ReportWire

Tag: grades

  • This math platform leverages AI coaching to help students tackle tough concepts

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    eSchool News is counting down the 10 most-read stories of 2025. Story #5 focuses on a math platform that offers AI coaching for maximum impact.

    Math is a fundamental part of K-12 education, but students often face significant challenges in mastering increasingly challenging math concepts.

    Many students suffer from math anxiety, which can lead to a lack of confidence and motivation. Gaps in foundational knowledge, especially in early grades and exacerbated by continued pandemic-related learning loss, can make advanced topics more difficult to grasp later on. Some students may feel disengaged if the curriculum does not connect to their interests or learning styles.

    Teachers, on the other hand, face challenges in addressing diverse student needs within a single classroom. Differentiated instruction is essential, but time constraints, large class sizes, and varying skill levels make personalized learning difficult.

    To overcome these challenges, schools must emphasize early intervention, interactive teaching strategies, and the use of engaging digital tools.

    Last year in New York City Public Schools, Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School (FDR) teachers started using a real-time AI math coaching platform from Edia to give students instant access to math support.

    Edia aligns with Illustrative Mathematics’ IM Math, which New York City Public Schools adopted in 2024 as part of its “NYC Solves” initiative–a program aiming to help students develop the problem-solving, critical thinking, and math skills necessary for lifetime success. Because Edia has the same lessons and activities built into its system, learning concepts are reinforced for students.

    FDR started using Edia in September of 2024, first as a teacher-facing tool until all data protection measures were in place, and now as an instructional tool for students in the classroom and at home.

    The math platform’s AI coaching helps motivate students to persevere through tough-to-learn topics, particularly when they’re completing work at home.

    “I was looking for something to have a back-and-forth for students, so that when they need help, they’d be able to ask for it, at any time of the day,” said Salvatore Catalano, assistant principal of math and technology at FDR.

    On Edia’s platform, an AI coach reads students’ work and gives them personalized feedback based on their mistakes so they can think about their answers, try again, and master concepts.

    Some FDR classes use Edia several days a week for specific math supports, while others use it for homework assignments. As students work through assignments on the platform, they must answer all questions in a given problem set correctly before proceeding.

    Jeff Carney, a math teacher at FDR, primarily uses the Edia platform for homework assignments, and said it helps students with academic discovery.

    “With the shift toward more constructivist modes of teaching, we can build really strong conceptual knowledge, but students need time to build out procedural fluency,” he said. “That’s hard to do in one class session, and hard to do when students are on their own. Edia supports the constructivist model of discovery, which at times can be slower, but leads to deeper conceptual understanding–it lets us have that class time, and students can build up procedural fluency at home with Edia.”

    On Edia, teachers can see every question a student asks the AI coach as they try to complete a problem set.

    “It’s a nice interface–I can see if a student made multiple attempts on a problem and finally got the correct answer, but I also can see all the different questions they’re asking,” Carney said. “That gives me a better understanding of what they’re thinking as they try to solve the problem. It’s hugely helpful to see how they’re processing the information piece by piece and where their misconceptions might be.”

    As students ask questions, they also build independent research skills as they learn to identify where they struggle and, in turn, ask the AI coach the right questions to target areas where they need to improve.

    “We can’t have 30 kids saying, ‘I don’t get it’–there has to be a self-sufficient aspect to this, and I believe students can figure out what they’re trying to do,” Carney said.

    “I think having this platform as our main homework tool has allowed students to build up that self-efficacy more, which has been great–that’s been a huge help in enabling the constructivist model and building up those self-efficacy skills students need,” he added.

    Because FDR has a large ELL population, the platform’s language translation feature is particularly helpful.

    “We set up students with an Illustrative Math-aligned activity on Edia and let them engage with that AI coaching tool,” Carney said. “Kids who have just arrived or who are just learning their first English words can use their home languages, and that’s helpful.”

    Edia’s platform also serves as a self-reflection tool of sorts for students.

    “If you’re able to keep track of the questions you’re asking, you know for yourself where you need improvement. You only learn when you’re asking the good questions,” Catalano noted.

    The results? Sixty-five percent of students using Edia improved their scores on the state’s Regents exam in algebra, with some demonstrating as much as a 40-point increase, Catalano said, noting that while increased scores don’t necessarily mean students earned passing grades, they do demonstrate growth.

    “Of the students in a class using it regularly with fidelity, about 80 percent improved,” he said.

    For more spotlights on innovative edtech, visit eSN’s Profiles in Innovation hub.

    Laura Ascione
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  • A smarter path to standards-based success: How Superior Public Schools united curriculum and data

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    Key points:

    Creating consistency between classrooms and ensuring curriculum alignment school-wide can be challenging, even in the smallest of districts. Every educator teaches–and grades–differently based on their experience and preferences, and too often, they’re forced into a solution that no longer respects their autonomy or acknowledges their strengths.

    When Superior Public Schools (SPS), a district of 450 students in rural Nebraska, defined standards-referenced curriculum as a priority of our continuous improvement plan, bringing teachers in as partners on the transition was essential to our success. Through their support, strategic relationships with outside partners, and meaningful data and reporting, the pathway from curriculum design to classroom action was a smooth one for teachers, school leaders, and students alike.

    Facing the challenge of a new curriculum

    For years, teachers in SPS were working autonomously in the classroom. Without a district-wide curriculum in place, they used textbooks to guide their instruction and designed lesson plans around what they valued as important. In addition, grading was performed on a normative curve that compared a student’s performance against the performance of their peers rather than in relation to a mastery of content.

    As other educators have discovered, the traditional approach to teaching may be effective for some students, but is inequitable overall when preparing all students for their next step, whether moving on to more complex material or preparing for the grade ahead. Kids were falling through the cracks, and existing opportunity gaps only began to grow.

    SPS set out to help our students by instituting standards-referenced instruction at both the elementary and secondary levels, allowing us to better identify each child’s progress toward set learning standards and deliver immediate feedback and intervention services to keep them on the path toward success.

    Take it slow and start with collaboration

    From day one, school leaders understood the transition to the new curriculum needed to be intentional and collaborative. 

    Rather than demand immediate buy-in from teachers, administrators and the curriculum team dedicated the time to help them understand the value of a new learning process. Together, we took a deep dive into traditional education practices, identifying which set students up for success and which actually detoured their progress. Recognizing that everyone–teachers included–learns in different ways, administrators also provided educators with a wide range of resources, such as book studies, podcasts, and articles, to help them grow professionally.

    In addition, SPS partnered with the Curriculum Leadership Institute (CLI) to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices across all content areas, schools, and grade levels. On-site CLI coaches worked directly with teachers to interpret standards and incorporate their unique teaching styles into new instructional strategies, helping to ensure the new curriculum translated seamlessly into daily classroom practice.

    To bring standards-referenced curriculum to life with meaningful insights and reporting, SPS integrated the Otus platform into our Student Information System. By collecting and analyzing data in a concise manner, teachers could measure student performance against specific learning targets, determining if content needed to be re-taught to the whole class or if specific students required one-on-one guidance.

    With the support of our teachers, SPS was able to launch the new curriculum and assessment writing process district-wide, reaching students in pre-K through 12th grade. However, standards-reference grading was a slower process, starting with one subject area at a time at the elementary level. Teachers who were initially uncomfortable with the new grading system were able to see the benefits firsthand, allowing them to ease into the transition rather than jump in headfirst. 

    Empowering educators, inspiring students

    By uniting curriculum and data, SPS has set a stronger foundation of success for every student. Progress is no longer measured by compliance but by a true mastery of classroom concepts.

    Teachers have become intentional with their lesson plans, ensuring that classroom content is directly linked to the curriculum. The framework also gives them actionable insights to better identify the skills students have mastered and the content areas where they need extra support. Teachers can adjust instruction as needed, better communicate with parents on their students’ progress, and connect struggling students to intervention services.

    Principals also look at student progress from a building level, identifying commonalities across multiple grades. For instance, if different grade levels struggle with geometry concepts, we can revisit the curriculum to see where improvements should be made. Conversely, we can better determine if SPS needs to increase the rigor in one grade to better prepare students for the next grade level.

    While the road toward standards-referenced curriculum had its challenges, the destination was worth the journey for everyone at SPS. By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, 84 percent of K-5 students were at or above the 41st percentile in math, and 79 percent were at or above the 41st percentile in reading based on NWEA MAP results. In addition, teachers now have a complete picture of every student to track individual progress toward academic standards, and students receive the feedback, support, and insights that inspire them to become active participants in their learning.

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    Tricia Kuhlmann and Jodi Fierstein, Superior Public Schools

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  • Lerner Publishing Group Launches Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Genius and Joy Curriculum

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    MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Lerner Publishing Group, a leading publisher of K-12 educational materials, is proud to announce the launch of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s groundbreaking Genius and Joy curriculum in Summer 2026. This new, all-in-one supplemental curriculum for Grades K–5 is grounded in Dr. Muhammad’s Five Pursuits Framework, a research-based educational model that enhances student engagement and intellectual growth.

    Within her research and scholarship in literacy development, English education and writing instruction, and culturally responsive pedagogies, Dr. Muhammad posed the question, “What if the purpose of schools and curriculum was to recognize and elevate the genius and joy of teachers and students?” The result is the Genius and Joy curriculum. This innovative curriculum prioritizes academic rigor by developing literacy skills, building subject area knowledge and centering students’ learning experience on joy. The curriculum is deep in content and thought while also practical and easy for teachers to use.

    Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Five Pursuits framework of Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy is a research-based instructional approach that enhances student engagement and achievement by focusing on literacy, identity development, and historical awareness. Its impact is evident in the Lemon Grove School District in California, where implementation of the framework has led to measurable gains: Black and African American students have consistently increased their academic achievement, even surpassing the overall student population in English Language Arts proficiency. Additionally, Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the district have experienced a tripling in reclassification rates, reflecting the effectiveness of equity-centered, data-informed practices that align with the framework’s core tenets. Schools and districts across forty-three states have implemented the Five Pursuits Framework into their instructional practices, and have been clamoring for an official curriculum.

    “I wanted teachers to see curriculum as the stories we teach and tell, as the world around us, and as the legacy that we leave in the lives of our children,” said Dr. Gholdy Muhammad. “It is my hope that this curriculum is a genius and joy experience for youth and teachers alike. We all deserve a comprehensive curricular experience.”

    The Genius and Joy Curriculum

    • Celebrates Joy in Teaching and Learning: The Genius and Joy Curriculum provides easy-to-implement approaches and strategies that include space within the learning experience where students can live out and discover their fullest potential. Joy is a safe and creative space to be free—free to learn, free to dream, and free to be.
    • Recognizes the Genius Within Every Child: Through powerful stories and dynamic activities, every lesson is designed to spark curiosity, encourage inquiry, and build students’ confidence in their own unique brilliance.
    • Elevates Learning Through the Five Pursuits: Through innovative pedagogy, students explore more than simple skill building. The five pursuits—identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy—of the HILL model are intended to teach the whole student and honor the goals of genius and joy.

    “We know that true learning happens when students see themselves in the material, feel their voices are valued, and are encouraged to think critically about the world around them,” said Adam Lerner, Publisher and CEO of Lerner Publishing Group. “We are proud to partner with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad on Genius and Joy to create an environment where students can not only excel academically, but also engage with Lerner’s award-winning books in ways that help them grow as whole individuals.”

    Genius and Joy will be available for purchase through Lerner Publishing Group starting Summer 2026. The curriculum will be accompanied by professional development resources to help educators implement the framework effectively, ensuring that the values of joy and academic excellence reach students in classrooms across the country.

    For more information about Genius and Joy visit geniusandjoycurriculum.com.

    Click here to watch Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s webinar Celebrate the Genius and Joy of Every Student in Your Classroom.

    About Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
    Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is the John Corbally Endowed Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has previously served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, school district administrator, curriculum director, and school board president. She studies Black historical excellence in education, intending to reframe curriculum and instruction today. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. She has also received numerous national awards and is the author of the best-selling books, Cultivating Genius and Unearthing Joy. She also co-authored the book, Black Girls’ Literacies. Her Culturally and Historically Responsive Education Model has been adopted across thousands of U.S. schools and districts across Canada. In 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, she was named among the top 1% Edu-Scholar Public Influencers due to her impact on policy and practice. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms. In the fall of 2026, her first curriculum, entitledGenius and Joy, will be available to schools and educators.

    About Lerner Publishing Group™Lerner Publishing Group™ creates high-quality fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. Founded in 1959, Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s largest independent children’s book publishers with seventeen imprints and divisions: Carolrhoda Books®, Carolrhoda Lab®, Darby Creek™, ediciones Lerner, First Avenue Editions™, Gecko Press™, Graphic Universe™, Kar-Ben Publishing®, Lerner Publications, LernerClassroom™, Lerner Digital™, Millbrook Press™, Soaring Kite Books, Sundance Newbridge, Twenty-First Century Books™, Zest Books™, and Lerner Publisher Services™. For more information, visit www.lernerbooks.com or call 800-328-4929.                                  

    eSchool News Staff
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  • 4 tips to help older K-12 readers

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    Key points:

    An oft-cited phrase is that students “learn to read, then read to learn.”  

    It’s time to put that phrase to bed.

    Students do need to learn the fundamentals of reading in the early grades, including phonics, which is critical for reading success and mastery. However, it is not true that students learn all they need to learn about reading by the end of elementary school, and then spend the rest of their lives as reading masters who only read to learn. 

    Teachers are noticing that older readers need ongoing support to read materials used in their classrooms. In a study commissioned by the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF), a national nonprofit, 44 percent of grade 3–8 teachers reported that their students always or nearly always have difficulty reading instructional materials.

    In grades 6-12, students are still learning to read and are still reading to learn. However, “learning to read” matures into more advanced decoding of multisyllabic words, syntax (all those annoying grammar rules that the reader needs to pay attention to to understand a sentence), fluency on longer sentences and paragraphs, and comprehension, which requires an increasingly sophisticated understanding of a wide range of topics across content areas.

    Consider the word “sad.” Most elementary school students can decode the word sad and would easily recognize it in both speech and print. Now, consider the words “crusade,” “ambassador,” “Pasadena,” “misadvise,” and “quesadilla.” Each contains the letters “sad” within the word, none of the pronunciations are the same as “sad,” and none mean unhappiness or sorrow. Without instruction on multisyllabic words (and morphemes), we can’t assume that middle schoolers can decode words containing “sad,” especially with different pronunciations and meanings. But middle schoolers are expected to navigate these types of words in their language arts, social studies, and science classes.   

    “Sad” and its many appearances in words is just one example of the increasing complexity of literacy beyond elementary school, and middle schoolers will also encounter more interdisciplinary subjects that play a unique role in their developing literacy skills. Here are four points to consider when it comes to adolescent literacy:

    1. Reading and writing instruction must become increasingly discipline-specific. While foundational reading skills are universal, students must enhance their skills to meet the unique expectations of different subjects, like literature, science, social studies, and math. Texts in those subjects vary widely, from historical documents to graphs to fictional literature, each having its own language, rules, and comprehension demands. Students must be taught to read for science in science, for math in math, and for social studies in social studies. How and what they read in language arts is not sufficient enough to transfer to different content areas. The reading approach to “The Old Man and the Sea” is different from “The Gettysburg Address,” and both are different from a scientific article on cell division. Along with reading, students must be taught how to write in ways that reflect the uniqueness of the content.  
    2. This means that it’s all hands on deck for upper-grade educators. Adolescent literacy is often associated with language arts, but reading and writing are integrated practices that underpin every discipline. This calls for all educators to be experts in their discipline’s literacy practices, supporting and developing student skills, from reading and writing poetry and prose in language arts; to primary and secondary source documents, maps, and political cartoons in social studies; graphs, reports, and research in science; and equations and word problems in mathematics.
    3. Build background knowledge to enhance comprehension. As students advance to higher grades, their discipline-specific reading skills impact their ability to attain content knowledge. The more students understand about the discipline, the better they can engage with the content and its unique vocabulary. Precise language like “theme,” “mitosis,” “amendment,” and “equation” requires students to read with increasing sophistication. To meet the content and knowledge demands of their discipline, educators must incorporate background knowledge building, starting with the meaning of words to help students unlock comprehension. 
    4. Teaching fluency, vocabulary, and syntax is evergreen. Along with multisyllabic decoding, students should continue to receive instruction and practice in each of the above, as they all play a starring role in how well readers comprehend a text.

    And most importantly, the education community must take a K-12 approach to literacy if it’s serious about improving reading outcomes for students. As more data emerges on the reading challenges of adolescents in this post-COVID era, it’s more critical now than ever to include adolescent literacy in funding and planning. The data are clear that support for literacy instruction cannot stop at fifth-grade graduation.

    While middle school students are “reading to learn,” we must remember that they are also “learning to read” well into and through high school. It’s more important than ever that state and local education leaders support policies and resources that seamlessly provide for the ongoing academic literacy needs from kindergarten to 12th grade.

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    Miah Daughtery, EdD, NWEA

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  • 4 tips to create an engaging digital syllabus

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    Key points:

    Back-to-school season arrives every year with a mixed bag of emotions for most educators, including anticipation and excitement, but also anxiety. The opportunity to catch up with friendly colleagues and the reward of helping students connect with material also comes with concern about how best to present and communicate that material in a way that resonates with a new classroom.

    An annual challenge for K-12 educators is creating a syllabus that engages students and will be used throughout the year to mutual benefit rather than tucked in a folder and forgotten about. Today’s digital transformation can be a means for educators to create a more dynamic and engaging syllabus that meets students’ and parents’ needs.

    While it can be overwhelming to think about learning any new education technology, the good news about a digital syllabi is that anyone who’s sent a digital calendar invite has already done most of the technical-learning legwork. The more prescient task will be learning the best practices that engage students and enable deeper learning throughout the year. 

    Step one: Ditch the PDFs and print-outs

    Creating a syllabus that works begins with educators stepping into the shoes of their students. K-12 classrooms are full of students who are oriented around the digital world. Where textbooks and binders were once the tools of the trade for students, laptops and iPads have largely taken over. This creates an opportunity for teachers to create more dynamic syllabi via digital calendars, rather than printed off or static PDFs with lists of dates, deadlines, and relevant details that will surely change as the year progresses. In fact, many learning management systems (LMS) already have useful calendar features for this reason. Again, teachers need only know the best way to use them. The digital format offers flexibility and connectivity that old-school syllabi simply can’t hold a candle to.

    Tips for creating an effective digital syllabus

    Classroom settings and imperatives can vary wildly, and so can the preferences of individual educators. Optimization in this case is in the eye of the beholder, but consider a few ideas that may wind up on your personal best practices list for building out your digital syllabus every year around this time:

    Make accessing the most up-to-date version of the syllabus as frictionless as possible for students and parents. Don’t attach your syllabus as a static PDF buried in an LMS. Instead, opt-in to the calendar most LMS platforms offer for the mutual benefit of educators, students, and parents. To maximize engagement and efficiency, teachers can create a subscription calendar in addition or as an alternative to the LMS calendar. Subscription calendars create a live link between the course syllabus and students’ and/or parents’ own digital calendar ecosystem, such as Google Calendar or Outlook. Instead of logging into the LMS to check upcoming dates, assignments, or project deadlines, the information becomes more accessible as it integrates into their monthly, weekly, and daily schedules, mitigating the chance of a missed assignment or even parent-teacher conference. Students and parents only have to opt-in to these calendars once at the beginning of the academic year, but any of the inevitable changes and updates to the syllabus throughout the year are reflected immediately in their personal calendar, making it simpler and easier for educators to ensure no important date is ever missed. While few LMS offer this option within the platform, subscription calendar links are like any hyperlink–easy to share in emails, LMS message notifications, and more.

    Leverage the calendar description feature. Virtually every digital calendar provides an option to include a description. This is where educators should include assignment details, such as which textbook pages to read, links to videos or course material, grading rubrics, or more. 

    Color-code calendar invitations for visual information processors. Support different types of information processors in the classroom by taking the time to color-code the syllabus. For example, purple for project deadlines, red for big exams, yellow for homework assignment due dates. Consistency and routine are key, especially for younger students and busy parents. Color-coding, or even the consistent naming and formatting of events and deadlines, can make a large impact on students meeting deadlines.

    Encourage further classroom engagement by integrating digital syllabus “Easter eggs.” Analog syllabi often contain Easter eggs that reward students who read it all the way through. Digital syllabi can include similar engaging surprises, but they’re easy to add throughout the year. Hide extra-credit opportunities in the description of an assignment deadline or add an invitation for last-minute office hours ahead of a big quiz or exam. It could be as simple as a prompt for students to draw their favorite animal at the bottom of an assignment for an extra credit point. If students are aware that these opportunities could creep up in the calendar, it keeps them engaged and perhaps strengthens the habit of checking their classroom syllabus.

    While the start of the new school year is the perfect time to introduce a digital syllabus into the classroom, it’s important for educators to keep their own bandwidth and comfortability in mind. Commit to one semester with a digital syllabus and spend time learning the basic features and note how the classroom responds. From there, layer in more advanced features or functionality that helps students without being cumbersome to manage. Over time, educators will learn what works best for them, their students and parents, and the digital syllabus will be a classroom tool that simplifies classroom management and drives more engagement year-round. 

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    Joep Leussink, AddEvent

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  • IXL Approved by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a State-Approved Supplemental Literacy Solution for Grades K-5

    IXL Approved by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a State-Approved Supplemental Literacy Solution for Grades K-5

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    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. /PRNewswire/ —  IXL, the award-winning personalized learning platform used by 16 million students, has been named a High Quality Evidence-Based Instructional Material for Early Literacy by the   Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Adding   IXL Language Arts to the list ensures that eligible local education agencies across the state can request reimbursement for purchasing the platform to enhance early literacy instruction. IXL is currently used by 20 percent of students in Missouri, accounting for more than 210,000 students. 

    Cover every concept with effective literacy instruction
    Literacy rates among the nation’s youngest learners remain below pre-pandemic levels, and limited instructional time and larger class sizes make it difficult for educators to boost achievement. To close knowledge gaps and support every student, IXL equips Missouri educators with its award-winning PK-5 ELA curriculum, which personalizes learning and is grounded in the Science of Reading methodology.

    IXL covers all the areas needed to teach language arts, containing more than 2,400 skills spanning reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and more. The platform’s curriculum for grades PK-2 is  designed according to research-based best practices for effective early literacy instruction and focuses on systematic, structured phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. It guides students from simple to complex skills, adapting to individual student needs and offering explicit instruction with real-time feedback. Schools can also leverage  IXL’s Learn to Read and  Reading Intervention skill plans that align perfectly to popular textbooks so educators can steadily and methodically narrow reading gaps.

    Build student confidence with embedded supports
    A wealth of instructional resources supports students and encourages them to self-remediate during independent or small-group practice. More than 2,800  video tutorials match one-to-one with each IXL skill, guiding learners through the building blocks of reading, writing and grammar. These videos make it easy to incorporate the Science of Reading’s methodology into instruction so children learn the relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. Additionally, students receive immediate corrective feedback after every missed question, enabling them to quickly understand their mistakes and progress.

    Get reliable data to meet reading goals
    Early elementary school years are crucial for building foundational skills that shape a child’s education. To support this development, teachers need insights to see exactly where learning gaps exist, targeted resources to close them and tools to help students tackle new challenges. Supported by years of validity research, the nationally-normed  IXL Diagnostic is a precise indicator of student achievement and a strong predictor of performance on standardized assessments. The adaptive assessment pinpoints each learner’s proficiency to the nearest tenth of a grade along the entire ELA spectrum, showing educators exactly what students know and what they can do to improve. It then generates personalized action plans that help students eliminate their trouble spots, and grow their reading and writing skills. Action plans link to specific language arts and reading skills, and give teachers a simple way to differentiate instruction and fill knowledge gaps.

    An award-winning platform backed by evidence
    Educators deserve the gold-standard of educational technology that is proven by research and data to enable the highest performance from every student. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)  Tier 1 and Tier 2 research shows undisputed favorable outcomes for schools implementing IXL. Additionally, studies across 70,000 schools in 49 states show that  IXL leads to higher test scores, with schools scoring as much as 17 percentile points higher on language arts on state assessments.

    Recognized for its quality and rigor, IXL holds the Digital Promise Research-Based Design Product Certification and has twice been honored by the SIIA CODiE Awards as the Best Solution for Foundational (K-8) English Language Arts.

    About IXL
    Currently used by 16 million students and in 96 of the top 100 U.S. school districts, IXL is an all-inclusive educational platform that provides a comprehensive PK-12 curriculum and instructional resources, actionable analytics and a state-of-the-art assessment suite. Available in 57 languages, IXL’s end-to-end teaching and learning solution supports personalized instruction in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. With more than 150 billion questions asked and answered around the world, IXL is helping schools and parents successfully boost student achievement. The IXL Learning  family of products also includes  Rosetta Stone,  Dictionary.com,  Thesaurus.com,  TPT,  SpanishDictionary.com,  inglés.com,  FrenchDictionary.com,  Wyzant,  Vocabulary.com,  ABCya,  Education.com and  Carson Dellosa Education. To learn more about IXL, visit  www.ixl.com,  facebook.com/IXL and  x.com/IXLLearning.

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  • Students want more career-connected learning

    Students want more career-connected learning

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    Key points:

    Fifty-nine percent of students say they would like more opportunities for career-connected learning, according to a new report from the New Hampshire Learning Initiative and Gallup.

    The report, Voices of New Hampshire Students: Career-Connected Learning’s Role in Building Bright Futures, examines the impact of career-connected learning on the more than 8,500 New Hampshire students in grades 5-12.

    About half of students say while at school, they learned about a job or career they previously did not know about. Students who have a mentor who supports their development are more likely to be engaged at school (36 percent) than their peers (16 percent).

    Fifty-nine percent of surveyed students would like more career-related learning opportunities–especially if those opportunities align with their specific interests in jobs and careers. Just under half (48 percent) of high school students and only 25 percent of middle school students report their school’s career-connected learning offerings include the careers they are interested in.

    Career-connected learning opportunities can include elective classes, units taught in core classes, career fairs, job shadowing opportunities, internships, and volunteering. Around one-third of students (34 percent) say their career-connected learning experiences have helped them formulate plans for life after high school. What’s more, at least half of students who have held an internship or externship (57 percent), completed a registered apprenticeship (54 percent), participated in job shadowing (51 percent), or taken a volunteer opportunity for a job- or career-related position (51 percent) say such activities helped inform their post-high-school trajectory.

    Student engagement also increases with career-related learning opportunities. Fifteen percent of students who did not participate in any career-connected activity are engaged in learning, compared to 26 percent of those who have participated in at least one career-linked learning opportunity. Greater participation in career-related activities leads to even higher levels of engagement–45 percent of students who participated in 10 or more activities are engaged, compared to 22 percent among those who have participated in one to four.

    “The NHLI-Gallup survey has been a game-changer for districts, providing data that underscores how important career-connected learning is to student engagement and mindset about the future. The data could not have come at a better time,” NHLI’s Executive Director Ellen Hume-Howard said in the report.

    Laura Ascione
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    Laura Ascione

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  • CompTIA Spark introduces free high-quality technology curriculum for middle grade classrooms

    CompTIA Spark introduces free high-quality technology curriculum for middle grade classrooms

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    Responding to a critical gap in technology education, CompTIA Spark has launched free technology curriculum specifically for middle grade classrooms, grades 5-8. It aims to support teachers so that they can teach the critical skills students need to succeed in whatever path they choose. The nonprofit organization worked with educators across the country to develop the curriculum.

    “World Teachers’ Day celebrates how important teachers are,” says Randi Parker, chief of staff and vice president of CompTIA Spark. “And we know that middle school teachers in particular play such an important role in a student’s journey which is why they are the key to bringing technology education to more schools. We could not have developed this curriculum without them, and we can’t reach students without them.”

    For about the past year, school districts as well as individual teachers have been implementing the CompTIA Spark curriculum in middle grade classrooms and providing feedback that allowed for a testing and development period prior to the full-scale launch. The schools that participated in this phase ranged from award-winning STEM schools to less-resourced ones, with all types of schools reporting the curriculum was a success and that students were engaged and excited to learn.

    Getting students excited about technology and growing their confidence with hands-on learning is critical at the middle school level. Without access to quality technology education, students fall behind before they reach high school which means they do not have the digital fluency needed to succeed in school and in life. Filling this critical gap is the mission of CompTIA Spark.

    With the new free curriculum, teachers can guide middle grade students through engaging project-based lessons that build capability using common applications and 21st century skills. Students gain a solid foundation in key technology concepts to prepare them for future opportunities — in high school and beyond.

    Delivered through an online learning platform, the curriculum sparks interest in technology and how it is used in a wide variety of careers. For example, the Tech Exploration units have interactive lessons that show how tech skills are used in roles like product design, market research, accounting, marketing and more. Meanwhile, the Emerging Tech units focus on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and smart home technology. Full access to the curriculum is available to middle grade educators absolutely free — to empower more teachers to teach the subject, even if they have not taught it previously.

    “Because of the way the curriculum is intentionally designed, we are able to take the burden off the teacher by providing high-quality technology curriculum that middle grade teachers can use in their classroom regardless of their past experience with the subject,” says Parker. “Getting this free resource into the hands of teachers can help close the gap in technology education that currently exists at the middle school level. CompTIA Spark curriculum is free, and always will be free, because it is a gift from the tech industry to future generations.”

    Districts, schools and individual teachers are invited to explore the curriculum and get started at comptiaspark.org.

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  • ORIGO Education Introduces ORIGO Intervention Essentials: A Game-Changer for Math Fluency

    ORIGO Education Introduces ORIGO Intervention Essentials: A Game-Changer for Math Fluency

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    Earth City, MO. — ORIGO Education, a leading provider of elementary math solutions from Pre-K to Grade 6, is thrilled to announce the launch of ORIGO Intervention Essentials, an innovative program designed to enhance math fluency for Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention students in Grades 3-8. By merging effective math strategies with robust professional learning, ORIGO Intervention Essentials offers a transformative approach to tackle math anxiety and build student confidence.

    Many students in Grades 3-8 experience significant math anxiety, leading to a detrimental cycle of avoidance and declining skills. ORIGO Intervention Essentials equips students not only with the tools to “do” math but also to truly understand it. This holistic approach empowers students to tackle challenges with confidence and develop essential problem-solving skills.

    Case studies reveal remarkable outcomes: more than 80% of Tier 3 students utilizing ORIGO Intervention Essentials demonstrated improved fluency, with nearly 50% achieving full mastery. These results underline the effectiveness of ORIGO’s evidence-based strategies.

    ORIGO Intervention Essentials is designed for easy integration into existing schedules. It can be effectively implemented in just 15 minutes daily or divided into two sessions of 30-40 minutes. This flexibility allows schools to tailor the program to fit their specific needs without disrupting existing instructional time. And that flexibility extends to implementation as well; the product can be implemented by teachers, coaches, and paraeducators, eliminating the need for additional staffing or pulling someone from their current duties. This streamlined approach maximizes resources while maintaining the educational continuity so important in intervention.

    With built-in progress monitoring tools, educators can ensure that students are consistently advancing, allowing for timely interventions when needed. Dr. Sara Delano Moore, vice president of content & research at ORIGO Education, said, “ORIGO Intervention Essentials not only addresses the immediate needs of struggling students but also fosters a long-term love for math. Our program is designed to empower educators and students alike.”

    For more information on ORIGO Intervention Essentials, reach out to s_calcott@origomath.com.  

    About ORIGO Education
    ORIGO Education is a leading provider of elementary math solutions from Pre-K to Grade 6. Created by educators for educators, the organization is committed to helping make learning mathematics meaningful, enjoyable, and accessible to all students and their teachers. ORIGO uses a unique spaced learning approach to help students retain content. Covering all facets of elementary mathematics education, from traditional printed products to digital interactive resources and professional learning throughout the world, ORIGO currently supports elementary teachers across 14 countries. To learn more, visit https://www.origoeducation.com/.

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  • How we use robots and art to make meeting computer science standards fun

    How we use robots and art to make meeting computer science standards fun

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    Key points:

    After the state of New Jersey revised its computer science standards in 2020, I was part of a professional learning community tasked with helping educators in all subjects understand the computer science standards and incorporate them into their classrooms.

    Our group came from all over the state, representing different grades and subjects, and our mission was to create an online guide to help teachers break apart each standard, then provide a video tutorial or example of a lesson to address the standard, which we wrote as a team. The project, a collaboration between the state of New Jersey and Montclair State University to create a multi-year Computer Science Education Hub, provided funding for me to buy KIBO robots, which have become the focus of my school’s STEAM program.

    Igniting young students’ wonder through STEAM

    This grant wasn’t just about acquiring cool, new gadgets–it was about making computer science standards accessible to educators beyond the traditional science and engineering departments. By doing so, we’ve been able to teach coding not in isolation, but as an integral part of our larger curriculum. This approach has allowed us to create interdisciplinary lessons that spark curiosity, imagination, and engagement.

    With KIBO, a hands-on coding robot designed specifically for young learners, we have a screen-free way to introduce robotics and coding to elementary school students. We’re able to combine coding with art and show students the parallel between programming and storytelling. A prime example of this interdisciplinary approach was the lesson plan I wrote for our 2nd-grade students.

    The synergy of science and storytelling

    The book Balloons Over Broadway tells the true story of the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Using the book as inspiration, I created a prompt guiding students to transform their KIBO robots into floats and recreate the parade by coding them to navigate the route down “Broadway.” During library media classes, students coded the parade performance using the wooden programming building blocks, and the computer science assisted with green screen filming and editing to recreate the New York City backdrop depicted in the book. Our art teacher introduced the students to Jeff Koons, instructing them to take artistic inspiration from the artist’s iconic balloon dog.

    For the final product, we produced a video that showcased the students’ programmed KIBO robots navigating a parade route through a virtual New York City. The lesson merged creative storytelling and art with technology, robotics, and engineering. Watching my students’ faces light up as they saw their creations come to life was a powerful reminder of the impact of hands-on, integrated STEAM projects like this one.

    Nursery rhymes with a technology twist

    The success of my Balloons over Broadway lesson inspired me to take a similar approach for our 1st-graders, using nursery rhymes as the jumping-off point. This particular lesson plan was mapped to a story-retelling literacy standard that uses the “first, next, then, last” structure, which is similar to patterns that students use in programming. By integrating this retelling format into the lesson, I was able to create a natural connection to the coding component. The students were able to collaboratively construct coding sequences that mirrored the familiar story structure, creating a better understanding of the technology, while also problem-solving by exploring which KIBO programming blocks they felt were necessary to tell the story of the nursery rhyme to the audience.

    I presented the class with several classic nursery rhymes to retell, including Itsy Bitsy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, and Hey Diddle Diddle. After creating their coding sequences, students used KIBO’s wooden programming blocks to guide their robots in retelling the stories. They brainstormed and collaborated on what sounds and actions best matched the action in the nursery rhymes, then programmed their robots accordingly. The project ended with groups presenting four different characters they designed on a tissue box and placed on KIBO’s art platform, so that each of the students in each group could have their own character.

    It was remarkable to witness their creative problem-solving, and I had never seen them so calm and supportive of each other. Everybody applauded!

    To prepare for the new school year, I have received a few extensions for KIBO, including the Marker Extension Set and the Free Throw Extension Set. My plan for the upcoming fall class is to ask the students to devise their own lesson plans using these new tools. I can’t wait to see what the students come up with–the way our first graders were troubleshooting their projects during the nursery rhyme retelling lesson makes me confident that the students are ready to build upon their previous work and take it to the next level.   

    These lessons give my students learning scenarios that prepare them for the interconnected challenges of the real world, especially when it comes to technology and creative problem-solving. By creating lesson plans that not only meet current computer science standards but also anticipate future challenges, I’m equipping my young students with the diverse skillset they need to thrive in our ever-evolving world. 

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  • Proximity Learning Partners With LinkIt! To Empower Certified Virtual Teachers With Advanced Assessment Solutions

    Proximity Learning Partners With LinkIt! To Empower Certified Virtual Teachers With Advanced Assessment Solutions

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    AUSTIN, Texas–( BUSINESS WIRE)–Proximity Learning Inc., the pioneering provider of synchronous virtual instruction for K-12 education, announced today its partnership with LinkIt!, a market leader providing data warehousing, analytics, assessment and multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) solutions for K-12 schools.

    Proximity Learning teachers can now access LinkIt!’s assessment creation and analysis tools to personalize their virtual learning programs, which have proven to increase grades across core subjects by up to 56 percent in some districts.

    “Our teachers have provided standard-setting instruction to over 500,000 students,” said Evan Erdberg, president and founder of Proximity Learning. “Our goal is to equip teachers with the training and resources they need to not only provide a stellar virtual learning experience but to deeply connect with their students to understand their individual and group learning needs. Tools like LinkIt! allow us to measure the effectiveness of our educational program by monitoring and nurturing student progress.”

    Designed by K-12 educators, technologists and data experts, the LinkIt! platform offers assessment management, data analytics and intervention support to drive student performance. With the addition of LinkIt!, Proximity Learning teachers can better measure pre- and post-test performance to meet every student’s academic needs.

    “We founded LinkIt! to close the gap between curriculum assessment and mastery for standardized testing. Since then, we’ve evolved our tool to support hundreds of districts and partners throughout the U.S. with capturing student data and improving educational outcomes,” said Joshua Powe, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkIt!. “Assessment data is a powerful tool for educators, administrators, parents and the students themselves. Tracking and analyzing progress is critical to surrounding students with a holistic learning environment focused on their success.”

    To learn more about LinkIt!’s data collection and analysis platform, visit www.linkit.com. To find out more about how Proximity Learning is empowering school districts and improving the learning experience, visit www.proxlearn.com.

    About Proximity Learning Inc.

    Established in 2009, Proximity Learning Inc., an Education Solutions Services company, has pioneered using web conferencing technology to stream certified teachers into a classroom when a teacher could not be found locally. Students are able to see, learn and interact with a teacher “live” each day from within their school classrooms. This PLI model directly addresses the acute and growing teacher shortage crisis plaguing school districts across the U.S. To learn more, visit www.proxlearn.com.

    About LinkIt!

    LinkIt! is a market leader providing data warehousing, analytics, assessment and MTSS solutions for K-12 schools. We help school districts streamline collecting, managing and analyzing student performance data to improve academic achievement, save time and increase overall productivity. Specifically, the company’s data warehouse and assessment platform enable schools to store and analyze third-party and locally created data for all grade levels and subject areas. LinkIt! also provides custom analytical services to help schools better understand their data for more effective decision-making and action planning. Lastly, our MTSS solution helps schools optimize workflows to create individualized student learning plans. At LinkIt, we come to work every day knowing that our work directly impacts students, teachers and their ability to succeed. While we differentiate our products by being comprehensive, easy to use and innovative, our unique value proposition is our relentless focus on customer service and support.

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  • Literacy First Expands its Early Childhood Literacy Program to Chattanooga, TN After Successful Pilot Program

    Literacy First Expands its Early Childhood Literacy Program to Chattanooga, TN After Successful Pilot Program

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    Austin, TX —  Literacy First, a program from The University of Texas at Austin’s Charles A. Dana Center dedicated to improving literacy outcomes for young learners, is excited to announce its expansion beyond Central Texas. In partnership with Chattanooga 2.0, Literacy First piloted its evidence-based tutoring program in Chattanooga, TN, during the 2023–2024 school year. 

    The Literacy First tutoring model supports children at Title I schools in grades K-2, providing personalized literacy instruction to address individual needs. Through high-impact, one-to-one tutoring during the school day, they close gaps in literacy skills and set students on a path to excel in school and life as they learn to read.

    Literacy First successfully piloted its program with first and second grade students at East Side Elementary. This marks the first time Literacy First has replicated its tutoring program outside of Central Texas. The positive impact on student literacy outcomes was evident, with over half of students in the pilot program reaching or nearing grade-level reading standards by the end of the school year, motivating the district to expand the services offered. 

    For the 2024–2025 school year, Literacy First, in partnership with both Chattanooga 2.0 and Hamilton County Schools, will extend the program to include 11 additional elementary school campuses and two District Lead Coaches. This expansion is part of Literacy First’s gradual release Capacity Building Model, where their expert staff trains and supports district staff and paraprofessional tutors over several years. The goal of this model is for the partner schools and organizations to implement the program independently with reduced support from Literacy First over time. 

    “We are thrilled to bring our proven tutoring model to Chattanooga and collaborate with partners dedicated to creating opportunities for all children to build a strong educational foundation in reading,” Literacy First Director, Dr. Claire Hagen Alvarado stated.

    Chattanooga 2.0 Director of Literacy and Student Strategy, Brandon Hubbard-Heitz added, “Literacy First’s tutoring model is a key strategy in Chattanooga 2.0’s effort to build a robust and aligned system of literacy supports for children beginning from birth at home, in school, and across the community. We were excited to launch the model in Hamilton County Schools and are even more excited to see the model’s expanded impact on K-2 students across the county.”

    Reading is essential to success in every academic discipline, which is why it was important to us to see Literacy First scale up as a tool to support students who need a little extra help,” says Dr. Justin Robertson, Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “I am excited about the partnership with multiple community partners to provide tutoring that will make a real impact in both the short and long term.”

    For more information about Literacy First and their mission, visit  www.literacyfirst.org.

    About Literacy First

    Literacy First teaches young children how to read, equipping them to excel in life and realize their dreams. Since 1994, Literacy First has partnered with public, Title I schools and community organizations to provide intensive and effective literacy tutoring in English and Spanish to K-2 students. Literacy First is an outreach program of the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Learn more at  www.literacyfirst.org. 

    About Chattanooga 2.0

    Chattanooga 2.0 was established in 2016 and is a small nonprofit that works to change systems in order to impact generational changes in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, TN. The ultimate goal is to improve economic opportunity and quality of life — and Chattanooga 2.0 believes education attainment is the first step. From early childhood education to the attainment of a thriving wage career, the small team leads initiatives to remove systemic barriers and provide intentional supports to children, students, and their families. Chattanooga 2.0 convenes and leads community groups such as Early Matters, Great Teachers Great Leaders, the Out of School Time Alliance, and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Children’s Cabinet. For more information visit  www.chatt2.org.

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  • Texas’ Pine Tree Independent School District Expands Partnership with Global Edtech Leader to Support Innovative Science Instruction

    Texas’ Pine Tree Independent School District Expands Partnership with Global Edtech Leader to Support Innovative Science Instruction

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    Charlotte, NC—Texas’  Pine Tree Independent School District (PTISD) today announced an extension of its multi-year collaboration with global edtech leader  Discovery Education. In this new phase of partnership, students in grades K-8 will this year return to classrooms that feature innovative science lessons powered by  Science Techbook for Texas by Discovery Education. A dynamic core instructional curriculum, Science Techbook for Texas was created from the ground up expressly for Texas educators and learners. 

    PTISD’s talented team serves a diverse student body of more than 4,500 learners in the western portion of Longview and part of the neighboring city of White Oak. PTISD is a Texas District of Innovation, and as such, has created a thoughtful strategic plan with three goals: all students will reach their full potential; all students will thrive in a global society; and all students will discover and pursue their unique passions. 

    To support progress toward these goals, PTISD’s leadership team sought an innovative, updateable, digital-print-kit blended science curriculum that would easily integrate into instruction to create unique, student-centered learning experiences. Following a thorough review process, the district selected Science Techbook for Texas by Discovery Education for teachers and students in grades K-8. 

    Science Techbook for Texas includes everything educators need to create modern science lessons, including engaging digital resources, print student and teacher editions, hands-on activity kits, and virtual investigations. In addition, an embedded professional learning component within Science Techbook for Texas helps teachers quickly and easily integrate this resource into classroom instruction, ensuring school leaders see maximum return on their technology investment. Science Techbook for Texas was rated as 100% aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the English Language Proficiency Standards at every grade level by the relevant state review panels and earned a 100% score from the Texas Resource Review for its K-5 and Biology editions. 

    The Science Techbook for Texas’ curriculum includes ready-to-use, phenomena-driven lessons that motivate students with powerful technology tools—such as toggle-on authentic Spanish translation—that personalize the student experience, and time-saving teacher tools that streamline preparation and grading. Available in both print and digital formats, Science Techbook for Texas provides a seamless classroom experience complete with immersive, interactive ways to explore scientific phenomena, including hands-on engineering activities, labs, and STEM connections. In PTISD, Science Techbook for Texas will be used alongside  Discovery Education Experience, an award-winning K-12, cross-curricular, supplemental digital learning resource already used districtwide. 

    “Pine Tree Independent School District has a long history of providing students with captivating educational experiences that prepare them for future success in our increasingly global environment,” said Dr. Lisa Mullins, PTISD’s Executive Director of Quality Education. “The adoption of these powerful core instructional resources helps us continue our tradition of excellence and prepares our students to thrive beyond graduation.” 

    Through its digital, print, and blended options, Science Techbook for Texas delivers a wide range of high-quality resources that support students as they discover how science is practiced in the real world, while focusing on deeper understanding and the application of grade-appropriate science content. Recently,  Discovery Education’s Science Techbook was certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier III standards as set forth in Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  

    Multiple studies show that regular use of Discovery Education Science Techbook in the classroom has many positive academic results for educators and students across a variety of districts and populations in the United States. For example, in an independent study with Arizona’s Sahuarita Unified School District, a third party evaluated Discovery Education’s impact and found that use of Science Techbook resulted in increased science, math, and reading proficiency in grades 3-8. In the second study, a correlation was found between frequency and depth of use of Science Techbook and student achievement in science in grades 6 and 7. This research and more can be found  here. 

    All educators using Discovery Education’s digital resources have access to the  Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration. 

    “Discovery Education is proud to support Pine Tree Independent School District’s efforts to create innovative science instruction,” said Discovery Education’s Manager of Education Partnerships Jason Fennell. “Dr. Lisa Mullins, Superintendent Steve Clugston, and the rest of the district’s talented team of teachers and administrators have charted an exciting new course in science education that helps all students pursue their curiosity as they prepare for a bright future, and we are excited to be chosen to support their work.” 

    For more information about Discovery Education’s  award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit  www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through  X (formerly Twitter),  LinkedIn,  Instagram,  TikTok, and  Facebook.  

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

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  • 95 Phonics Lesson Library Meets ESSA Standards of Evidence for Grades 4-5

    95 Phonics Lesson Library Meets ESSA Standards of Evidence for Grades 4-5

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    Lincolnshire, IL – Today,  95 Percent Group LLC, the trusted source for comprehensive, proven literacy solutions, announced that its 95 Phonics Lesson Library™ is now listed on the Evidence for ESSA website for Tier 2, small-group instruction, for grades 4-5. The rating confirms the program’s research meets federal standards under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for demonstrating evidence of efficacy. In 2022, 95 Phonics Core Program® by 95 Percent Group also earned ESSA listing for Tier 1 Instruction.

    Based at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Research and Reform in Education, Evidence for ESSA was established following the 2015 Congressional approval of the federal act and provides independent, authoritative information on program research that meets the ESSA evidence standards. As a leading resource in the field, the website enables educators and communities to select effective instructional tools to improve student outcomes.

    “Our continued, strategic investment in research both provides us with the information we need to continue to grow and develop our product offerings and demonstrates to educators the power of our programs to accelerate literacy skill development for all students,” said Brad Lindaas, CEO, 95 Percent Group. “We are excited to expand our listings on the highly respected Evidence for ESSA to include supporting intervention for students in grades 4-5.”

    95 Phonics Lesson Library provides teachers with the tools to guide students to grade-level mastery. This evidence-based program for intervention offers three levels of instruction and easy-to-use, fully prepared lessons. As a precision tool, 95 Phonics Lesson Library gives students the targeted intervention they need to fill specific skill gaps.

    LXD Research founder Rachel Schechter, Ph.D., said, “Much of the current focus of science of reading has been on the earlier elementary grades. Our recent research demonstrates the ways that 95 Percent Group programs are effective instructional and intervention tools for students in grades 4-5.”

    In the study that earned 95 Phonics Lesson Library Evidence for ESSA approval, two schools in Ohio’s Youngstown City School District implemented the program with students in grades 4-5. At mid-year, LXD found that 7 percent more 4th graders and 13 percent more 5th graders were on or above benchmark compared to their peers in other district schools that were not using the program.

    “Educators making decisions about science of reading aligned materials for their students are faced with complex and time-consuming decisions. They need to ask questions, such as ‘Is this program evidence-based?’ and ‘Will it move the needle for our students?” 95 Percent Group has made a long-term investment in independent research they can trust, in order to put that information at their fingertips,” said Amy Boza, Ph.D., director of research at 95 Percent Group. “In addition, the work has been highlighted at both national and international academic conferences including IDA.”

    About 95 Percent Group

    95 Percent Group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources, and support they need—to develop strong readers. Using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the company’s One95™ Literacy Ecosystem™ integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 Percent Group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly. For more information, visit www.95percentgroup.com. 

    About LXD Research

    LXD Research is an independent evaluation, research, and consulting division within Charles River Media Group focusing on educational programs. They design rigorous research studies, multifaceted data analytic reporting, and dynamic content to disseminate insights. Visit www.LXDResearch.com.

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  • EPS Learning Programs Selected by Virginia Board of Education as Recommended Literacy Solutions

    EPS Learning Programs Selected by Virginia Board of Education as Recommended Literacy Solutions

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    BETHESDA, Md./PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —  EPS Learning, the leading provider of PreK-12 literacy solutions, announced that four of its programs have been recommended by the Virginia Board of Education for evidence-based literacy instruction that’s aligned to science-based reading research. The recognition supports Virginia schools in a multi-year effort to improve early learning outcomes for students who are below proficiency levels in reading.

    According to the 2022–2023 Virginia Assessment Results, which demonstrate significant and persistent learning loss in reading and math, more than half of students in grades 3-8 either failed or were at risk of failing their reading SOL exam. To remedy reading proficiency beginning in the 2024–2025 school year, the  Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) will mandate core literacy and research-grounded instruction for K–5 students. The enacted legislation provides tools, resources, technical assistance and funding to schools within the state.

    EPS Learning programs meet the required parameters to be recommended as top literacy intervention solutions, including alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction, comprehensive and intensive intervention, support that is accessible and can be easily implemented into any curriculum, inclusivity and representation. The EPS Learning programs included in the recommendation are:

    • SPIRE Family (Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence): Provides explicit, systematic, multisensory instruction through an easy-to-implement intensive program.
    • Reading Assistant for SPIRE: Offers assessment, including a dyslexia screener, highly personalized reading practice for students and real time performance data for teachers through an AI-powered virtual “tutor.”
    • Megawords: Teaches the reading, spelling and contextual uses of multisyllabic words through multisensory instruction and a systematic progression of skills.
    • Wordly Wise 3000: Provides direct academic vocabulary instruction to develop the critical link between vocabulary and reading comprehension.
    • SPIRE Next™: Provides skills-based, genre-specific instruction and practice that uses close reading to build comprehension.

    Additionally, EPS Learning offers several sets of decodable readers and other materials not subject to VLA approval that complement these programs:

    • Readfetti – full-color fiction and non-fiction decodable readers and read aloud cards that align with many popular phonics programs
    • Mac & Tab – decodable readers featuring an adorable cat and rat, made popular through the Primary Phonics program
    • Alphabet Series – decodable readers including charming stories, made popular through the Recipe for Reading program

    “The recognition of EPS Learning solutions by the Virginia Department of Education further validates our framework for literacy instruction that’s backed by nearly 70 years of experience,” said Steven Guttentag, Chief Executive Officer at EPS Learning. “We champion Virginia’s significant efforts to ensure that all students in the state can access literacy as the springboard to lifelong learning and opportunity.”

    To learn more about the recommended programs, visit  https://www.epslearning.com/virginia-literacy-partnerships-recommended-programs.

    For more information about EPS Learning, visit  https://www.epslearning.com/.

    About EPS Learning
    EPS Learning has partnered with educators for more than 70 years to advance literacy as the springboard for lifelong learning and opportunity. The 20+ literacy solutions included in the EPS Literacy Framework are based on the science of reading and support grades PreK through 12, all tiers of instruction, and every pillar of reading. EPS Learning offers evidence-based intervention and customized professional learning to help move students toward growth, mastery, and success. Visit  http://www.epslearning.com to learn more.

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  • Crunch the Numbers:New Data on Student Wellbeing, the Skills Gap Crisis, and Tech Usage in Utah

    Crunch the Numbers:New Data on Student Wellbeing, the Skills Gap Crisis, and Tech Usage in Utah

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    The Social Institute, whose mission is to empower millions of students to navigate their social world — including social media and technology — in positive, healthy, and high-character ways, released its 2024 Student Insights Report: How Social Media, Tech, and Current Events Impact Student Well-Being. This report reflects insights shared by more than 29,000 students in TSI’s Annual Student Survey and more than one million responses from its K-12 collaborative learning platform, #WinAtSocial — making it the largest data set of its kind, spanning grades 3 – 12 in schools across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

    Each year, The Social Institute asks students nationwide to share insights into trending apps, positive ways to navigate common but complex social situations, everyday challenges faced online and off, and what adults should know about well-being, social media, and technology. Educators can use the insights to gain a deeper understanding of their students, helping them to improve school culture and community well-being.

    Among this year’s key findings:

    • The majority of students are getting their first smartphone at 11 years old
    • 73% of students say social media is the most popular way to get news
    • 87% of 9th – 12th graders say social media helps them explore hobbies and interests
    • 60% of 6th – 8th graders say that social media helps them learn social skills
    • 61% of 3rd – 5th graders say social media helps them do well in school

    “These insights are invaluable for educators, because the better you understand students, the more effectively you can empower them to navigate their social world — including social media and technology — to fuel their health, happiness, and future success,” said Laura Tierney, Founder and CEO of The Social Institute. “As a team of digital natives and educators, we have seen first-hand how this ever-changing, complex world of technology impacts students.”

    Other key student findings include:

    • 48 percent of 6th-grade students said they would speak up if a family member is using their phone while driving
    • 49 percent of 7th-grade students say they feel the need to respond to a text within 10 minutes of receiving it, or even sooner
    • 64 percent of 10th-grade students say their social media profile genuinely reflects who they are

    The survey also asked students how they would respond to certain situations on social media, such as dealing with explicit content and navigating mean behavior in group chats. To learn more and view the full 2024 Report, including more insights, visit https://app.hubspot.com/documents/7235441/view/723211956?accessId=cf7165.

    YouScience®, the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers, and Black Girls Do STEM, a 501c3 nonprofit organization empowering Black girls to achieve equitable Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) representation, today announced the release of the 2024 Black Students and STEM Report. This new report reveals that Black students across the nation possess the aptitudes for in-demand STEM careers, but lack interest in pursuing them. This indicates that a significant career exposure gap exists, likely due to underrepresentation in STEM careers. 

    The career exposure gap is measured by the difference between a student’s aptitudes and interests, and identifies which careers a student hasn’t been exposed to and which ones might be a good fit. Most notably, the 2024 Black Students and STEM Report found:

    • A 75% exposure gap in Advanced Manufacturing
    • A 57% exposure gap in Health Science
    • A 56% exposure gap in Finance
    • A 53% exposure gap in Architecture & Construction
    • A 51% exposure gap in Computers & Technology

    The 2024 Black Students and STEM Report combines data from YouScience and Black Girls Do STEM to highlight Black student career exposure gaps for in-demand STEM careers and the importance of programs that address the gaps. The report analyzed anonymized data from 328,000 Black U.S. middle and high school students who took YouScience’s Aptitude and Career Discovery tool from 2019 to 2023. This is the only scientifically-backed tool to apply computerized performance measures of aptitudes, interests, and AI-powered algorithms to activities that help identify best-fit career matches of all students, regardless of race or gender.

    Historically, there has been limited Black representation in STEM-related fields. As of 2021, 9% of the STEM workforce was Black, which was an increase from 7% in 2011. While this growth is positive, new solutions are needed to help Black students explore STEM-related education and careers earlier.

    “As a Black woman in STEM, I have seen first-hand the lack of representation for women, especially Black women, in these in-demand career fields.  However, I have long felt that the solution to this lies within redefining education for Black students through access to identity affirming informal learning environments; so they understand the full scope of their aptitudes, and also the full scope of what careers are possible.” said Cynthia Chapple, Founder and CEO of Black Girls Do STEM. “Working with YouScience has confirmed that notion by truly showcasing the possibilities for our students based on their unique, individual aptitudes.”

    While both Black male and female students have aptitude for STEM careers, the report found that significant exposure gaps exist for female students in particular:

    • 88% more Black female students have an aptitude for careers in Advanced Manufacturing than interest
    • 73% more Black female students have more aptitude for careers in Computers & Technology than interest
    • 72% more Black female students have an aptitude for careers in Architecture & Construction than interest

    “For decades, Black students have encountered inequities that have impacted their pathways in education and then career. It’s imperative to recognize that Black students possess the aptitude for all STEM careers, but the glaring exposure gap remains a formidable challenge due to resource deficiencies and lack of representation. By bridging the exposure gaps and doing so earlier in education, society can help Black students understand all of the opportunities available to them and connect them with education and career pathways and programs that can foster even more skills and understanding,” said Edson Barton, Founder and CEO of YouScience. “One of the most notable programs helping to bridge the gap for students is Black Girls Do STEM. This organization and Cynthia Chapple are working diligently to provide female students with the opportunity to learn, create and build confidence in their abilities to pursue STEM careers.”

    To access the complete findings from the 2024 Black Students and STEM Report as well as recommendations from YouScience and Black Girls Do STEM on how to address the career exposure gaps in STEM, click here.

    Connected Nation (CN) has partnered with Utah Education Network (UEN) to release the fifth iteration of the Utah School Technology Inventory, a statewide report that compiles critical data about technology usage and gaps in UEN schools. The national nonprofit has collaborated with UEN for nearly a decade to track how technology is used in Utah’s school districts and charter schools, and the access teachers and students have to digital materials, devices and platforms. The inventory once again had a 100% participation rate.

    “Starting in 2015 through 2023, UEN’s partnership with Connected Nation has conducted these inventories in the fall every other year,” said UEN Senior Project Manager Cory Stokes. “Completing these inventories helps leaders at the state, district and school levels make better decisions based on data to improve, enhance and support technology in education.”

    UEN chose the nonprofit to develop the data collection portal and lead the inventory effort. They collected more than 82,600 data points, representing 1,034 schools across Utah. The final report provides a comprehensive summary of the Utah school system and an overview page for every school district and charter school in the state.

    “School districts use these reports to determine how they are currently using technology funds to support their students and teachers,” said Stokes. “The data provides and accounts for how technology is supporting and helping to meet the needs of students and teachers in public education.”

    The inventory found that, statewide, 7 out of 10 schools (70%) report that they deploy mobile learning devices such as laptop or tablet computers to students on a 1:1 basis. 

    Other key findings include:

    • Device-to-student ratio increased since 2015 but remain the same between the 2021 and 2023.
    • Google Chromebooks remain the most popular computing device for students, with schools reporting that more than 594,000 Chromebooks are made available to students statewide.
    • Nearly 2 out of 5 Utah schools (38%) offer mobile learning devices on a 1:1 basis and allow students to take those devices home, maintaining a similar rate from 2021 (39%).

    “UEN’s focus has always been to provide equitable network services and resources to all students in Utah, regardless of where they live, how they participate in school and how they most effectively learn,” said Stokes. “This was all made possible through the School Technology Inventory report.” 

    Read the 2023 Utah School Technology Inventory Report.

    About the Utah Education Network: UEN is part of the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), which connects all Utah school districts, schools, and higher education institutions to a robust network and quality educational resources. UEN is one of the nation’s premier education networks.

    About Connected Nation: The national nonprofit’s mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access, adoption and use of high-speed internet and its related technology to all people. They work with consumers, local community leaders, states, technology providers and foundations to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered on a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. For more information, please visit connectednation.org.

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  • Carolina Certified Version of OpenSciEd for Middle School Receives All-Green Rating from EdReports

    Carolina Certified Version of OpenSciEd for Middle School Receives All-Green Rating from EdReports

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    BURLINGTON, NC – Leading school science supplier Carolina Biological Supply Company announced that its Certified Version of OpenSciEd for grades 6 to 8 received all-green ratings from non-profit EdReports. The organization provides free reports and reviews online that help K-12 educators evaluate math, language arts and science instructional materials because high-quality content matters to teachers, to kids, and to their collective future. The materials are rigorously evaluated for alignment to standards and usability by teams of educators. EdReports’ content reviewers consist of outstanding classroom educators, district coaches, and state content leaders who deeply understand college-and career-ready standards and the importance of high-quality instructional materials. Read the full report on EdReports.org.

                In simple terms, the all-green rating from EdReports means that the Carolina Certified Version of OpenSciEd meets expectations for all three categories of review: Designed for the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS); coherence and scope; and usability. It further demonstrates that the enhancements Carolina made to its version of the program also meet expectations for alignment and usability.

      “As a non-profit science developer, OpenSciEd intentionally created an open-source science curriculum so that teachers could edit and adapt and localize the content for their students,” said Jim Ryan, Executive Director of OpenSciEd. “By making the OpenSciEd for grades 6-8 curriculum easier to use last year, the Carolina Certified Version paved the way for teachers to make these changes, while maintaining the high quality of the instructional materials. Working with Carolina as a certified partner resulted in another excellent version of our curriculum.”

    In 2021, Carolina became a certified partner with nonprofit science developer OpenSciEd to create a unique version of OpenSciEd science units grades 6 to 8. Carolina, through its own expert scientists and science educators, took a first step towards enhancing the OpenSciEd units to further support teachers and engage students. The Carolina Certified Version offers redesigned print materials, simplified equipment, and an enhanced digital experience, plus certified professional learning to help teachers make the shift to three-dimensional, student-centered, and phenomena-driven learning.

    “We appreciate receiving the review from EdReports, a highly respected source for reliable insight, and are very proud to have earned all green ratings,” said Jim Parrish, President and CEO at Carolina. “Carolina, like EdReports, knows teachers spend many hours looking for quality materials. Their rigorous review process can make it much easier for educators to quickly see and be assured that our Carolina Certified Version of OpenSciEd for middle school met their standards in every category and went through deep scrutiny by a team of educator reviewers. The review can definitely help take another burden off teachers and help them find high-quality materials for their classrooms.” 

    Carolina is grateful for the opportunity to have its version reviewed by EdReports. The Carolina Biological Certified Version of OpenSciEd draws upon the same science content as OpenSciEd and has the same scores across the program. Some evidence statements have been edited to reflect the differences in program navigation and usability, including the presence of an online digital platform.

    For information, Carolina encourages educators to visit its online page at https://www.carolinaopenscied.com to learn about its versions of OpenSciEd. Units are available for purchase now through Carolina. Visit Carolina’s website or, call (800) 334-5551, or e-mail curriculum@carolina.com.

    Carolina Biological Supply Company
               From its beginnings in 1927, Carolina ( www.carolina.com) has grown to become the leading supplier of science teaching materials in the world. Headquartered in Burlington, NC, Carolina serves customers worldwide, including teachers, students, and professionals in science and health-related fields. The company is still privately owned by descendants of the founder, geology and biology professor Dr. Thomas E. Powell Jr.

    * NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

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  • Smithsonian and Carolina Biological Announce New Version of Elementary Science Curriculum to Raise Bar in 3D Learning

    Smithsonian and Carolina Biological Announce New Version of Elementary Science Curriculum to Raise Bar in 3D Learning

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    BURLINGTON, NC — Carolina Biological, the leading school science supplier and the Smithsonian Science Education Center announced Smithsonian Science for the Classroom™, Phenomenon and Problem-Driven Edition, for grades K to 5. The print, digital and hands-on program raises the bar in student-driven 3D learning and 3D assessment. All modules in the updated core science curriculum are rolling out for the 2024-25 school year. The program still takes students on a journeyof hands-on experiences, observation, and collaboration, but added many more new opportunities for students to drive their own learning and: build reading, writing, and speaking skills; make sense of phenomena and real-world problems; drive learning with their own ideas and experiences. The new program features a robust and integrated assessment system, including a new assessment map. Accessibility for students is emphasized. Students cultivate scientific skills and knowledge through student-centric investigations as they figure out compelling phenomena and solve real-world problems. Teacher support is included. The new 2nd Edition was extensively field tested by educators and will be available for purchase through Carolina for the 2024-25 school year. Teachers can contact Carolina now to implement in classrooms next fall.

    Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, 2nd Edition, is a high-quality comprehensive science program with life science, earth and space science, physical science and engineering modules developed to meet the *Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This elementary curriculum engages, inspires, and connects students firsthand to the world around them through a total of 24 student-driven modules. It helps teachers keep classes fresh and interesting to young students and integrate science, technology, math and engineering throughengaging and hands-on lessons. Smithsonian Science for the Classroom includes print and digital components, as well as hands-on materials.

    Student Agency

    A strong theme in the new Edition is the power of student agency, a personalized learning concept that gives students a choice and voice in learning. When each new phenomenon or problem is introduced, students have the opportunity to access their prior knowledge, share initial ideas, and ask questions based on gaps in their understanding. These ideas and questions drive the next steps. They offer more opportunities for students to ask questions and rely upon their prior knowledge to drive their understanding and learning. Students work as scientists, doing hands-on investigations, collaborating with peers, testing models, and developing explanations as they explain a phenomenon or solve a problem. A family letter is included for every module that creates opportunities for teachers to gain knowledge about students’ prior experiences and for parents and caregivers to know what to ask students about in-class experiences.

    “Students come to the classroom with an understanding of the world based on their previous experiences,” said Dr. Carol O’Donnell, Senior Executive and Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center. “When students have an opportunity to access their prior knowledge, use it to make initial explanations of a phenomenon, and integrate that prior knowledge with classroom investigations, they will gain a deeper understanding of how the natural world works. The new Edition gives students more opportunities to explain phenomena and solve problems by integrating their knowledge from past experiences with carefully chosen investigations, digital interactives, and informational text.”

    During field testing of the version, many educators provided feedback and enjoyed the student-driven emphasis of the investigations. Here is one of the helpful comments from 2nd Edition beta testers about the grade 4 engineering unit: “I have never had the students come up with goals for a successful solution,” said Michele Hayes, 4th grade teacher at St. John’s School in Houston, TX. “This was difficult for them, but they came up with great ideas. I will definitely use this when doing future STEM projects.”

    Every lesson provides opportunities for students to practice and reinforce foundational reading and math skills. Explaining phenomena and solving problems provides motivation for students to read, write, and discuss for purpose. Students read for purpose to find evidence that explains what is confusing or surprising to them. Notebooking in science gives students opportunities to engage with the writing process, write for a purpose and a place to record and organize their design and testing plans, collected data, ideas and explanations of phenomena, and claims based on evidence.

    Students talk to each other to design a solution together, brainstorm how to test it, and plan how to make it better. Students speak to each other and to the class as they ask and answer their own questions and communicate the results of their investigations through presentations.

    Developers at theSmithsonian Science Education Center leveraged their incredible curiosity about the amazing things the researchers and curators are investigating at the Smithsonian and wove that into a student-driven grades K to 5 curriculum. So the students who use Smithsonian Science for the Classroom and its accompanying literacy series, Smithsonian Science Stories, aren’t just getting a cohesive, engaging, NGSS-aligned curriculum, they are getting a chance to “visit” the Smithsonian and peer into the art, culture and history through the readings. The curriculum was voted the most culturally relevant science program by the National Science Teaching Association in BEST of STEM 2023 awards.

    3D Assessment

    The modules integrate science and engineering seamlessly, as intended by NGSS. Guidance is provided through call-out boxes on where, when and how students are applying the three dimensions of NGSS (e.g., disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts). This is especially useful for teachers who are relatively new to NGSS and also ensures that students are engaged in 3D learning. A new comprehensive Assessment Map in the Teacher’s Guide for each module illustrates how students progress in building skills and knowledge throughout the module. Formative and checkpoint assessments build to the module summative performance assessment, which is a science or engineering design challenge. The assessment table format makes it fast and easy for teachers to use “in the moment” assessment guidance.3D assessment assists teachers in gauging how well students are progressing in all three dimensions through a variety of assessed performance tasks and written assessments. Three-dimensional assessments required by the latest standards are performance based. Students apply their content knowledge to complete a task and answer open-ended questions about phenomena. Understanding is demonstrated in a variety of ways where students apply their knowledge and skills to a scenario. Teachers need to provide evidence that students can apply their knowledge appropriately and are building on their existing knowledge and skills in ways that lead to deeper understanding of the scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas.

    “The new edition of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom drives the powerful, three-dimensional learning and assessment intended by NGSS,” said Jim Parrish, President and CEO at Carolina Biological Supply Company. “It builds upon the original research foundation to 1) develop scientific literacy while reinforcing foundational skills in reading and math, 2) emphasize experiential learning; and 3) provide access to culturally relevant content only available through the Smithsonian Institution. The 2nd Edition provides more opportunities for all students’ ideas to drive investigation of phenomena and problems and to make sense of their natural world.”

    Availability

    All modules from Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, 2nd Edition, will be available for schools to purchase in the 2024-2025 school year through Carolina. It includes print and digital components, as well as hands-on materials. The program includes 24 modules for grades K to 5. Each module includes a print-format Teacher Guide, a set of 16 Smithsonian Science Stories readers, a set of 10 Student Activity Guides (grades 3-5), a class kit of hands-on materials to supply 32 students, and digital access to the Teacher Guide and student literacy materials. Prices start at $650 for one grade-level module through Carolina. Refurbishment sets are also available starting at $200 to refill the hands-on consumables for subsequent use of the module. An upgrade kit for current users will be available for purchase. Below-grade and Spanish versions of the readers are also available for purchase. For information, visit Carolina’s website, call (800) 334-5551, or e-mail curriculum@carolina.com.

    Smithsonian Science Education Center

    The mission of the  Smithsonian Science Education Center is to transform and improve the teaching and learning of science for PreK-12 students in the United States and throughout the world. Established in 1985 as the National Science Resources Center (NSRC) under the sponsorship of two prestigious institutions – the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academy of Sciences – the Center is dedicated to the establishment of effective science programs for all students. The Smithsonian Science Education Center works to build awareness for PreK-12 science education reform among global, state, and district leaders; conducts programs that support the professional growth of PreK-12 teachers and school leaders; and engages in research and curriculum development in partnership with it is publisher, Carolina Biological Supply Company, the sole source provider of STC™, STCMS™, and Smithsonian Science for the Classroom™.

    Carolina Biological Supply Company

    From its beginnings in 1927, Carolina ( www.carolina.com) has grown to become the leading supplier of biological and other science teaching materials in the world. Headquartered in Burlington, NC, Carolina serves customers worldwide, including teachers, students, and professionals in science and health-related fields. The company is still privately owned by descendants of the founder, geology and biology professor Dr. Thomas E. Powell Jr.                                                                                                

    * NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

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  • Tutor.com’s On-Demand Tutoring Meets ESSA II Standards, Demonstrating Positive Impacts on Student Grades and Attendance

    Tutor.com’s On-Demand Tutoring Meets ESSA II Standards, Demonstrating Positive Impacts on Student Grades and Attendance

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    NEW YORK —  Tutor.com, one of the world’s largest and most innovative online tutoring organizations, announced that it satisfies Level II requirements (Moderate Evidence) of the  Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for its on-demand tutoring services. 

    The findings come from an  effectiveness study independently designed and conducted by LearnPlatform by Instructure, a third-party edtech research company. The study results show four statistically significant favorable outcomes for  El Monte Union High School District students who used Tutor.com, as compared to demographically similar non-users. Highlights include:

    –       Students who used Tutor.com had higher GPAs. Students who used Tutor.com had higher spring-semester GPAs as compared to non-users (3.02 vs. 2.87), and the difference was statistically significant. 

    –       Students who used Tutor.com had fewer Ds and Fs. Students who used Tutor.com had fewer spring-semester D and F grades as compared to non-users (0.72 vs. 0.91 on average per student), and the difference was statistically significant. 

    –       Students who completed more Tutor.com sessions had fewer absences. Students who completed more than 20 sessions had fewer absences than students who completed 3–20 sessions, and fewer still than students who completed 1–2 sessions (5.14 absences for high Tutor.com usage vs. 6.42 for medium usage and 8.62 for low usage), and these differences were statistically significant.

    –       Students who engaged in more total minutes of Tutor.com tutoring had fewer absences. Students who completed more than 300 minutes of Tutor.com tutoring had fewer absences as compared to students who completed between 1 and 60 minutes of tutoring (5.42 absences vs. 8.30), and the difference was statistically significant.

    The study showed positive outcomes from on-demand tutoring, a service Tutor.com has delivered for more than two decades. Together with  High-Dosage Tutoring, an evidence-based intervention that Tutor.com and affiliate company The Princeton Review® launched earlier this year, on-demand tutoring can be utilized as an effective tool to enhance a district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). 

    “This study confirms what we and the millions of students we serve have long known,” said Sandi White, Chief Institutional Officer at Tutor.com and The Princeton Review. “Students consistently tell us that Tutor.com is helping them improve their grades and confidence. This independent effectiveness study measurably attests to many of the student success stories we see every day.” 

    The study, which examined outcomes during the 2022–2023 school year, included a matched analysis sample of 746 students (373 treatment, 373 comparison) in grades 9–12 from El Monte Union High School District. Researchers used both administrative and state summative assessment data to examine the impact of Tutor.com on student outcomes. (Additional details can be found in the  study.) Given multiple positive outcome findings, the study provides results to satisfy ESSA evidence requirements for Level II. LearnPlatform by Instructure had previously completed a Tutor.com  logic model that satisfies  ESSA IV standards.

    “Every El Monte educator is dedicated to empowering our students to be resilient, college- and career-ready, lifelong learners and contributing members of our global society,” said Dr. Edward Zuniga, Superintendent, El Monte Union High School District. “We proactively implement programs to help students realize their full potential, and we are delighted to see the positive, measurable impact that online tutoring has had on their success.”

    Other case studies have shown positive outcomes with Tutor.com use. “As part of our commitment to student success, we examine impact data and continually innovate our services to support success for learners, schools, and districts,” said White. The company, which has delivered more than  25 million sessions, plans to release additional MTSS tools in the new year.

    About Tutor.com

    Since its incorporation in 2000,  Tutor.com has delivered more than 25 million online tutoring and homework help sessions to students. The company’s more than 3,000 vetted and qualified tutors provide learning assistance that is available 24/7 in a wide variety of subjects. The company’s mission is to instill hope, advance equity, and catalyze achievement in schools and communities. Tutor.com powers tutoring and homework help programs for the U.S. Department of Defense, colleges and universities, K–12 school districts, state and local libraries, and companies offering employee benefit programs. Headquartered in New York City, Tutor.com is an affiliate of  The Princeton Review, an education services company not affiliated with Princeton University. Follow Tutor.com on X (formerly Twitter)  @tutordotcom, Facebook  @TutorDotCom, and LinkedIn  @Tutor.com.

    SOURCE Tutor.com

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  • The pandemic is over–but American schools still aren’t the same

    The pandemic is over–but American schools still aren’t the same

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

    On a recent Friday at Gary Comer Middle School in Chicago, you had to squint to see signs of the pandemic that upended American education just a few years ago.

    Only a handful of students wore face masks, and even then, some put them on to cover up pimples, staff said. The hand sanitizer stations outside every classroom mostly went unused, and some were empty. Students stopped to hug in the hallway and ate lunch side by side in the cafeteria. 

    “I don’t think it’s a big deal as much as it was before,” said 12-year-old Evelyn Harris, an eighth grader at Comer, whose lasting memory of pandemic schooling is that online classes were easier, so she got better grades. “The pandemic didn’t really affect me in a big way.”

    But inside Nikhil Bhatia’s classroom, the evidence was on the whiteboard, where the math teacher was shading in slices of a pie to illustrate how to find a common denominator. That day, his seventh graders were working to add and subtract fractions — a skill students usually learn in fourth grade.

    Maybe you learned this before, Bhatia began. “Or, during the pandemic, you might have been on Zoom,” — a few students laughed as he dragged out the words — “put your screen on black, went to go play a couple video games. Snap if that sounds familiar?”

    Clicking fingers filled the room. “That’s OK!” Bhatia responded. “That’s why we’re going to do the review.”

    As the new school year begins at Comer and elsewhere, many students and educators say school is feeling more normal than it has in over three years. COVID health precautions have all but vanished. There’s less social awkwardness. Students say they’re over the novelty of seeing their classmates in person.

    But beneath the surface, profound pandemic-era consequences persist. More students are missing school, and educators are scrambling to keep kids engaged in class. Many students remain behind academically, leaving teachers like Bhatia to fill in gaps even while trying to move students forward. Rebuilding students’ shaken confidence in their abilities is especially important right now.

    “It’s OK that you don’t know this,” Bhatia tells his students. “It’s normal right now.”

    Nationally, many students remain far behind in math and reading where they would have been if not for the pandemic. There have been especially steep learning drops at schools that taught virtually for most of the 2020-21 school year, as schools did across Chicago and within the Noble charter network, which includes Comer. It’s an issue that’s even more pressing for older students, who have less time to fill in those holes.

    At Comer, 28% of eighth graders met or exceeded Illinois math standards the year before the pandemic, not far off from the state’s average of 33%. But by spring 2022, that had fallen to just 2%, compared with 23% for the state. 

    In reading, meanwhile, 9% of Comer eighth graders met or exceeded state standards pre-pandemic, and that dipped to 4% in spring 2022, when the state’s average was 30%. 

    The school made gains they’re proud of last school year, with 10% of eighth graders hitting the state’s bar for math and 22% hitting it for reading, though school leaders say they know there is still work to be done.

    “If you don’t have some foundational skills and basic skills, it will be almost impossible to keep up with the curriculum as the kids get older,” said Mary Avalos, a research professor of teaching and learning at the University of Miami, who has studied how COVID affected middle school teachers. “That’s a big issue that needs to be addressed.”

    How teachers are addressing pandemic learning gaps

    Most of Bhatia’s students missed key skills in fourth and fifth grades — the years that school was remote, then interrupted by waves of COVID — but they mastered more advanced concepts in sixth grade last year.

    That’s left Bhatia, like many teachers across the country, with the tricky task of coming up with mini lessons to fill in those elementary gaps, without spending so much time on prior concepts that students fall behind in middle school.

    On a day like Friday, that meant to get students ready to add negative fractions, a seventh grade skill, Bhatia first had to teach a short lesson on adding fractions, a fourth grade skill. At first, some students mistakenly thought they should use the technique for dividing fractions they learned last year.

    “They’ll say: ‘Oh is this keep, change, flip’?” Bhatia said. “The gap isn’t exactly what you would expect it to be.” 

    This kind of teaching happened “once in a while” pre-pandemic, Bhatia said, but “now it’s like day by day I have to be really critical in thinking about: ‘OK what might be the gap that surfaces today?’”

    Aubria Myers, who teaches sixth grade English at Comer, sees ways the familiar rhythms of school are just now returning, four months after federal health officials declared an official end to the COVID-19 emergency.

    “This year, for me, feels the most normal,” Myers said. Students are saying: “Oh wait, what’s the homework again, can I get another copy?” she said. Last year when she mentioned homework, “they were like: ‘What is that?’”

    On that recent Friday, Myers led an activity in her multicultural literature class that would have been impossible two years ago when students had to stay seated in pods of color-coded desks. 

    Her sixth graders huddled close to one another as they tried to hop across the classroom, an exercise designed to give her fidgety students a chance to move around, while exemplifying the communication and teamwork skills that would be at the center of Seedfolks, the novel they were about to read in class.

    Still, Myers had chosen the book, with its short chapters and lines full of metaphors and irony, to meet the needs of this crop of sixth graders, who spent all of third grade learning online. Many, Myers knows, never logged on. They have shorter attention spans and doubts about their reading skills but love class discussions, she said.

    “They remember that time in their life when they were stuck talking to only people in their house,” Myers said. “They’re in class wanting to engage with each other.”

    Myers has tried to prevent her students from getting discouraged by their learning gaps. At the start of this school year, for example, she’s pointing out spelling and punctuation errors, but not docking points yet. She wants to make sure her students first have time to learn some of the key skills they missed in earlier grades.

    “We have kids who don’t understand how to put a period somewhere in your sentence, or how to put spaces between their words,” Myers said. “I see these very beautifully strung together ideas, these really well thought-out explanations, but they’re missing some of those key mechanics.”

    Student mental health and engagement still top of mind

    Comer has responded to students’ post-pandemic needs in other ways, too. The school expanded its team of social workers and other staff who work with students to resolve conflicts and address mental health needs, a trend that’s been observed nationwide.

    The school has long felt the effects of neighborhood gun violence and student trauma, but staff say having more adults focused on those issues has helped students open up and seek help. Now, more students are requesting verbal mediations to head off physical fights, staff say.

    “If you follow us through the building, you’ll see,” said Stephanie Williams, a former reading teacher who now directs Comer’s social and emotional learning team. “Kids will seek you out, or find you, and let you know: ‘Hey, I need this.’”

    And this is the second year the school has scheduled all core classes earlier in the week, so that students can spend part of Friday practicing math and reading skills on the computer, and the rest of the day taking two special electives. It’s a strategy meant to keep students engaged — and showing up to school.

    The school offers classes that pique students’ interests, such as the history of hip hop, hair braiding, and creative writing. Brandon Hall, a seventh grader at Comer, blended his first smoothie in a “foodies” class and bonded with his basketball coach through chess. He came to see similarities between making plays on the court and moving pawns across the board.

    “I learned a lot from him,” he said.

    On “Freedom Fridays,” attendance is higher and student conflicts are rarer, school officials say. That’s been important as the school, like many others, has seen higher chronic absenteeism rates over the last two years. At Comer, 1 in 3 sixth graders missed 18 or more days of school last year. Before the pandemic, that number sat closer to 1 in 5.

    The approach runs counter to the calls some education experts have made for schools to double down on academics and add more instructional time — not take it away. 

    A recent report by the Center on Reinventing Public Education, for example, spells out the numerous ways students are still struggling, and calls for “a greater urgency to address learning gaps before students graduate.” Harvard education researcher Thomas Kane noted that few districts have lengthened the school day or year and warned that, “The academic recovery effort following the pandemic has been undersized from the beginning.”

    But JuDonne Hemingway, the principal of Comer, said devoting time to enrichment activities during the school day is worth it to ensure all students have access to them. These classes, she added, are helping students develop interests they may pursue in college or as part of a career.

    “They’re not just random experiences for kids,” Hemingway said. “We think they are just as important as any traditional academic class.”

    Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education.

    For more news on COVID in schools, visit eSN’s Educational Leadership page.

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    Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

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