3.26.13 The Investment in Early Childhood Education and the Myth of the Fade-Out Last month, when the President announced his call for universal access to Pre-K, we were elated. We firmly believe that high quality early childhood education can have a large and lasting impact on... Read more
3.13.13 Classroom techniques: Formative assessment idea number 9 So far we’ve touched on eight formative assessment ideas that can help teachers elicit evidence of student learning in the here and now. Here they are again: 1. The Popsicle... Read more
3.12.13 Measurement and Standard Error This morning when I stepped on my bathroom scale and felt that familiar twinge of guilt and disappointment, I quickly reminded myself that bathroom scales are imperfect measuring devices. In all... Read more
3.4.13 Classroom techniques: Formative assessment idea number 8 We’re up to eight…and counting! Eight formative assessment ideas that can provide you with evidence of learning that can help you adjust your lesson plans to ensure all your students... Read more
2.27.13 Student Effort and Test Score Accuracy The one question I get asked most frequently from partners has to do with the accuracy of test scores, specifically in the context of whether a student has given appropriate effort on the test. This... Read more
2.20.13 Early Math in the Common Core State Standards: Balance at New Heights As kindergartens across the country begin to transition to the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics, the aim for achievement gains is high. However, standards don’t take children places... Read more
2.6.13 The Benefits of Leveraging Technology to Implement RTI In earlier blogs we discussed RTI and its importance to early learning and the value of universal screening and progress monitoring. In fact, as Telzrow, McNamara, and Hollinger (2000) observed,... Read more
1.30.13 Parental Involvement and Early Learning Success Nikkie Zanevsky recently posted a blog over at the SPARK Community entitled 3 Practical Strategies for Improving Parent Involvement in Education. If you haven’t read it yet you should check it... Read more
1.29.13 What is “good” academic growth? We often get questions about whether a student’s growth is “good” or not. Unfortunately, it’s a question we at NWEA just can’t answer. Only you can. I don’t want you to think we are... Read more
1.16.13 Classroom techniques: Formative assessment idea number 7 We’ve blogged thus far on six formative assessment ideas that can be used at virtually no cost in your classroom to engage your entire class while providing you valuable information on student... Read more
1.14.13 Early Learning: Teacher and Administrator Benefits of Teaching in the Zone In a previous blog post – The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and Why it Matters for Early Childhood Learning – we defined ZPD and showed how identifying where a child’s zone is can... Read more
1.9.13 Unnecessary Roughness: Innovative Approaches to School Discipline Education Week recently ran a four-part series on alternatives to suspension and expulsion, Rethinking Discipline. The series highlights administrators and educators from schools across the country... Read more