Posted March 15, 2020

COVID-19 is having a profound impact on our nation’s schools, students and educators. We are monitoring the situation closely and working with our school partners to be responsive to their unique needs. We are using technology where possible to continue to provide professional learning to the educators we serve.

Free Professional Learning Resources

We offer a robust library of math and ELA professional learning resources to all educators at no cost. As you develop your remote learning plans, take a moment to explore these resources to support your PLCs, now and in the future.

• On-Demand Webinars: From assessment for dyslexia to fractions and word problems, our large collection of recorded webinars is a rich resource for building your and your staff’s knowledge of evidence-based practices in reading and math.
• Blogs: The CORE team, our educational consultants and advisory board share their insights, opinions and expertise about current instructional practices and issues regularly in our blog.
• Lesson Model Videos: Develop reading instructional skills in phonics, multisyllabic word reading, spelling, and informational text with our collection of lesson model videos.

Another resource you may find helpful, and that is good to share with parents, too, is FreeReading.net. You’ll find free reading activities that can be used to teach reading at home.

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Posted March 12, 2020

Word problems and real-life scenario tasks are increasingly being integrated into math instruction today and are even the center pieces of many math curricula. For these types of math tasks, students must create and use mathematical models to represent and solve the problem situations. However, problem-solving with math applications remains exceedingly challenging for students. READ MORE

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.

Read the full article.

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

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