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.

Ohio Department of Education Names Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Assessment an Approved Dyslexia Screener for Grades K–3

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) recently named Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment as an approved Comparable Assessment to Ohio’s K–3 Diagnostic Assessment for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee with Dyslexia Screening (K–3 Diagnostic/Dyslexia Screener) and Tier 1 Dyslexia Screening Measure (Dyslexia Screener). Starting in the 2023–2024 school year, districts across the state can now use i-Ready’s online Diagnostic and offline literacy assessment tasks to screen for risk factors of dyslexia and help provide data-driven instructional support to students. In addition, i-Ready can now be used for five additional assessment areas as outlined by the ODE this coming school year.

“Districts and schools throughout Ohio can now leverage the power of i-Ready for a number of their assessment needs, including screening students who many need specialized supports to excel in reading,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “Having a single, comprehensive assessment solution such as i-Ready is so important because it eliminates the need for districts to administer multiple, redundant assessments. This gives teachers more time back in their schedules so they can deliver impactful and personalized instruction, which is critical for the achievement of all students.”

According to the ODE, approved assessments on the Comparable Assessment to Ohio’s K–3 Diagnostic Assessment for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee with Dyslexia Screening (K–3 Diagnostic/Dyslexia Screener) list may be used by school districts to determine if a student is—or is not—on track in reading, as well as to identify students at risk for dyslexia based on direct assessment of performance in several key areas. The results from the approved assessments, such as i-Ready, may be used by school districts to guide instruction and intervention throughout the school year.…Read More

Arkansas Department of Education Names Curriculum Associates’ Magnetic Reading™ Foundations an Approved English Language Arts Foundational Skills Program for Grades K–2

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently named Curriculum Associates’ Magnetic Reading Foundations to its list of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for foundational skills in English language arts. Now, districts across the state can use the instructional program, which is rooted in the Science of Reading, to help teachers in Grades K–2 deliver explicit instructional routines and a systematic scope and sequence that helps students become confident readers.

“Arkansas DESE’s review of instructional materials provides teachers with access to the highest-quality resources available and underscores the state’s commitment to the overarching success of its teachers and students alike,” said Elizabeth Bassford, associate vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “Being named to the Arkansas DESE list of HQIM reinforces the power of Magnetic Reading Foundations in helping students develop the skills they need to excel in reading. Schools and districts in Arkansas can now confidently use our program—alongside our online i-Ready® program—to meet all their Grades K–2 reading assessment, instruction, and curriculum needs.”

The Arkansas DESE review of instructional materials is conducted in partnership with EdReports, an independent nonprofit that conducts evidence-based reviews of instructional materials. The Arkansas DESE requires that all K–2 Literacy Curriculum Programs first advance through EdReports’ review process and then meet Arkansas-specific criteria.…Read More

The Ohio Department of Education Creates a Credential for the State’s Early Learning Teachers

ATLANTA – Cox Campus, the online learning community of the Rollins Center for Language & Literacy at the Atlanta Speech School, has been selected by the Ohio Department of Education (DOE) to create a customized early learning credential to transform teaching practices and child literacy outcomes throughout Ohio.

“Our partnership with the Ohio Department of Education is a significant step toward providing early learning educators with free evidenced-based courses and resources that will help the teachers build a language-centered and culturally responsive foundation for every child,” said Dr. Ryan Lee-James, Chief Academic Officer of the Rollins Center. “Early learning teachers are among the first to plant the seed of literacy with our young children. This credential builds the knowledge, skills and agency each teacher needs to build relationships of care that make way for deep reading brain construction, paving the path to opportunity and a life of self-determination.”

Cox Campus will provide three levels of credentials for Ohio teachers: emergent literacy aware (5 hours), emergent literacy informed (10 hours) and emergent literacy competent (15 hours).…Read More

Nevada Department of Education Renews Partnership with Nevada Gold Mines and Discovery Education Providing High-Quality Digital Content to Students and Educators Statewide

Carson City, NV and Charlotte, NC – The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) is proud to announce it has renewed its multiyear partnership with Nevada Gold Mines, operated by Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) (TSX: ABX), and Discovery Education, the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports both remote and in-person learning.  

The renewal of this partnership, which includes a $2.2 million investment from Nevada Gold Mines, ensures the state’s teachers and students continued access to high-quality digital resources through the Discovery Education’s K-12 platform. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education’s K-12 platform provides educators an enhanced learning platform that facilitates engaging, daily instruction in any learning environment.     

“We are incredibly pleased to continue this tremendous partnership benefiting Nevada’s students and are grateful for the support of community partners like Nevada Gold Mines, who are so passionate about investing in the educational resources which are so key to making our state a better place to learn, work, and live,” said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “The continuation of this powerful partnership preserves Nevada’s students’ access to best-in-class digital resources, and we look forward to the next phase of this powerful collaboration.” …Read More

Arizona Department of Education Names 95 Percent Group an Approved K-3 Reading Improvement Program

Lincolnshire, Ill. – 95 Percent Group LLC, a leading provider of literacy solutions and instructional strategies for K-12 schools nationwide, announced today that the Arizona Department of Education approved its 95 Phonics Core Program™ as a supplemental literacy curriculum and its Phonological Awareness Lessons, Phonics Lesson Library™ and Phonics Chip Kit as early literacy intervention resources. Schools in Arizona can now find 95 Percent Group’s evidence-based products on their state list of reading improvement programs and begin using them immediately. 

The approval was based upon new, state-reviewed efficacy research confirming that 95 Percent Group’s foundational reading products meet Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Level 1-3 evidence requirement for reading instruction. The criteria were established by the Arizona Department of Education as part of its Move On When Reading initiative, an effort to provide all readers with specific, targeted instruction and interventions so that they are reading at or above grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. 

“95 Percent Group believes that evidence-based reading instruction is essential in schools. We have long invested in research that demonstrates the efficacy of our offerings,” said Brad Lindaas, Chief Executive Officer. “The Arizona Department of Education has been a key partner for us for many years, and today’s news will only strengthen our ability to support educators state-wide in promoting the development of early reading skills for all students. With this development, we expect it will be easier for more districts in Arizona to learn about and benefit from our evidence-based products,” he added. …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

Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Assessment Named to the Georgia Department of Education Approved List of Gifted Identification Screeners

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., August18, 2022—The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has added Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment for Grades K–12 to its approved list of Gifted EducationAssessment Measuresto identify students’ eligibility for gifted education programs in the achievement domain. With this approval, districts throughout the state can now use their existing reading and mathematics data from the i-Ready Assessment as a source of evidence to support a referral for gifted education programs. The i-Ready normative scores can be used to determine if students meet the criteria in the achievement category of the evaluation and eligibility process, eliminating the need for a separate achievement assessment.

“The i-Ready Assessment data is powerful in helping teachers identify students’ strengths and needs so they can provide more personalized instruction,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “The Georgia Department of Education’s approval of i-Ready to support gifted identification will help districts throughout the state save valuable time and resources by eliminating the need for another achievement assessment. A more efficient screening process will also help schools connect students more quickly with services that help them reach their full potential.”

The GaDOE gifted education screening process requires information be gathered about a student in four categories: mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. In order to be eligible to receive gifted programming, students must qualify in three of the four categories, or they must have a qualifying score in both the mental ability and achievement categories. i-Ready data is used in the achievement category.…Read More

4 ways library media specialists lead digital transformations in districts

During the pandemic era of “emergency teaching,” school systems across my state and around the country made deep investments in edtech resources.  However, as we move into what some call the post-pandemic era, education stakeholders are searching for strategies to ensure that edtech investments continue to pay dividends.

In New Hampshire, library media specialists are playing a key role in driving edtech ROI. The state Department of Education has made excellent investments in edtech resources, and together with iLearn New Hampshire, has rolled out the Canvas LMS by Instructure, the Kaltura platform for media hosting, Zoom video conferencing, and Discovery Education’s digital K-12 platform to schools statewide.

Led by the NH Library Media Specialist Association, the state’s K-12 library professionals have engaged in dialogue around how they can ensure their school system can maximize the state’s edtech investment in their school system. Each participant approached this conversation assuming everyone else in the group had it all figured out or worked in a district that did. However, what we quickly discovered was that we were all grappling with the same issues. So, we worked to identify some common approaches to maximizing edtech ROI in our own district or school setting.…Read More

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Mississippi Partners with AIM Institute for Customized Literacy Training

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA [JULY 28] – The AIM Institute for Learning & Research is excited to announce a new partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education and the North Mississippi Education Consortium to provide 1,600 Mississippi teachers and education leaders with customized literacy training to help schools support a culture of literacy and provide teachers with tools, resources and support to implement new techniques into classroom practice.

“The opportunity for AIM Institute for Learning and Research to collaborate with Mississippi teachers and leaders as they continue on their path to reading excellence is thrilling,” said Dr. Cynthia Hadicke, Director of Client Success and Implementation at AIM. “AIM Pathways courses have extensive opportunities for teachers to apply their knowledge of the science of reading with their students. Knowing the science of reading is important, but its application is critical.” 

AIM will offer AIM Institute for Learning and Research’s Pathways Professional Development courses to assist teachers and leaders in furthering their ability to apply the Science of Reading in the classroom, while supporting Mississippi’s mission to prepare students to compete in a global community.…Read More

South Carolina Department of Education Partners with Vector Solutions to Help Districts Address Student Safety and Mental Health Issues such as Bullying and Anxiety

Tampa, FL – July 14, 2022 – The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has partnered with Vector Solutions to provide all school districts in the state with free access to Vector’s library of Student Safety & Wellness Courses. The partnership includes courses with short, engaging web-based video lessons covering essential safety and emotional wellness topics. It is funded through $50,000 in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and an additional $30,000 included as part of a U.S. Department of Education grant.

“Anxiety, depression, trauma, bullying, and other behavioral health challenges can have a negative impact on school climate and student success. The SCDE is providing this on-demand virtual resource as a way to help students better understand and respond to such challenges,” said Dr. Sabrina Moore, director of the Office for Student Intervention Services for SCDE. “We believe this resource will be a valuable tool for schools as they continue working to address the mental and behavioral needs of students.”

Vector Solutions is the leading provider of training and software solutions to help schools make their operations and communities safer, smarter, and better. The courses help schools promote discussion and awareness around these critical challenges that many young people face. The courses, which are available in modules for students in grades 6-8 and grades 9-12, include:…Read More