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.

Navigate360 Recognizes New Jersey School District with Excellence Award for School Culture & Climate

RICHFIELD, OHIO (PRWEB) — Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, announces the recognition of Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District in Atlantic County, New Jersey, with the District Excellence Award for School Culture & Climate. This award honors their noteworthy impact on student development and success through continued, proven use of Suite360. Each school within the district will also receive Suite360 Character Excellence Awards with multiple celebrations taking place on the nationally recognized SEL Day, March 10.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is poised to remain a major focus for districts nationwide. According to EdWeek Market Brief, 60 percent of all districts plan on spending more on SEL in 2023–2024 and 67 percent of all Northeast schools will increase their SEL spending, while 0 percent will decrease their spending. With SEL being a high priority, it’s essential to recognize what’s working.

Greater Egg Harbor’s utilization of Suite360 has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all key stakeholders, including district and school leadership, families and the students themselves.…Read More

Use these 5 learner-centered models to inspire educators

School models are, for the most part, outdated–and very overdue for replacement. When students reach high school, research shows that close to 66 percent of students are disengaged. But even students who do successfully navigate their schooling emerge with only a specific (and often narrow) skillset that may or may not match their strengths or interests.

Conventional schooling often leaves students disillusioned, questioning their intelligence and value as it is framed by a system that needs an overhaul.

Learner-centered education can play a critical role in reshaping education systems, offering a more holistic approach to meeting learners’ needs and helping students find fulfillment in their academic accomplishments.…Read More

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Building pathways to successful STEM careers for ALL learners

The journeys that children take through education are not as straightforward as most people think.  

In recent years, close to 70 percent of students went straight from high school to college, with those going to four-year universities typically outnumbering those enrolling in two-year colleges by roughly two to one. But a growing number of young people are forging new paths that involve a detour around college altogether.

College-going rates have been trending down since before the COVID-19 pandemic. And a national survey conducted in 2021 by ECMC Group found that less than half of high school students said they planned to attend a four-year college or university–a decrease of more than 20 percentage points from 2019. …Read More

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My top 3 digital science lab resources

As a former molecular biologist turned college and 7-12 educator, I have taught laboratory science classes for the past 3 decades. I’ve seen a lot of changes in science education (especially digital content) over the last 30 years, but one challenge has remained the same: students have to learn laboratory skills.

As a science department chair at a high-performing public high school in Arizona, I can attest firsthand to the stress this component of science education places on young, new science teachers who may not have the benefit of being a trained research scientist in college and who feel intimidated to lead an entire class of 30+ adolescents through a lab that they must by themselves prepare everything for.

This insecurity can lead to many 7-12 science teachers opting not to complete many hands-on labs with their students either because they lack the resources or the confidence to do so. Add to this the fact that districts often emphasize and require science teachers to host and participate in school and district Science Fairs, and it is no wonder that good science teachers are hard to come by.…Read More

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Paper™ acquires MajorClarity to Create a Comprehensive Career & College Readiness Platform

MONTREAL – Paper™, the leading Educational Support System (ESS), today announced that it has acquired MajorClarity, a best-in-class Career & College Readiness (CCR) tool. Together, the companies will offer a comprehensive CCR platform that will support all students, regardless of their preferred path after high school.

Today, most high schools and CCR programs are focused primarily on college preparation, despite the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that in 2021, only 61% of high school graduates enrolled in college—a 20-year low for college enrollment.

These reports indicate that a growing number of high school graduates are enrolling in Career and Technical Education (CTE) or trade schools, enlisting in the military, or going directly into the workforce. However, these students have fewer career readiness tools at their disposal than their counterparts who plan on attending college.…Read More

Ancora High School Partners with McGraw Hill to Launch New Online High School for Adults

ARLINGTON, Texas/PRNewswire/ — Workforce solutions provider Ancora has developed a new relationship with McGraw Hill to launch Ancora High School. The flexible, individualized and 100% online learning experience is open to learners aged 18 or older who have completed 9th grade. Students can apply on a rolling basis throughout the year and complete coursework on their own timeframe. Ancora High School is an online high school that offers a Texas high school diploma and is accredited by Cognia™.

In 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the high school dropout rate was 5.3% amongst those between the ages of 16 and 24, meaning approximately two million people in that age range had not completed a diploma and were not enrolled in high school. The economic consequences of not receiving a high school diploma or alternative credential like a GED is significant for the individual and society. For example, according to a separate report by NCES the median annual earnings for full-time workers ages 25 through 34 who had not completed high school were $26,000, compared to $32,000 a year for those whose highest education level was high school completion. Additionally, the average high school dropout costs the economy approximately $272,000 over his or her lifetime in terms of lower tax contributions, higher reliance on Medicaid and Medicare, higher rates of criminal activity, and higher reliance on welfare.

“Keeping in line with our prioritization on preparing students for further education or entering the workforce, Ancora High School helps to lay the groundwork for those who need it most,” said Bill Nance, CEO of Ancora. “With approximately 30 million adults without a high school diploma in the United States, we believe focusing on this important mission will provide communities with the opportunity to develop individuals with knowledge, skills, and upward career potential.  We recognize the positive personal, economic, and community impacts of earning a high school diploma, and we are proud to provide this affordable opportunity for busy adults to earn their diploma with flexibility that fits into their busy lives.”…Read More

Digital Tools Key to Financial Literacy,According to Study by Certell and Project Tomorrow

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The vast majority of high school students are not financially literate but respond well to economics and personal finance courses that include digital tools in their curriculum, according to a new study by Project Tomorrow and Certell, creator of the Poptential™ family of free, award-winning social studies course packages. Click to tweet.

According to the study, just 10% of teachers say that their students are at a level of proficiency higher than basic when beginning an economics course, and 53% report students at below basic proficiency levels.

“This lack of financial literacy among high school students shows why basic economics and personal finance courses should be required in high school,” said Fred Fransen, CEO of Certell. “Today, just 25 states require that students take an economics course in order to graduate, and just 15 require personal finance. If students don’t improve their understanding of economics and finance at the high school level, they may never be exposed to it.”…Read More

8 education trends bringing disruption in 2023

The pandemic made it clear that education must innovate and evolve to meet the diverse needs of students. Sora Schools, an online, project-based middle school and high school, along with a wide network of innovators and education experts, collaborated to round up what are the biggest forces shaping education in 2023. 

Sora launched a new research and analytics group, the Sora Learning Lab, to uncover important insights from parents, students and educators, and to help influence the future of school in a positive way.

As a result of its research, Sora identified eight key trends in education today.…Read More

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Illinois’ Shiloh CUSD #1 Adds New, Cutting-Edge Edtech Tool to Middle School and High School Curriculum to More Deeply Engage Students in Science   

Charlotte, NC — Illinois’ Shiloh CUSD #1 today announced an expansion of its partnership with Discovery Education that adds a new, cutting-edge resource to the district’s middle school and high school science curriculum. In this new phase of collaboration, Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives is helping educators in the district’s high school Biology class to actively engage students in the exploration of scientific phenomena while developing their scientific practice. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

Located in east central Illinois, Shiloh CUSD #1 serves approximately 375 K-12 students in one school building. Focused on meeting the unique needs of each individual student and creating a safe environment where learning has no boundaries, district teachers and administrators partner with members of the community to provide all students with opportunities for lifelong learning in a changing world. 

To better engage district middle and high school students in scientific inquiry and interactive learning, Shiloh CUSD #1 educators sought high-quality, standards-aligned digital resources that would quickly get students excited about scientific topics and were adaptable enough to meet the needs of different learning styles and levels. Following a careful review of potential solutions, district administrators selected Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives for use in both middle and high school classrooms. …Read More

Back by Popular Demand: SHP Donates $10,000 to Students Across Ohio

Cincinnati – Architecture, interior design, and engineering firm SHP is awarding $1,000 scholarships to 10 high school students. The honors were announced during a reception at the 2022 Ohio School Board Association’s (OSBA) annual Capital Conference in November. The scholarships were presented to school districts as part of a random drawing at the conference reception.  

Each winning district will award the scholarship to a student by their own selection criteria.  

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to give back to Ohio communities—specifically the students; the future of those communities,” said Lauren Della Bella, president, SHP. “I am hopeful that we can continue this tradition for years to come.” …Read More