Posts by Rebecca Sholes
ESSA UPDATE
In April, we reported that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was disrupting the educational marketplace as states began to implement their plans and transition to new systems. Staffing cuts at the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education were also concerning educators and the industry as it might hamper the agency’s ability to effectively oversee…
Read MoreRead MoreWhat’s Up with ESSA?
On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the country’s oldest national education law dedicated to providing equal opportunity to all students. ESSA scales back much of the federal government’s role in public education on everything from testing and…
Read MoreRead MoreUnderstanding Digital Literacy
The growing use of technology in education is forcing us to rethink our definition of literacy. The Cambridge Dictionary defines literacy as the ability to read and write and as a basic skill or knowledge of a subject. However, technological advances are radically changing the way students access content, interact with content, and share it…
Read MoreRead MoreCreating More Equitable Assessment for ELLs
Since the creation in 2002 of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), accountability and assessment of public education in the United States has been based on annual standardized state tests. These tests have been used to determine the effectiveness of states, districts, schools, and teachers in helping students learn. Public school students in the…
Read MoreRead MoreThe Path to Educational Equity
Educational Equity and Changing Demographics in the U.S. The promise of the Brown v. the Board of Education ruling was that all children would have equal access to a world-class public education. Despite great advances in public education, existing structural and social barriers continue to limit many children’s access to a good education. Thus the movement…
Read MoreRead MoreAssessing Personalized Learning
As the student population in the United States has grown more diverse, educators have looked for more effective ways to handle the growing diversity in the academic and language needs of their students. Personalized learning —tailoring instruction to each student’s unique needs and learning preferences —is one approach that is getting a lot of attention. Since…
Read MoreRead MoreInnovative Classroom Strategies
Innovation is a hot topic in education, and teachers are constantly being asked to be innovative in their classrooms. But what exactly is classroom innovation? In her recent blog post on innovation in education, Beth Holland describes innovation as “something that is not only novel and an improvement, but also impactful and meaningful.” For her,…
Read MoreRead MoreIs Automaticity a 21st-Century Math Skill?
Regardless of our age, we all share a common rite of passage in early education— the mastery of math facts. Although the way we practice math facts has changed over the years, we all remember doing them over and over again. For me, it was learning the multiplication tables by using physical flash cards, a…
Read MoreRead MoreUpdate on State Textbook Adoptions
As key states enter another round of adoptions, much of the market is in flux. The conflict over implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), along with policy changes and the growing interest in digital content and new types of instruction are affecting the decisions that state education departments and schools are making about their…
Read MoreRead MoreA Recipe for Personalized Learning
As EdTech trends continue to evolve, learning companies are looking to develop additional tools and platforms that extend and emphasize personalized learning. Personalized learning products tailor instruction to each student’s unique needs and learning preferences through face-to-face teaching, technology-assisted instruction, and collaboration. Victory builds successful personalized learning programs because we share the same goal as…
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