The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Announces New Regional Directors

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 30, 2021) – The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) has elected Pedro Rivera and Dr. Frank Rodriguez to its Board of Directors. Rivera, who is the former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education and currently serves as president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Pennsylvania, was named the Director of Region 6 Northeast. Rodriguez, who is superintendent of the Beaufort County School District in South Carolina, was named director of Region 7 Southeast.

ALAS announced the appointments during the ALAS 18th Annual National Summit in October. As regional directors, Rivera and Rodriguez will support the work being done by the ALAS State Affiliates in their respective regions. Region 6 Northeast includes the Washington DC area, New York, and Pennsylvania. Region 7 Southeast includes Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

“Our regional directors are an incredible resource for school and district leaders in their regions,” said ALAS Executive Director Dr. Maria Armstrong. “President Rivera and Dr. Rodriguez understand the education issues that impact the Latino community and have long histories of educational leadership. We look forward to their support of our state affiliates and the Latino-serving leaders in these regions.”…Read More

4 ways online tutoring helps our at-risk, low-income district achieve goals

Our urban Title I district serves a population of 78 percent at-risk students and 84 percent low-income families. We were already managing low proficiency rates on math and ELA state assessments prior to the pandemic, and the move to remote learning made it even more difficult for teachers to engage with students who couldn’t be on campus.

The shifting rigor of Maryland’s College and Career Ready Standards pushed our students even further behind the curve. We knew we needed a program to accelerate learning outcomes and boost proficiency rates on MCAP/PARCC assessments while also providing academic support to students in need.

Finding the right solution…Read More

4 ways a STEAM-centered curriculum is critical to youth education

A few months into the 2021-22 school year, teachers, parents, and students are once again confronted with the devastating reality of pandemic-prompted learning loss. The global health crisis forced students out of the physical classroom and into a new virtual world for nearly two grades, and their initial homework and test scores reveal a significant decrease in knowledge transfer, social skills, and core learning habits across a variety of subjects.

Within the first quarter of this school year, gaps in academic proficiencies such as reading, writing and math have become prevalent. Furthermore, many students are struggling to reacclimate to in-person classes after extended periods of online learning, and attendance rates have dropped as a result. And while high school students dream of a return to normalcy, college prep and career readiness is more fraught with confusion than ever before as the world of higher education and the occupational opportunities available post-graduation have been disrupted by the pandemic.

So how can educators restore the learning systems eroded by COVID-19? And how can they better support students and education communities across the country in their shared mission to empower and inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators with the skills needed to thrive in their future careers? The answer lies in the inclusion of arts in a STEM-centered curriculum.…Read More

VHS Learning Students Again Outperform National Average Pass Rates for Advanced Placement® Exams

Boston – Nov. 15, 2021 – VHS Learning students maintained their more-than-a-decade-long record of surpassing average national Advanced Placement® pass rates. A score of 3 or higher on an AP® exam is considered a “passing” grade for AP® college credit at many universities. VHS Learning has offered AP® courses online for the past 18 years and has earned a reputation for its rigorous and engaging curriculum.

In the 2020-21 academic year, VHS Learning offered online AP® Latin to students for the first time. The average national pass rate for the exam was 68% while almost all VHS Learning students (90%) passed the exam with a 3 or higher. In AP® Human Geography, 91% of students taking VHS Learning’s online course passed their AP® exams, compared to an average national pass rate of 59%.

The 2021 pass rate for VHS Learning students taking the AP® Computer Science Principles exam was even more impressive – 95% of VHS Learning students achieved a passing score on their AP® exam while the national average was 72%. Additionally, 81% of VHS Learning students who took AP® Computer Science Principles received a passing score of 4 or 5 on the AP® exam.…Read More

10 SEL activities for high school students

Between balancing core instruction, administering assessments, grading homework, and ensuring students are prepared for college and career, high school teachers have a lot on their plates. SEL activities can make your jobs easier!

When students have strong social and emotional skills, they are more motivated, engaged, and understand the value of their learning. SEL also helps reduce disruptive behavior and office referrals, which allows teachers to spend more time on their instruction. Additionally, SEL activities can improve high school students’ college and career readiness and help them set goals for life after high school.

It’s easy to integrate SEL activities in your core instruction! Here are 10 activities and lesson ideas for high school students–organized by subject area–to get you started.…Read More

Viewpoint: Can AI tutors help students learn?

If nothing else, the past two years have shown us that teaching, learning, and education can take different forms–and the pandemic may have altered how students, from kindergarten through college, learn in the future.   

With students returning to the classroom, educators and administrators alike continue to examine new ways that technology can be used to not replace, but augment, the teaching and learning experiences in our schools.  

What about the use of artificial intelligence in education?  Conversing with AI humans has been a long-time feature of science fiction, but it’s rapidly becoming a reality, particularly in customer service and experience settings as well in education. A realized future with AI is fast approaching. …Read More

5 ways to help special education students manage testing anxiety

Testing anxiety shows itself in different ways for different students. It can range from refusing to do work, crying, hiding in the bathroom, and verbal aggression to physical behavior like flipping tables and desks or hitting school staff. Some students avoid school on test days, and many suffer from symptoms such as stomachaches or headaches.

In special education programs, many of our students’ disabilities are closely related to anxiety, and testing can be a trigger that heightens those negative thoughts and feelings.

It’s a common belief that testing anxiety affects only older students, such as those taking high school or college placement exams. However, testing anxiety affects students of all ages. In fact, studies have shown that test anxiety is actually the worst in the middle grades. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, this anxiety can stem from a fear of failure, negative testing experiences, or feeling unprepared.…Read More

Cost remains the top barrier to higher education

The cost of college, including the expense of living and the cost of tuition and course materials, is the biggest barrier to post-secondary education for students.

Not surprisingly, current, future and students who dropped out say “free college” would have the single biggest impact on them finishing or returning to post-secondary education, according to the Barriers to Post-Secondary Education Report from Cengage Group, a global education technology company.

The company surveyed more than 1,600 current college students, recent high school graduates and students who have dropped out of post-secondary education to better understand their education barriers and what would have the biggest impact on them completing their education.…Read More

Global Impact Teacher Receives 2021 Kishor M. Kulkarni Distinguished High School Teacher Award

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (Sept. 20, 2021) – Scott Spohler, a science teacher at Global Impact
STEM Academy, received the 2021 Kishor M. Kulkarni Distinguished High School Teacher
Award Friday morning. This award was presented by Dr. Glenn Daehn, president of the ASM
Materials Education Foundation. ASM International is a society of professionals for the
advancement of the materials industry.

The Kishor Kulkarni Distinguished High School Teacher Award was established in 2007 to
recognize the accomplishments of one high school science teacher across the country who has
demonstrated a significant and sustained impact on pre-college age students. Every year since
its inception, with the exception of 2020, one outstanding teacher has been recognized with this
award.

“As a STEM-based school, it is imperative that we provide our students with the most effective
science education and the most impactful educators,” said Jamison Truebenbach, Global
Impact chief academic officer. “Mr. Spohler exemplifies the positive qualities we aim to
recognize in all of the educators at Global Impact, and we’re proud of his great
accomplishment.”…Read More

3 ways STEM learning supports the future of work

To succeed in college and the workplace, students require a solid foundation in STEM learning. Experience in these subjects does not only benefit aspiring scientists and engineers–it’s essential for all students.

In fact, between 2017 and 2027, the number of STEM jobs will grow 13 percent. Even positions in traditionally non-STEM fields (estimated to grow by 9 percent) will require some sort of technological knowledge.

STEM learning is all about designing creative solutions for real-world problems. Problem-based STEM curriculum allows students to see the impact of their learning. That kind of authenticity builds engagement. Students progress from asking “When will I ever use this?” to connecting skills and applications.…Read More

The future is all about durable skills

The price of a college degree continues to creep higher across the country. But has the value of that degree kept pace? Students expect their investment in college to pay off in the form of meaningful employment. However, according to new data, both recent grads and HR managers believe that the absence of durable skills–including people skills–training in higher education offers an opportunity for colleges and universities to partner with students and employers in closing a critical skills gap. 

A new report from Mursion, From Skill to Instinct: How Higher Education Can Bridge the Gap Between Classroom and Career, found that while the hard, technical skills ingrained throughout traditional academia are critical to career success, these skills may not be enough to stand out in a highly competitive job market.

In fact, the data revealed that 44 percent of HR professionals would hire an applicant with strong durable skills, such as superior people skills, over an applicant with superior hard skills.…Read More

Minnesota’s Bloomington Public Schools Set to Open School Year with New Digital Resources Supporting Science Education from Discovery Education

SILVER SPRING, MD (Wednesday, August 11, 2021)Minnesota’s Bloomington Public Schools (BPS) today announced a new collaboration with  Discovery Education supporting science education in elementary and middle school classrooms across the district. Through this new partnership, educators and students in grades K-8 will return to school this fall with access to dynamic digital resources supporting pathways to career and college readiness and fostering an atmosphere of innovation and agency in the classroom.  Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.  

Earlier this year, the district undertook a search for potential digital resources that would support science instruction in grades K-8 and align with the  district’s vision for the use of technology in education.  Following a careful review of potential edtech science solutions for elementary and middle school students, BPS selected two resources from Discovery Education.  In grades 6-8, educators will begin the 2021-2022 school year using  Discovery Education Science Techbooks.  Currently used in classrooms across the United States and Canada, the Science Techbook is a comprehensive, research-backed science solution. 

The Science Techbook series drives student engagement with exclusive phenomena and interactive content. Virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM activities and a variety of instructional supports enhance the delivery of impactful, blended instruction, in person or at a distance.  Available with the Science Techbooks are coordinated digital and print teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, standards connections, and differentiation activities to inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Teacher editions also provide flexible pacing options, embedded teacher notes, and Pathways for Learning to address diverse learners. Print student editions and interactive worktexts are available for every grade level and integrate seamlessly with the digital and hands-on assets of this comprehensive program.   …Read More