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Topic Archives: Grades & Achievement

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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Re-thinking the Academic Three R’s

August 24, 2021

Despite what social media might have you believe, the academic Three R’s, Reading, (w)Riting and (a)Rithmetic, are still the foundation for all learning. Without these essential skills, students will not have the building blocks for the higher-order thinking that drives 21st century skills like computation, communication and collaboration. This back-to-school, students of all ages might struggle to meet grade level standards. The natural reaction might be to load up on more practice — make up for lost time during virtual learning! While that’s an understandable response, the reality is more might not be better. Instead, students might need something a little different. Consider the Cognitive Three R’s For students at risk of falling behind, we’d strongly encourage you to consider the Three R’s from cognitive science, that is… Read More

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Accurate Testing: What Educators Can Learn from Dr. Fauci for Fall 2020

April 13, 2020

When done right, testing is incredibly valuable We’ve all heard more about the value of accurate, reliable testing in the last four weeks than at any point in our collective lifetimes. The crystal clear message from trusted scientists: Testing is essential to evaluate and address current conditions. The only thing worse than not testing is inaccurate testing. Accurate, ongoing testing is essential as circumstances change. The same rules of evidence that apply in medicine apply in educational testing. And in Fall 2020 more than ever, educational testing will be critical to help students and teachers address learning gaps. Regardless of your views about the value of end-of-year high stakes tests, the evidence is clear that formative assessments will be the only path to overcoming the… Read More

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Would a Study Group Help?

January 16, 2019

Harvard discovered that one of the best predictors of college success was having a study group. Would your students benefit? Study groups can help students stay motivated and organized. In fact, it’s shown that they can be even more effective than classroom discussions in helping students learn and remember. If you have students who struggled first semester, or just lacking motivation or enthusiasm, consider encouraging them to form study groups. Be sure to help guide them, as there is clear evidence of what works, and what doesn’t, in study groups. Rule #1: Manageable Size   Keep a group size of 3 to 5 members so everyone has an opportunity to actively participate while allowing for diversity of opinion. Rule # 2 Shared Goals  Ideally all participants have a similar objective for… Read More

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Reducing Student Stress Among High Achievers

March 12, 2018

Are you working with high-achievers? Rather than concerns about motivation and graduation rates, you’re likely worried that your students are too stressed, not getting enough sleep, and will burn out before they even get to college. Stress is considered a growing epidemic among top performing teens. Teachers can’t be responsible for preventing stress and anxiety, but they can instill the importance of self-management and self-care. High achievers need guidance on when to put those books down, how to say no to too many extra-curriculars, and why it might not be a good idea to take every accelerated class. Coaching top performers can be tough. No one wants to hold a student back, tell them they can’t do it all, or stop them from participating in something for which they have… Read More

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Parent Teacher Conferences: Making the Most of 15 Minutes

October 30, 2017

  For many, the coming weeks bring parent teacher conferences. If that engenders some hesitation, you are not alone. Parents, teachers and administrators all acknowledge the parent teacher conference system is flawed. Teachers feel rushed to cover too much information. They might feel barraged by questions from parents who recognize they have limited time and want lots of answers. Parents regularly complain there isn’t enough time to hear all they need to help their child improve. Even the typically objective wikipedia cynically describes parent teacher conferences as: Meetings generally led by teachers who take a more active role in information sharing, with parents relegated mostly to the role of listeners. It’s not that schools don’t want to fix the system. It’s just logistically challenging. See the side bar for a quick read on one… Read More

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First Test Jitters: Beat Test Anxiety

September 19, 2017

(This article was originally published on September 19, 2017 but has been updated) This week your students are more than likely taking their first quizzes and tests of the new school year. Given the desire to make a good first impression, you’re probably noticing a bit more stress than usual. Here’s what you need to know about test anxiety to help students do their best. The Goal is Optimal Stress, Not No Stress A little stress is a good thing. It motivates kids to study. The nervous energy during the test helps the mind actively recall what you know and work at a good pace so you can finish on time. So as the graph below shows, the goal isn’t no stress…. Read More

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Education Trends: Smart Summer Reading for Teachers & Parents

June 26, 2017

With the summer in full swing, we hope you are relaxing and reflecting. In case you were busy working and parenting the last ten months, you might have missed some of the year’s most important K12 education trends. We identified our favorite reads by topic. We suggest printing them out now and putting them in your bag. Pull them out when you have some free time while sipping your morning coffee, relaxing on the beach, or enjoying an after-dinner glass of wine. 1. Focus, Organization & Planning, Oh My! Teachers and parents are realizing the need to become resident experts on the key executive functions of focusing, organizing and planning. A lack of these skills often explains why bright students underperform. Problems with these skills might… Read More

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2017: The Year to Bite the Magic Bullet

January 5, 2017

By Nancy Weinstein We remain optimistic that technology has the promise to transform education. Yet we start 2017 with a sobering reminder that technology’s impact has been slow and inconsistent. In every community, students are still struggling or disengaged, parents are anxious, and teachers are stressed. So what do we do next? Keep trying new solutions? Give it another year? We say it’s time to accept that technology is not the magic bullet that will save our educational system. We know technology can help make learning and teaching easier and more enjoyable. But only if we first embrace the three human elements essential to effective learning. Students will need to work hard to learn. There is no solution, technology or otherwise, that will change that. There’s no… Read More

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