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A School Playbook for Responding to Coronavirus
Posted March 5, 2020
By Arun Ramanathan, CEO, Pivot Learning, featured in EdSource
Every day, we wake up to new stories about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). More than a decade ago, there were similar headlines about another pandemic, the swine flu (H1N1), as it spread from Mexico into the United States.
At that time, I oversaw student services, including nursing and medical services, for the San Diego Unified School District, the second largest school district in California. Because of our proximity to the Mexico border, we were on the front line of the pandemic.
Sure enough, one of our students was one of the first people infected with H1N1 in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flew a team to San Diego. As more cases appeared, they ordered the closure of two high schools and a middle school. Fortunately, we had planned for that possibility.
The lives of our parents and students were disrupted for a few days. But when no new cases appeared, and the threat H1N1 receded, life returned to normal. As I look back on that experience, there are four lessons I’d offer school district leaders today.
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A Third Party Study Finds that CORE Professional Development Leads to Gains in Reading
Posted February 20, 2020
During the 2017–18 school year CORE provided professional development and technical assistance to elementary teachers and administrators in Pajaro Valley Unified School District implementing, in addition to their broader English Language Arts instruction, the Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Sight words (SIPPS) reading foundational skills program.SEG Measurement looked at the reading performance of 364 third grades students in classrooms with teachers who participated in CORE professional development. 182 students were in the treatment group. These 182 students were matched based on multiple characteristics to an additional 182 students to create a control group.
Students in classes with teachers participating in CORE professional development showed significantly greater growth in reading skills than did students in classes with teachers who did not receive CORE professional development. READ MORE
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On-Demand Webinar: Assessment for Reading Difficulties and Dyslexia
Posted February 13, 2020
Universal screening for reading problems is the best way to identify and address reading difficulties. While there are a range of reading problems that can affect students, an estimated 5-17% of school-age children have dyslexia*. Most students with reading difficulties, including those with dyslexia, can be taught how to be strong readers. But before research-based instruction and intervention can take place, educators must identify which students are struggling and why. READ MORE
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CORE Academic Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2020
Posted February 9, 2020
Welcome to the Winter 2020 edition of the CORE Academic Quarterly newsletter!
In this edition of the Academic Quarterly, the Reading Expert discusses how to close gaps for older, struggling readers through diagnostic assessment and specific intervention strategies.
The Marvelous Mathematician shares why vocabulary in math is so important and the challenges students face when learning and using the language of mathematics. You’ll learn some evidence-based techniques to help students master math vocabulary.
Finally, the Leadership Corner, examines why professional learning and coaching is so critical to the success of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
To receive future editions of this newsletter via email, add your name to the mailing list.
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On-Demand Webinar: Casualties of War: Reading Science Denial and Racism’s Impact on African American Children
Posted January 30, 2020
Strong reading skills are the foundation of all academic success, yet African American students as a group score lower on most standardized tests than white students. In spite of the 2000 National Reading Panel’s conclusions that students need direct, explicit instruction that teaches phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, educational institutions are failing to implement the Reading Panel’s findings. University training has been inadequate, forcing K-12 systems to fill classrooms with under-prepared teachers who then receive little support, training, or aligned materials.African American students suffer disproportionately when not taught to read using evidence-based practices that leverage research. During this provocative hour-long webinar, Kareem Weaver, Member of the NAACP Oakland Branch’s Education Committee, discusses how:
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Strong reading skills are the foundation of all academic success, yet African American students as a group score lower on most standardized tests than white students. In spite of the 2000 National Reading Panel’s conclusions that students need direct, explicit instruction that teaches phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, educational institutions are failing to implement the Reading Panel’s findings. University training has been inadequate, forcing K-12 systems to fill classrooms with under-prepared teachers who then receive little support, training, or aligned materials.