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Pass or Fail: The Early Intervention Process

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? If early intervention is the answer, then what exactly is the process for receiving services and how difficult is it to begin this procedure? Assessment Once a potential …

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Pass or Fail: Early Intervention Procedures

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? What seems to be the largest challenge facing early intervention programs? Of the various administrative issues that impact early intervention procedures, funding is crucial, as are the logistics …

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Pass or Fail: Intervening Early and Often

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Is it possible that early intervention could be used to conclude the practices of retention and social promotion entirely? It is a widely-held belief that the ultimate step …

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10 Essential Skills for the Education Leader of Tomorrow

What will the schools of tomorrow be like? No one can say for certain. But one thing we do know: schools are under pressure to keep up with the ceaselessly rapidfire changes occurring in our culture. It is difficult to prepare students for the future when we have no way of knowing exactly what that future will be like. In this context, educational leaders need a unique skill set to make sure that students get what they need. The prevalence of technology inside and outside the classroom, as well as the increased accountability for student achievement, have drastically changed the …

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The Edvocate’s List of 19 Ways to Say, ‘Thank You’ to Teachers

A shiny, red apple might be a standby, but these days, there are much better ways to show teachers the appreciation they deserve. Most teachers work seven days a week, preparing lectures, grading papers, and devising activities that engage and educate their students. Yet, for their endless efforts, teachers enjoy just one week every year when they receive thanks. School districts, administrations, parents, and students should strive to do more to show their gratitude. For inspiration, here is an outstandingly long list of the best ways to show teachers appreciation. Personal Thank-Yous. A simple, hand-written note goes a long way …

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12 Must-Have Digital Leadership Apps, Tools, and Resources

Because of the omnipresence of technology, schools throughout the world teach their kids digital literacy in an attempt to turn them into digital citizens. These skills give students the skills that they need to use technology responsibly. But we must not stop there. We have to move students from thinking of themselves as not just digital citizens, but also digital leaders. In this piece, we will highlight 12 apps that will help them learn not only digital citizenship skills, but digital leadership skills as well. Common Sense Media Digital Passport This website is designed to teach 3rd – 5th grade …

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Pass or Fail: Alternative Strategies to the Pass or Fail System

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? To be effective, solutions to the problem of poor individual academic achievement should include all stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, administrators and school counselors. They should be well thought …

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How math education can catch up to the 21st century

Mary E. Pilgrim, Colorado State University and Thomas Dick, Oregon State University In 1939, the fictional professor J. Abner Pediwell published a curious book called “The Saber-Tooth Curriculum.” Through a series of satirical lectures, Pediwell (or the actual author, education professor Harold R. W. Benjamin) describes a Paleolithic curriculum that includes lessons in grabbing fish with your bare hands and scaring saber-toothed tigers with fire. Even after the invention of fishnets proves to be a far superior method of catching fish, teachers continued teaching the bare-hands method, claiming that it helps students develop “generalized agility.” Pedwill showed how curricula can …

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20 of the Best Virtual Reality Games in Education

As the edtech market explodes, established companies and startups are scrambling to be the first to take advantage of the “next big thing.” For many, that means entering the virtual reality market, or more specifically creating virtual reality games. With so many companies and startups developing virtual reality games, how can schools and private citizens decide what product to spend their money on? This may seem like a simple choice, but making the wrong decision can cost you a lot of your hard earned money, and stunt the user’s intellectual growth and development. As you can see, the stakes are …

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How to Implement a Year Round Schooling System

Do you feel year-round schools would be a good choice for your district? The article that follows offers information on how to transition to a year-round school format, if you choose to go that route. First, you need to decide what type of year-round school scheduling system you will use. Year-round schools are usually set up as single-track (ST) with unified attendance or multi-track (MT) with staggered attendance programs. Some schools use a combination of the two. The main difference between the two systems is that single-track allows the entire student and staff population to adhere to the same calendar, …

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