Podcasts about nwea

In this episode of Mirror Talk: Soulful Conversations, we are joined by Chris Hull, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of OTUS, a Chicago-based edtech company. After 13 years as a middle school educator, Chris recognized the chaos of disconnected EdTech tools and set out to create a seamless platform that empowers K-12 administrators, educators, students, and their families.In This Episode, We Discuss:Chris Hull's journey from middle school teacher to edtech entrepreneurThe inspiration behind founding OTUS and its missionHow OTUS provides a unified platform for teaching, grading, analyzing, and planningThe current state and future of remote learning solutionsHow edtech companies can empower the education system with technology and effective product managementThe secret behind OTUS' rapid growth and successLessons from Chris's experience as both an educator and a father of fourAbout Chris Hull & OTUS Chris Hull was named a “20 To Watch” Educational Technology Leader by the National School Boards Association. Under his leadership, OTUS has expanded to serve 160 school districts, with over 1 million monthly users and an annual revenue growth of 300%. OTUS integrates third-party testing data, such as ACT/SAT and NWEA, allowing educators to make data-driven decisions effortlessly.Connect with Chris Hull & OTUS: 

Send us a Text Message.Join Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell, as they explore the most critical developments in the world of education technology this week:

Sharron Stroman gives Jacob & Kailey a guided tour of her journey as a teacher and school leader focused on early literacy. Sharron is an education professional of nearly 3 decades who currently serves as a senior professional learning consultant with NWEA. Topics include the science of reading, resilience as a school leader, and why Sharron returned to school to become a structured literacy dyslexia specialist. 

The One About…Text Structure and Inference Skills: The Latest Instructional Research!Marianne Rice, Tiffany Peltier, and Kacee Lambright“What's the Main Idea?”: Using Text Structure to Build ComprehensionAlida K. Hudson, Julie Owens, Karol A. Moore, Kacee Lambright, Kausalai (Kay) WijekumarFirst published: 27 April 2021https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/trtr.2016“Inference skills for reading: A meta-analysis of instructional practices.”Rice, M., & Wijekumar, K. (K.) (2024, March 18). Inference Skills for Reading: A Meta-Analysis ofInstructional Practices. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication.https://dx.doi.org/ 10.1037/edu0000855https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-63383-001Tiffany Peltier:Tiffany Peltier is a Research Scientist in the Collaborative for Student Growth at NWEA. Sheearned her PhD in Learning Science at the University of Oklahoma and her Masters in Readingand Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M University.https://understandingreading.home.blog/about-contact/Marianne Rice:Academic Researcher, Educator, and Reading Specialist at the Department of EducationalPsychology, Texas A&M UniversityEmail: Marianne.Rice@TAMU.EDUKacee Lambright:Research Specialist IIITEACHING, LEARNING & CULTURETexas A&M UniversityEmail: kacee331@tamu.eduSupport the showThe Literacy View is an engaging and inclusive platform encouraging respectful discussion and debate about current issues in education. Co-hosts Faith Borkowsky and Judy Boksner coach teachers, teach children to read, and hold master's degrees in education.Our goal is to leave listeners thinking about the issues and drawing their own conclusions.Get ready for the most THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND DELICIOUSLY ENTERTAINING education podcast!

The federal government doled out a lot of money during the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant amount of that money went to schools across the country in the form of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. Tens of billions of dollars from these funds have been spent, but there are still billions unspent with a deadline approaching by which to utilize the funds. Lindsay Dworkin is Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for NWEA, a not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators. She looks at how this money has been spent and how much of an impact it has had. Hosted by KYW Newsradio's Matt Leon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vandaag sluit de aanbestedingsronde voor het allergrootste windpark dat ooit in Nederland zonder subsidie is gebouwd: ‘IJmuiden Ver'. Eneco, een grote partij voor dit project, maakt vandaag echter ook bekend dat zij zich terugtrekken. Volgens het energieconcern is de Nederlandse aanpak van wind op zee namelijk ‘niet meer toekomstbestendig.' Wat is er aan de hand? Presentator Hans van der Steeg gaat hierover in gesprek met Jan Vos, voorzitter van de Nederlandse Wind- en Energie-associatie (NWEA).

Today, Jacob is joined by an Alaskan and a Texan: Moon McCarley, Principal at Nondalton School and District Testing Coordinator for The Lake and Peninsula School District, located on the Alaska Peninsula; and Ashley Cruz, State Professional Learning Consultant at NWEA. They discuss how NWEA partners with districts across Alaska to create high-impact professional learning opportunities to expand assessment literacy. Along the way, Moon shares her experience as a Certified Facilitator and talks about how it helped her grow as a leader.

The One About…Conflating Leveled Books with Predictable Texts with Tiffany Peltier and Wiley BlevinsOn X (Twitter), a storm of tweets began when Tiffany posted this, “Leveled readers are great forbuilding fluency. However, a SUBSET of leveled texts, known as PREDICTABLE texts ARE NOT great for building decoding skills and SHOULD NOT be used in kindergarten for teaching phonics.” Wiley responded, “We need to do a virtual roundtable discussion about this. There is so much research misinterpretation and misunderstanding happening now. It's an important topic needing clarification.”So here we are!!Wiley Blevins Bio: http://www.wileyblevins.com/all_about_wiley/Wiley's New Book! “Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact:How to Scaffold Whole-Group Instruction So All Students Can Access Grade-Level Content”https://us.corwin.com/books/differentiating-phonics-283562Tiffany Peltier Bio:Tiffany Peltier is a Research Scientist in the Collaborative for Student Growth at NWEA. Sheearned her PhD in Learning Science at the University of Oklahoma and her Masters in Readingand Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M University.Support the showThe Literacy View is an engaging and inclusive platform encouraging respectful discussion and debate about current issues in education. Co-hosts Faith Borkowsky and Judy Boksner coach teachers, teach children to read, and hold master's degrees in education.Our goal is to leave listeners thinking about the issues and drawing their own conclusions.Get ready for the most THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND DELICIOUSLY ENTERTAINING education podcast!

In 2023, NWEA released a study that describes high-quality teaching practices in place in Schiller Park SD #81. In this episode of the IASA Podcast, we speak to Schiller Park's Superintendent, Dr. Kimberly Boryszewski, about instructional strategies that are driving student improvement.

The One About…What Should PA Instruction Look Like?Tiffany Peltier, and Marianne Rice PhDQuote:“The case for using letters in PA instruction is stacking up higher & higher… New research out today: An upside-down U curve found for oral PA instruction (diminishing returns after less than10hrs) but the OPPOSITE—increasingly MORE returns after 16 hrs—for PA w/LETTERS ��”Tiffany Peltier, PhDTiffany Peltier bio:Tiffany Peltier is a Research Scientist in the Collaborative for Student Growth at NWEA. Sheearned her PhD in Learning Science at the University of Oklahoma and her Masters in Reading and Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M University.Marianne Rice: Academic Researcher, Educator, and Reading Specialist at the Department of EducationalPsychology, Texas A&M UniversityEmail: Marianne.Rice@TAMU.EDUArticle:A Meta-Analysis on the Optimal Cumulative Dosage of Early Phonemic Awareness InstructionFlorina Erbeli, Marianne Rice, Ying Xu, Megan E. Bishop & J. Marc GoodrichPublished online: 25 Jan 2024https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10888438.2024.2309386RIP to Advanced Phonemic Awareness by Tim Shanahan (Reading Rockets)https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-on-literacy/rip-advanced-phonemic-awarenessSupport the showThe Literacy View is an engaging and inclusive platform encouraging respectful discussion and debate about current issues in education. Co-hosts Faith Borkowsky and Judy Boksner coach teachers, teach children to read, and hold master's degrees in education.Our goal is to leave listeners thinking about the issues and drawing their own conclusions.Get ready for the most THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND DELICIOUSLY ENTERTAINING education podcast!

Reading fluency helps students unlock the world, whether they're in kindergarten or a senior in high school. But for far too long, children from specific demographics have struggled to keep pace after moving on from elementary school. To get a handle on how to better address this systemic issue, NWEA conducted a study targeting middle schoolers from historically marginalized or impoverished populations. The findings, according to NWEA Director of Academic Services Laura Hansen, shed light on how certain intervention methods can help students and educators alike close some alarming gaps. Hosted by Matt Leon. Read the report referenced in the interview: https://www.nwea.org/news-center/press-releases/new-intervention-shows-signs-of-improving-reading-fluency-in-middle-schoolers-says-latest-nwea-study/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Were you strong in math? How about English? Were there subjects in school you dreaded, and others you loved? According to Fenesha Hubbard, the way we view ourselves as learners shapes our academic identity, a concept the former teacher considers critical to getting all cogs in the educational ecosystem moving in the same direction to maximize performance for students and educators alike. Hubbard is now the lead professional learning designer for NWEA, and explains why academic identities are important to be in touch with. Hosted by KYW Newsradio's Matt Leon.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this episode, we're once again joined by Dr. Chase Nordengren, principal research lead for Effective Instructional Strategies at NWEA to talk about teacher-led approaches to academic recovery.Chase works closely with leading scholars from around the globe to turn theory into actionable practices to drive instructional improvement. His latest study, High Growth for All, captured ways teachers in one Chicago-area district are leading the academic recovery effort and producing above average academic growth over multiple years for kids across the achievement spectrum  Chase is also the author of Step into Student Goal Setting: A Path to Growth, Motivation, and Agency from Corwin Press. 

Like a growing number of students around the U.S., children in Independence, Missouri are on a four-day school schedule, a change instituted this fall by their district. To the kids, it's terrific. But their moms are frustrated to find themselves hunting for activities to keep their kids entertained and off electronics while they work five days a week. Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment, although some have questioned the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the pandemic. For parents, there also is the added complication, and cost, of arranging childcare for that extra weekday. While surveys show parents approve overall, support wanes among those with younger children. The district-provided childcare isn't as convenient because it's not in every school. And in other four-day districts, so many parents adjust their work schedule or enlist family to help that the daycare has been discontinued because of low enrollment. That is especially concerning for parents of younger kids and those whose disabilities can make finding childcare an extra challenge. The effect on academics is murky, although some studies show the schedule doesn't hurt test scores if the other four school days are lengthened to make up the time, said Paul Thompson, an associate professor of economics at Oregon State University. However, the Rand Corporation found achievement differences in four-day districts, while initially hard to spot, became apparent over multiple years. That worries Karyn Lewis of the research organization NWEA, whose recent study found students are not making up all the academic ground they lost during the pandemic. “Now is not the time to do anything that threatens the amount of instruction kids are receiving,” she said. In Independence, the shortened schedule created opportunities to help struggling students through an off-day program starting this month. Older students, meanwhile, can take classes at a community college. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Kailey & Jacob are joined by two educators and NWEA content specialists who have thought a lot about how to improves student experiences in science. Kim Baker has been at NWEA for 13 years, and Megan Kuehl has been here for eight. We discuss challenging assumptions about the science classroom and unpack the notion that science is inherently impartial. 

Kailey chats with actor, comedian, and NWEA professional learning lead consultant Nicholas Joe about how, why, and when teachers get laughs in their classroom. Along the way they discuss strategies like how to pivot in the classroom with a “Yes, and…” mindset and how to utilize comedy in your lesson planning. And yes, Nick gets Kailey to do improv!

Students across the U.S. fell further behind academically last school year despite extensive efforts to help them recover from pandemic learning setbacks, according to an analysis of test scores. The study by the research organization Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), which also administers assessments in K-12 schools, lands as the 2024 deadline approaches quickly for schools to spend the last of the $190 billion in federal pandemic relief money. “There are ways schools can take better advantage of their limited resources and time to boost learning,” said Chase Nordengren, the group's lead researcher for instructional strategies. He said schools could group students based on their needs and provide targeted instruction, for example, adjusting groups as individuals progress. “We've been trying to send the message that this is a multiyear, if not decades-long recovery period, and is going to require some fundamental rethinking of the ways that not only we educate students but we think about how students are grouped and how we think about their learning,” Nordengren added. “I think that perhaps we've neglected filling in the holes of the last two years in a rush to get back to grade-level content and we're seeing the impact of that, that kids are not able to keep up because they're still missing some foundational pieces,” said Karyn Lewis, director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA, and the study's co-author. Lewis wonders whether families know how bad the situation is, and if there is an appetite for schools to be innovative enough to tackle the problem. “Schools are doing the right things,” she said. “They're just not doing enough of the right things. And I think that's because we've underestimated how persistent the effects of COVID will be on kids.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

What a great crowd for our first live show! After discussing their Georgia roots, Jacob and Kailey chat with their guests about choosing the best summer professional learning opportunities and what gets them motivated at a conference. Next, they turn to the new school year and discuss the biggest challenges ahead, including how to scale success across schools and districts.  Kailey also asks a few of her signature lightning-round, light-hearted questions.  Finally, stay tuned for the audience Q&A at the end of the show for your daily dose of teacher inspiration. There may have been some tears of joy in the room… Thanks to our guests, Lindsay Deacon (NWEA) and Marelenise Phillips-Roberts (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Director at Dallas Independent School District).

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Authorities have arrested a suspect in the murder last week of a teacher from Kentucky on the campus of The Catholic University of America. On July 5, 25-year-old Maxwell Emerson was shot and killed on the university's Washington DC campus. The DC Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement this week that it had made an arrest in the case, apprehending 22-year-old DC resident Jaime Maceo and charging him with first-degree murder. Police reportedly identified Maceo from security camera footage showing the altercation that led to Emerson's death. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254784/arrest-made-in-murder-of-kentucky-teacher-on-catholic-university-of-america-campus A new national survey shows students in the United States are still struggling to make up learning loss experienced over the course of the COVID-19 crisis. The report this week from NWEA examined test scores from nearly 7 million elementary and middle school students in about 20,000 public schools around the US. The researchers found that “achievement gains in 2022–23 lagged pre-pandemic trends” in nearly all surveyed students, with numbers “falling short of pre-pandemic averages by 1–19% in reading and by 6–15% in math.” The NWEA noted that the decline was sharper than what was observed in 2021-2022. Reading in upper-level grades suffered the most, the researchers said. Overall, the average student at the end of the school year required over four months of additional schooling in both math and reading to come up to grade level, the report said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254776/national-data-shows-us-students-still-stalled-after-pandemic A former Jesuit priest has pleaded guilty to sex crimes committed in and around New Orleans, in which he was charged with drugging and raping 17 adult male victims, many of whom were visiting the popular tourist area. Detectives also believe that there are more than 50 victims who remain unidentified. Stephen Sauer, who reportedly left the Jesuit order by his own request in 2020, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on July 7 in front of a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, judge. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and is barred from contacting 12 of the victims for life. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254778/catholic-church-is-most-credible-institution-in-nicaragua-cid-gallup-poll-finds Today, the Church celebrates Saint Henry II, a German king who led and defended Europe's Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the first millennium. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-henry-ii-520

Dan kicked off the show with an examination and exploration of today's top stories with various experts and reporters. Joining the program was WCAX Channel 3 News Reporter and 11 Anchor Christina Guessferd, Karyn Lewis, director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA, Sarah Cassell, Managing Director of Marketing and Communications for The Trustees of Reservations, and Christian Teja, Director of Communications for the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

Billions of dollars were funneled to school districts across the U.S. to help them make up for learning loss from the pandemic. But new research shows that even with that extra money, school districts are still struggling to close the gaps in reading, writing and math. Stephanie Sy discussed the findings with Karyn Lewis of the Center for School and Student Progress and a lead researcher at NWEA. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

We have all heard conversations of “why didn't they teach us this in school?” or “why did I take calculus if I've never had to use it?” Now with a wide scope of possible career opportunities, it might not make sense for all students to take the same classes in high school. Why does this happen, and how could we update the math curriculum? Do we have the teaching capacity to make these changes? Dr. Ted Coe is the Vice President of Academic Advocacy for Mathematics at NWEA. He joins us to discuss how we can reimagine math curriculums and what it would mean for students post-high school. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lindsay Prendergast currently supports leaders in one of the largest districts in the US as an embedded leadership coach for NWEA. Lindsay has served as a principal, counselor and Special Ed teacher over the last two decades, is a Framework Specialist for The Danielson Group and also an ASCD Emerging Leader. She believes in the power of teachers to transform lives and the crucial importance of leaders to create the environment for them to do so.Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/lindsprenLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-prendergast-231734148/If you know someone who you would like to recommend as a guest for our show, complete this survey.

As a teacher, Misty Hodge wondered: Who makes these assessments I give my students? Are these companies listening to the teachers who use them, or are they just throwing darts in the dark? So she came to NWEA to make sure that teachers like her had a seat at the table. Misty shares her work leading NWEA's partner advisory board and building something teachers can actually use. Then, Kailey and Misty nerd out about MAP Accelerator and how much it helps math teachers.  Misty also shares stories from her time as an educator, including a creative use of a ropes course and a challenging first day as a substitute teacher.  Thanks for listening — don't forget to share, subscribe, and rate us five stars! 

“I know this discussion is likely to be unpopular among people who have embraced the SoR. The main response I've gotten to talks in which I've raised some of these issues is that the comments were rude, even mean-spirited, and not what the audience wanted to hear. That is itself symptomatic of a problem. My concerns are not about loyalty to a movement or affinity to an author or product. They are not about whose team a person is on. They are not about the people involved though they are about their work.” – Dr. Mark SeidenbergWe invited Dr. Tiffany Peltier to join us on The Literacy View to discuss Mark Seidenberg'sarticle.https://seidenbergreading.net/2023/03/31/about-the-science-in-the-science-of-reading/Tiffany had concerns about the “science,” and nobody seemed to care. As a matter of fact, she was ostracized.Tiffany Peltier brings over 12 years of experience in the education field, serving as anelementary teacher in three different states, acting as an instructional coach to elementary teachers, and teaching undergraduate pre-service teachers within special education, learning, sciences, and literacy coursework at Texas A&M and the University of Oklahoma. She has also provided PL sessions for various schools and districts around early reading instruction and learning disabilities, been contracted with a state department of education to develop and provide Dyslexia Awareness training to educators across the state, and has provided PL opportunities to thousands of teachers, SLPs, school psychologists, and administrationthroughout the US as a National LETRS Independent Contractor. She has most recently worked as a Research Scientist specializing in teacher training, early literacy, and reading difficulties like dyslexia at the Collaborative for Student Growth at NWEA and is now the Lead Learning and Delivery Specialist in Literacy at NWEA and a Teacher Educator at the University of Georgia in the Dyslexia Master's Program.The Literacy View is an engaging and inclusive platform encouraging respectful discussion and debate about current issues in education. Co-hosts Faith Borkowsky and Judy Boksner coach teachers, teach children to read, and hold master's degrees in education.Our goal is to leave listeners thinking about the issues and drawing their own conclusions.Get ready for the most THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND DELICIOUSLY ENTERTAINING education podcast!

The science of reading is both a body of research and movement in literacy education. How do we keep those two things connected when they're not always aligned? What are most common myths about literacy instruction, how do we fight them? A roundtable of educators and specialists from NWEA join Jacob & Kailey to talk about how the science of reading works best in classrooms and where both the movement and the research are going.John Luke Bell is Senior Content Designer in Literacy with NWEA. Prior to joining us in 2022, he was a Curriculum Coordinator and English Teacher. He is passionate about solving the problems facing young readers and the people who teach them.Dr. Tiffany Peltier is Lead Learning and Delivery Specialist for literacy at NWEA. She brings over 12 years of experience in the education field, acting as an instructional coach to elementary teachers, and teaching undergraduate pre-service teachers within special education, learning, sciences, and literacy coursework. Dr. Lisa LeBouef is Content Designer in Literacy at NWEA. She has more than a 15 years education as a classroom teacher and literacy coach, as well as a few years at the state agency level as the Supervisor of Literacy Professional Development for the Louisiana Department of Education. 

The elusive practice of classroom differentiation has historically had lots of “shouldas” and “couldas” from experts, but it's always been difficult to do well at scale. Disruptions in formal schooling for all students and educators have only increased the need for good differentiation in the classroom, but there's no easy button. We discuss how differentiation works today — is it getting easier or harder? Are we making it too complicated, or not complicated enough? Our guests share successful practices they've learned from teachers around the country—teachers who walk that thin line between dull routine and total chaos to give kids the right level of voice and choice in their learning. We talk to Tatiana Ciccarelli, a math educator and model teacher from New York City, currently supporting educators around the country through professional learning, and Dr. Chase Nordengren, principal research scientist for effective instruction at NWEA.

We're back for Season 4! Yes, *we* — on this episode, Jacob Bruno interviews our new co-host, Kailey Rhodes, about how to establish a real rapport with your students and build a classroom culture where they can trust and thrive. The first step? Ask your kids how they want the class to work for them, and be honest about what you expect in return. Kids can smell inauthenticity. Plus: Tips for when to step in to kids' conflicts with each other, the utility of unicorns and mermaids, and a google-form for hair-adjacent encouragement.We're so excited to have you back with us this season as we talk about putting big ideas to work in the classroom.  Each episode will have experts form the classroom and pros from NWEA's learning and improvement services team sharing what's working for teachers and schools around the country right now. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Scott Peters of NWEA joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss why eliminating honors classes and other advanced education opportunities in the name of equity is a mistake. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines the connection between public school choice and adult criminality.Recommended content:“How one school district is balancing excellence and equity—and another isn't” —Brandon L. Wright“To increase equity, school districts eliminate honors classes” —Wall Street Journal“Parents speak out against school canceling honors classes in the name of racial equity” —New York Post“One-size-fits-all education doesn't work well, but diversity advocates are hitting the accelerator” —Real Clear InvestigationsThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Andrew Bibler et al., “Does School Choice Increase Crime?” NBER Working Paper (February 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On "EWTN News Nightly" tonight: Due to lack of funding, the Aerostat Program, the unmanned blimps that border patrol uses to protect the nation, is being cut. President Joe Biden traveled to the Sunshine State today warning voters there that the GOP wants to cut critical government programs including Social Security and Medicare. This comes as Republicans say this is NOT their intention at all. Meanwhile, an organization that equips many Catholic schools with standardized tests is under scrutiny. CEO and Founder of the Classic Learning Test, Jeremy Tate, joins to discuss whether the NWEA's ideologies are trickling down into our Catholic schools and classrooms. And a TV station in Belgium recently discovered a lost interview with the Catholic priest considered the founder of the Big Bang Theory. Astronomer and Historian with the Vatican Observatory, Chris Graney, joins to share his reaction when he heard about the discovery of this interview. This Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. EWTN Vatican Producer and Correspondent for CNA Deutsch, Rudolf Gehrig, joins to tell us where he is at in Germany right now and why it is so important for the faithful. Finally this evening, on a frigid college campus off the shores of Lake Superior, sits a chapel made of ice. One of the chapel architects and former student at Michigan Tech, Madi Hollman joins to tell us how this all got started. Don't miss out on the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Get EWTN News Nightly delivered to your email: https://ewtn.com/enn

Michael and Diane dig deep in analyzing the big acquisition of NWEA in the assessment market by Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt, one of the largest curriculum players in the United States. They conclude that we should be skeptical that the acquisition will improve teaching and learning for students or that it will pay off as much asContinue reading "Season 4, Episode 9: Shake Up in the Assessment Market"

Lots of factors are working against teachers these days. Among the biggest? Pay, politicization of their profession, and the ripple effects of the pandemic. But recruiting new educators to enter the field is only part of the problem. Keeping the ones who have been around the longest is an issue, too. LaTayna Pattillo is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the non-profit group NWEA, which supports students and educators. She shares her thoughts on some possible solutions. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the United States, 6.6% of public-school students are enrolled in gifted and talented programs, but enrollment is not evenly distributed. For example, 12.6% of Asian students are enrolled, but only 4.5% of Hispanic students and 3.6% of Black students are. Scott Peters, my guest for this episode, has been studying and writing about these and other discrepancies for some time. Scott is a Senior Research Scientist at NWEA, where he specializes in educational assessment and data use. A series of articles he wrote about equity within gifted and talented programs is receiving a lot of attention, and I am grateful that he agreed to share his insights in this podcast. More information about Scott and his research can be found at www.TalkingAboutKids.com.  

Dyslexia has been studied for nearly 150 years, but to this day, we're still trying to fully understand the disorder and how it impacts reading ability, learning, and mental health. Elizabeth Barker is the Accessibility Research Manager in the Collaborative for Student Growth at a non-profit called NWEA (the Northwest Evaluation Association). She joins us to explain the early signs of dyslexia, some misconceptions about the disorder, and how parents and educators can help students navigate it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft, and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact… writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents. Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to follow, rather than being a vehicle for self expression, discovery, and learning. It's also, as we discuss in this episode, often not taught across all of the If you missed part one or two of this discussion, please do yourself a favor and check those out before listening to this final episode of my discussion with the wonderful Dr. Miah Daughtery. Miah Daughtery is the literacy director of content advocacy and design at NWEA. Prior to joining NWEA, she was a classroom reading and English teacher for almost 10 years, a district literacy specialist, the state literacy coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Education, the director of literacy for Achieve, and the executive director of professional learning for Odell Education. In part three we discuss: Multiple literacies and how schools can be more aligned to the real world Choices we must make as educators around literacy Thinking of literacy beyond the classroom  …and so much more!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book, Whispering in the Wind: A Guide to Deeper Reading and Writing Through Poetry, by Linda Rief. Do your students cringe when you teach a poetry unit? Do you? Whispering in the Wind is Linda Rief's latest book and it's a cure for poetry agony. This book shows you how to launch a simple, self-directed student poetry project that will help your students read more poetry, respond to it authentically, and maybe even discover that they actually enjoy it. Focusing on poetry really can make your students stronger readers and stronger writers. And you'll finally have a plan for teaching poetry that you'll love too. Learn more and download a free sample at Hein.pub/Whispering.

Young children have many different ability levels with math concepts. Understandably, kindergarten and elementary teachers need to reach every student where they are on their learning journey, but it isn't always easy. Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, an expert on the topic, gives an overview of how to differentiate math instruction with younger students.  See notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e793 Sponsor: Thank you, eSpark for sponsoring today's show. eSpark is a differentiation and intervention tool that helps teachers of kindergarten through grade five save time by providing ready-to-go, standards-based reading and math activities that students love. eSpark is free for teachers. Each Quest includes a pre-quiz, framing videos, instructional videos, practice activities, critical thinking challenges, a post-quiz, and an optional student recording. I love that for activities to remain in the eSpark catalog that it must have a high student engagement rating based on a student-chosen thumbs-up or thumbs-down. You can even import NWEA or STAR data to give students a more differentiated experience from the first log on. Oh and did I say it is free for teachers! So, go to go.eSpark.app/coolcatteacher. You'll be glad you did. Carol Ann Tomlinson - Bio as Submitted [caption id="attachment_28916" align="alignright" width="200"] Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson[/caption] Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development where she served as Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and Co-Director of the University's Institutes on Academic Diversity.  Prior to joining the faculty at UVa, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, during which she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school and also administered programs for struggling and advanced learners.  She was Virginia's Teacher of the Year in 1974.  She was named Outstanding Professor at UVa's School of Education and Human Development in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008.  In 2022, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in Curriculum & Instruction.  Carol is the author of over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials.  Her two latest books are So Each May Soar: The Principles & Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms (2021) and Everybody's Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Learners (2022). Her books are available in 14 languages. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations. Twitter @cat3y Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The ALA defines digital literacy as "the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills."  We discuss the many other definitions of the term and get into what responsibilities educators have to cover this topic.Disciplinary literacy aims to apprentice students into the specialized literacy practices of each of the disciplines—practices usually only developed by those immersed in the creation of knowledge in the disciplines. We discuss why this skill is so important and how it differs from content area reading.Our guest, Laura B. Hansen, is director of Teaching and Learning Connections at NWEA where she focuses on understanding and fostering the relationships between teaching, learning, and assessment to promote literacy for all students.Thank you for joining us on this season of The Continuing Educator!  Please be sure to share the podcast and leave us five star reviews so more educators can hear these conversations. We'll be back with more episodes in Spring 2023. 

Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft, and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact… writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents. Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to follow, rather than being a vehicle for self expression, discovery, and learning. It's also, as we discuss in this episode, often not taught across all of the  Joining me today to try and answer why this is, and why writing is so important to teach well, is Dr. Miah Daughtery. Miah Daughtery is the literacy director of content advocacy and design at NWEA. Prior to joining NWEA, she was a classroom reading and English teacher for almost 10 years, a district literacy specialist, the state literacy coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Education, the director of literacy for Achieve, and the executive director of professional learning for Odell Education. In part two we discuss: The power of writing Meaning before form and how this supports writers Cross-curricular writing and its importance  …and so much more!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book, The First Five: A Love Letter to TeachersBy Patrick Harris II.   We all have stories. We all have experiences to share. A memoir with a call-to-action, The First Five affirms the humanity of all teachers. Patrick inspires you to dream big about what you want for yourself, our students, our schools, and our educational system. In The First Five, Patrick brings to light the realities of teaching, especially in the first five years. He immerses you in his world with personal stories that lead to lessons,  questions, and exercises to help you reflect on your own journey. Each chapter includes interviews with a diverse group of educators. Creating change in our education system is a process. It will happen from the ground up and the inside out. If we want to make a long-lasting impact we need to know more than just what to do; we need to start sharing our stories, not just our strategies. The work we do together throughout this book and beyond will leave you feeling hopeful, empowered, and challenged. No matter where you start, know that this work is ongoing. Give yourself grace. We are in this together, for the long haul. Here's to the next five years.  

“The essence of family literacy is that parents are supported as the first teachers of their children.” Family Literacy is the idea that long after diapers and baby steps, our children have so much to learn by watching, observing, and collaborating with trusted adults at home, particularly when it comes to building a strong foundation for reading with confidence. On this episode, we dive deeper into this idea and share the how and why of building and sustain robust family literacy practices. Joining us on this journey are Lauren Bardwell, Senior Manager of Teaching and Learning Solutions at NWEA, and Shiji Mathew, Senior ELA Content Specialist at NWEA.

Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft, and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact... writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents.  Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to follow, rather than being a vehicle for self expression, discovery, and learning.  Joining me today to try and answer why this is, and why writing is so important to teach well, is Dr. Miah Daughtery. Miah Daughtery is the literacy director of content advocacy and design at NWEA. Prior to joining NWEA, she was a classroom reading and English teacher for almost 10 years, a district literacy specialist, the state literacy coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Education, the director of literacy for Achieve, and the executive director of professional learning for Odell Education. In this episode we discuss:  The value of seeing the classroom in different professional roles Scaling greatness in a classroom to other classrooms Why writing is often ignored in PD and curriculum What is writing and why is it important? ...and so much more!    This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book, The First Five: A Love Letter to TeachersBy Patrick Harris II. We all have stories. We all have experiences to share. A memoir with a call-to-action, The First Five affirms the humanity of all teachers. Patrick inspires you to dream big about what you want for yourself, our students, our schools, and our educational system. In The First Five, Patrick brings to light the realities of teaching, especially in the first five years. He immerses you in his world with personal stories that lead to lessons,  questions, and exercises to help you reflect on your own journey. Each chapter includes interviews with a diverse group of educators. Creating change in our education system is a process. It will happen from the ground up and the inside out. If we want to make a long-lasting impact we need to know more than just what to do; we need to start sharing our stories, not just our strategies. The work we do together throughout this book and beyond will leave you feeling hopeful, empowered, and challenged. No matter where you start, know that this work is ongoing. Give yourself grace. We are in this together, for the long haul. Here's to the next five years.  

Today, Ali and JoDee are talking with Cara Holt. Cara has worked in education for 20 years, mobilizing from the classroom, admin, NWEA, LearnZillion, and BrainPop. Together, they will discuss how Cara transitioned to a career outside the classroom, strategically using LinkedIn for your benefit, and the best way to write your resume for success.Connect with Cara:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-holt/Connect with Ali and JoDee: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tgtrpodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tgtrpodcastAli's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/JoDee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/

On this episode, we explore literacy instruction, the science of reading, early childhood literacy, and the differences between skills-focused and knowledge-focused classrooms. Our two guests are passionate leaders in the field: Dr. Lynne Kulich, Director of Early Learning at NWEA, and Natalie Wexler, an education writer and author of “The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System.”

Guest: Lindsay Wilson, Instructional Coach In this episode, Lindsay shares two strategies that create frequent opportunities to collect student classroom data that will help teachers make data driven decisions in their classrooms. Want more? Here are the resources from this episode: "My Favorite No" Strategy from The Teaching Channel The Power of Data: Instructional Strategies to Help You Create a Data-Driven Classroom from Better Lesson 27 easy formative assessment strategies for gathering evidence of student learning from NWEA 

For episode 4, we head to Las Vegas and the nation's fifth largest school district. NWEA and Clark County School District are longtime partners who recently engaged on developing a robust and holistic professional learning program that could have major implications for school districts throughout the country. Two members of the NWEA professional learning team, Angela Morton and Lindsay Prendergast, join us to give their stories of how the program took shape and their perspective on how it's helping educators and kids in Las Vegas.

“For many, learning mathematics leads to perceiving the subject as a collection of procedures that are disconnected from any big picture. It's much like filling a box with puzzle pieces, yet never building the puzzle.”  For this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ted Coe and Anita Brown of NWEA to discuss how educators move beyond "doing math" to thinking about mathematical concepts, with a focus on formative conversation starters. 

Equity is not a buzzword. It's not a synonym for diversity. So, what is it? Fenesha Hubbard and Joyce Smith of NWEA join the pod to show what schools and classrooms would look like if we truly valued equity in the context of instruction. 

Welcome to Season 3 of The Continuing Educator, a professional learning podcast for K-12 educators produced by NWEA.  This season, we are bringing in experts in math, ELA, and unfinished learning to examine the bold, creative action teachers and school leaders are taking to help students get back on track academically, socially, and emotionally. Two years on from the start of the pandemic and we're starting to see a glimmer of hope and pieces of normalcy return to our schools and classrooms. But as we move forward, we cannot ignore the lingering impact of pandemic disruptions. From behavioral and social-emotional learning challenges to unfinished learning in core subjects, particularly for our youngest learners, students from traditionally marginalized groups and students in high poverty schools. While educators are accustomed to navigating summer learning loss, the effects of the pandemic are more complex.This week's guests: Dr. Megan Kuhfeld is a Senior Research Scientists with NWEA. In her role she seeks to understand students' trajectories of academic and social-emotional learning and the school and neighborhood influences that promote optimal growth. Megan's work covers a range of topics, including  longitudinal growth modeling, achievement gaps, and summer learning loss. Her research has been featured in Education Week, the Los Angeles Times, the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, and Applied Psychological Measurement.Dr. Jim Knight is Founder and Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) and also a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning and instructional coaching.  The pioneering work Jim and his colleagues have conducted has led to many innovations that are now central to professional development in schools. Jim wrote the first major article about instructional coaching for the Journal of Staff Development, and his book Instructional Coaching offered the first extended description of instructional coaching. 

Reading instruction can be challenging when a teacher has many different ability levels in her classroom. Furthermore, kindergarten and elementary grades are fundamental. Reading expert, Laura Robb breaks down excellent reading instruction from kindergarten through fifth grade. Dr. Robb has written more than 25 books on reading but also takes 3-4 months each school year as a classroom teacher. From how to form reading groups, how to reach individual children, and how to communicate with parents, Dr. Robb's advice is practical and extensive. This is an extended, 38-minute episode that covers everything about differentiating instruction with reading and is designed to be a complete overview to help every teacher working with young or struggling readers. This episode also includes a transcript on differentiating instruction. Show notes and transcript: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e791 sponsor: Thank you eSpark for sponsoring today's show. eSpark is a differentiation and intervention tool that helps teachers of kindergarten through grade five save time by providing ready-to-go, standards-based reading and math activities that students love. eSpark is free for teachers.Each Quest includes a pre-quiz, framing videos, instructional videos, practice activities, critical thinking challenges, a post-quiz, and an optional student recording. I love that for activities to remain in the eSpark catalog that it must have a high student engagement rating based on a student chosen thumbs-up or thumbs-down. You can even import NWEA or STAR data to give students a more differentiated experience from the first log on. Oh and did I say it is free for teachers! So, go to go.eSpark.app forward slash cool cat teacher - that's g-o dot e-spark dot a-p-p forward slash Cool Cat Teacher and sign up today for eSpark. You'll be glad you did. Laura Robb - Bio as Submitted Author, teacher, coach, and international speaker, Laura Robb has completed more than 43 years of teaching in grades 4-8, and she returns to teach striving readers each year. Robb received the Richard W. Halle Award for outstanding middle level educator from NCTE as well as the Friends of Literacy Award from the Nassau Reading Council. Laura Robb has written more than 30 books for teachers. Recently she has completed two books with her son Evan Robb, a middle school principal. TeamMakers: Positively Impacting the Lives of Children through District-Wide Dreaming, Collaborating, and Change, published by Dave Burgess Publishing was published in 2019. Schools Full of Readers: Tools for Teachers, Coaches and leaders to Support Students, is also from 2019.  In 2016, two books were published: The Reading Intervention Toolkit, by Shell Education and Read Talk Write: 35 Lessons That Teach Students to Analyze Fiction and Nonfiction, published by Corwin Literacy. Corwin Literacy also published Robb's Vocabulary Is Comprehension: Getting to the Root of Complex Texts. Her newest for Heinemann is a First Hand Curriculum: Smart Writing: Practical Units For Teaching Middle School Writers, and a professional book, Teaching Middle School Writers: What Every English Teacher Needs to Know. For Scholastic, Robb has completed several best sellers including the first and second editions of Teaching Reading in Middle School, Differentiating Reading Instruction, Teaching Reading in Social Studies, Science, and Math, and her newest, Unlocking Complex Texts. Robb is a keynote and featured speaker at conferences and leads workshops all over the country and in Canada. She writes articles for education journals and blogs. She is a regular contributor to www.therobbreviewblog.com and has a series of podcasts with Evan Robb that you can access on https://therobbreviewpodcast.podbean.com. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Research shows many students are struggling to catch up after two years of interruptions to their learning. A new report shows kids will need to learn at a faster pace this year to catch up to where they should be academically. That's based on math and reading scores from millions of elementary and middle school students across the United States. We're speaking with one of the report's authors, Dr. Karyn Lewis. She's the director of the Center for School and Student Progress at the research-based nonprofit organization NWEA. Then later, we'll speak with the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten. She explains where and why teacher shortages are happening across the United States and what can be done about it. NWEA report on student achievement in 2021-2022. ​​​This episode is brought to you by Indeed.com/newsworthy and Rothys.com/newsworthy Get ad-free episodes and support the show by becoming an INSIDER: www.theNewsWorthy.com/insider

Kids in the US have had a couple of rough years at school because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One academic year was turned upside down as everyone scrambled to online learning on the fly. The next year was better, but you still had kids in and out of the classroom and there wasn't always consistency. And throughout it all, there has been a lot of concern for how much learning for kids was interrupted, and the impact that has. So is this something we can measure? The not-for-profit organization NWEA supports students and educators, and they've done some research into how far kids fell behind and if we are seeing them bounce back. We wanted to talk about this research, what it says and what it means so we caught up with Karyn Lewis, PhD, Director of the Center for School and Student Progress. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices