Literacy/ELL

Modern item analysis in ELA: Bridging the gap with the science of reading

We explore real-world scenarios where educators encounter challenges interpreting item analysis from standards-based ELA assessments and use these examples to illustrate effective diagnostic approaches.

Tyranny of OR: Using modern item analysis responsibly in ELA

Rather than being constrained by the "Tyranny of the OR," educators can embrace the "Genius of the AND."

This state has banned the most books. Here’s a complete list

Florida banned the most books from schools during the 2023-2024 school year. The state has now released a list of all the titles removed.

Rethinking dyslexia: Shifting our focus from diagnosis to instruction

"Dysteachia" results in massive numbers of children who cannot read and causes districts to become so overwhelmed with providing intervention that they may inadvertently overlook the issues in general education instruction.

Youth literacy: How to take a systems approach

School leaders and lawmakers must advocate for high-quality early childhood education and adequate funding to support youth literacy.

Book bans are surging after last school year

Unprecedented number of challenges came predominantly from far-right activists targeting stories of race, sexuality and gender identity.

Why cursive instruction is now looping back around

Just this year Kentucky mandated that students to become proficient in cursive writing by the end of fifth grade—and Iowa’s state education board added cursive writing to its list of educational requirements.

“Talking Out of School”: Why media literacy now matters so much

Can school district leaders afford not to make media literacy a pillar of their instructional programs? Teaching the subject effectively is key to graduating students who are productive citizens, Superintendent Shari Camhi, says on District Administration's latest podcast.

Gamified learning: How to engage the reluctant reader

Gamified learning allows students with varying abilities and inclinations to try, fail and repeat the process until they get it right in a safe and rewarding environment

How to see past the science of reading debate

As we begin the new school year, I encourage you to focus on how you can apply the insights from learning science to support the educators in your buildings.

Utah is first to begin banning books from schools statewide

Thirteen books are on the literal chopping block after Utah has imposed what appears the first-ever statewide K12 book ban, according to The New York Times and PEN America, a nonprofit that fights censorship.

6 ways a tech-driven approach will boost literacy rates

In education, we talk a lot about achievement gaps, but especially since COVID we’ve also seen instructional gaps—and literacy has been impacted.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Fixing shortages and academics at the same time

Recruiting more aspiring educators of color will not only fill teacher vacancies but also propel student achievement and improve school climate, says this week's podcast guest, Javaid Siddiqi, the president and CEO of The Hunt Institute.

Book bans are hitting new heights this school year

Books about women, sexual violence and rape that have are being challenged based on obscenity while race, LGBTQ and transgender identities continue to be frequent targets.

How one district is transforming learning by connecting kids to the ocean—and Bigfoot

A key to the mission at Sea Lab is for students to work "as scientists" across disciplines. Recent projects have had students grow lettuce in a hydroponic aquarium and compose music based on the sinking of military ships. "There's a little bit of whimsy science thrown in," teacher facilitator Simone Bourgeois explains. "We do everything from meteorology to zoology to any content science a student might approach in high school or college."

School boards are now spending more time on these 5 topics

Is your school board focused on the same topics that are of growing concern at their counterparts' meetings in other districts and states?

To get the most out of summer reading, keep it on the calendar all year

Planning for summer reading right off the bat establishes it as something that happens consistently every year, rather than a one-off project for the coming summer.

Analysis: Big strides are being made toward universal pre-K

Ask a lot of superintendents—and we do—and they'll say that quality preschool experiences are key to most students' success in K12. Read on for some good news about early learning.

Don’t forget the reading in the ‘science of reading’

Teaching phonics is an important step toward improving literacy instruction, but students still need time to read authentic texts.

5 ways to give teachers better support in the science of reading

After AI, the science of reading may be the hottest topic in education. And the most important way to strengthen this research-backed practice is to develop teachers' literacy skills, a new report contends.

5 ways leaders can help teachers inspire students to love reading

At the middle school level, it is all about reading to learn, which means having students make sense of what they read and apply that knowledge to new situations. 

Education in 2024: Partners break down 8 big trends

Collaboration will grow between K12 and the business community as academic growth is carefully assessed as AI drives the edtech evolution.

Get ready to carefully assess growth and interventions in 2024

Tutoring, summer school programs and double-dose math will join an emphasis on strengthening student-teacher relationships as academic recovery takes on even more urgency.

Book bans are the new “Scarlet Letter” anti-censorship group warns

Authors are becoming regular targets of copycat bans after just one of their titles is removed from a library's shelves, according to the new "Spineless Shelves" report from PEN America.

Reading as a remedy: One of the best ways to build resilience in students

Reading and access to books help children build resilience and can have a positive impact on overall mental and physical health, the latest research shows.

This district figured out how a community can energize tutoring

Leaders in Oakland USD in California have turned to the community to find paraprofessionals who can help teachers by providing additional personalized instruction in early literacy.

Celebrating multilingualism to unlock the potential of family engagement

The tremendous linguistic diversity present in our school communities necessitates intentional support to facilitate ongoing communication and trusted partnerships.

Making sense of the science of reading in a New Jersey school district

Our teachers are more confident and our students are more engaged as they are seeing themselves as readers and writers. The non-negotiables are constant professional development, materials/resources, coaching, modeling and a high expectation of fidelity.

How to keep literacy varied and fun to provide the repetition students need

The science of reading encourages a variety of approaches to meet the individual learning needs of all students. Here’s how it works in my classroom.

Superintendent’s Playbook: How to make more progress with interventions

"It forces collaboration between social studies, math, English and science teachers," explains Superintendent John Dignan of Wayne-Westland Community Schools, about embedding interventions into core instruction. "They're working together and our kids are getting the medicine they need—it's not just about remediation, it's about acceleration."

Being shelf-less: How digital reading and listening boost literacy

Reading apps allow educators to drop entire libraries into students' hands, inviting them to read in print, on their phones while traveling, and through their headphones when being active.

How this Iowa district deployed AI to ban 19 books from its libraries

Mason City Community Schools removed the books from grade 7-12 libraries, with an administrator saying that the size of its collection was too large for staff to read every title.

Are English learners catching up with the big lift offered by ESSER?

How districts in five states are using relief funds to expand tutoring, family outreach and develop more multilingual teachers.

5 tips for creating an effective literacy program for English learners

Some of our secondary ELs were losing motivation around year three and needed inspiration to stay on task and engaged with our literacy program.

Advocates are fighting move to block ‘sexually relevant’ books in Texas schools

A new law will require books and other materials to be rated and reviewed by vendors for sexual content before they can be sold to school libraries. Texas lawmakers warned A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Of Mice and Men, The Canterbury Tales, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the Bible and other classic works of literature could be restricted.