4 Lessons for Superintendents to Drive Transformational Change
Superintendents committed to growth and change must shift from thinking their role is to put out fires to preventing fires in the first place, writes Neil Gupta, superintendent for Oakwood City Schools, Ohio, in eSchool News. “I’ve learned leadership is about using the privilege of our position to build collaborative teams of talented and motivated…
SEL Instruction Produces High Interest and Positive Cultures
A record number of K-12 schools are reporting social and emotional learning (SEL) instruction, according to research from CASEL and RAND, as reported in eSchool News. Most school principals (83%) report their schools use an SEL curriculum this school year – an increase from 76 percent in the 2021-22 school year and 46 percent in…
Discuss Learning Differences with Your Students
Teachers often lack the knowledge and training to discuss learning differences such as dyslexia and dyscalculia with their students, according to an Education Slice brief. These conversations should not be limited to special education teachers, says Holly Lane, director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute. Many educators feel overwhelmed and unprepared, leading to a…
How to Respond to an Increase in “Concerning Behavior”
Schools are on edge due to increased school shootings and violent threats, according to K-12 Dive. Here are keys to evaluate the credibility of potential at-risk student behavior, according to Guy Bliesner, a school safety and security analyst for the Idaho State Board of Education. First, schools should have in place a behavioral threat assessment…
How to Design and Teach Units that Combine STEM and Literacy
“I’ve witnessed firsthand how STEM education and literacy can work together to create powerful learning experiences,” writes Wendy W. Amato, the chief academic officer for K12 Coalition—Teaching Channel and former middle school math teacher, in an article in eSchool News. She has collaborated with Kathy Renfrew, once a self-proclaimed “science-phobic” classroom teacher who is now…
Give Students Clarity on Postsecondary Pathways
It’s critical today to emphasize career planning to help students learn what their futures may look like, according to an article in eSchool News. Too often, K-12 students aren’t exposed to career possibilities or career resources to form an idea of what their future may look like. “There’s a disconnect between what students know they…
How a Science Fair Builds Research, Public Speaking and Time Management Skills
At Skinner Middle School in Denver, CO, hundreds of students present their science research to dozens of judges who award passing grades and prize ribbons to top projects, according to an article in the Denver NorthStar. Christopher Martin, the school’s science department head, says the science fair is a huge effort that builds students’ science…
How to Improve STEM Education
Systemic change is needed in today’s education system for major improvements in STEM education for students, according to an article in eSchool News. Federal agencies, states and school districts should increase use of innovations that can improve STEM education from pre-K through high school, according to a new congressionally-mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences,…
Pediatricians: Severe Discipline Can Harm Students’ Mental & Physical Health
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends schools reduce the use of exclusionary discipline (suspension or expulsion, for example) through trauma-informed practices and collect and analyze discipline data to identify areas for improvement, according to an article in K-12 Dive. Suspending or expelling a student can have lifelong, harmful consequences, according to an updated APP…
AI Will Revolutionize Teaching Without Replacing Teachers
Anant Agarwal, founder of edX and MIT professor, argues that artificial intelligence won’t replace teachers but rather enhance their capabilities, according to an Education Slice summary of a New York Times report. AI frees teachers from repetitive tasks such as grading and administrative duties to spend more time engaging and inspiring students, he says. Tools…
