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Summer Plans for Unfinished Learning

April 23, 2022

The summer slide (i.e. lost learning during the summer months) is a challenge in any year but untenable in a year of already unfinished learning. Some advance planning will enable teachers to avoid distributing the often ineffective but somewhat obligatory “one size fits all” summer packet. Instead, identify the cause of the unfinished learning and provide students with the differentiated learning plans that meet their needs. Retention For a reasonable number of students, it’s not the understanding that’s the problem, it’s the remembering. They also likely suffered with online learning that didn’t include the natural repetition of in-person classrooms. For this group, spaced repetition is the key. Create learning plans to review core content multiple times a week with flashcards, practice problems, and gamified quizzes. Make fall easier by including the… Read More

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You Can’t Tier 2 Your Way Out of Tier 1

March 27, 2022

High Dosage Tutoring Addresses Tier 2, but What about Tier 1 Yes, high dosage tutoring can be a very effective way to bring students up to grade level. But based on the data, grade level is not what it was before the pandemic, even in the top performing schools. And it’s not just academics. Most educators are as worried about students’ social and emotional skills. They express deep concerns that students lack age-appropriate self-management skills. They fear students aren’t ready to learn even before they open the book. And most teachers aren’t quite sure what to do about it. If you’re an 8th grade teacher, do you adapt your class to students’ “6th grade maturity level” or hold them to a standard most won’t meet? In… Read More

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: A Guide to Improving SEL

February 27, 2022

The mental toll of the pandemic, and corresponding ESSER-recommended funding, put SEL (social and emotional learning) top of mind in schools. The benefits of SEL aren’t new. What is new is the broader awareness and heightened sense of urgency to address SEL. And yet there’s little agreement on how. Maybe until now. Maslow’s Hierarchy and SEL After reflecting on the market confusion around SEL definitions, debates over who should “own” SEL in schools, and a recognition of MindPrint’s unique contribution around self-awareness, we realized Maslow’s nearly eight-decade old hierarchy provides a great model. Because it’s near-universally understood and accepted by educators, it’s a perfect starting point for gaining understanding and acceptance. Maslow’s theory explains that all humans are motivated to satisfy five fundamental needs. A person’s basic needs must be met at the… Read More

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The New, New SAT vs. ACT: Who Wins with the Adaptive SAT

February 9, 2022

Last week the College Board announced its new format for the adaptive SAT. It launches at international sites in Spring 2023 and in Spring of 2024 in the US. The changes seem to have been made with an eye towards convenience and accessibility. A shorter test with quick results will be tempting for many students. However, viewed through a cognitive lens, the story is much more nuanced. There is no test that favors all test takers equally, and an adaptive, computer-based test is no different. The adaptive SAT will be a boon to some students, but a potential minefield for others. MindPrint has long been able to project variable student performance on the SAT and ACT based on cognitive skills. Fortunately,… Read More

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High Dosage Tutoring: The Right Strategy for the Moment (if done right)

January 24, 2022

Defining High Dosage Tutoring Districts across the country are addressing learning loss by offering in-school “high dosage small group tutoring.” If you’re wondering what it is, or better yet, how it’s different from RtI or small group instruction the short answer is this: it’s the same. It’s the practice of teaching students based on mastery level, not grade level. It is also one of the most well-established and effective educational practices. Kudos for considering it. Despite the clear benefits, high dosage tutoring runs the risk of being another “great educational idea that failed” because schools over-simplify implementation. For high dosage tutoring to live up to  potential, schools must make an upfront investment in (1) optimizing groupings and (2) planning for differentiated instruction. Here’s how to deliver high-dosage… Read More

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