Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

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

An AI to-do list for educators

Key points:

  • Schools should integrate conversations around AI into professional learning opportunities
  • A basic understanding of AI’s potential for learning can help educators become more comfortable using it for teaching and learning
  • See related article: More students are seeking an AI-powered school year

The AI revolution is here, and educators are feeling the impact. For many, it is exciting, unsettling and overwhelming all at the same time.

The key to successfully navigating this maelstrom of emotions is to start small, break the challenge down into achievable tasks, and begin with actions that will have the most impact. This five step to-do list can help educators engage in artificial intelligence and begin using it to positively impact both teaching and learning. …Read More

Navigate360’s Suite360 Social-Emotional Learning Solution Satisfies Tier IV ESSA Requirements

RICHFIELD, Ohio /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —  Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, proudly announces the official validation and endorsement of their  Suite360 social-emotional learning solution by LearnPlatform. This achievement underscores Suite360’s effectiveness in meeting the stringent criteria set by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier IV, thus fulfilling the evidence-based intervention prerequisites necessary for educational districts to procure the solution using allocated ESSA funds.

Amid a nationwide situation where students are grappling with various challenges, a recent study conducted by Navigate360 unveils a concerning reality—educators are encountering difficulties in adequately addressing the well-being of their students. Additionally, a staggering 84% of educators express that their students are lagging in self-regulation and interpersonal skills compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. At the same time, the landscape of swiftly advancing education technology coupled with the ever-evolving landscape of social-emotional curricula making it harder than ever for educational leaders to determine what truly makes a difference in schools and districts. Nevertheless, the convergence of appropriate technology and comprehensive social-emotional curricula has the potential to wield a substantial influence on the teaching and learning processes.

“Suite360 stands as a beacon of transformative change, offering educational leaders an empowering tool to cultivate essential social-emotional learning skills in their students. With a meticulously curated collection of 1,800 research-backed lessons, Suite360 aligns with the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), enabling students to develop vital proficiencies such as self-awareness, social awareness and responsible decision-making. This endorsement by LearnPlatform reaffirms Suite360’s pivotal role in reshaping education, equipping educators to create a positive learning environment where students’ well-being thrives alongside their academic success,” said JP Guilbault, CEO at Navigate360.…Read More

Georgia Adds Classworks® Reading Screener to State-approved Universal Screener and Dyslexia Screener Lists

The Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) recently added the Classworks Reading Universal Screener assessment to two state-approved lists. The Classworks screener is now approved by the state as a Universal Reading Screener and a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3.

In April 2023, the Georgia Early Literacy Act (HB538) required the state to, among other requirements, establish a uniform standard for measuring literacy, approve high-quality literacy instructional materials for teaching students in K-3, and provide for the approval and use of universal reading screeners for K-3 students. The state provided a list of approved universal screeners and dyslexia screening tools to support school districts in choosing high-quality resources.

“Classworks Universal Screeners are already widely used by Georgia districts to effectively assess students’ proficiency and identify students who may need additional support,” notes Melissa Sinunu, Classworks President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are thrilled the GA DOE has added the valid and reliable resource as an approved assessment tool to help teachers identify students who may be at risk for dyslexia and as an essential part of school district’s comprehensive literacy programs.”…Read More

Could empathy become extinct?

Key points:

If empathy were an animal, it would undoubtedly be on the endangered species list–potentially on the cusp of meeting a fate comparable to the woolly mammoth or the saber-toothed cat.  Since 1973, the purpose of the Endangered Species Act has been to protect endangered animals and foster habitat, which not only promotes safety and recovery from the events or circumstances that led to rapid decline, but also advocates and educates for future changes in policy, procedures, and society to ensure the animals are nourished and safeguarded.  In short, the endangered species list attempts to save animals before it is too late.  Although not a living organism, empathy is on the verge of becoming an endangered social skill.

Unlike extinct animals, empathy will leave no skeletons below the surface, and without immediate attention, empathy may vanish from the face of the earth, without any evidence that it was ever here.…Read More

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

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

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

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

In school leadership, it’s not what we do–it’s how we do it

Teachers and school/district leaders are needing more support and help with the way(s) they react and interact with others, but they currently are limited by time, resources, and lack of people to turn to.

These were the major findings from a recent survey that provides a snapshot into the issues and dilemmas that educators are facing. When we take a step back and review the survey results, it isn’t a surprise.

For the longest time, we have provided professional development, training, readings and coursework on the instructional or logistical side of education and leadership. Most educators haven’t been on the receiving end of learning experiences on the human side of education and leadership – the ways we act, react, and interact with others. The ways to develop and build trust. The way to form a vision and grow a culture. The way to bring ourselves to work and harness our humanness.…Read More

Free internet could erase the digital divide

Local leaders must play a critical role in closing the digital divide for 18 million American households that have access to the internet but can’t afford to connect, according to a new report.

The urgent prompt comes from EducationSuperHighway, a national nonprofit with a mission to close the broadband affordability gap. The organization released its second No Home Left Offline report on the action needed to accelerate Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) adoption.

The ACP is a $14.2 billion federal broadband benefit funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that provides eligible households with a monthly discount of up to $30 per month (up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands) and a one-time $100 discount toward a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. 51.6 million households, including 17.7 million unconnected households, are eligible for the ACP, yet only 13 million (25% of those eligible) have enrolled.…Read More

South Carolina Adds Classworks® Universal Screener to State-approved Literacy Screener List

Duluth, GA – Classworks Universal Screener for Reading, an NCII-validated formal assessment used to measure grade-level readiness, is approved by South Carolina as a high-quality Literacy Screener. The best-in-class academic screener is on the  approved list for the 2022-23 school year.

In 2019, South Carolina implemented Act 213, requiring all districts to implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). When implemented effectively, an MTSS framework addresses the whole child, including students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. To support school districts in choosing high-quality resources to support MTSS, the state provided a list of approved screeners. 

“Classworks is a perfect fit for the South Carolina Literacy List list due to the validity and reliability of our widely-adopted screening assessment,” notes Melissa Sinunu, Classworks President and Chief Operating Officer. “As an all-in-one MTSS solution, we share South Carolina’s vision to address the needs of the whole child. We look forward to working closely with South Carolina districts to achieve that goal using Classworks. Our platform makes it simple for teachers and effective for students.”…Read More

Special education students need a whole child approach

In early 2020, 7.3 million students received special education services as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s 14% of K–12 students in public schools in the United States who depend on additional—and often very specialized—services to support their ability to learn and live their lives fully.

But once the pandemic set in and schools closed their doors, the elaborately precarious systems that have been constructed to meet the needs of these students collapsed.

In October 2020, a little more than two- thirds of K-12 principals estimated that their students with disabilities would perform somewhat or much lower than they had before the pandemic. A year later, a November 2021 survey by the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates—an advocacy group for students in special education and their families—found that 86% of parents reported that their child experienced learning loss, skill regression or slower-than-expected progress in school.…Read More

Kentucky Department of Education Approves Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Assessment for Grades K–3 as a Universal Screener for Early Literacy

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) recently named Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment for Reading as an approved universal screener for early literacy. Now, districts across the state can use data from the online program as part of a multi-tiered system of supports for students in Grades K–3 as outlined by the state’s Read to Succeed Act. Today, i-Ready serves more than 11 million students and approximately one-third of all students in Grades K–8 in the United States, including more than 80,000 students across Kentucky.

“Early screening is the first step to helping young learners on their path to reading success,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “The data from our i-Ready Assessment will help Kentucky educators understand where students are in their reading and develop a reading improvement plan, if needed, to help students meet reading goals.”

As part of the Read to Succeed Act, all superintendents in the state must select at least one universal reading screener to administer to all students in Grades K–3 by January 1, 2023. Superintendents can choose from the approved list of screeners, all of which underwent a rigorous review by the KDE. KDE’s approval process, which is guided by the National Center on Intensive Intervention at American Institutes for Research’s Screening Tools Chart Rating System and the Institute for Education Sciences, examined measures for classification accuracy, reliability, validity, and representative sample.…Read More