How a major MD district boosted middle math achievement

Improving math achievement has long been a sticking point for U.S. schools, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impact on learning. Now, one Maryland school district is seeing substantial improvements in grades 6-8 math scores.

A new impact study at Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) found that students in grades 6 to 8 who used Speak Agent Math+Language outperformed their peers who did not use the program. Students who completed 10 Speak Agent learning activities experienced a 10 percent higher mean score than their peers on the PGCPS Math Benchmark assessments.

In addition, multilingual learners experienced a 17-point (five percent) higher mean score on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test, in addition to a higher math score. This is the first large-scale study to find a positive, independent effect at a 99.9% confidence level for both Math and English language proficiency scores, as measured by third-party assessments, caused by a single education technology program.…Read More

DreamBox Learning® Expands into PreK-2 Reading with Launch of Reading Park

BELLEVUE, Wash. —  In response to  nationwide declines in student reading scores, today DreamBox Learning, Inc.® (“DreamBox”), the only provider of solutions rated “Strong” by Johns Hopkins’ EvidenceforESSA.org in both mathematics and reading and pioneer of intelligent adaptive learning, announced the launch of DreamBox Reading Park™, an expansion of its reading portfolio to PreK-2 students nationwide. Through the launch, DreamBox is bringing its patented, state-of-the-art adaptive platform for the first time to PreK-2 readers, offering personalized learning paths that adapt in real-time to every interaction, both within and between lessons, in a playful, engaging learning environment. Reading Park meets Foundational Reading Standards for grades K-2 as outlined in national and state English Language Arts (ELA) standards.

DreamBox’s intelligent adaptive learning platform leverages cognitive science and learning principles to engage and support students at any age. Through Reading Park, DreamBox combines the company’s best-in-class platform with an evidence-based, structured literacy approach that empowers students to more effectively learn to read. Hundreds of teacher-crafted foundational reading lessons are available in a scope and sequence that maximizes educational outcomes.

“We could not be more thrilled to launch Reading Park and bring our intelligent adaptive learning platform to students just beginning their reading journeys,” said Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO and President of DreamBox Learning. “As an early innovator in education technology, we have seen firsthand how complementing teacher instruction with proven-effective adaptive technology can help build students’ confidence, critical thinking skills, and a lifelong love of learning. With Reading Park, we are opening access to an engaging, personalized learning experience that meets the earliest of readers exactly where they are and encourages a joy for reading that will not only set students up for success throughout their educational careers, but also in life.”…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

Engaging Presidents’ Day videos for students

Though schools are closed on Presidents’ Day, discussing topics related to the holiday is a great way to engage students in their learning, taking historical processes and events and linking them to the present.

Use these short videos from TED-Ed Lessons to introduce concepts and activities related to the presidency–and the history and process behind it.

Teachers can use TED-Ed Lessons to liven up long days and highlight students’ different personal interests. On the TED-Ed platform, educators can build lessons around any TED-Ed Original, TED Talk, or YouTube video.…Read More

7 Mindsets Announces Key Additions to Executive Leadership Team Amidst Growth

ROSWELL, Ga. — 7 Mindsets, the leader in Pre-K-12 mindsets-based learning and well-being solutions, today announced the extension of its executive leadership team with the appointments of Robin Glenn as chief strategy and business development officer and Clark McKown, Ph.D., as chief science officer.

Glenn, founder of BASE Education, a student mental health solution acquired by 7 Mindsets in January 2023, will oversee curriculum development and strategic initiatives for 7 Mindsets. Since 2013, Glenn has been dedicated to the development and growth of BASE Education, utilizing her 25 years of experience working with at-risk teens to build the company’s online mental health curriculum. Her professional work has included roles as a school-based therapy specialist, parent, educator, and law enforcement trainer, private practice therapist for adolescents and their families, treatment coordinator for intensive in/outpatient teen programs, and research specialist in clinical trials for adolescents with addictions.

McKown is the founder of xSEL Labs, a creator of scalable systems to assess and address the social and emotional needs of children, which was also acquired by 7 Mindsets last month. As chief science officer, he will lead 7 Mindsets’ work to provide meaningful and actionable assessments alongside its program offerings. McKown, a nationally recognized leader, researcher, and author in the field of SEL assessment, has served as a principal investigator on several federal and foundation grants whose purpose was to design, develop, validate, and scale social and emotional assessment systems.…Read More

ASCD Unveils Witsby™, Its Next-Generation, Mobile OptimizedProfessional Learning Platform

Arlington, VA (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASCD releases Witsby™, a new professional learning and credentialing platform featuring ASCD’s trusted research-based content. Designed for digital, the next-generation professional learning platform features thousands of bite-sized learning objects, courses and on-demand content from ASCD authors and experts to support the ongoing development and growth of teachers. Witsby is backed by powerful analytics, multi-layered reporting tools and authoring capabilities to give school leaders the ability to blend their own professional development assets with ASCD professional learning content.

“We’re excited to give educators what they have been asking for – a professional development tool that meets the needs of today’s teacher. Created with input from instructional leaders, coaches, teachers and administrators, Witsby is the first on-demand, mobile-optimized platform that empowers district leaders to build meaningful learning journeys for teachers,” said Penny Reinart, ASCD Deputy Executive Director. “Our goal is that Witsby will become THE solution for districts to attract, retain and support teachers throughout their career.”

Witsby is designed to create tailored, personalized professional learning paths to help educators stay on track–and on pace–to meet their evolving needs and goals. …Read More

5 math resources to boost student inquiry

Lloyd Alexander once said, “We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from the answer itself.” I love this quote because I’ve witnessed the truth of it firsthand in the classroom. Like much of life, the best parts are often found in the journey rather than the destination itself.

When students are truly engaged in inquiry, they are able to construct deep knowledge and understanding rather than just passively receiving the information. It also gives them the opportunity to encounter different perspectives that build upon prior learning, which they can then return to for guidance as they continue to grow.     

This is particularly true when it comes to the study of mathematics. With math, educators often find themselves jumping between two worlds: the conceptual knowledge and the procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge is what’s learned through standard memorization (like math facts), but conceptual knowledge is where students are able to grasp deeper learning through thoughtful, reflective activities. …Read More

Education must keep pace with evolving ransomware

Despite the alarming rise of ransomware incidents in 2022, many education institutions still fail to address gaps in their protection protocols. A Sophos survey found that 64 percent of higher education and 56 percent of lower education institutions were hit by ransomware over the past year.

These statistics should raise some red flags as the education sector continues to lag behind in cyber defense practices, making them one of the most vulnerable industries. If an educational institution is attacked, administrators often don’t have the resources to respond, due in no small part to staffing shortages.

Administrators and IT leaders across the education sector need to leverage modern innovations like AI and machine learning (ML) to ensure data protection for faculty, staff, students and the institution as a whole. Let’s take a closer look at why education is so vulnerable and how school administrators can implement preventative and restorative measures to curb long-term effects.…Read More

Finding the learning loss data needed to drive learning recovery

The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Report Card on learning loss was a sobering but not unexpected reckoning for how deeply and broadly the pandemic impacted student learning and achievement. 

NAEP state-level findings of drops in math and reading scores were followed by the release of the Education Recovery Scorecard, which leveraged NAEP data to offer the first comparable view of district level learning loss during the pandemic. This one-two punch confirms that COVID-19 learning loss was extensive and, in some cases, worse than expected. Recommendations on how to move forward are not in short supply, and for many, data lies at the heart of transitioning from learning loss to learning recovery. 

Funding, policy, and learning decisions without data is a recipe for disaster – particularly given estimates that it will take hundreds of billions of dollars to offset the impact of learning loss. But we also need the right data and the right approach to interpreting this data, to initiate a successful learning recovery process.  …Read More

Professional learning could advance teaching, equitable learning

Research shows that professional learning has the potential to transform teaching and advance equitable learning and student success. Yet notable gaps in practice undercut its impact.

A new report, Teaching, Learning, Equity and Change: Realizing the Promise of Professional Learning, developed by Every Learner Everywhere in partnership with Achieving the Dream (ATD) and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), aims to inform the strategic action needed to realize the promise of professional learning at our nation’s equity-focused campuses.

Recent research in the field demonstrates the effectiveness of professional learning in advancing equity-focused change in education. It also provides a clear picture of the best practices used by effective Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs). …Read More