Here’s how teachers think SEL can truly help students

A resounding majority of administrators, teachers, and parents say they believe social and emotional learning (SEL) is just as important as academic learning.

SEL is the process that helps students understand and regulate their emotions, understand different points of view and show empathy toward others, and develop intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies. Many believe these skills contribute to safer and more positive schools and communities.

Of the more than 1,000 people surveyed in McGraw-Hill Education’s 2018 Social and Emotional Learning Report, 96 percent of administrators, 93 percent of teachers, and 81 percent of parents overwhelmingly say SEL is as necessary as core academic subjects.…Read More

Teachers: English learners need resources, support

Most K-12 educators (80 percent) said they believe English Language Learner (ELL) instruction is a top priority for their school or district, according to a new survey.

Ninety-nine percent of surveyed educators also said they need more professional development and different types of learning materials to properly support ELL students and meet their needs, according to the 2017 EL Education Report from McGraw-Hill Education. Only 55 percent of respondents believe that their school or district provides sufficient, ongoing professional development to support ELL student success.

Newer ELL educators (those who have worked in ELL education for less than two years) are significantly less confident than more experienced educators in their ELL training and development, with only 36 percent of new respondents feeling they have received enough professional development compared to 70 percent of more experienced educators.…Read More

McGraw-Hill Education acquires Redbird Advanced Learning

McGraw-Hill Education has acquired Redbird Advanced Learning, a digital personalized learning company that offers courses in K-12 math, language arts, and writing and virtual professional development programs for educators. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Built on 25 years of research at Stanford University, Redbird’s adaptive learning solutions enable students to have a highly personalized educational experience to support each student’s individual pace and skill level. Redbird’s math courses will strengthen McGraw-Hill Education’s current math offerings, which include Building Blocks, Everyday Math, Glencoe Math, McGraw-Hill My Math, Number Worlds and ALEKS, a web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system.

“Redbird shares McGraw-Hill Education’s vision of harnessing the power of research, technology and the highest quality content to create personalized courses that can unlock the full potential of each student,” said David Levin, President and CEO of McGraw-Hill Education. “The Redbird acquisition allows us to expand our portfolio of adaptive learning products as we continue our transformation from a textbook publisher to a learning science company. Redbird’s digital curriculum, grounded in foundational and ongoing research from Stanford University, will make a great addition to our already strong lineup of education programs and enhance our robust K-12 math offerings.”…Read More

Nominations open for The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

The nomination window is open for the 2017 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, which honors innovation and has become one of the most prestigious educational awards since its founding in 1988. The Prize is administered through an alliance between McGraw-Hill Education and Arizona State University, which began in 2015.

The public will have the opportunity to submit nominations by visiting McGrawPrize.com until October 31st, 2016. The 2017 Prize winners will be featured at and join in an evening reception during the ASU GSV Education Innovation Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 8-10, 2017.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education annually recognizes outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education through new approaches and whose accomplishments are making a difference today. The Prize includes three categories: U.S. K-12 and higher education, and international education. Honorees receive an award of $50,000 and a bronze sculpture designed by students from ASU.…Read More

McGraw-Hill sells its education business

The deal could significantly affect the education market, analysts said.

Update: In an earlier version of this story, we erroneously reported that McGraw-Hill’s education business was being purchased by Apollo Global, which owns the for-profit University of Phoenix. McGraw-Hill’s education business is actually being purchased by Apollo Global Management, an unrelated firm. We regret the error.

In a surprise $2.5 billion cash and debt deal expected to be final by the early part of 2013, a private equity firm will purchase McGraw-Hill Education’s digital and traditional textbook business.

After Apollo Global Management completes the deal, McGraw-Hill will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial and will focus solely on its major brands such as J.D. Power and AssociatesStandard & Poor’s, and S&P Capital IQ. McGraw-Hill representatives say the company is confident that this refocus will prove profitable for the company’s shareholders.…Read More

McGraw-Hill Education buys lecture capture company Tegrity

McGraw-Hill Education has bought privately held Tegrity Inc., a lecture capture software company, as it continues to shift away from its traditional textbook publishing roots, Dow Jones reports. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Tegrity, with offices in Santa Clara, Calif., and Tel Aviv, sells software to schools allowing professors to record their lectures. Students then can search a database of lectures to review confusing topics or while completing assignments, watching short segments rather than fast-forwarding or rewinding through full classes. The company has sold the software to more than 200 schools, including the University of Alabama and University of Central Florida. It recently signed a three-year, $1.2 million pact with Washington state’s community college system. “It’s like a searchable DVR for your college courses,” said Vineet Madan, who oversees an education innovation lab at McGraw-Hill. McGraw-Hill first partnered with 10-year-old Tegrity in late 2007 and in 2009 began pairing the lecture-capture software with its own McGraw-Hill Connect digital learning platform, which offers online versions of its textbooks as well as supplemental reading material, interactive quizzes, and other tools. Tegrity will continue to be offered on a standalone basis, with schools able to add their own visual aides, or packaged alongside Connect…

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