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It’s the time of year when schools and districts start planning for summer instruction. In addition to covering areas students struggled with this year, many educators are also working to overcome learning deficits from previous years. Fortunately, Summer School provides us with a great opportunity to support and nurture student growth.

This fear of learning loss has prompted educators to seek immediate solutions. Many districts are developing elaborate models to address learning loss by focusing on structural changes including extended school year, extended school periods and days; and instructional solutions such as prioritizing key standards and reteaching standards previously taught from the grade below. Schools are using district and commercial products to assess student achievement, however in some cases, the frequent monitoring is creating a deficit mindset about students. Education companies and professional organizations are rushing to provide professional development academies and resources for teachers to address these deficits.

Some reading intervention programs limit exposure to complex text for young readers, and may be restricting students' access to sophisticated vocabulary, grammar, and sentence construction, a problem schools try to mitigate through direct instruction of vocabulary lists and grammar rules. We end up teaching things disconnected from any context, which leads students—and the adults they grow into—to ask questions like, “Why does grammar matter?”

Regularly checking for understanding is an important way to keep your students invested in their academic progress. But assessing students online can be challenging, regardless of grade level. Following are some proven assessment techniques you can use to help your students become active learners and increase their chances for higher learning gains.

On average, students who used Achieve3000 Literacy improved by 67 scale score points on the STAAR reading assessment from spring 2017 to spring 2018. Notably, students who completed 80 or more lessons* and who maintained an average first-try score of 75 percent or above on the embedded assessment, demonstrated the largest increase of 90 scale score points.

I do not know what changes lie ahead, but I do know I want to evolve and be living with the best version of me possible. Much like my phone, I need updates that fix my flaws on a regular basis. The last 12-months have given me time to reflect. With my normal...

From racial injustice to culturally responsive curriculum, the education experts at Achieve3000’s 2020 virtual National Literacy Summit tackled some of the toughest issues facing today’s educators. Here’s a glance at some of the insight...

Before the pandemic, many school districts were slow to adopt online learning, but as the coronavirus continues to disrupt conventional instructional methods, edtech solutions that deliver effective, engaging remote and hybrid learning...

Relationships matter.

And being a great educator means understanding that relationships matter. It’s the idea that we must put our kids’ basic needs first before anything else worthwhile can take place (Maslow before students can Bloom)...