Thinking Nation’s Post

Center on Reinventing Public Education just released their state of the American student, and things are not well. I was struck that in their recommendations, they suggested that schools must "tear down the walls" and be more flexible to avoid "creating inflexible boxes." This is something that we advocate for at KnowledgeWorks as we work to advance personalized, competency-based education. That said, I would advocate that schools and policy makers must go further. In addition to walls, they must also consider how to tear down structures like traditional measures of seat time, curriculum progressions, and standardized assessments (among many others) that lock schools and districts into a one-size-fits all approach to education. Both schools and policymakers have a role to play in doing so. Bottom line - only by pursuing personalization for students will we be able to address how each individual student has been uniquely impacted over the past several years. Check out CRPE's report here: https://lnkd.in/ecrZmnTz

We were thrilled to hear Education Minister Erica Stanford’s commitment to implementing structured literacy in schools – particularly in regard to the promised resourcing and training/support for our teachers. We all recognise the struggles faced by our amazing and dedicated educators, who have coped with conflicting demands and a lack of proper resourcing and training for far too long. StepsWeb has been a leading example of a research-proven structured literacy approach for 15 years – both in NZ and internationally. We have always promoted a teaching approach which applies structured literacy principles in a way which is systematic, cumulative, diagnostic and explicit. Our schools need a system which is inclusive for all students, regardless of their ability and individual needs.  StepsWeb, with its supporting resources, enables teachers to do this in a way which is incredibly effective and efficient – and will also enable teachers to meet the Ministry’s new requirements for more detailed reporting. Our approach to structured literacy is fully compatible with Ministry guidelines and aims to lighten teachers’ workloads, not add to them. We are committed to supporting teachers - not by using technology to replace teaching in any way – but by freeing teachers up to teach in the most effective way possible without becoming bogged down with administration and paperwork. We welcome the new direction from Minister Stanford and look forward to being a part of New Zealand’s literacy revolution. https://lnkd.in/gMQkQY8N

Early Literacy Matters (3/3) Early Literacy Matters is empowering legislators nationwide. ExcelinEd's upgraded interactive map not only tracks principle adoption, but showcases implementation success. This microsite equips policymakers with actionable insights to drive student success. Users can now filter by principle allowing them to identify how well each state or territory is doing at implementing the Comprehensive Early Literacy Policy. A user can also select any location and be taken to a separate page to learn more about their overall grade. This interactive story of implementation clearly outlines what each state can do to ensure that students have the foundational reading skills needed to learn, graduate and succeed. Adoption may be the first step, but implementation is key. You can try it out for yourself with the link below! https://hubs.ly/Q02mKZjJ0 #interactive #interactivedesign #literacy #education #showcase #reading #map #literacymatters

Hey Elementary Principals! Waiting until the end of the year to check in on literacy progress? Let's rethink that strategy. Like waiting for a plant to bloom without ever watering it, waiting for end-of-year tests to gauge student progress can leave you wondering where the growth went. By implementing progress monitoring throughout the academic year, you’re not just waiting for results, you’re actively participating in the growth process. With real-time feedback, you and your educators can make the necessary adjustments ensuring every student doesn't just reach but exceeds their literacy goals. I’m thrilled to invite you to an enlightening conversation titled “Real-Time Feedback: The Power of Progress Monitoring Anytime, Anywhere.” I’ll be joined by Shannon Moore from Moore Literacy Leaps. We’ll dive into how regular progress checks can transform your approach to literacy instruction and lead to success in your schools. Share this post with your team and principal friends. Together, let’s explore the impactful benefits of progress monitoring and set our students on a path to proficiency. #mequelboldenconsulting #structuredliteracy #scienceofreading #elementaryprincipals

Early Literacy Matters (1/3) In 2022, the Early Literacy Policy team needed a faster, more flexible way to communicate the risk of insufficient literacy strategies seen across the nation. Early Literacy Matters provides the ExcelinEd team with a powerful, interactive map tool that clarifies the status of Early Literacy Policy across all 50 states. In 2023, we were approached by their team once more to make updates to their interactive map and site messaging. The story was no longer just about whether a state has adopted the principles; it was about how well a state has implemented each of the 18 principles. This story of implementation would lead our tremendous team into developing a heat map that allows users to filter the U.S. by principle. This interactive tool allows legislators to better understand policy opportunities and take action to ensure all students enter fourth grade with the reading skills they need to succeed. We are excited to announce that this implementation heat map is up and running! Start interacting with the link below. https://hubs.ly/Q02mKSFc0 #interactive #interactivedesign #literacy #education #showcase #reading #map

This report reflects patterns in implementation across multiple initiatives in schools that states can learn from: schools are the locus of change and the instructional core - the intersection of what students are asked to do with how educators enable that - is what counts for impact.

The latest from our blog: Melanie Shivraj writes, "It is said that teachers make over 1,500 decisions per day. In a 6-hour school day, that means teachers are making four decisions per minute. Students deserve for their teachers to make these decisions in a way that honors them as people and appreciates their strengths." Explore how our upcoming community of practice supports educators as they come together to share best practices around collecting data and using that data to serve their students, all through an assets-based lens. https://lnkd.in/e6r5wSJT

See why Structured learning is the best method:

This could be big! (But $wall). Interesting that they conducted a year long intervention and obtained > year outcomes. Middle schools should watch this one. For kids well below benchmark, plan for longer and more intense interventions. 6-8 week cycles for students with less growth needed, longer interventions for those with more growth needed.

School leaders, the national literacy crisis is real. Are you ready to act? Let's get right to it. We've all seen the cycle, if you've been in education long enough: today's "revolutionary" literacy program becomes tomorrow's dusty binder on a shelf. 🎢 But here's the truth: • Stagnant literacy scores aren't just numbers—they're dreams deferred • Another eye-roll inducing PD session? Your teachers deserve better • Every struggling reader is a future at risk You can't gamble with literacy. Our students' futures are on the line. The weight of this is really heavy, isn't it? You, as the principal, you set the tone. Imagine walking into your school and seeing: • Teachers actively engaged in literacy PD (not dreading it!) • Classrooms buzzing with improving readers and writers • A future where more students have the literacy skills to succeed It's not just a dream. I've seen it happen with my own eyes and you can do it too! We're introducing our Masterclass: "How to Get Teacher Buy-In to Literacy PD — Even If They HATE PD." This isn't your typical pre-packaged PD. We don't believe in that. You'll gain strategies to: 1️⃣ Use data strategically to create PD teachers won't hate 2️⃣ Build feedback loops that drive real classroom change 3️⃣ Implement strategies that work school-wide and individually 4️⃣ Master proactive planning (no more last-minute scrambles!) Every day without action is a missed opportunity. Your students need this now. Are you ready to take the lead on literacy on your campus? Together we can turn this around. It's going to take a village and it starts with you. Comment "I'm ready" to get started. Masterclass: How to Get Teacher Buy-In to Literacy PD - Even If They HATE PD July 29th @ 5:30 PM CST Registration Link: Link: https://lnkd.in/g3-iTSmY #Edreform #Education #LiteracyMatters #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeader