Pressures on the wider U.S. workforce caused by a lack of employees with the requisite skills will drive more collaboration between K12 schools and employers, say product developers who are forecasting 2024’s biggest education trends.

It will also drive a surge in popularity in career and technical education programs. “As the talent shortage concern shifts to the state level, 2024 will be a year of increased collaboration between employers, schools and government agencies,” says Jeri Larsen, the chief operating officer of YouScience, a career guidance platform for students.

“The goal will be to create a more responsive and adaptable education system that ensures the workforce remains well equipped to meet the evolving demands of the job market.”

District leaders will be updating curriculums with a deeper focus on future-ready skills and adding more work-based learning, STEM education and vocational training programs.

“These efforts will be aimed at equipping students with the skills that are in high demand in the job market and promoting a broader range of career paths,” Larsen notes. “With a rapidly changing job market and evolving skill requirements, schools and education systems will find themselves under increased scrutiny to ensure that students are adequately prepared for the workforce.

Employers should grow ever more eager to collaborate with schools and districts, predicts Hans Meeder, a senior fellow for education and workforce education at YouScience and a former deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education.

“Yet, a challenge lies in the limited experience of schools and districts in systematically collaborating with business partners,” Meeder points out. “Many are still navigating this uncharted territory, actively searching for tools, guidance and real-world examples to establish partnerships that are not only effective but also sustainable.”

What other issues will be top of mind for K12 leaders and their teams in 2024? Here are predictions, hopes and forecasts from solution providers that cover a range of education topics.

Academic growth and interventions will be carefully assessed

The disruptions of the pandemic will continue to loom large over academic progress, and administrators will be emphasizing growth and doubling down on the most effective interventions, say thought leaders at NWEA, the testing firm. Here are some of their insights:

• Which academic interventions are working best? “While school districts made some progress in reducing pandemic-related achievement gaps in the 2021-22 school year, progress stalled in the 2022-23 school year. Interventions that have strong evidence of efficacy include high-dosage tutoring, summer school programs and double-dose math classes. Districts should adopt these high-impact interventions while continuing to monitor implementation and adapt interventions to local context so that students can have access to meaningful opportunities to catch up on unfinished learning.” —Ayesha K. Hashim, research scientist
• Classroom practices that support high-growth learning will be essential. “The cornerstone of elevating educational quality rests upon strengthening the student-teacher relationship. By fostering meaningful and constructive interactions and offering valuable feedback to students, we empower them to take greater ownership of their learning. Recent research underscores the efficacy of specific approaches and practices in promoting substantial learning growth, such as allocating time for retrieval practice (where students benefit from multiple opportunities to reinforce new knowledge) and maintaining flexibility in student group dynamics (allowing for effective student movement between learning groups), among others.”—Chase Nordengren, principal research lead, effective instructional strategies
• Research-based interventions will be needed to help older students with reading fluency. “National data shows that almost 70% of eighth graders are not considered proficient in reading based on 2022 test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card. In 2024, districts will be working to find research-based interventions to help older students with reading fluency. Middle and high school teachers will need support to help older students with foundational reading skills to address this problem. Programs that emphasize repeated reading and giving older readers the opportunity to choose practice readings on topics they find engaging will help older readers improve fluency.” – Laura Hansen, NWEA director of academic services
• A data-driven revolution in gifted and talented identification. “In 2024, states are poised to revolutionize their approach to gifted and talented education, driving greater equity and inclusion through a dual strategy of data-driven identification and the implementation of state policies mandating access to gifted services. Universal screening, encompassing a multitude of assessment tools, will ensure that no gifted potential remains unnoticed, while continuous monitoring and transparent reporting will guarantee equal access to the selection process. Simultaneously, state policies will require the development of individualized learning plans for gifted students, promoting inclusive enrichment opportunities, differentiated instruction, and robust teacher professional development.”—Scott Peters, senior research scientist

Edtech evolution will be all about AI

The expiration of ESSER funding and tightening budgets will force K12 leaders to prioritize, says Jeremy Cowdrey, the CEO of Discovery Education. That means, in the wake of the COVID-era flood of edtech, administrators and their teams will begin paring down the edtech resources they are using down to the most effective platforms.

Read more from DA: How to help families overcome social media health problems

“We are calling this movement the great rationalization and consolidation,” Cowdrey explains. “They will seek to renew products that have high usage, personalize learning and drive deeper engagement in instruction. They will keep edtech resources that have shown a proven, measurable impact on students.”

Leaders will maintain relationships with edtech providers who are purpose-driven and offer multiple solutions from one consolidated platform, he adds.

Beyond that, artificial intelligence will likely continue to suck up all the oxygen in the edtech space. “AI will impact everything—from creating relevant lesson plans to acting as a teacher’s assistant and student learning,” says Sara Gu, co-founder and COO of ClassIn, which provides blended, hybrid and remote learning platforms. “AI tools are being developed for educators and launched into the market every week. Many of these are designed to save teachers time.”

As many AI tools are designed to save teachers’ time, Gu says she expects a comprehensive lesson-planning tool will soon emerge. “With the vast amount of material currently available on the internet and the number of databases that the [AIs] can pull from, a world where all teachers have to do is plug in their learning objectives and standards and get an array of choices in each of the categories—materials, activities, and assessments—can’t be that far off.”

Gu also predicts that student behavior will guide the development of AI codes of conduct and determine how the technology is used in schools. Gu sees a fine line between AI being used as a tool and being used to cheat.

“There is not yet one commonly accepted approach to integrating AI tools and technology into a school or school district’s code of conduct,” she continues. “Early policies range from extremely strict “student work submitted for academic credit and completed using AI will be considered plagiarism” to encouraging teachers to use AI tools in their classrooms.”

Teachers will increasingly use AI to assess and grade students and these tools could save time and reduce burnout, says Sari Factor, chief strategy officer at K12 curriculum provider Imagine Learning. “Educators will have more equitable access to actionable, research-based measures of student success to better inform instruction, allowing educators to focus on providing personalized support to students,” says Factor.

Ethical school leaders will also have to ensure that principles such as transparency, accountability, fairness, and privacy are priorities when adopting AI-driven educational tools. “Leveraging AI and digital-first curriculum to develop personalized lesson plans that cater to unique student needs, for example, will allow teachers to focus on delivering impactful lessons that inspire student success,” Factor contends. “As a result, we’ll see less teacher burnout over time.

Beyond AI, Gu expects more schools to lean on virtual and hybrid instruction to cope with teacher and staff shortages. She notes that a charter network in San Jose, California, has transferred math and science classes to Zoom where students are taught by teachers from around the country.

“We also expect hybrid solutions to gain momentum in response to student demand as schools work to balance their finite resources while offering more flexibility,” Gu predicts.

ESSER expiration requires reliable data

States and school districts have about $70 billion left to spend this school year, which “will be a mix of states and districts spending their remaining funds while also looking to the future,” says Lindsay Dworkin, NWEA’s senior vice president of policy and government affairs.

“As the one-time funds expire,” Dworkin adds, “it will be more important than ever for education communities to have access to reliable and actionable data to know which interventions have been most effective in helping students grow, and where to continue investing strategically amidst shrinking budgets.”

Because decision-makers will continue to analyze persistent learning gaps, they also will be looking for innovative approaches to instruction and assessment.

Administrators and teachers will become more discerning about edtech purchases as ESSER money expires and shortages increase workloads. Says Gu, of Classin, who estimates that schools adopted between 600 and 1,400 products during the pandemic.

“While many of these products helped plug the gaps during remote instruction, now districts are faced with the dilemma of too many tools. The process has already begun, but schools are starting to become more strategic about which tools they keep and which ones they stop using.”

The ongoing importance of equity and PD

The academic identities of educators will have to be a focal point in district administrators’ efforts to make their districts more equitable, says Fenesha Hubbard, the lead professional learning designer at NWEA.

Academic identities comprise educators’ attitudes, beliefs and dispositions toward teaching and learning. “When teachers develop an unhealthy academic identity, their internalized negative perception is very likely to influence their instruction and can shape their students’ academic identity,” Hubbard, explains.

Educators will strive to better understand themselves and others by exploring their beliefs, examining their actions and strengthening their academic identity. “More teachers will identify and address their academic identities, whether healthy or not, and employ strategies in their classroom to help all students thrive,” Hubbard forecasts.

Family engagement will be emphasized

Districts will take several approaches to leveraging the strengths of families to accelerate student achievement, including by providing more learning materials that can be used at home, say Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O’Bryon, co-founders of the nonprofit Family Engagement Lab.

Here is what they expect will happen:

• How can districts make the most of classroom instruction? “Improving the quality of instructional materials is a smart, cost-effective strategy to improve learning outcomes. Districts looking to optimize their curriculum investment will also implement newly available curriculum-aligned offerings, from professional learning to assessments and family communications,” says Sundaram, the Lab’s CEO.
• What’s the role of families in effective SEL programs? “With student mental health needs outpacing many schools’ capacity to provide support, it will be even more critical to look to families as vital partners in supporting student success,” notes O’Byron, the chief impact officer. Educators can promote relationship-building between parents and children and share activities that let families reinforce specific SEL skills at home.
• How do you envision school learning environments changing for multilingual learners? “As we continue to see an increase in the linguistic diversity of our school communities, as well as growing interest in multilingual learning environments, I am hopeful that a spotlight is shone on what a tremendous asset multilingualism is. Embracing multilingualism truly enriches school communities and, as such, schools need to be equipped to equitably and authentically engage multilingual families as partners in supporting student learning.”
• How do you envision K-12 edtech evolving next year? “While generative AI has been the hot topic of 2023, I expect next year we will see K12 technology advancements that strengthen the capacity of teachers (such as automating repetitive tasks), and more multilingual culturally responsive learning resources for students and families.”

Literacy will revolve around the science of reading

The science of reading, or SoR, has gotten almost as much attention as AI in K12 circles over the last year. In 2024, districts navigating its adoption will, for one, have to ensure teachers, principals and other administrators are receiving adequate PD in the science of reading, say thought leaders and experts at IMSE, the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education.

“States that have passed SoR legislation recognize the need for teacher prep programs to include SoR, but getting universities to change is a slow-moving shift, even if legislation requires it,” says Janelle Norton, IMSE’s senior manager of strategic partnerships.

“Expect more administrator training in SoR as districts recognize the need for principals to understand what children need to learn to read,” Norton adds.

Teacher shortages will likely be a barrier as district leaders work to embed the science of reading in their curriculums, says Alana Mangham, a lifelong early educator and IMSE’s current director of development and implementation support.

“There aren’t enough qualified individuals in the science of reading,” Mangham notes. “Schools can only hope to find capable candidates. And, if they do, the next hurdle is paying them equal to or better than what they can make as a private professional.”

Elsewhere in the literacy spectrum

Elsewhere in the literacy realm “multilingual learner instructional practices will become a hot topic,” concludes Nicole Florez, literacy specialist and IDA structured literacy dyslexia interventionist for IMSE. She predicts more leaders will “recognize the need for culturally responsive teaching in response to the growing population of English language learner.”

“States are leveraging the right stakeholders to develop learning modules around second language learners and literacy,” she concludes.

Math will matter even more in 2024

If 2023 was all about the science of reading, state education leaders will turn their attention to providing systemic support for math education in 2024, says Karen Beerer, Discovery Education’s senior vice president of teaching and learning.

In the wake of COVID learning loss, several states have already passed new laws requiring schools to identify and provide additional math support to students and teachers.

Alabama is creating an Office of Mathematics Improvement to monitor the implementation of screener assessments, diagnostic assessments, and formative assessments for grades K5. Florida now requires students deemed “deficient” in math to receive intervention and monitoring from their district while Louisiana mandates additional professional learning in numeracy for math teachers in grades 4-8.

“While these are just a few examples of state departments of education adding additional support to math education,” Beerer notes, “I believe in 2024 these efforts will accelerate and become the norm nationwide.

The post Education in 2024: Partners break down 8 big trends appeared first on District Administration.

Administrators will emphasize growth and double down on the most effective interventions, such as tutoring and strengthening student-teacher relationships. The through line is that academic recovery will take on even more urgency in 2024, say thought leaders at NWEA, the testing firm. Here are some of their insights:

Which academic interventions are working best? “While school districts made some progress in reducing pandemic-related achievement gaps in the 2021-22 school year, progress stalled in the 2022-23 school year. Interventions that have strong evidence of efficacy include high-dosage tutoring, summer school programs and double-dose math classes. Districts should adopt these high-impact interventions while continuing to monitor implementation and adapt interventions to local context so that students can have access to meaningful opportunities to catch up on unfinished learning.” —Ayesha K. Hashim, research scientist

Classroom practices that support high-growth learning will be essential. “The cornerstone of elevating educational quality rests upon strengthening the student-teacher relationship. By fostering meaningful and constructive interactions and offering valuable feedback to students, we empower them to take greater ownership of their learning journey. Recent research underscores the efficacy of specific approaches and practices in promoting substantial learning growth, such as allocating time for retrieval practice (where students benefit from multiple opportunities to reinforce new knowledge) and maintaining flexibility in student group dynamics (allowing for effective student movement between learning groups), among others.” —Chase Nordengren, principal research lead, effective instructional strategies

Research-based interventions will be needed to help older students with reading fluency. “National data show that almost 70% of eighth graders are not considered proficient in reading based on 2022 test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card. In 2024, districts will be working to find research-based interventions to help older students with reading fluency. Middle and high school teachers will need support to help older students with foundational reading skills to address this problem. Programs that emphasize repeated reading and allowing older readers to choose practice readings on topics they find engaging will help older readers improve fluency.” —Laura Hansen, NWEA director of academic services

More from DA: Not all state education funding is easy to track down. Help is here

A data-driven revolution in gifted and talented identification. “In 2024, states are poised to revolutionize their approach to gifted and talented education, driving greater equity and inclusion through a dual strategy of data-driven identification and the implementation of state policies mandating access to gifted services. Universal screening, encompassing a multitude of assessment tools, will ensure that no gifted potential remains unnoticed, while continuous monitoring and transparent reporting will guarantee equal access to the selection process. Simultaneously, state policies will require the development of individualized learning plans for gifted students, promoting inclusive enrichment opportunities, differentiated instruction, and robust teacher professional development.” —Scott Peters, senior research scientist

Math will matter even more in 2024

If 2023 was all about the science of reading, state education leaders will turn their attention to providing systemic supports for math education in 2024, says Karen Beerer, Discovery Education’s senior vice president of teaching and learning.

In the wake of COVID learning loss, several states have already passed new laws requiring schools to identify and provide additional math support to students and teachers.

Alabama’s Office of Mathematics Improvement monitors the implementation of screener assessments, diagnostic assessments, and formative assessments for grades K5. Florida now requires students deemed “deficient” in math to receive intervention and monitoring from their district while Louisiana mandates additional professional learning in numeracy for math teachers in grades 4-8.

“While these are just a few examples of state departments of education adding additional support to math education,” Beerer notes, “I believe in 2024 these efforts will accelerate and become the norm nationwide.

The post Get ready to carefully assess growth and interventions in 2024 appeared first on District Administration.

Young adult fantasy author Sarah J. Maas’ books were banned 18 times across 10 districts during the 2021-2022 school year. In 2022-23, those figures surged to 158 bans across 36 districts—a 778% increase. That’s evidence that groups pushing for book bans are sharing lists of titles to target across district boundaries and state lines, “which has inflamed this copycat effect,” PEN America says.

“Book banners have effectively marked a group of authors with a ‘scarlet letter,’ which has intensified the pace and scope of book banning in schools,” said Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program. “We have long raised alarm over book bans undermining the freedom to read for students and families, but we are similarly concerned about the effects on authors, and the freedom to write.”

PEN America has tracked 5,894 instances of book bans across 41 states and 247 districts from July 2021 to June 2023. There has been “a sustained focus” on removing YA books about people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and other historically marginalized identities. Books that focus on violence and racism are also frequent targets of bans.

“Without literary works, students are left without context for their own experiences, without empathy for the experiences of others, and without a full understanding of the world we live in and the past,” said Sabrina Baêta, of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program. “We are continually alarmed to see how the movement to ban books has intensified since 2021 and puts at risk the freedoms to read and learn, all the while threatening core principles of education.”

Florida and Texas continue to lead the country in the number of book bans, which, the organization adds, are becoming more comprehensive and potentially more permanent as they encompass libraries and classrooms.

Who gets a scarlet letter?

Authors such as Ellen Hopkins, Jodi Picoult, Alice Oseman, Laurie Halse Anderson and Rupi Kaur are among the other writers whose catalogs became wider targets after one of their works was banned.

More from DA: More students are now being arrested when violent threats disrupt schools

Gender Queer, a graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe, may well be the most banned school book in the nation, having been removed from shelves so many times over the last two years that it is becoming a less frequent target.

On the other hand, Hopkins’ Tricks, a YA novel written in verse that’s centered on teen sexual activity and drug use, is an increasingly popular target of book ban campaigns. So is John Green’s Looking for Alaska, which touches on relationships between youths and adults.

Tricks was targeted just eight times in 2021-22 but was banned 33 times last school year. Crank, another book by Hopkins, was banned 23 times in 2022-23 compared to just 12 times the year before.  Similarly, efforts to remove Looking for Alaska jumped from 11 to 27 during those school years.

The post Book bans are the new “Scarlet Letter” anti-censorship group warns appeared first on District Administration.

Here is a look at what some recent research has found:

• Reading as a remedy: Children who read frequently self-report better mental health.
• Literacy motivates kids: Access to books that pique a child’s curiosity paves the way to academic success and builds empathy.
• Resiliency is a muscle: Resilience is a set of skills that can be developed and sharpened over time, including when children experience traumatic events.
• Classroom relationships are critical: Educators who cultivate positive connections with kids instill more security and confidence in children.

To help K12 leaders and their teams create these conditions, two experts—Michele Myers and Linda C. Mayes, authors of The Educator’s Guide to Building Child & Family Resilience—shared several strategies in a Q&A with District Administration. “An important part of mental health is having a positive self-identity and knowing who you are,” says Myers, a teacher-educator at Wake Forest University. “Books allow you to see that.”

“Reading lets children see that there are a thousand and one ways to go through this life,” adds Mayes, a professor of child psychiatry, pediatrics and psychology and director of the Yale Child Study Center. “It shows them how others experience life, deal with challenges and find opportunities.”

1. Explain how reading fosters better mental health and resilience.

Mayes: Multiple pathways link literacy and mental health. One is self-esteem, which is a major component of mental health. Reading grows your community and helps with stress regulation, which comes with remarkable health benefits. If you think you are the only one in the world who has ever experienced a certain situation, it can be incredibly stressful. It is a lonely experience if you cannot see others’ shared experiences.

The other piece that we should not underestimate is the ability to read and embrace a story. It is a good feeling to be immersed in a story and it gives children confidence. They feel confident when they can not only read but also when they can tell someone what they have read and engage in conversation. Data from the Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report shows us that frequent readers are more likely than infrequent readers to report feeling proud and excited, while infrequent readers were more likely than more frequent readers to say they have felt lonely, sad or anxious. This trend carries onward in age as well: infrequent teen readers are more likely than frequent readers to say they feel nervous or anxious (50% of infrequent readers vs. 39% of frequent readers), sad or depressed (37% of infrequent readers vs. 25% of frequent readers), and lonely (30% of infrequent readers vs. 19% of frequent readers).

Reading lets children see that there are a thousand and one ways to go through this life. It shows them how others experience life, deal with challenges, and find opportunities. It also gives them a window into other people’s lives, teaching children important, health-promoting skills such as using their imagination and thinking of another person’s perspectives, especially when it comes to how another person is feeling.

Myers: An important part of mental health is having a positive self-identity and knowing who you are. Books allow you to see that. If a child never sees themselves reflected in the pages of a book, that tells them they are othered. But when they have literature that shows them positive aspects of their identity, culture, and things that are valued, they become a believer.

Rudine Sims Bishop’s work is foundational to our understanding of how reading fosters better mental health and acts as windows mirrors, and sliding glass doors for children. When we read books to children, we invite them to look into the windows of spaces where they may not have otherwise lived. We give them multiple ways of seeing the world and seeing themselves reflected in the world, which in turn gives them alternative perspectives.

2. How can educators intentionally make the connection between reading and mental health?

Myers: Literature allows children to understand themselves better. It can show positive aspects of identity, culture, and values. One of the things that I am passionate about is having a robust classroom library that offers many books reflecting the multiple ways of living within the world. These books can expand a child’s understanding of what it means to be one in a collective of others.

Educators need to build classroom libraries that have books reflective of positive, affirming messages about children and their worlds, cultures, and languages. This says to a kid: “I matter. Someone sees me. And I see myself reflected in this world.”

Mayes: It’s not only important for children to see themselves in a book but for children to see others. Reading creates a world that is more diverse than your own. Educators need to ensure that their classroom library has access to books that encourage kids to read widely, not only about themselves but about others, too.

3. How does literacy drive curiosity?

Mayes: Children are inherently curious. They come into the world curious. Curiosity is the engine that drives learning development and lifelong health. It keeps you open to possibilities to try something different. Our task as teachers, parents and adults is to make sure that curiosity thrives and flourishes alongside incidents of trauma and stress.

Rankings: Student-teacher diversity gaps are highest in these 11 states

Myers: Instilling the desire to learn in children is what we as teachers want to do. That is what we hope to accomplish every day. When children are engaged and curious about their education, they tend to learn more, behave better and thrive in classrooms.

When I work with educators, I encourage them to make sure that whatever topic they are discussing or studying is reflected in their classroom library. It is so important that students know where they can go to find answers to the questions they may have. Children must know that we as teachers will honor them and help them find the answers through literature.

4. Why does curiosity lead to academic success?

Myers: We want to teach children that it is OK to ask questions and that it is expected that you ask questions. This is how you create classroom communities that are safe and nurturing. We should see questions as a way to promote learning.

One of the things that I think is important when we work with kids is creating spaces where they can ask questions that matter to them, research to find the answers and challenge the answers that are not plausible. For example, if a child is told, “The earth is flat,” can that child do some research to find out those answers for themselves? We need to teach our children to not just accept answers that are given.

5. Why is empathy important for mental health and resilience?

Mayes: Empathy is a very complex cognitive response but essentially it is the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes and try to see their world from their perspective. Empathy builds relationships and communities. It is a key skill that helps kids learn how to make and maintain friendships. It is about bringing people together and is not about sympathy. Empathy is the ability to experience what another person is experiencing and relate to them.

Myers: It goes back to the African principle: I am because we are. When you can feel what someone else is feeling, you understand that our collective humanity resides in all of us being well, and realizing that we cannot go through life alone. When we understand this principle, we put our actions toward supporting whoever is the weakest link in our chain.

6. Should educators address specific events—such as the wars in Ukraine and Israel—as they help children process traumatic events?

Mayes: When we don’t talk about the things that children are hearing or what they are seeing on the news, it conveys the message that these are topics you cannot talk about openly. There are times when teachers will not know everything about the topic, but it is better to ask children about the questions and feelings they have.

The Israel-Gaza issue is especially challenging right now since it is so polarized, but fundamentally, children are being impacted on all sides. Encouraging kids to start thinking down to the level of how children and families are doing is critical. You have to talk about these things, or they become even more traumatic.

When we center the needs of our learners, we’re doing what is in the best interest of everyone involved. You’re not saying who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s a fine line to walk in our polarized world, but that’s where you want to be because you’re cultivating a resilience skill called altruism.

Myers: I think about one of the classroom teachers I used to co-teach with, Sara Suber. We talk about Sara’s great work in The Educator’s Guide to Building Child and Family Resilience, and how she always made space for kids to ask the questions that were on their minds. She never made her stance or opinion the only view that mattered. She allowed them to have opportunities to ask questions, to share their feelings and emotions, and for them to “Bring it to the Carpet.” They could bring anything to the carpet because she wanted them to know that it is OK to know that bad things happen in the world, but when you walk into the classroom, we are going to work through it together.

She created a space for the children where they could be vulnerable and open. For example, one of the students in Sara’s class had terminal cancer and the child died during the academic year. It was a traumatic event for all of them to experience but the children had a safe space to express their emotions, and Sara even took it a step further. She formed a connection with the hospital and encouraged the students to start fundraisers so that their money could be contributed to the hospital. Sara showed these children that we can use traumatic experiences to benefit others. Her students learned that we can do good, even when the bad things occur. We do not have to be stagnant.

The post Reading as a remedy: One of the best ways to build resilience in students appeared first on District Administration.

The good news for other districts is that Oakland USD’s multi-pronged strategies are shared in the new “Teachers and Tutors Together” report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a think tank based at Arizona State University. First of all, researchers doubted that any districts could make adequate progress on literacy using the traditional classroom model of one adult trying to get 25 to 30 caught up. Here are a few key findings:

• Using paraprofessionals as early literacy tutors made more trained adults available to provide small-group literacy instruction. Without this support, Oakland USD’s students would not have gotten the help they needed, teachers and administrators told CRPE’s researchers.
• Tutoring works best when tutors are “well-integrated into a coherent, school-wide approach to supporting literacy.” In Oakland USD, this comprised a districtwide foundational skills curriculum but researchers found that tutors and teachers needed to communicate more consistently about student progress.
• Students who worked with tutors made larger gains than classmates who did not have access to small-group literacy instruction. The most substantial gains occurred in kindergarten.
• Literacy gains made by tutored students varied dramatically—from a low of 79% of typical growth to a high of 188%.
• Teachers, tutors, instructional coaches and school leaders reported that staffing and scheduling constraints hampered progress.
• Pay also remained a critical obstacle to recruiting and retaining early literacy tutors, and maintaining their morale.

The linchpin of Oakland USD’s tutoring efforts is a partnership that trains community members to become early literacy tutors in high-needs schools.  Oakland REACH’s Literacy Liberator Model and Fellowship is a collaboration between the district and the nonprofit FluentSeeds, which provides tutors with training and feedback through regular observations and coaching sessions.

Rankings: Virginia has the highest high school graduation rates in the country

This is one reason CRPE’s researchers found that many of Oakland USD’s tutors felt “at least somewhat prepared for the job.”

“The fellowship aimed to equip parents and caregivers with the mindsets, skills and support they needed to succeed in the tutor role—far exceeding the conventional goals and methods for training tutors and other paraprofessionals,” the report attests. “Oakland REACH and FluentSeeds helped schools tap new talent pipelines and fill tutor vacancies.”

Here are several recommendations for district leaders who want to replicate Oakland USD’s promising literacy model:

1. The closer a district can get to placing a tutor or paraprofessional in every classroom, the more small-group and differentiated instruction a school can provide. Tutors will also have access to more mentoring opportunities, which will enlarge the local pipeline into full-time teaching positions.
2. Systematize collaboration between tutors and teachers. “The power of Oakland’s early literacy tutoring initiative rests in its integration into school-wide approaches to literacy instruction, starting by having an evidence-based curriculum,” CRPE’s research wrote. Tutors can also reduce teachers’ workload when they share a language about skill development and student progress. “Principals, teachers, and tutors should know they are on the same team—equally equipped and accountable for student progress,” the researchers added
3. Invest in intentional recruiting, training and support for tutors. Oakland REACH and FluentSeeds have helped 46 Oakland parents and other community members develop the skills to support early literacy instruction. School leaders who intend to build these pipelines should keep in mind that tutors should be fairly compensated and even see meaningful opportunities for advancement. Otherwise, districts risk losing their investments in these new tutors.
4. Optimize working conditions. Schedules, physical location and group sizes all impacted the performance of Oakland USD’s tutors. Centralized data monitoring will likely help school districts identify the most effective practices.

The post This district figured out how a community can energize tutoring appeared first on District Administration.

Intentional efforts by schools and teachers to warmly invite partnerships from families can have a powerful effect on student-level academic outcomes. By recognizing families’ funds of knowledge and regularly sharing key information about what children are learning at school and how families can support that learning at home, children benefit. Indeed, extensive research supports the notion that when families are actively engaged in their children’s education, it can significantly narrow the opportunity gap, irrespective of other risk factors.

Yet, the path to fostering increased family engagement in education is not without its own specific complexities. For example, the tremendous linguistic diversity present in our school communities necessitates intentional support to facilitate ongoing communication and trusted partnerships. In the United States, where the education system grapples with a persistent opportunity gap along racial and ethnic lines, fostering communication across key adults who do not share a common language becomes paramount in ensuring equitable access to quality education.

Power of family engagement

Family engagement in education is the cornerstone of a child’s academic success. It goes beyond attending parent-teacher conferences or school-based events; it’s a dynamic partnership between the most important adults in a child’s life that nurtures a child’s learning journey. When families actively engage in their children’s education, whether assisting with homework and learning projects to maintaining regular, open lines of communication with teachers and school staff, it creates a supportive ecosystem for academic growth.

Research shows that increased family engagement in learning leads to a range of benefits for students. When parents and caregivers actively engage with their children’s education, students tend to have higher academic achievement, better attendance records, improved behavior in the classroom, and increased self-esteem. Moreover, students are more likely to complete high school and pursue post-secondary education when their families are involved in their learning journey.

It’s clear that the quality of relationships between schools and families plays a fundamental role in shaping educational outcomes. However, unlocking the full potential of family engagement often requires addressing language mismatches that can hinder its efficacy.

Multilingualism enriches our educational landscape

The United States celebrates its rich diversity, reflected in the multitude of languages spoken by its student population. In 2021, about 21% of school-age children spoke a language other than English at home. This mosaic of languages enhances our cultural richness, yet for families navigating an unfamiliar educational landscape due to limited English proficiency, engaging with the schooling system can feel daunting. Understanding school policies, communicating with teachers, and actively participating in school-related activities become challenging when teachers and families do not share a common language.

Read more from DA: How 2 superintendents strive to be “real people”

However, within this challenge lies an incredible opportunity. Multilingualism isn’t just a reflection of diversity; it’s an asset that, when embraced, enriches educational communities. As such, ensuring that regular two-way communication is possible for all teachers and families is critical. Families, equipped with support and resources in their native languages, can better aid their children’s educational journey, fostering a deeper connection between home and school.

Furthermore, classrooms composed of students from diverse linguistic backgrounds present a chance for educators to explore innovative teaching methods that cater to varied learning styles, ensuring every student receives equitable access to education.

Strategies for recognizing and celebrating linguistic diversity

To recognize and celebrate linguistic diversity and unlock the powerful potential of family engagement, several strategies can be employed:

• Multilingual resources: Schools and districts can provide multilingual resources, including informational materials, websites, and communication channels to engage non-English-speaking families more effectively.
• Diversity, equity and inclusion training: Teachers and school staff can undergo training and ongoing coaching to promote asset-based thinking, support student identities, understand bias, and integrate equitable practices with culturally and linguistically diverse students and families.
• Bilingual staff: Hiring bilingual staff who can act as liaisons between the school and non-English-speaking families can facilitate communication and bridge cultural gaps.
• Community partnerships: Collaborating with community organizations and local support networks can provide additional resources and assistance to non-English-speaking parents.
• Family engagement programs: Establishing and promoting family engagement programs that focus on supporting two-way communication between educators and linguistically diverse families and providing opportunities for families to actively participate in their children’s education.
• Technology integration: Leveraging technology, such as translation apps and online resources, can help connect educators and families who do not share a common language by providing real-time translation and interpretation services for families and school staff.
  Policy Support: Advocating for policy changes at the district, state, and federal levels to ensure equitable access to education for all students and their families.

While acknowledging the hurdles, it’s crucial to elevate the strength that multilingualism brings to our educational landscape. By continuing to develop inclusive strategies, such as bolstering bilingual education and support programs, and equipping schools and teachers with the resources they need to partner with linguistically diverse families, we pave the way for a more unified and thriving educational community.

Unleashing the potential of authentic family engagement

At the core of effective education lies authentic family engagement. Authentic family engagement goes beyond mere involvement—it’s a dynamic partnership between educators and families. This engagement isn’t a =formality; it intricately aligns with a high-quality curriculum and standards-based objectives. It’s an inclusive partnership where families are not passive spectators but active contributors.

Authentic family engagement serves as a powerful catalyst in acknowledging and elevating the linguistic assets that lie within the US education system. By prioritizing open and inclusive communication, educators and families collaborate to celebrate multilingualism and leverage families’ tremendous funds of knowledge.

This approach involves meeting families on their terms, using accessible technology, and providing learning materials in their home language. This not only fosters a deeper understanding of the educational process but also empowers families to actively participate in their children’s learning journey. Through transparent and culturally sensitive practices, authentic family engagement ensures that language differences cease to be obstacles, transforming them into opportunities for shared understanding and enriched educational experiences.

To create a more equitable and inclusive educational environment, it is imperative that schools, educators, and policymakers celebrate and address the multitude of languages spoken by our students and their families. By implementing strategies such as authentic family engagement and technology, we can ensure that all families, regardless of the language spoken at home, have the opportunity to actively engage in their children’s education, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes and a brighter future for all students.

The post Celebrating multilingualism to unlock the potential of family engagement appeared first on District Administration.

Hoboken, New Jersey, a bedroom community to New York City, has been engaging in a cycle of noticings and wonderings for over four years. In Hoboken Public Schools we noticed trends in data and wondered what we could shift to make powerful, lasting, and impactful gains in our data, more specifically, our early childhood foundational reading data.

Plainly stated, we knew we had a problem. Our teachers in K5 were utilizing a good but dated core literacy program. Our teachers in upper elementary were confirming that a large number of students were not reading at grade level, lacked elevated vocabulary and struggled with comprehension.

Read more from DA: How 2 superintendents strive to be “real people”

So we talked with teachers. A lot. We asked really thoughtful questions. Teachers were vulnerable and bluntly honest as they shared what they needed and wanted to know. Simply stated, our regularly scheduled programming was not working and needed a tune-up. We had to do something.

My supervisor of ELA, Christy Gaudio, and I, under the leadership of our superintendent, began to research, consider, create and formalize our plan. The plan was to put the tenets of the science of reading at the core of our literacy program. We wanted explicit literacy instruction that would provide extensive high-quality support for instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—the 5 pillars as identified by the work of the 2000 National Reading Panel.

After a very thoughtful and intensive curricular review guided by both the What Works Clearinghouse Standards and EdReports, the Hoboken Public School District ELA Curriculum Committee adopted Wonders ©2023 as our core English language arts curriculum in K5. It was implemented with full fidelity for the first time last academic school year. The EdReports.org evaluation in which Wonders ©2023 was highly rated across the three gateways: Text Quality and Complexity, Building Knowledge, and Usability further cemented our decision to adopt.

It was critical for us to find high-quality materials that met local, state and national standards and at the same time aligned with the science of teaching reading. Additionally, the professional development and the accompanying support were invaluable for buy-in across the district.

The next step in the science of reading

We felt really good about this first pathway but wanted more. The “more” came in our second pathway, our partnership with the Institute for Multisensory Education. IMSE’s mission is to empower districts, schools, teachers and parents to be agents of change toward equitable literacy instruction for all learners that is driven by research.

Over the past three years, we have worked in partnership with IMSE to ensure 100% of our kindergarten through second-grade teachers have been trained in the Orton-Gillingham methodology to teaching reading. In addition to this, we have identified key staff members in grades 3-8 and in special education to receive this impactful training. We are proud to share that districtwide, we have trained over 100 educators through IMSE.

Orton-Gillingham is a highly structured approach that breaks reading and spelling down into smaller skills involving letters and sounds and then builds on these skills over time. It was the first approach to use explicit, direct, sequential, systematic and multi-sensory instruction to teach reading, which is not only effective for all students but essential for teaching students with dyslexia. This partnership and the teaching and learning associated with it has become our dual-pronged framework for the explicit teaching of foundation skills.

Today we are proud to share that Hoboken Public Schools is outperforming the state in all tested grades in English language arts. Early evaluation of our literacy data shares impressive upward gains. 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.

If there is no fidelity or spotty fidelity, what you will have is dirty data and the district cannot then tell its story. We are Hoboken and to paraphrase Frank Sinatra in his song “Winners”, we asked the best of ourselves, then gave so much more. It really does take an entire village to be vulnerable, honest, and engage with the right partners in the journey to influence the literacy lives of all children.

Our story is not complete, we continue to engage in professional development, creating curricular maps that guide teachers through every minute of the 90-minute literacy block utilizing both the core literacy program and the OG methodology. We are constantly analyzing data and making necessary adjustments to implementation but now we have a foundation that is informed, unwavering and laser-focused. We are confident that the gains will follow.

The post Making sense of the science of reading in a New Jersey school district appeared first on District Administration.

Although we haven’t always referred to it as such, I have used the procedures and strategies of the science of reading in my classroom throughout my career. Fortunately, 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.

Small groups

Differentiation is really important for my literacy instruction. If I couldn’t teach in small groups, I’m not sure I could reach the needs of each learner. Students need to be grouped by ability to allow them access to instruction that fits their learning needs. We don’t want anyone to be left behind, but we also need to be challenging those students who have mastered the new skills.

More from DA: Why some schools are swapping Halloween out for ‘seasonal’ celebrations

Independent work is also important. We use center rotations quite a bit—about two hours every day—so each student has opportunities to learn and practice their literacy skills in a variety of ways. Some center activities that we use include phonics transfer books, decodable texts, and sight word fluency exercises.

Before daily center instruction, students participate in a lesson on phonics using the Reading Horizons Discovery foundational literacy program. Prior to Reading Horizons, we used a different program. But, we began to see that any new students moving into our school who hadn’t been using the phonics from the beginning of the year really struggled.

Now, our lessons are much better for new students to adjust to quickly. This year, the lessons have also been updated to create center groups automatically based on activities or skill checks that gauge how well they’ve understood each new lesson.

A variety of repetition techniques

Whether students are working individually, in small groups or all together as a whole class, using a variety of techniques is important. Students learn in many different ways. It’s always interesting to see which activity or exercise is going to resonate with each one of them.

When students begin first grade, they learn how to look at a word and identify letter sounds and then put them together to make words. In their transfer books, they have word mapping exercises that are excellent for building those decoding skills with daily practice, one letter at a time. We talk about each sound, and then work with the daily sound in our small groups. After that, we get to apply the new skill in a reading passage.

I like to work on nonsense word fluency with my students as well. This is another exercise that helps develop decoding skills in which students read made-up words. Since the words are made up, they have to identify the sounds themselves correctly instead of relying on their word knowledge.

This activity came from a literacy program that we previously used, but I like to pair it with our current program’s five phonetic skills and make games using them. The repetition and daily practice help students build fluency and the games connect with all kinds of learners because they’re fun, and that always keeps everyone engaged.

Integrating technology

Technology is incredibly helpful in the early literacy classroom. Students get excited about it, which makes it easier to engage them in lessons. But, it is also a practical help to me. Using our literacy program, I am able to mirror everything we’re doing up on a screen where the students can see it. That frees me to walk around and see what students are doing at their desks so I can see who may need more help or if some students are ready to move on to the next step.

I do find technology challenging to use at times, perhaps because I’m older, but the students just connect with it so quickly. It’s the future, so they need practice with it, but it also makes it so much easier to integrate different senses into instruction and practice.
We also do a lot of guided reading, both as a class and during center rotations. I might read a story to the whole class and then ask about characters or different story elements. I try to make it fun by choosing good picture books, and then we build our centers around the story. For example, they might be asked to retell the story using just pictures, so they have to place the events of the plot in the correct sequence.

On our classroom iPads, we also have stories that students can read themselves or have read to them by the technology. They can even record themselves reading, which they love. We choose books that are appropriately leveled for their ability and then they answer questions to help develop their reading comprehension.

I do still believe handwriting is important, so I make sure students aren’t doing everything on computers. It’s important to find a balance between using technology to engage students and deploying tools like pencil and paper.

Students aren’t born readers. They need lots of practice, which could become a very boring routine of drilling skills day after day. To keep them engaged you have to learn what they like and work to turn their practice into fun games that also build their skills, or by modeling reading with fun books.

Students aren’t always going to make perfect progress toward proficient reading. In fact, there are going to be new challenges every day, but if you can help them love what they are doing, they will be excited enough to rise to those challenges and grow throughout the school year and into their futures.

The post How to keep literacy varied and fun to provide the repetition students need appeared first on District Administration.

“It forces collaboration between social studies, math, English and science teachers,” he explains. “They’re working together and our kids are getting the medicine they need—it’s not just about remediation, it’s about acceleration.”

Literacy growth rates had slipped to under 40% during the height of COVID but have now resurged to over 50% of students meeting expectations. Dignan’s main solutions are HMH’s Math 180 and Read 180 and the platforms’ new Flex component that helps teachers adapt instruction toward individual students’ learning needs, Dignan attests.

Principal Lori Webster and Reading Interventionist Alexandra Wilcox have made embedded interventions in both the methodology and the mindset at Mountain Mahogany Community School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Back in 2018, only 20% of the small charter school’s students scored proficient in reading. To boost literacy rates, the two educators have since had their elementary school teachers participate in IMSE’s training in the Orton-Gillingham multisensory approach to the science of reading.

More from DA: This superintendent sees trust in K12 eroding. Here is what he’s doing

It incorporates writing, reading and talking, and the method is the same whether students are in their regular classes or receiving a push-in intervention in their classrooms. “I would love for more teachers to understand that this is not just additional work for them, this is in exchange for things that they already teach,” Wilcox says. “What I’ve noticed as our teachers have implemented it is they feel like we’re taking some things away because it is working.”

Mountain Mahogany is now recognized as a Structured Literacy Model School by the New Mexico Public Education Department. “What’s most rewarding for me as a teacher is seeing confidence grow,” Wilcox explains. “I see students go from ‘I can’t do this’ to ‘Oh, I can do this.’ It’s like cracking the code.”

Embedded interventions inspire independence

Teaching and assessing literacy is the top professional development priority at Wayne-Westland Community Schools and HMH’s Flex instruction has replaced disruptive pull-out interventions. “Even Pre-COVID, a large percentage of kids were coming in one or two grade levels behind,” Dignan points out. “As a central office team, we knew we wouldn’t be able to intervene our way out of it.”

More students are now catching up to grade level and moving on to accelerated instruction. Students are able to see the progress they are making as they are better grasping the texts and making improvements in all of their core classes. The adaptive platforms allow teachers to abandon traditional “stand-and-deliver” instruction and give students more autonomy and independence.

“Going through everything being virtual and combing back, some of the skills teachers picked up allowed them to become facilitators of learning and use more small group instruction in lieu of the traditional ‘For the next 55 minutes, you’re going to listen to me talk,'” Dignan concludes. “We’re moving way past that.”

District Administration’s Superintendent’s Playbook series examines how superintendents, principals and other administrators are solving common problems that today’s educators are facing. 

The post Superintendent’s Playbook: How to make more progress with interventions appeared first on District Administration.

These moments are why we choose to invest in the e-books and audiobooks on our digital bookshelves the same way we invest in physical books. They create one more opportunity to turn students into readers. Students and families need all the opportunities to access eBooks and audiobooks as educators confront falling reading scores following the pandemic and the knowledge that reading has a higher correlation to future achievement than socioeconomic status, gender, family structure and time spent on homework.

Digital reading content meets students where they are

Students spend five to nine hours a day passively consuming content on their phones. We can chisel away at some of that passivity by giving them access to eBooks and audiobooks. While that still requires teaching new habits that encourage students to read instead of scroll, at least their phones are already at their fingertips and accessible when their school library collections are not.

More from DA: These are 2023-24’s best high schools for 3 reasons

Embracing the way students want to consume content fosters choice, which makes them more receptive to new ways of spending their time. If that time adds up to reading 15 minutes a day, they are likely to experience higher academic achievement. Double it to 30 and it can amount to 12 million more vocabulary words learned over the course of a student’s schooling.

As a librarian of 15 years who often gets asked this question—yes, audiobooks count as reading. Cognitively speaking, hearing the words is similar to tracking them on a page.

All students can benefit from reading apps

With physical books, what you see is what you get, and sometimes you get text that is too small for students to read comfortably. Those kinds of limitations do not exist in digital reading apps. Readers can personalize their experiences with adjustable fonts, line spacing and screen contrast.

Some apps even offer dyslexic font, which is weighted and spaced in a way that makes it easier for some people to access text. Changing how text is presented can make the difference between a student who reads and one who decides to spend their free time doing something else.

Reading apps are also exempt from the constraints of supply chains, shipping times and shelf space, so librarians can often get different versions of books in a matter of hours. For struggling students, that could mean having access to the young reader edition of the same book their peers are reading without feeling singled out because it is on their school or personal devices. Multilingual and dual-immersion students can get books in dozens of languages, while advanced and voracious readers can access higher-level books or additional content.

24/7/365 access breaks down barriers

If reading is the most fundamental academic skill a student can acquire, we should make the material they need to practice that skill available at the tap of a screen. Most of the free time students have for reading is during weekends, holidays, breaks and vacations when schools are closed and they cannot go to their school library. eBooks and audiobooks bridge that gap, and take advantage of moments of downtime in a student’s day so that reading can take place on a bus ride to a game or in the waiting room of a dentist’s office.

While the quality of books students read is important, so is the quantity of books available at home. Studies show that children with access to more books score proficient in reading at markedly higher rates than those with less access. Only some children have a shelf full of books at home, and many still need help accessing devices, but the combination of expanded one-to-one technology initiatives and reading apps that function on laptops can make the difference they need.

Screens are not going away, but one of the best ways to use them is for educational purposes. I can relate to anyone who believes there is nothing like the feel of a book in your hands, but today’s students want their reading material in the format that best meets their immediate needs—in print, on their phones while traveling, and through their headphones while being active. Reading apps allow us to drop entire libraries in their hands that invite them to read on their terms.

The post Being shelf-less: How digital reading and listening boost literacy appeared first on District Administration.