A Stronger Cybersecurity Foundation Starts with a Modern SIS
Your SIS is central to district operations and security. Learn what to look for in a modern SIS, from role-based ... Read more
students
Students won’t remember every lesson, but here’s what’ll stick
For a lot of students, school can feel like a transaction: You do the work, you get the check mark, and then you move on. That model can…
Building inclusive school communities through integrated digital strategy
Clear, timely communication is the bedrock of the relationship between a school and its families. It is the invisible thread connecting a student’s classroom progress to the support…
The New Math for EdTech: What Counts When Measuring Technology’s Value
Districts are being asked to justify technology spend they can’t yet measure. This report shows how districts hope to close ... Read more
Today’s classroom isn’t broken–but it wasn’t built for today’s top students
Walk into almost any classroom in America, and you’ll see a system designed for consistency: same lesson, same pace, same expectations for every student. For decades, that model…
The foundation for student success is a positive classroom culture
As the school year begins, teachers often devote significant time to planning lessons, reviewing standards, organizing classrooms, and establishing routines. While these are all essential components of effective…
How to build a positive classroom in the first 5 days of school
There’s a wise quote that says, “Kids don’t care about your expectations until they know you care about them. Connection is the foundation everything else stands on.”
Schools are building AI rules before they know the destination
America’s schools are moving quickly to respond to the rise of artificial intelligence, with parents, teachers, administrators, and lawmakers working to wrap their arms around what this means…
First graders need a chance to explain their math thinking
In first grade, educators shape the trajectories of how students feel about math. Long before they discover algebra or standardized tests, six- and seven-year-olds are forming beliefs about…
Don’t forget nature’s classroom
Outdoor education has been shown to improve academic outcomes across subjects, including science, reading, and math, while also strengthening motivation, well-being, and school engagement. Studies also link outdoor…
A second language is more than an elective—it’s a workforce skill
When I taught Spanish, students would often ask, “Why do I need to learn this?” Many thought that learning a new language would only be useful if they…
Rethinking MTSS: How schools can turn student data into meaningful support
Schools today are navigating an unprecedented convergence of academic gaps, behavioral challenges, chronic absenteeism and rising student mental health needs.
Schools need behavioral assessments to fight chronic absenteeism
Our schools face a paradoxical challenge: chronic absenteeism, which is being treated as an attendance problem, actually isn’t.
5 ways to rest, reflect, and recharge this summer
Summer break has finally arrived, and if you're like most educators, you're probably feeling a lot of conflicting emotions. There's relief that the school year is behind you,…
Rethinking employability skills in K–12 education
What does it actually mean to prepare students for the future? What skills do they need to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce?
Don’t wait for September: Reach students now, when it matters most
Here is a lesson for you: If you wait until the first day of school to address attendance, you've already lost the battle.
The future researcher in every fifth grader: The case for curiosity-first teaching
I've been teaching fifth grade in Massachusetts for 26 years. I hated social studies as a kid. I found it boring, heavy on dates and facts, and light…
With students tuning out, it’s time to rethink the classroom
Across classrooms right now, many educators are noticing the same shift: Students are even harder to reach than they were just a short time ago. In a recent…
Building math skills by designing backpacks: How PBL shifted the way students see math
Building a strong foundation in math during elementary and middle school is essential for success in the later grades. Because each concept builds on the last, students must…
My students need real connection, not AI feedback
As I wrapped up my student conferences, one conversation stuck with me. Steven had barely touched his final project for our computer science course, a virtual simulation of…
Despite concerns, Gen Z students are optimistic about AI
There’s never been a more turbulent time for young people to plan for and embark on their futures, and a new survey gives insights on their feelings and…
What U.S. and international classrooms can teach us about improving math instruction
Last year, one of my strongest students could solve complex equations flawlessly--but paused when I asked a simple question: “Why does this method work?”
In Illinois, charting a path for responsible AI use
AI is a daily reality in the nation's schools, and in Illinois, it shapes how students research, problem-solve, and create. Now, Teach Plus Illinois and the Illinois Digital…
In a new survey, AI scores high as a math learning tool
AI plays a supportive educational role for nearly 70 percent of top-performing math students asked about their study habits, according to a new survey.
Oracy is the missing link for multilingual learners
For multilingual learners, language is not just a subject to be learned--it is the very medium through which they access the curriculum.
Why so many students struggle in math before learning even begins
In mathematics education, we have long relied on a familiar sequence: introduce vocabulary, demonstrate procedures, and assign practice. For some students, this works well enough.
When AI means something different in every classroom
In many schools, AI is being handled through individual teacher decisions rather than a shared structure. That makes sense in the short term. Teachers are responding in real…
The 4 keys to creating meaningful student-led inquiry
Does the thought of student-led inquiry make you nervous? For some teachers, handing over control of the classroom to their students sounds like an invitation for disaster.
4 ways to turn math fears into math cheers
My first few years teaching math were a struggle for me and my students. Our textbook focused primarily on direct instruction: I do, then you do, but rarely we do.
Why students disengage before they fall behind
I once met a student who had attended three different schools before arriving at mine. His parents described him in familiar terms: quiet, disengaged, unmotivated.
Education in a connected world: Preparing students for global careers
The world of work is changing fast. Careers no longer sit neatly within a single industry, city, or even country; they span disciplines, time zones, technologies, and cultures.
A new need-to-know for the AI classroom
Most project-based learning workshops are built around three domains: design, assessment, and implementation.
District leaders must adapt to meet changing student mental health and behavioral needs
District leaders across the country are grappling with a deepening crisis: Student mental and behavioral health needs are growing more complex. In a recent national survey, 58 percent…
How to navigate historically high absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism has stabilized at historically high levels, signaling a long-term engagement challenge rather than a short-term pandemic disruption, according to a new national white paper released by…
Taking a deeper look at students’ well-being
The dominant narrative around today’s students is bleak: declining test scores, post-pandemic learning loss, and widespread concerns about student behavior and mental health.
The layer every AI roundup is missing: Why methodology matters more than content
Last year, a third-grade teacher in São Paulo told me she had "finally found the perfect AI tool." It generated colorful worksheets in seconds. Vocabulary lists, reading comprehension…
From fragmentation to fidelity: How Wayne-Westland built a literacy system that works
On the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, only about one in four fourth graders in Michigan scored at or above proficiency in reading--a stark reminder that too…
Where traditional education falls short in an increasingly digital world
Traditional education models rely on providing rigid pathways for students to follow. They learn a particular way to solve problems and focus on achieving specific outcomes, rather than…
The AI-resistant classroom is a myth: Designing assessments that assume AI is present
Artificial intelligence is no longer approaching the classroom--it is already embedded in it. Students are using generative tools to brainstorm, summarize, translate, draft, and revise.
5 keys to turn escape rooms into classroom inspiration
Have you ever been to an escape room? For those unfamiliar with the term, an escape room is a structured, problem-solving experience where participants are locked in a…