Benicia Herald
Benicia, CA:
BUSD highlights successes, areas for improvement in state test results
Benicia Unified School District outlined positive highlights and areas for improvement when data from the most recent Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) was presented at Thursday’s Governing Board meeting.
The SBAC was initiated in 2015 and replaced the previous California Standards Test following the state’s shift to Common Core practices. The statewide assessment is given to all students in grades 3 to 8 and 11 in the areas of math and English Language Arts (ELA). According to Dr. Leslie Beatson, BUSD’s assistant superintendent of educational services, the test is taken on a computer and quizzes students in a variety of…
When Research Projects Replace State Tests
While thousands of teens are slogging their way through state tests required for graduation, a few dozen schools get a pass. Is their approach a glimpse into the future?
Why Looping Is a Way Underappreciated School-Improvement Initiative
Justin Minkel says that remaining with the same group of students for more than one year strengthens student-teacher relationships and has a powerful impact on learning.
Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results
Joanne Lipman writes that today's educators are too soft. It is time to go back to the discipline of the past.
How A Level and GCSE results are calculated
Education editor Branwen Jeffreys explains how grades are calculated and how you can appeal.
5 surprising results of a self-paced classroom
The self-paced classroom allows students to discover how they learn best and gain valuable information about their own learning that they can carry with them for life.
Survey: Student Success Calls for More Than Academic Skills
Educators agree that social-emotional learning is important, but teachers and school leaders have different perceptions about how well students are faring.
Many States Lack Focus on Equity in School Improvement, Report Suggests
A study of 17 states finds shortcomings in their school turnaround approaches and says it can be hard to tell how states will sustain their school improvement efforts.
How do states plan to spend school improvement money?
A report from the Collaborative for Student Success finds that, so far, states are taking three different approaches in dealing with low-performing schools.
ESSA: How Can States Figure Out If New School Improvement Ideas Work?
Two nonprofits that work with states suggest in a new report that they develop procedures to build evidence and establish outside partnerships, among other strategies to vet school improvement ideas.
How parents can set their kids up for social success during the holidays
Just like adults, youngsters need to work out how to interact with family members they may see only a few times a year.
Does Science Say Smart People Are Creative?
When I moved to America, I was happy that my children would not experience the 'exam hell' that Asian children endure. Alas, they had to experience standardized testing 'nightmares' because of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The intention behind NCLB was to make all children “smart,” but instead, it pressed no child ahead, curious, or creative. It resulted in smart test-taking skills, not worthwhile…
How to democratize your school improvement planning process
To create an equitable, effective, and enduring school improvement plan, school leaders must gather diverse data and democratize the planning process.
Read How Buffalo Area Parents (and Teachers) Think of the 'No Homework Policy'
What do you think? Read how other WNY parents and teachers feel about it...
Life Is the Ultimate Informal Learning Experience
Informal learning in life happens when people mine their own experiences for insights that can drive development and performance improvement.
Festival of Learning highlights innovation
Digital technologies, such as virtual reality, drive better outcomes for MIT students and global learners.
Learner Survey Results are NOT Correlated with Learning Results
People keep asking me for references to the claim that learner surveys are not correlated—or are virtually uncorrelated—with learning results. In this post, I include them, with comment…
How to Plan and Implement Continuous Improvement In Schools
The Carnegie Foundation is trying to build capacity within schools and districts for practitioner-led change using tools of improvement science.
Anxiety: Accommodations Are Stepping Stones to Success
This article may contain affiliate links<br>Accommodations in the classroom for children struggling with anxiety come in many shapes and sizes. As each child is different, so too should be each accommodation and/or modification.<br>Each of us has the capacity to cope and thrive – we just need to learn what those little stepping-stones to successful thriving looks like. In other words, let’s not get so caught up in the end result. Instead let’s focus on the journey as each step can and…
How a Difficult Pregnancy May Result in a Child Prodigy
A possible reason for a child prodigy showing incredible talent at a young age is the mother going through a difficult or even traumatic pregnancy.
