students grow, and fell into three main categories:

Optimizing instructional time

1.     Provide supplemental learning time for targeted retrieval practice

2.     Mix whole group, small group, and individual activities

3.     Adjust student groups in real time

4.    Share students and strategies within a grade level

Exposing students to more content

5.     Differentiate tasks within a unit

6.     Provide targeted practice for foundational skills

7.    Teach from multiple standards at once

Empowering students

8.     Create opportunities for self-directed learning

9.     Use student discourse as formative assessment

10.  Explicitly teach academic vocabulary

This in-depth look at instructional strategies driving academic growth is a continuation of an NWEA research initiative by Dr. Andy Hegedus who in 2018 released a novel study focusing on growth as a marker of school success rather than just meeting or exceeding proficiency. His study found that schools showing high levels of growth were not necessarily those showing high levels of achievement, and that high growth schools could exist in communities with a variety of income levels and demographics.

NWEA’s new study followed that research to answer the next, necessary question: what can be learned from high growth schools about teaching and learning?

This press release originally appeared online.

Related:
How to use alternative assessments in the classroom
An OER curriculum brings my students’ lives into our classroom

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.

This system is not just an idea. It is being successfully piloted in Montana, where the Montana Alternative Student Testing program provides teachers with immediate feedback in English/language arts and math using a series of short, curriculum-aligned tests throughout the year. The pilot began last year and has so far included more than 30 districts and 5,000 students in grades 5 and 7.

The “classroom up” approach in Montana is an important shift in statewide assessment. Educators participated in designing the tests, and the results from this collaboration will support and empower them.

It is now being expanded to grades 3 through 8 in the 2023-2024 school year, and Montana is seeking a one-year waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to remove the burden of double-testing for schools participating in next year’s assessment. Under No Child Left Behind, waivers were granted when states were transitioning to high-quality assessments under Race to the Top. If it is granted, Montana and New Meridian have committed to producing a statewide, operational assessment for grades 3 through 8 during the 2024-2025 school year. This data will be publicly reported, disaggregated by student groups, shared with parents and educators, and fed into the federal accountability system. States and districts across the country will benefit from the lessons learned during this ground-breaking program.

By adopting a more holistic approach, we move closer to achieving the decades-old promise that assessment can directly impact classroom learning. That system is being developed right now, and it can be a model for states across the country–if they have the courage to invest, innovate, and give real help to students who have lost so much time and education to pandemic disruption. Our system was tested, and the results were loud and clear–we need to do better for students, families, and teachers.

Related:
Outsourcing student assessments can revitalize teaching
What the F? Grading strategies for early career teachers

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.

2. Limited feedback. A teacher’s effectiveness is often reflected in their students’ performance. However, when teachers grade their own students, it becomes difficult to get objective feedback on their own performance as a teacher. There’s a temptation to assume that good results mean good teaching, which can lead to complacency and an inability to improve.

3. Scapegoating. Students may use the subjectivity of grades as an excuse for poor performance, rather than taking responsibility for their own learning. They may blame their teacher for not grading fairly or for having a personal bias, rather than examining their own efforts.

4. Relationship pressures. Teachers have a responsibility to develop positive relationships with their students and their families. However, the way they grade their students can sometimes create tensions in these relationships. When grades are difficult to attain, parents may become upset and pressure teachers to be more lenient. This can lead to inflated grades that don’t accurately reflect a student’s performance or further tension in these relationships.

What a better process could look like

While there are undoubtedly many talented teachers who are skilled at managing these challenges, it’s still worth considering the benefits of unbundling the roles of teaching and assessment. Leveraging technology and creating new staffing models could help create assessment and grading systems that are more reliable, accurate, and free from conflicts of interest.

Imagine a system where students learn through a combination of online and in-person activities, designed by their teachers. As they learn online, they receive ongoing feedback and immediate assessments of basic knowledge from the program. For deeper understanding and critical thinking, students’ work is captured and sent to expert graders for scoring and feedback. By combining machine-graded assessments with human-graded assessments, schools can create a comprehensive picture of student learning and achievement.

Of course, there are many details to work out before such a system can be fully implemented. But the potential benefits are clear: a more rigorous and objective assessment system that allows teachers to focus on supporting and coaching their students, rather than juggling multiple roles and responsibilities.

This post originally appeared on the Christensen Institute’s blog.

Related:
4 simple strategies to help students ace standardized tests
How to use alternative assessments in the classroom

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.

Each through-year design has a strength that distinguishes it from another type. The first version is a strong way to measure growth because test content is similar from one test to the next. The second approach addresses opportunity to learn because test content focuses on content recently taught. The third version of through-year is like the first, but the test blueprint shifts over time

2. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) were hot topics–but not new topics–at the conference. ChatGPT caught everyone’s attention this year, including people in the measurement community. There was a lot of water cooler discussion about ChatGPT, what it could do for assessment, and what it should not do for assessment. Automatic item generation and reading passage creation were among potential benefits discussed. The main concerns centered around how ChatGPT might perpetuate bias and stereotypes, and that it may create problems with intellectual property or lead to copyright violations.

AI/ML has been a part of measurement research for years. Initial uses were focused on automated essay scoring. There were several sessions on this topic and advances in natural language processing. Newer machine learning topics focused on using it for cheating detection and for managing item banks.

3. Individualized Assessment
NCME’s annual meeting had numerous sessions that related to individualized assessment that will ultimately lead the field beyond standardized testing. I am using individualized assessment as a broad term that encompasses many lines of measurement work including fairness and equity, culturally responsive assessment, and test-taking behavior and engagement. Individualization is the opposite of standardization, where conditions of measurement are made the same for everyone (i.e. a one-size-fits-all approach).

The idea behind individualized assessment is that a test experience is optimized for every examinee to maximize their motivation and engagement. Tests are tailored to individuals and their personal experiences and background. For example, an AI/ML generated reading passage could be written with a theme that uses a student’s personal interest in music. Individualized assessment is fair and equitable for everyone because every student is presented with conditions that give them the best chance to succeed.

Related:
What the F? Grading strategies for early career teachers
4 simple strategies to help students ace standardized tests

A whopping 97 percent of respondents in a recent survey say they ‘frequently’ or ‘sometimes’ use ChatGPT to write lesson plans. Likewise, 93 percent of teachers say they use the AI platform to grade and provide feedback for students, 91 percent say to write emails, and 89 percent say to write letters of recommendation.

A survey of 1,000 high school, undergraduate, and graduate educators who are aware of ChatGPT, from online degree ranking and higher-ed planning site Intelligent.com, examines the prevalence of ChatGPT usage among both students and educators.

Among the top reasons for using the tool, 42 percent of teachers say it saves them time, 41 percent say it provides good suggestions, and 17 percent say it helps them understand ChatGPT’s capabilities.

“There’s no denying that while teaching can be a fulfilling and empowering profession, a great deal of time is used for developing lesson plans, creating assignments, reviewing homework, and much more,” said Blanca Villagomez, Intelligent.com’s education advisor. “Using ChatGPT for lesson planning can help teachers create lesson plans faster and more efficiently.”

According to survey results, 8 in 10 teachers say they ‘always’ or ‘sometimes’ approve of student use of ChatGPT. Among this group, 97 percent say they ‘frequently’ or ‘sometimes’ give assignments that require the use of ChatGPT.

Aside from these ChatGPT-required assignments, 2 in 3 teachers believe many of their students submit work they used ChatGPT to complete.

Only 28 percent of teachers say they have specific classroom policies around ChatGPT use, while 45 percent say they currently use AI detection tools.

All data found within this report derives from a survey commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted online by survey platform Pollfish from March 30 to April 4, 2023. In total, 1,000 United States high school teachers, undergraduate professors, and graduate professors were surveyed.

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5 things to know about ChatGPT in education

Key points:

• Inquiry-based learning helps students become independent learners and develop critical durable skills
• This approach will ensure students can use tools such as ChatGPT, which will have a role in the future workforce

The rise of ChatGPT promises to bring simplicity to the more mundane tasks of human existence and has also revived with new fervor an enduring question of our education system: how do we adequately prepare students to thrive in the real world? How do we design worthy learning tasks, when artificial intelligence (AI) tools can do the work of a student in a fraction of the time and nearly none of the effort?

While some call for a ban of ChatGPT in schools, I suggest something entirely different. Instead of blocking ChatGPT and tools like it, consider incorporating them into classrooms through an inquiry-based learning framework.

Inquiry-based learning focuses on developing critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity. This type of active learning encourages students to ask questions, analyze information, and draw their own conclusions rather than just accepting information at face value. Due to the nature of inquiry, students in inquiry-based classrooms become independent learners who are able to think for themselves while testing and verifying the answers to their own questions.

School districts are increasingly focused on preparing students to be successful in their post-academic careers. And ChatGPT—along with other technologies like it—will be a force that leaves no industry untouched. With AI capabilities advancing at breakneck speed, developing skills beyond rote memorization and formulaic response will be the key to success in an increasingly automated world. In order to prepare our students to thrive in the future, we must prepare them to understand tools like ChatGPT and use them judiciously.

Using an inquiry-based learning framework, students learn to ask questions, evaluate information sources, and analyze data to reach conclusions. They also collaborate with their peers to develop and share ideas, present findings, and provide feedback. Through these activities, students develop the communication skills necessary to articulate their ideas and the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate the ideas of others.

These skills are all crucial when using AI to research and support learning. That’s because while AI can provide access to a wealth of information via increasingly humanlike responses to our prompts, it is not always reliable or unbiased. Students must learn to evaluate the sources of information provided by AI and to critically analyze a given response to ensure that reliable and equitable outcomes are achieved—all skills at the center of inquiry-based instruction.

Despite the profound impacts inquiry-based classrooms can have on student learning, the framework is not yet commonplace in schools. This is, in part, because of the difficulty of transitioning generations of teachers from the traditional “sage on the stage” approach to more student-centered methods. How can we support educators in making the leap? The following tips can help.

Start with the curriculum. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have expanded inquiry-driven instruction; however, many teachers are still struggling to find strategies and materials aligned with these new standards. Curricula designed to support student-led activities must be provided if districts hope to properly equip their pupils for life beyond the classroom.

Provide professional development and coaching. Help teachers understand why this transition to inquiry-based instruction is so important. Too often, teachers are handed the latest shiny innovation in education without an explanation of why. Treating educators as the experts they are and providing them the support they need to make this critical shift in behavior from lecturer to facilitator is an essential step. Add in some coaching to help them draw out questions from students by providing them with strong discourse routines.

Create a culture of vulnerability for both students and teachers. Embracing inquiry-based learning requires a culture shift, and that starts with our expectations for teachers. After all, it’s hard to let go of control. Teachers need to be given permission to ask their own questions, make mistakes, and learn from them, setting an example for students to follow. Asking questions is a vulnerable pursuit but ultimately the best path to engagement and real understanding of the subject matter.

In the end, education must go beyond rote learning and ultra-structured responses to stay relevant in our ever-evolving world. Inquiry-based frameworks help students learn to ask questions, solve problems, and evaluate information on their own. These are all skills students will need to successfully navigate the AI-powered tools like ChatGPT that will dominate their workplaces in the future. More than that, though, they are skills they need to be well-rounded and contributing members of society.

Now is the time for educators to take up their role as facilitators of intellectual exploration rather than mere distributors of knowledge. We must shift our focus from outdated pedagogies, investing instead in inquiry-based approaches so every student can be given the chance to excel in a rapidly changing world.

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5 things to know about ChatGPT in education
Adapting to the ChatGPT era in education

Standardized tests can be hard on students. Many of us still remember the frustration and anxiety we experienced when we were younger and sat down for our first round of testing. To make matters worse, it’s fairly common for students who are doing well academically to find themselves stymied by a single bad testing experience.

This “Know-Show Gap” can prevent teachers and schools from being able to represent the good work they do for the public. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be the case–so long as both teachers and students plan accordingly.

By helping students prepare for tests mentally and physically, teachers can help them overcome even the trickiest of obstacles. These following strategies have been proven to help minimize the Know-Show Gap so students can prove what they really can do: 

1. Setting the Stage: A student’s environment can play a crucial role on how well they perform on a standardized test. For instance, temperature extremes can diminish student focus and impair their performance. While studies vary in their conclusions, all indicate that optimal cognition takes place between 67 and 75 degrees. Likely, a temperature between 68 and 72 will be best for helping your students perform well on standardized tests. Additionally, try to eliminate any unnecessary noise from the environment. While some people may prefer to work with music or sound, very few people actually benefit. 

2. Sound Mind, Sound Body, and Sound: A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Keeping students in their seats for long periods of time can stifle their ability to think and lead to a loss of focus. Simple stretching exercises can improve blood flow and can help energize students to maintain stamina through a long testing block. Additionally, providing students with a small snack that is low on the glycemic index can give them the mental fuel they need to perform their best.

3. Mind the Gaps: A rich environment won’t help a student much if they haven’t prepared mentally. For this, teachers should consider employing a good, old-fashioned brain dump. For a week prior to a standardized test, you can have students record as much as they can remember about what you learned during the different units you’ve explored. Have them write this out by hand–handwriting helps solidify knowledge in the memory. Follow this up with several partner reviews to reinforce it in students’ minds.

4. The Three Biggies: Finally, it’s good to remember the basics of test taking: Keep students separated to minimize distractions, remind them to eliminate answers they know are incorrect, and when everything else has been done, encourage them to go with their gut.

Standardized tests have their place in the world of education, but that doesn’t mean they need to be traumatic for the students taking them. By giving students the tools and techniques necessary to meet this challenge, educators can give them confidence, and can supercharge this success both in school and afterwards. So, don’t let your students underestimate themselves. Show them just what they can accomplish with a little creativity, confidence, and grit.           

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Science is more than just a body of knowledge; it is the process of discovering new knowledge. Therefore, science education needs to involve more than just memorizing what scientists have already figured out. Students also need to learn about the processes that scientists use to generate new understandings about the universe. In other words, it involves understanding the Nature of Science.

The Nature of Science is what distinguishes science from other methods of knowing such as art, philosophy, or social science. The Nature of Science includes understanding that while scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence, it is also subject to change based on new evidence. Science is a human endeavor that requires creativity, but also objectivity.

The importance of the Nature of Science is reflected in state science standards. For example, in Florida, the science standards have the Nature of Science as one of the bodies of knowledge alongside Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science. The Nature of Science is further delineated into three big ideas: the Practice of Science, the Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge, and the Roles of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models.

Scientists engage in activities to learn about the universe. While many of us have learned about “the scientific method,” that is not an accurate description of the way that most scientists engage in their work. Instead, the practice of science tends to involve a variety of activities. Scientists formulate questions and construct ways to investigate those questions. They collect and evaluate data, engage in argumentation, and develop explanations and communicate their findings. Rather than there being a set sequence to these activities, scientists engage in them on an “as needed” basis. One way to think of these activities is as a set of tools in a scientist’s toolbox that they pull out and use when appropriate.

There are many ways that students can learn about the Nature of Science, but research on student learning has shown that students develop this understanding best by actually “doing science” in the same way scientists do. This approach to science learning helps students understand the Nature of Science and is particularly useful in developing an understanding of scientific concepts themselves.

For example, traditional instruction usually involves a teacher telling students about a particular science principle, and then showing examples to provide evidence that the principle is true. When learning about gravity and other forces, a teacher could tell students about the force of gravity and the force of air resistance, and then the explain to students that the reason a feather floats to the ground is that the pull of gravity on the feather is countered by the force of air resistance on the feather. While this approach would help students learn about gravity, it would not help them learn about the Nature of Science.

Now consider a different approach—one that lets students take the lead in figuring out the phenomenon of the feather falling in a vacuum. Students could be shown a feather and a steel block dropped two times in a chamber. In the first instance, there is air in the chamber and the block falls quickly while the feather slowly floats to the bottom of the chamber. However, in the second instance, the air has been pumped out of the chamber, and this time, both objects fall quickly to the bottom of the chamber. Students are asked to make observations and ask questions, just the way a scientist would. They now wonder why the feather fell so quickly in one case and not the other. Rather than the teacher just telling the students why it happened, students now need to figure it out for themselves.

With their questions in hand, students are ready to plan and carry out investigations of how gravity pulls on objects and how objects move when forces are applied to them. Digital resources are a tremendous tool for these types of explorations. Not every classroom has a vacuum chamber to conduct this experiment, but students can observe a video of the feather falling. Other digital tools can allow students to conduct virtual interactive investigations where forces can be easier to visualize with vectors superimposed on diagrams.

These investigations will produce data that needs to be organized and interpreted. Students may also analyze information about force and motion. Here too, digital tools can facilitate the process of collecting and making sense of the evidence. Ultimately, all of this work will lead students to develop their own explanation for why the feather fell slowly when there was air in the chamber and quickly when there was no air.  They can then compare their explanations to the work of Isaac Newton, who developed three laws of motion and the law of gravity. Their exploration of Newton’s work also provides an opportunity to understand the distinction between theories, laws, hypotheses and models, another aspect of the Nature of Science.

Thus, a process of having students engage in these hands-on activities and figure out things for themselves not only provides an opportunity to help students develop a deep understanding of the extensive ideas in physical science, life science, and Earth and space science, but also provides an opportunity to learn about the Nature of Science. Furthermore, having students engage in the practice of science in the way that real scientists do also empowers them to be life-long learners.

For too long, students have passively sat in their seats and received information either through a book or a lecture. Some students learn to play the “game” of school, where they figure out what to say or do to get a good grade but retain little actual knowledge. Other students disengage because they have little reason to care. There are decades of evidence that this approach has not worked. A student-centered approach to learning provides a better way.

In Florida, the state standards have been designed to encourage students to engage in the Nature of Science. As educators, it is our job to figure out how to help make this important topic matter to students. By letting them take control of their learning, we can help them learn both the knowledge and the practice of science. Challenging students to be active learners will make science much more fun, engaging, and relevant for all.

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An OER curriculum brings my students’ lives into our classroom

According to a recent study, grading is one of the least stressful activities early career teachers have to complete. Grading is time consuming, however, and more grading-related questions are popping up in the news these days. For instance, are teachers allowed to reduce grades for late work? Are students allowed to retake tests on which they did not do well? It is essential that teachers have a clear and supportive grading system in place to address the scrutiny of today’s students, parents, and other stakeholders.

Setting up a grading system requires more than a calculator. A philosophical foundation is important to how a teacher grades. Having a philosophical basis for grading helps instructors explain grades, their meaning, and their value to students, who may then see the grade as less arbitrary.Two common approaches to further mitigate this arbitrary nature include normative-based grading and criterion- or standards-based grading. To build a strong, meaningful grading policy, instructors must choose the approach that best fits the course design and student learning outcomes.

Instructors who choose a normative approach will grade based upon relative performance. A teacher’s fallback practice may be to grade on a curve; however, curved grading is philosophically flawed in most course level applications. Effective instructional design models and psychometrics generally anticipate that students can master an end-of-course exam with a 70 to 80 percent score. Exams that do not reflect that criteria may have been poorly designed. Otherwise, instructional challenges or lack of student engagement could be to blame. Some college courses simply provide a curved score for students to lower the failure rate or to stratify student performance. This, however, does not evidence how students understood the content. Curved grades only show how students performed in relation to other students instead of reflecting students’ mastery of the materials.

Issues with curved grading methods were especially problematic when remote teaching was enforced during the pandemic. In many cases, remote learning provided new opportunities for cheating, and students were able to buffer their grades at the expense of those who did not cheat. In traditional bell curve criteria, for each student who earns an A another must fail. Therefore, normative grading practices effectively promote a winner and loser approach to grading. For instructors looking for a more equitable classroom, normative grading tends to miss the mark.

The other common approach is criterion-based grading. Students who meet an assignment’s criteria can earn a passing grade or even an A. This offers greater potential for equity in the grading system. Most letter grade systems are effectively criterion based.  A rubric that shows what criteria students must meet to earn an A-F grade communicates clear goals and standards. Students may choose to what degree they engage with an assignment to earn an A, B, or C, for example. One extreme of criterion-based grading is standards-based grading. Students are simply judged on whether they meet the standard. The grade may be Pass/Fail or a “B” in an A-F scale. Other factors eventually shape the final grade, such as whether the instructor accepts late work or the weight of an assignment toward a final course grade.

A mastery approach in criterion-based grading allows students to retake exams or resubmit assignments until they meet the standard. Two common modifications to this approach are: 1) students must turn in an assignment on time and demonstrate an effort meet the criteria; and 2) students who repeat an assignment cannot earn a higher score than the highest score among those who completed the assignment without resubmitting. Allowing students to turn in corrected tests is another way to encourage a review of materials towards mastery. Using the same point limitations, this will prevent students with a 98 percent from resubmitting while offering an opportunity toward mastery for students who earned below an A.

Determining how to handle late work is its own issue, yet one deeply connected to an effective grading system. Some would argue that late work should always be accepted without deductions. This could become a burden for instructors, however, and impede students’ progress toward mastery. Allowing unapproved late work without penalty limits an instructor’s ability to guide and intervene as necessary for student success. When students wait to turn in assignments until the end of a course, this can be just as destructive as deducting points for late work. What begins as a kind gesture may prove detrimental to student learning. To remedy this, instructors need to find a late work balance that meets the needs of the students, the course, and themselves.

Time and experience impart great wisdom in deciding what late work policy works best. One common approach to late assignments is to mark down a letter grade or percentage for each day an assignment is late. Potentially, instructors could offer one “free” missed assignment per unit or course. Another approach is to encourage students to communicate if they might be late. Though forgiveness may be easier to obtain than permission, encouraging students to communicate is a proactive approach. In most cases, students who ask for extra time can have it. Another day or two could be the difference between a B and an F for some students, and it means less negotiation between the student and instructor in the long run. Ideally, assignments should be building blocks for students to practice skills needed for the final assignments in the course. Grading routine daily homework may be more of an exercise in compliance than in grading for understanding. The same is true at some level with participation. Participation grades must be thoughtfully balanced to ensure they reward engagement in class activities and are not simply rewarded for showing up to class.

A no-zero policy is another grading approach that encompasses late, missing, or sub-par work. Many students spend time figuring out if they have a mathematical chance to pass even with an extremely high final exam score. If students determine they cannot pass, they may not even try.A “0” in a percentage system can destroy a student’s mathematical potential to pass, and most research shows repeating a course provides little incentive for students to improve. The no-zero policy can help students who take more time to understand concepts or who struggle with materials early in a course. The no-zero policy effectively eliminates zeroes from the grading scale. A simple solution, for example, is to move to grading on a 4-point scale with 4 = A in the grade book. It has the same effect as replacing a percentage-based GPA zero with a 50 percent. Like any well-intentioned policy, instructors must make sure it is not abused.

Ultimately, grading and student success are a partnership. In K-12, this includes parents, students, and instructors. Post-secondary educators may partner with students, advisors, and even counselors when discussing a student’s progress. Conversations and grading policies that reflect more equitable practices will hopefully continue to evolve as stakeholders understand more about student needs following the pandemic. In both K-12 and higher education, accountability, engagement, and communication among everyone involved in a student’s success are critical to progress, both for students and for the broader state of education. It is essential that we remember grading is simply a communications tool to assist students in being successful, it is not an end in itself.

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Improving math achievement has long been a sticking point for U.S. schools, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impact on learning. Now, one Maryland school district is seeing substantial improvements in grades 6-8 math scores.

A new impact study at Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) found that students in grades 6 to 8 who used Speak Agent Math+Language outperformed their peers who did not use the program. Students who completed 10 Speak Agent learning activities experienced a 10 percent higher mean score than their peers on the PGCPS Math Benchmark assessments.

In addition, multilingual learners experienced a 17-point (five percent) higher mean score on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test, in addition to a higher math score. This is the first large-scale study to find a positive, independent effect at a 99.9% confidence level for both Math and English language proficiency scores, as measured by third-party assessments, caused by a single education technology program.

“We chose Speak Agent’s Math+Language program to develop middle-grade math literacy, communication, and reasoning skills,” said Dr. Michelle Dyson, PGCPS Mathematics Instructional Supervisor for Grades 6-8. “We could see students making progress, so we collaborated with our ESOL department to commission this study to quantify the impact. This research shows that our implementation – which closely integrates with our curriculum – helped students make strong gains on math and ELD assessments.”

Speak Agent Math+Language empowers students to learn math through language. Students use the program to master key math concepts, develop reasoning and modeling skills, and to express mathematical thinking and ideas.

Speak Agent courses map to fit the school district’s curriculum so that teachers can seamlessly integrate the program into their teaching practice. It includes learning supports and scaffolds for all learners, including multilingual and historically marginalized learners.

“Our cross-departmental goal was to improve outcomes for not only our multilingual learners but for all learners,” said Dr. Melissa Kanney, PGCPS ESOL Supervisor. “All of our students who used the Math+Language program were able to improve both their math outcomes and English language proficiency. What’s so exciting about this study is that it provides evidence that our implementation of Speak Agent is helping us meet our goals.”

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Valentine’s Day breaks up the winter doldrums and gives students a chance to create heart-shaped crafts and share candy or gifts with classmates.

This year, give students some insight into the history behind the holiday. How did Valentine’s Day begin? Why do we celebrate it today? What IS love? And, most importantly: Which candy is your favorite?

Here are five videos that discuss Valentine’s Day, love, and the all-important heart:

1. How Did Valentine’s Day Start? Every year, millions of kids give cards and candy to their classmates. But why? Who invented Valentine’s Day, and when did it start?

2. The myth of Cupid and Psyche: Psyche was born so beautiful that she was worshipped as a new incarnation of Venus, the goddess of love. But human lovers were too intimidated to approach her, and Apollo recommended her father abandon her on a crag where she would marry “a cruel and savage, serpent-like winged evil.” But Psyche’s story ended up being much more interesting. Brendan Pelsue shares the myth of Cupid and Psyche.

3. Would you Rather? Valentine’s Day Edition: Get excited about Valentine’s Day with Would You Rather Sweet Heart fun! Great activity for the whole family. Great brain break activity for students at school or remote learning! Get to know your students personally through their answer choices.

4. How the heart actually pumps blood: For most of history, scientists weren’t quite sure why our hearts were beating or even what purpose they served. Eventually, we realized that these thumping organs serve the vital task of pumping clean blood throughout the body. But how? Edmond Hui investigates how it all works by taking a closer look at the heart’s highly efficient ventricle system.

5. What is love? Is love a signal winding through your neural pathways? A cliché? A cult? Love is easy to compare but difficult to define, maybe because we’re fundamentally biased; we try to define love while falling in or out of it. And love feels differently to every person who feels it, but this subjective emotion has evolutionary explanations, too. Brad Troeger takes a shot at the definition of love.

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Did you know that a 5th grade teacher is expected to guide students to mastery of 200 standards each year? Given a typical school year of 180 days, that’s 1.1 standards a day! Of course, standards don’t exactly work like that. You can certainly teach more than one standard a day, but that doesn’t give you time to explore them, unpack them, and revisit them, which is where learning and mastery actually happen. That’s a lot of content to cover, and not much time to do it in.

But this is only the beginning. Not all standards can be treated equally. Some have limited application and require lower levels of critical thinking; others are foundational to future learning and broadly applicable. So, how do we even begin to tackle this mess? How can teachers determine their power standards and assess student mastery in a way that’s both fun and effective?

One way to begin is by utilizing a scoring system to single out the standards that align to the chief priorities in your classroom. Consider implementing the following categories and grading them on a scale of 1–5: 

1. Building Block: How much future learning is dependent on this standard?
2. Cross-Curricular Utility: How applicable is this standard across content areas?
3. Higher Level Thinking: What depth of thinking does this standard require? Consider using our Standards Scoring Sheet to help you prioritize those power standards.

Once you’ve identified the standards you feel are most important for your students’ long-term success, it’s time to explore new ways of assessing these skills. A plain-ole paper-and-pencil test tends to get dry and dull pretty quickly, so take this opportunity to experiment with new assessment strategies and determine which ones work best for your students. Here are just five alternative assessment strategies teachers can try in their classroom:

1. 5-Word Challenge: Challenge students to summarize their learning in 5 words or less (this can be on video or on paper or other mode of communication). See it in action (30-second video) with students sharing what they learned about food webs in 5 words (or less).
2. Stars and Stairs: Challenge students to use the Stars and Stairs graphic organizer to track their progress against a particular learning target or goal. It promotes student ownership of learning and provides a quick visual of progress. Great for sharing with parents and admins as well.
3. Present and Defend: Have students share their work and defend their claim in response to constructive feedback. This allows you to see how students respond to challenges and how deep their understanding of the topic really goes. Great for developing a culture of risk-taking and developing students’ ability to exercise informed skepticism. Here is an example of a Present and Defend protocol used in science investigations. This is a great framework that can be adapted for all content areas and grade levels.  
4. Journaling: Ask students to capture their learning (or their reflections on their learning) in an ongoing logbook or journal. Journals give insight into the process of learning and can help you identify where in the process there may be a break in understanding. They also support student construction of meaning as well as an opportunity to apply metacognition skills. Here’s a sample Reflection Journal from the PBL unit, State of Sustainability.
5. 3 Strikes, You’re In!: Track student progress against specific power standards or goals by logging three consecutive examples of mastery. This tool allows you to focus on your most critical learning objectives and to ensure each student succeeds.

As we begin a new year, it’s important that we ask ourselves what we want to accomplish in this coming season. I’ve often found that the best classrooms are those that carefully balance timeless knowledge with innovations that push boundaries. I truly believe that now is the time for boldness. Let’s dare to think outside the box, try something new, and make 2023 a year to remember in the world of education!

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When I was growing up, I assumed that my teachers knew everything, including all of the “right answers.” Now that I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, I know this simply isn’t true. In fact, some of the most powerful learning in my middle school science classroom has happened when I’ve pretended to NOT know the “right answer.” That’s when students take the lead and start to offer up their own ideas, share their experiences, and make powerful connections—sometimes amazing ones that I would never have thought of.

Teaching in this way requires a good deal of flexibility—including in your curriculum. A traditional science textbook doesn’t always provide educators the freedom to delve into topics that students bring up from their own lives or questions they have about the world around them. That’s why I’ve turned to open educational resources (OER).

OER are openly licensed, which means that educators can use, customize, and share these resources for free, allowing them to incorporate material that’s fresh and relevant for their students—all without having to worry about traditional copyright restrictions. I’ve been using an OER science curriculum called OpenSciEd for five years, and it has completely revolutionized the way I teach. It’s also transformed the way my students relate to and take ownership for their learning.

My students come from not only all over city but also all over the world. Our student population represents more than 30 languages, and many of them are new to learning English. They bring rich life experiences to the classroom, and OpenSciEd enables them to talk about those experiences and knowledge more so than any other curriculum I’ve used.

In a unit about mountain formation, we discussed how an earthquake shifted Mount Everest and made it taller. One of my students who came from Nepal shared that she had been to Mount Everest and was able to describe the environment and terrain for her classmates.

In another unit on ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity, students looked into how the harvesting of palm oil, a common ingredient in chocolate, can endanger the habitats of orangutans. One of my students came from Cameroon, which is one of the world’s top producers of palm oil. He spoke proudly of seeing orangutans and the palm trees that produced the oil, and he enthusiastically worked with his classmates to design a palm oil farm that benefited both the orangutans and farmers in his home country. All of this happened because I stepped back—and because the instructional materials gave my students opportunities to find meaningful connections to their lives.

In addition, because the OpenSciEd curriculum is fully editable, I’ve been able to make changes to meet my students where they are. For example, I’ve edited the student-facing slides to break up the language, and I’ve added sentence starters and “drag and drops” into our digital notebooks to scaffold the learning for our English learners. I also love that I can take this high-quality curriculum and rearrange the order of the units, remove material that isn’t as relevant to our school or students, and even add in other materials, like district-created units.

Having used OpenSciEd for five years now, I’m confident that I’ll never go back to teaching with a traditional textbook. My students are more excited about science than ever, and they’re connecting what they’re learning to their lives and experiences.

Open educational resources like OpenSciEd are a critical tool for teachers who, like me, want their students to see themselves and their experiences reflected in what they’re learning—and to find their own connections and “right answers.”   

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5 steps to implement OER in your LMS

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 8th most-read story focuses on Black History Month resources educators can use throughout the school year.

During Black History Month, educators have the opportunity to delve into the difficult–and often uncomfortable–experiences of Black people in the U.S. and around the world.

Perhaps one of the most important “do’s” is this: Don’t limit your teaching of Black history to the month of February.

Check out these learning resources (last year’s resources are available here) to get started in February and to plan out how to include Black history in your teaching throughout the academic year.

1. The NEA’s site offers a great selection of resources to help students understand the Black experience in U.S. history. Lessons plans cover a number of subjects and can be adapted to fit multiple grade levels. A lesson on Musical Harlem for grades 3-5 lesson helps students learn about the Harlem Renaissance as they create original jazz artwork. In another lesson, The Illusion of Race, students in grades 6-8 investigate both genetic and societal consequences of the often-artificial and evolving classifications of race and ethnicity.

2. National Geographic is launching a powerful new podcast, Into the Depths, which uncovers the deep history of the transatlantic slave trade as it follows a group of Black divers who are dedicated to finding and helping to document slave shipwrecks. The podcast will also be accompanied by a cover story in the March issue of National Geographic magazine, available online on Feb. 7, and a National Geographic documentary special, Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship, premiering Feb. 7, on National Geographic and available to stream next day on Hulu. The podcast features over 40 voices, including underwater divers and archaeologists–descendants of those brought over on the ships, historians, and a variety of experts whom National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts works with to uncover these stories.

3. The Center for Racial Justice in Education believes that the histories, stories, and voices of Black people should be centered, honored, and uplifted in school curricula every day. The Center also acknowledge the importance, relevance and origins of Black History Month. Resources to use throughout the school year include those that celebrate Black History Month, tools that highlight the underrepresentation of Black stories and experiences in schools, how and why to bring attention to equality and racial justice movements, and more.

4. Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education. The site encourages all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join the annual week of action during the first week of February each year.​ Educators and organizers from around the country worked collaboratively to curate a variety of classroom resources for every age group. These resources are all free of charge and meant to be shared and used. The goal of these lessons and activities is to challenge racism and oppression and providing students with the vocabulary and tools needed to take action.

5. The African American History Month’s website puts the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Educators can browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids. Access thousands of primary sources and an ever-expanding collection of document-based activities spanning the course of American history created by the National Archives and teachers around the world. Discover the activities, such as Analyzing a Letter from Jackie Robinson: “Fair Play and Justice,” The Impact of Bloody Sunday in Selma, We Shall Overcome: March on Washington, and Examining Where Rosa Parks Sat.

6. Black history is American history, but finding (or creating) interactive lessons that help students draw connections between history and modern day can be challenging. That’s why WeAreTeachers offers the 306: African American History and 306: Continuing the Story high school curriculums from EVERFI. You’ll have everything you need to plan lessons and engaging activities for grades 8-12 that are meaningful, turn-key, and free.

7. The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration launched a Black History Month package of fresh and engaging virtual and interactive real-world expeditions for students that cover significant historical, cultural and societal events. CILC’s 10 virtual fieldtrips transcend other well-intentioned, but often one-dimensional and overly simplified narratives of African American historical figures by providing students with a detailed look at the encounters, achievements, and heroism of everyday African Americans throughout history.

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Our first look at long-term trends in reading and math assessments since the pandemic began affirm what many education professionals were anticipating. 

The National Association for Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” recently issued its signature report, which revealed that students assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced significant declines in both mathematics and reading. NAEP’s 2022 data shows that “average scores at both grades [eighth and fourth] were not significantly different in comparison to the first reading assessment [20 years prior] in 1992.”

And while reading score declines as measured by various student assessments during COVID-19 are alarming, they are not unexpected given the profound obstacles students have faced.

Now, with data in hand, the critical work of getting students back on track toward reading on grade level by the fourth grade begins. The silver lining is: With a focus on creating more equitable opportunities for individualized support for students, they can and will catch up.

School systems have significant work to address inequitable opportunities and challenges that were already occurring prior to the time COVID-19 disrupted school operations in spring 2020, and we are aware that many students had inequitable access to the technology and quality instruction that other students received during the last two school years. Many other adults outside the school system can and must also play important roles in student learning and support, such as family members, tutors, counselors, and mental health professionals.

Certainly, addressing the needs of all students (especially after a global pandemic) could never boil down to a common formula, yet this is a critical time to ensure that proven methods for teaching foundational literacy skills enable educators, family members, tutors, and others to effectively support student literacy development.

1. Literacy instruction must be rooted in the science of reading

Reading is a vital foundational skill for navigating an increasingly complex world, yet it is not a natural skill. The process of making meaning from symbols on a page or a digital device is complex. For students who struggle with reading, it is even more crucial that they receive systematic instruction, consistent exposure to quality learning materials, and many opportunities for practice.

There’s a significant body of scientific research available to better understand how we learn to read. And the methodology with the most significant base of scientific evidence, often referred to as the “Simple View,” establishes that the process of comprehending what we read involves sounding out and recognizing words in addition to making meaning of the words strung together in a sentence. This process relies heavily on phonological awareness and phonics for word recognition and decoding along with explicit and consistent instruction.

Despite significant evidence showing that phonics-based instruction is the most effective method, it has not been broadly adopted within the U.S. education system. To get students back on track with their literacy development, science-based instruction should be central since it is proven to be the most effective path for most students.

2. Engaging and motivating students begins with a warm, positive, two-way relationship

Learning to read is not easy. It’s a skill that takes time, practice, patience, and structured support to become proficient. For this reason, students often respond well to positive encouragement and support from family members, educators, tutors, and other trusted allies. These trusting relationships may become particularly important when students develop negative feelings associated with reading, and could use some extra positive reinforcement.

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Data from a small-scale study implemented by Reading Partners and Child Trends showed that warm and positive student-tutor relationships were favorably associated with students’ development of persistence and school engagement.

3. Individualized practice and regular support are often necessary to maximize skill acquisition

A key element of science-based reading instruction is creating opportunities for plenty of practice. In addition, the best data on high impact tutoring demonstrate that one-on-one or small group tutoring in alignment with evidence-based practices can maximize students’ literacy growth. Practicing literacy skills with a trusted adult can offer both positive encouragement and targeted support based on a child’s unique strengths and needs.

The practice that students need should be individualized and include but not be limited to: recognizing letters and sounds of the alphabet, applying phonics knowledge to decode words, re-reading passages to increase fluent reading, and comprehending while reading informational and narrative texts that better represent the diversity of students in our schools and their lived experiences.

While providing regular individualized support can be challenging for teachers in a typical classroom setting (with the average class size of 25 or more students), there are a number of additional ways to facilitate individualized support. One-on-one and small group support can come from school-based literacy intervention programs, evidence-based community tutoring programs, parents and caregivers at home, and within after-school programs.

Unfortunately, many individualized programs and support models are more accessible to children with greater resources and higher levels of privilege. This leads to the next fundamental principle: access to educational resources must be equitable.

4. Equitable literacy education is about increasing access to quality opportunities based on need, not equal distribution of resources

Student opportunities to excel in education are often linked to access: Do they attend schools with certified teachers? Do they have access to a private tutor? Do they have access to books that reflect who they are, what their families are like, and what interests them? Do they have independent reading time in school and during out-of-school hours? Do they have one-on-one support for reading that’s based in their native language?

The recent long-term NAEP trend assessment for 9-year-old students showed that reading scores decreased more significantly among students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) (6 point drop) when compared to students who are not eligible for NSLP (3 point drop), increasing the gap to 29 points between the two groups. In addition, NAEP reported reading scores for white, Black, and Hispanic students and lower-performing students also declined significantly from 2020.

Although the NAEP data contain nuances and more needs to be done to understand which students are most impacted, these data trends suggest that students with more financial resources experienced less significant impacts from disrupted learning and have more access to literacy skill-building resources in general.

Significant and persistent variation among student populations based on factors such as income and race are red flags for inequity. One way to significantly change trends in low literacy rates is to make literacy resources and targeted supports more equitably distributed, and to ensure targeted programs are implemented with quality and fidelity to an evidence-based program model. The advantage to this approach is that we can channel proportionally more and better resources toward students with the least access to opportunity and highest need.

5. Literacy instruction and support must be multifaceted

Implementing a solutions-based approach to help young students learn to read in this post-pandemic era will require a multifaceted approach that includes a broad ecosystem of overlapping resources for students.

Teachers alone, parents and caregivers alone, or policymakers alone cannot solve a decades-long literacy challenge that at times in the past was getting better but now has been compounded by the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. School systems are re-thinking how instruction occurs during the school day, and many are considering what they learned during the past two years to incorporate technology during and outside the school day. Regardless of those decisions, school systems will want to ensure that intentional literacy instruction aligned to the science of reading occurs during the school day for all students. Providing high quality, in-service professional development on foundational literacy instruction to their educators and following up to ensure improved instruction is happening in classrooms, with supportive coaching and feedback, also will be important to success.

In addition, district administrators and school leaders should partner with national, state, and community-based programs to ensure support is provided consistently for students that most need individualized instruction. Empowering parents and other family members and caregivers as well with what they want and need in the way of tools and resources to guide children’s learning is another critical part of the multifaceted support that students need right now.

In the end, we need our institutions, communities, and individuals working together to rally around students with great instruction, coordinated supports, and mindsets focused on equitable opportunities to put students on the path to reading proficiency. Initiatives such as the National Partnership for Student Success, Campaign for Grade Level Reading, and Get Ready Set are already developing cohesive coalitions to facilitate progress.

If we continue to act together, realizing that our children’s limitless futures pave a brighter path for our nation and world, then an upward trend is not just possible but an imperative that should be prioritized.