10.31.23 3 ways quality instructional coaching impacts teacher efficacy Now that the 2023–24 school year is fully underway, our NWEA instructional coaching team recently gathered to reflect on the common barriers teachers are currently facing in their daily work... Read more
10.26.23 How to build confidence in young readers Have you ever read a book and felt like the author wrote it just for you? A book that was so profound that you felt changed by the experience? Now imagine you’d never read that book. Or... Read more
10.24.23 6 things principals can focus on to improve family engagement When I was a school administrator, I thought a lot about family engagement. How could I get more parents and guardians to feel connected to our school and interested in getting involved? How... Read more
10.19.23 MAP Accelerator and professional learning workshops are here to support math teachers As a math teacher, I had some lightbulb moments when I watched the recent NWEA webinar “Supercharge math confidence (for teachers and students) with MAP Accelerator.” And I’ll admit it, as... Read more
10.17.23 From The Continuing Educator: How to bring inclusion, focus, and fuzzy feelings to your classroom If you’re a teacher who’s looking for new ways to keep your students focused and on task, there’s one technique (a bit unorthodox, perhaps, but guaranteed to get their attention) you might... Read more
10.12.23 How to evaluate classroom products Teachers rely on a myriad of classroom products to support teaching and learning. The goal of using them is to improve student achievement. In my book, The Equity Expression: Six Entry Points... Read more
10.10.23 MAP Growth can lower the cost and increase the accuracy of gifted and talented placements I first became interested in assessment because I believed in what it could do. I believed it could help educators, administrators, and policymakers better design and target instruction, which... Read more
10.5.23 3 academic interventions policymakers can support to help get students back on track According to the latest NWEA data, students last spring were, on average, 4.1 months behind pre-pandemic achievement levels in reading and 4.5 months behind in math. Students in middle school... Read more
10.3.23 Goal setting in the fall: Start with MAP Growth scores With the last vestiges of summer now shaken off, you’re probably starting to form the first real idea of who the students in your classroom are as people: what frustrates them, what makes them... Read more
9.28.23 6 ways to increase reading motivation and engagement When I taught eighth-grade English, I sometimes came across a reluctant reader. One of the things I prided myself on was finding a book even the most resistant reader would enjoy. One year, I... Read more
9.26.23 Summer programs can be an effective treatment, but districts need to get the “dosage” right The new school year is well underway nationwide, and it’s worth pausing a moment to reflect on the investments school districts made in summer learning. To help students recover from large... Read more
9.21.23 Free resources for bringing the Common Core standards for mathematical practice to life Getting comfortable with the Common Core standards for mathematical practice can make a big difference in your classroom. Imagine your curriculum as a cross-country road trip: sights to see,... Read more