This summer, students will have at least two new ed-tech services to offset summer learning loss, free of charge

Research suggests that students lose two to three months of grade-level equivalency in math skills over the summer, which affects their readiness for the new school year—and this problem is more pronounced for students from low-income families.

This summer, students will have at least two new ed-tech services to offset summer learning loss—and both will be offered to students at no cost.

AASA ^[1], the nation’s largest association for school superintendents, has partnered with TenMarks ^[2] (an Amazon company) to reverse summer learning loss through an initiative called the TenMarks Summer Math Program ^[3].

And EverFi ^[4], which offers online instruction on topics such as financial literacy and civic engagement to fill gaps in students’ education, has announced a new program called Verano Summer Learning. The program will deliver “bit-sized booster shots” of content to students during the summer months.

“Summer learning loss is the great open space of education,” said Tom Davidson, EverFi’s chief executive, in a press release. “To close the widening achievement gap, we must close the summer engagement gap. The only options cannot be poorly funded remediation programs or pure entertainment.”

(Next page: How these new services work)

TenMarks, which was acquired by Amazon last year, offers web-based math practice and instruction, with analytics to help track students’ progress. The basic version is offered free of charge, while a premium version—which starts at $20 per student, per year, with volume discounts available—includes real-time intervention and automated differentiation.

Through the TenMarks Summer Math Program, the company will offer its premium version at no cost for students in AASA member districts during the summer months—creating a personalized summer program that is tailored to meet students’ needs.

Using a diagnostic assessment, the program will create an individualized summer curriculum for each student, designed to review previously taught concepts and introduce new concepts for the year ahead.

As students work through math problems, they will use embedded hints and video lessons to refresh what they know while learning new concepts, TenMarks said. The program will respond with targeted interventions when it recognizes a need—and TenMarks will offer end-of-summer reports for families and school districts to help inform instruction for the new school year.

“Summer learning loss in mathematics is a big problem and should be a major concern across the country. One very successful solution is the use of online programs that address the individual needs of students and provide reinforcement and learning in fun and engaging ways,” said David Driscoll, Massachusetts’ former commissioner of education and a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, in a press release.

EverFi’s Verano Summer Learning program will deliver age-appropriate content around math, reading, vocabulary, civic engagement, and financial literacy in short, 30-minute “engagement pieces” over the summer, Davidson said in an interview with eSchool News.

The program is “not meant to be summer school, or a full course,” he added. Instead, it’s meant to keep students’ minds active during the summer months.

In rolling out this program for students, EverFi will follow the same unique model it uses for its other programs, which reportedly have served some 7 million students so far: The company identifies sponsors to underwrite the cost, so school districts themselves pay nothing to participate.

Research suggests that summer learning loss also affects reading skills, though this effect varies widely according to students’ socioeconomic status. Low-income students generally lose about two months of reading achievement, while middle-income students—who are more likely to read on their own—experience slight gains in reading performance.

The low-income students who stand to benefit the most from online summer enrichment programs from companies such as EverFi and TenMarks are also the students who are least likely to have computers and internet access at home—a fact that Davidson readily acknowledges.

“We understand this issue and know that it [could] be an impediment to our success,” he said. “It is one of the reasons we are focusing on deploying low-bandwidth solutions for mobile phones, where the penetration is deeper for families in high-need communities. We are also building out our network of public facilities—libraries, community-based organizations, and others that have the infrastructure [to serve these students].”

Follow Editorial Director Dennis Pierce on Twitter: @eSN_Dennis ^[5].

Digital citizenship is a key skill for today’s students

Today’s kids may be growing up in an interconnected world, but they need to be taught how to be good cyber citizens and use technology wisely. To help create an online source on digital citizenship, CarrotNewYork, Cable in the Classroom (CIC) and O’Keefe Communications teamed up to create InCtrl.

The online resource is a collection of seven free standards-based, inquiry-led, and student-centered lessons covering key digital citizenship topics.

Designed to equip and empower 4th-8th grade students to be smart, safe, and effective in today’s digital world, topics include everything from privacy to cyberbullying.

“InCtrl was designed to make digital citizenship teachable for educators by breaking the topic down into seven turnkey, easy-to-digest topics that include conversation starters, activities, teaching tips and resources. Interdisciplinary lessons are aligned with national standards, including Common Core, American Association of School Librarians, National Education Technology Standards (NETS), by ISTE, and Partnership for 21st Century Skills,” said Filiz Soyak, education director of CarrotNewYork.

“Digital Citizenship is a holistic and positive approach to helping students learn how to be safe and secure, as well as smart and effective participants in a digital world,” said Kat Stewart, senior director of public affairs for Cable in the Classroom. That means helping them understand their rights and responsibilities, recognize the benefits and risks, and realize the personal and ethical implications of their actions. Helping a student become a good digital citizen cuts across all curricular disciplines.”

The full curriculum can be downloaded at www.CIConline.org/InCtrl ^[6].

Education stakeholders highlight an international perspective on ed-tech integration

As the U.S. struggles with stagnant performance on international assessments, it could learn from other countries’ successful ed-tech initiatives.

During the Consortium for School Networking’s (CoSN) 2013 senior-level delegation visit to Portugal, ed-tech advocates explored the country’s successful technology initiative and identified key takeaways for U.S. education leaders policymakers.

Portugal’s initiative grew out of economic decline, poor student performance on international tests, and sparse home internet access. In response, the government launched the National Technology Plan for Education, with an overall goal of creating a “knowledge-based society” and using technology and internet access to make the country’s education system not just current, but top-notch.

(Next page: The ed-tech program’s impact)

The ed-tech plan’s three-year implementation first equipped elementary and secondary school students with computers and internet access. The Magellan Initiative put 500,000 Magellan PCs, outfitted with educational content and software, in the hands of students ages 6-11. The eEscola program gave notebook computers to students in grades 7-12.

Students own their devices and their at-home use promotes digital literacy in families, particularly low-income families that previously did not have device access. Device purchase prices were based on family income, and approximately 25 percent of families received a student device for free. Between 2008-2012, 1.7 million elementary and secondary school students, adults in training programs, and teachers received laptops and broadband internet access.

Portuguese companies create digital content and learning platforms for students, including skoool.pt ^[7] for grades 1-4, and eEscola.pt ^[8] for older students. This effort has resulted in job growth and opportunities.

Teachers participate in an ed-tech training network to ensure proper and consistent use of the devices and digital content. A network of master teachers–850 in all–trains before being qualified to offer training to the country’s 30,000 teachers.

Portuguese students showed an increase of about 20 points on each of the PISA math, reading, and science assessments–making Portugal the only country to improve in all three areas in a certain testing span. Students also topped those in other countries when it came to computer literacy.

“While it is always difficult to make causal connections, the timing of the increased educational attainment does correspond to the start of major new investments in ICT in Portugal,” according to the report.

In 2006, 52 percent of Portuguese individuals used the internet. By 2012, that number jumped to 91 percent.

Some of the country’s ed-tech successes are due in part to the following:

• Policies and strategies that promote ICT use in schools and homes are integrated into broader economic and social visions
• The country adopted a comprehensive approach to transforming education through its use of ICT as a catalyst to effect change. The approach included hardware, software, teaching training, curriculum development, and digital content.
• Public-private partnerships have been instrumental to the program’s success and sustainability

The total investment is about $1.5 billion U.S. dollars. Initial funding came from a spectrum auction, and the country then developed a financial model involving responsibility from the state, beneficiaries, and telecom operators.

CoSN delegation members noted that strategic planning is key in bringing initiatives such as this one to scale.

“In the U.S. we often see a multitude of pilot programs, short-term grant funded initiatives, uncoordinated improvement of efforts, priorities associated with individuals, and public policy driven by political winds that can shift on Election Day,” according to the delegation’s report. “By contrast Portugal has incorporated extensive planning and ongoing collaboration into its project.”

Formation of solid partnerships between government agencies and the private sector also contribute to the ed-tech initiative’s continued success.

No two programs will be alike and there is no one-size-fits-all, but Portugal’s ed-tech initiative does provide an opportunity for U.S. policy makers and educators to evaluate what might work for ed-tech initiatives in the U.S. The report includes the following design pillars: vision and purpose, technology–mobile devices and connectivity, financing, and training and content.

For more details about the program’s policies, as well as specific school visits and highlights, download the CoSN delegation’s report ^[9].

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Flipped learning now surpasses all other digital trends

Flipped learning has been on education’s radar for the last two years, with many schools experimenting with a teaching and learning style well-suited for 21st century learning. But new results from a national survey reveal just how popular flipped learning has become.

According to the recently released 2013 Speak Up National Research Project findings ^[10], flipped learning—defined in the survey as using lecture videos as homework while using class time for more in-depth learning such as discussions, projects, experiments, and to provide personalized coaching to individual students—is surpassing all other digital trends in K-12 schools.

Among district administrators, 25 percent identify flipped learning as already having a significant impact on transforming teaching and learning in their district, surpassing other trends such as educational games and mobile apps (21 percent), and even online professional learning communities for teachers and administrators (19 percent).

An additional 40 percent of administrators said they were interested in their teachers “trying flipped learning” this year (2014).

The survey also revealed significant growth in just one year in interest and implementation of flipped classrooms and a drop in concerns about student online access.

Teacher interest in professional development on making quality instructional videos and on how to best use class time in a flipped classroom remained high, but this concern among administrators has declined while some are beginning to provide this training.

“We know from other research that teachers who are flipping their classrooms report higher student achievement, increased student engagement and better attitudes toward learning and school,” said Kari Arfstrom, executive director of the Flipped Learning Network. “Many flipped teachers report that their job satisfaction has improved and they are feeling re-energized, so we are excited to see more teachers and administrators looking to implement this model in their schools.”

(Next page: More revealing statistics on flipped learning)

Speak Up 2013 flipped learning findings include:

• One out of six math and science teachers are implementing a flipped learning model using videos that they have created or sourced online.
• 16 percent of teachers say they are regularly creating videos of their lessons or lectures for students to watch.
• 45 percent of librarians and media specialists are regularly creating videos and similar rich media as part of their professional practice.
• 37 percent of librarians are helping to build teacher capacity by supporting teachers’ skills in using and creating video and media for classroom use.
• Almost one-fifth of current teachers have “learning how to flip my classroom” on their wish list for professional development this year
• 41 percent of administrators say pre-service teachers should learn how to set up a flipped learning class model before getting a teaching credential.
• 66 percent of principals said pre-service teachers should learn how to create and use videos and other digital media within their teacher preparation programs.
• 75 percent of middle and high school students agree that flipped learning would be a good way for them to learn, with 32 percent of those students strongly agreeing with that idea.

“These results show that both more professional development for teachers and tapping into librarians and media specialists to support teachers’ fledgling implementations of flipped learning show great promise,” said Arfstrom.

For more information on Speak Up, as well as more statistics on school use of flipped learning, read the report ^[10].