DEI in action: eSN Innovation Roundtable

DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is a commonly used acronym, but what does it mean in the context of day-to-day operations in a school district?

As many experts will point out, DEI initiatives are prone to fail when they aren’t getting at the crux of the issue—existing systemic processes and challenges that prevent promising solutions and DEI-focused policies from being successful.

During an eSchool News Innovation Roundtable with a focus on DEI, moderated by eSchool News Content Director Kevin Hogan, district leaders delved into the critical but complicated topic of DEI in school districts. Roundtable participants included:…Read More

5 things you need to know about the science of reading

Key points:

While high-quality literacy instruction has remained a cornerstone of education leaders’ priorities, this year, the science of reading has dominated classrooms and discussions around instructional strategies.

In short, according to the National Center on Improving Literacy, the science of reading is “research, over time, from multiple fields of study using methods that confirm and disconfirm theories on how children best learn to read.”…Read More

First-in-the-Nation Artificial Intelligence Framework for District Leaders

The ILO Group this week announced the release of its Framework for Implementing Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education–a first-of-its-kind AI framework for school district and state education leaders–providing them with the tools, resources, and research-basis to thoughtfully embrace this game-changing technology.

The Framework for Implementing Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education provides district and state leaders with a roadmap for understanding AI’s potential benefits, addressing associated challenges, and making well-informed decisions about implementation.

“AI is reshaping education as we know it. This isn’t about the future, it’s about the now” said Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer, ILO Group CEO. “Until now, district and state leaders have been without the comprehensive guidance they need to navigate AI’s complexities and have up until this point found piecemeal solutions and ad hoc tools. No more. Our Framework changes that. It provides strategic direction, real-world use cases, and department-specific applications. It’s also been stress-tested with input from a national working group of state and district superintendents. Our goal is to empower leaders with the knowledge they need to make informed, impactful decisions that will shape the future of learning.”…Read More

3 data management considerations for district leaders

Key points:

As data analytics comes of age for the K-12 sector, educators are increasingly turning to data insights to help identify students’ learning abilities and areas of opportunity, enhancing operational efficiencies, and helping teachers’ professional development. Naturally, administrators are often enticed to engage powerful, enterprise-grade solutions like PowerBI or Tableau. After all, if it’s good enough for a Fortune 500 company, it’s good enough for a school district, right? 

Not so fast.…Read More

Key strategies for education leaders to boost morale

Key points:

In the current educational environment, there seems to be extremely high levels of staff stress, burnout, and generally low morale. In education, where the success of students is intricately linked to the motivation and dedication of faculty and staff to go the extra mile, elevating employees’ well-being is not only a humane thing to do, but a crucial component of improving employee morale.

As a new assistant principal, one of the tasks delegated to me was to manage the staff recognition program. The school had historically recognized one or two faculty for outstanding work at the end of the school year. These faculty were generally nominated by their department chair or one of the assistant principals. There was a need for more widespread recognition.…Read More

San Jose Students In Ignite Reading’s Tutoring Program Nearly Triple Reading Growth In Two Months

SAN JOSE – Since the launch of Ignite Reading’s partnership with Alpha: José Hernández School in November, the organization announced today that students participating in the virtual, one-to-one literacy tutoring program have recorded an average of nearly three weeks of reading progress per week of tutoring instruction, with no achievement gaps for students of color, students with IEPs, multilingual learners, or students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. Ignite Reading officials joined school leaders and students at Alpha: José Hernández today to showcase the nationally recognized program. The demonstration was followed by a Q&A session and panel discussion.

Ignite Reading is currently serving 100 students in grades 3 through 5 at Alpha: José Hernández School. They are currently accelerating at a growth rate of 2.8 weeks of reading skills per week of instruction.

“Ensuring all students are prepared for success in life is an equity issue. Reading can open doors or close students out of opportunities. Bringing tutoring into our school day through Ignite Reading’s tutoring program is showing early success that we’re planning to build on in the months to come,” said Alpha Public Schools CEO Shara Hegde.…Read More

K-12 edtech survey notes growth obstacles attributed to insufficient leadership depth

Key points:

The latest national survey conducted by the Edtech Leadership Collective has identified a stark misalignment in expectations when it comes to emerging leaders’ readiness to reach the executive suite. For a second year in a row, very few C-level executives (9 percent) expressed confidence in their ability to hire from within for executive team vacancies. In contrast, one out of two (58 percent) of Department Heads fell they are ready for the executive suite.

The gap in confidence regarding management depth comes at a time when 78 percent of C-suite leaders consider the work of their non-executive leaders to be critical to their company’s success. However, C-suite leaders also acknowledge they have fallen short on providing mentoring, constructive feedback, and clearly defined paths to advancement.…Read More

Educational leaders must leverage collaboration for success

Key points:

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) calculated global economic output loss will total $28 trillion dollars between 2020 and 2025 as the result of the COVID-19 virus that impacted businesses and education. Our schools are still pivoting to serve students and families who are figuring out life in the space of no longer and not yet.

The pandemic has changed us all.…Read More