Personalized learning that relies only on adaptive assessments and differentiated lessons are just one part of the solution to boost achievement. Research indicates that high dosage tutoring at scale can expand opportunities for student success.
…Read MorePodcast 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.
3 strategies to streamline K-12 data management
Key points:
- K-12 educators have hundreds of data sources, but that data is siloed
- Learning to manage a sea of data can help support your district’s strategic mission
- See related article: Reaching data readiness: 10 steps to take
Think about all the data points available at your average school district.
Standardized test scores. Behavioral assessments. Attendance. And grades, of course. Not to mention, most districts are assessing grit, emotional wellness, and individual personal growth plans as well.…Read More
What’s the state of K-12 assessment?
Key points:
- Educators are looking to formative and summative assessments to inform classroom instruction
- Concerns remain about assessment literacy and quality
- See related article: 4 engaging assessment ideas for middle and high school
The majority of educators believe their school or district has an assessment-focused culture, but there are gaps in K-12 assessment literacy and familiarity with state standards, according to the 2023 State of Assessment in K-12 Education report from Instructure and Hanover Research.
With post-pandemic learning loss a continued focus, educators and administrators are relying on both formative and summative K-12 assessment data to direct classroom instruction. However, they are concerned about K-12 assessment literacy; the value placed on assessments; quality and reliability; identifying the right technology to deliver data; and effectively balancing assessment with instruction.…Read More
CAE and Otus Team Up to Provide Assessment Tool for K-12 Educators to Improve Student Outcomes
NEW YORK – The Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a leader in designing innovative performance tasks for measurement and instruction of higher order skills and for subject area assessments, announced a new partnership with Otus, an integrated platform that gathers student data from its own or any third-party assessment, and enables educators to monitor and plan for academic growth, social-emotional development, and personalized learning goals.
Under this partnership, educators using both Otus and CAE’s College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+) will have a holistic picture of student performance by combining CCRA+ data with other assessment data districts are collecting – all in one platform, which will ultimately help them make instructional decisions to improve student outcomes.
“Partnering with Otus, a true industry leader, will help CAE make a positive impact on the lives of more students across the country,” said Bob Yayac, president and chief executive officer of CAE. “CCRA+ is a valuable tool that can help educators identify students’ strengths and opportunities for improvement in critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication. With this relationship, educators will have a more comprehensive view of their students’ needs and the support required to succeed.”…Read More
Aperture Education Launches Two New Solutions to Cultivate Students’ Social and Emotional Competence
Charlotte N.C. – Aperture Education, the leading provider of research-based social and emotional learning assessments for K-12 schools, has added two new solutions to its product suite. Aperture’s student-facing portal offers a new DESSA Middle School Student Self-Report to capture student voice regarding their social and emotional skills and deliver gamified activities to build student’s competence, guiding them through self-paced key growth areas designed specifically for grades 6-8. Also debuting is the SEL Strategies and Interventions Package, which supports busy teachers with recommendations for universal and targeted instructional practices that are directly aligned with students’ DESSA assessment results.
These new offerings further Aperture’s commitment to build resilient school communities using a proactive, strength-based approach that fosters positive student and educator mindsets in order to accelerate learning.
“As schools continue to grapple with the disruptions to learning caused by the pandemic, investing in social and emotional learning is critical if we want to help students build a strong foundation for success in the classroom and beyond,” said Evelyn Johnson, vice president, Research and Development at Aperture Education. “With our research-based foundation and accurate and actionable data, Aperture empowers both students and teachers with the appropriate steps for nurturing social and emotional competencies. Our new offerings – Middle School Student Self-Report and SEL Strategies and Interventions Package – are important components for changing the trajectory of learning with a focus on students’ strengths, while driving positive classroom environments and optimal learning outcomes.” …Read More
4 engaging assessment ideas for middle and high school
Key points:
- When students have different ways to demonstrate learning, educators can collect more accurate data
- Middle and high school students benefit from choice, and different assessment options can lead to better engagement
- See related article: 3 new trends in student assessment
As an educator and leader who grades holistically, it becomes important to consider how to create well rounded assessments that offer students myriad different opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
Providing students with authentic and varied assessment opportunities helps educators gather datapoints on a student holistically. What is equally important is that we provide varied assessment opportunities so students can demonstrate understanding in different ways. This article offers ideas that are outside traditional essay writing and test taking mediums.…Read More
Choosing the Right Assessments for Your District
6 Key Questions to Ask
With the right assessment tools, K–12 educators can accurately measure students’ progress toward learning goals. Teachers can use this information to deliver more effective instruction, and administrators can use it to make system-wide planning decisions. When choosing assessments that can support better student outcomes, here are six key questions to ask. …Read More
Cae Announces Multiyear Partnership with Project Lead The Way
NEW YORK – The Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a leader in designing innovative performance tasks for measurement and instruction of higher order skills and for subject area assessments, today announced a multiyear collaboration with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of PreK-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula. The partnership, which commences with the 2023-2024 school year and continues through 2028, will leverage CAE’s best practices and decades of experience in developing high-quality innovative assessments.
CAE will provide assessment design, content development, and psychometrics for end-of-course assessments in all 15 of PLTW’s high school courses within the engineering, computer science and biomedical science pathways. The assessments will be aligned to PLTW’s rigorous standards and will be designed to provide students with meaningful feedback on their progress.
“The partnership of CAE and PLTW unites two complementary organizations that are similarly driven to best prepare today’s students for the realities of the future workplace,” said Bob Yayac, CAE president and chief executive officer. “Our team has a deep understanding of the needs of STEM educators and learners, and we are excited to create assessments that will accurately measure student learning and support their progress. Our partnership will ensure that PLTW’s students have the opportunity to show what they know and can do, and that they are prepared for success in college, career, and beyond.”…Read More
Texas Education Agency Names Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Assessment as an Approved Grade 7 Reading Instrument
NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently named Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment to its Commissioner’s List of Approved Grade 7 Reading Instruments. Starting this coming school year, districts and open-enrollment charter schools can now use the online program to assess all students whose performance on the Grade 6 STAAR Reading assessment did not demonstrate reading proficiency. Results from the reading assessments will help inform additional reading instruction and intervention for students.
“To increase literacy achievement throughout the state, it is essential that Texas educators have actionable data to help students, especially those who may need extra supports,” said Claudia Salinas, vice president of English Learning at Curriculum Associates. “With the recent approval by the TEA, teachers can now use i-Ready to quickly and efficiently collect—and utilize—important student data. This will help teachers personalize their instruction to support reading success while saving them time.”
TEA conducted a comprehensive review of submitted assessments. To receive approval, assessments must be based on current, published scientific research in reading, be age and grade-level appropriate, valid, and reliable, identify specific skill difficulties in word analysis, fluency, and comprehension, and assist the teacher in making individualized instructional decisions based on the assessment results.…Read More
Aperture Education Honors 15 Districts and 19 New York City Schools for Focus on Social-Emotional Learning
CHARLOTTE, NC – Aperture Education, the leading provider of research-based social and emotional learning (SEL) assessments for K-12 schools, honored 19 New York City schools as SEL Champions for successful integrating high-quality SEL programs into the fabric of their school communities.
“New York City doubled down on their investment in SEL to enrich students’ lives and prepare them for success throughout life by adding support staff, partnering with Urban Assembly to measure success, and closely integrating SEL into the academic curriculum,” said Jessica Adamson, Chief Strategy Officer, Aperture Education. “The schools honored as our SEL Champions show what can be accomplished when using SEL data to create safe and positive environments for learning, and emphasize a holistic approach to student success and career readiness.”
Superintendents awarded for exemplary use of the DESSA in their districts are:…Read More