The end of the year offers roundups, countdowns and best-of lists aplenty. In that spirit, I would like to share with you a few of my favorite stories that we published on edu@scholastic in 2017.
All of these stories are either really smart, or funny, or full of heart, or offers a new and exciting way to think about the education topics we grapple with all day long.
Parents need an accurate picture of their child’s progress (Bibb Hubbard)
Learning Heroes conducted some fascinating research about parents' views on their children's education. The data showed that many parents think their children are exceling in school, while national achievement data reveals a different story. There is a large disconnect between how parents think their kids are doing, and how they're actually doing. Bibb Hubbard from Learning Heroes explains why this may be.
Using ESSA accountability and school attendance to help students get across the finish line (Jarod Anderson)
Jarod Anderson breaks down in a really clear and common-sense way how attendance affects achievement. Key quote: "The challenge for many school districts is that they have absolutely no clue that their students are experiencing these challenges. In case you didn’t know, students aren’t always eager to volunteer information about the problems they may be experiencing."
What is guided reading? (James Cannon)
It’s not unusual to hear the term guided reading used to describe small-group instruction. But does that term mean the same thing to everyone?
Independent reading series (Laura Robb & Evan Robb)
Laura and Evan Robb are writing a series on independent reading that will run throughout the school year. The first two installments--on reaching kids' hearts and minds through reading, and making time to do independent reading in school--should not be missed.
What I Learned: My School's Eye-Opening Family Engagement Assessment (Suzanne Mitchell)
Principal Suzanne Mitchell thought her school was doing alright when it comes to family engagement. Then she learned otherwise. Her account of the family engagement assessment process is genuinely funny and smart.
Reading Helps Kids Make Summer Count in Greenville, SC (Andrea Rizzo)
This new research on the effects of summer reading on achievement is a game-changer.
Head on over to edu@scholastic to read these stories and more. See you in 2018!
Image via Sam Greenhalgh
