This message was sent to ##Email##
To advertise in this publication please click here
|
|
|
##\member##
.PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP
Districts get creative to maintain special ed services as COVID drags on
K-12 Dive
Research has highlighted the pandemic's disproportionate impact on students with disabilities, and federal, state and local school offices have promoted efforts to improve and expand supports for students.
Still, no one wanted more school closures nearly two years into the pandemic.
|
|
The White House will distribute 10 million more COVID tests per month to schools
NPR
With schools all over the country struggling to deal with a surge of coronavirus cases from the omicron variant, the White House on Wednesday announced it is increasing the supply of COVID-19 tests for schools to help keep facilities open for in-person learning.
President Biden and others in his administration insist schools should stay open, even with the omicron wave making it harder than ever to manage.
|
|
Keeping schools open during COVID-19 is hard, but it can be done
Brookings Institute
As the new year begins—and the Omicron variant spreads — there has been much wrangling about school reopenings. Chicago Public Schools were one of the most prominent examples of districts going remote due to COVID-19 concerns, before returning to in-person instruction this week.
But the critical roles that schools play in our children's lives — academically, socially, and emotionally — are also becoming more and more evident.
|
|
|
Promoted By
Boosterthon
|
|
|
|
Promoted By
The Daily Mile
|
|
|
|
How changing schools' culture of discipline paves the way for inclusivity
MindShift
Student-teacher relationships carry weight and have a significant effect on how kids perform in school. And this is even more apparent with studies that show students who share their teacher’s racial identity experience benefits, such as better academic performance and more persistence in school.
|
|
Moving from "the" school to "their" school
eSchool News
Connected students and families don't attend and partner with "the" school–they do so with "their" school. They aren't guests who meet, exceed, or fall short of someone else's expectations, but rather, architects of environments that reflect what is important to them.
|
|
Too many students just aren't interested in what is being taught
Hechinger Report (Commentary)
Too many students are disengaged from the content of school. This is particularly concerning because engagement and cultural relevance have both been proven to have a positive impact on student outcomes. Researchers have found that culturally relevant education can increase grades, participation and critical thinking skills and can lead to higher graduation rates.
Yet, recent Gallup surveys show that less than half of students feel engaged in school. It's lower after the elementary grades.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Assessment is critical to helping English learners achieve language and content proficiency, especially as educators continue to work to close gaps caused by disruptions in learning. Learn more about the different types of assessments needed to ensure equitable support and academic excellence for ELs. Read the Whitepaper.
|
|
Who wants to lead America's school districts? Anyone? Anyone?
Hechinger Report
Nationally, about 25% of superintendents have made a similar decision in the past year, compared to a typical turnover rate of 14 to 16%, according to the American Association of School Administrators.
Superintendents’ reasons for leaving vary. As many as 1,500 to 2,000 superintendents have stepped away after delaying their retirement during the first year of the pandemic, estimated Michael Collins, president of Ray and Associates, a national search firm that consults with school boards to find new leaders.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
As school communities have struggled to address the mental health needs of their students, the focus has been on treatment. Understandable.
However, we can start proactively helping our students in elementary school. Brain-based mental health literacy & resilience training provide strong Tier 1 support.
|
|
.EDUCATION POLICY
U.S. Department of Education emphasizes importance of full-service community schools through competitive grant program
U.S. Department of Education
Full-service community schools work collaboratively with students’ families and leverage community-based resources to provide a tailored set of coordinated services and programs to a school community. Community schools meet student social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs through after school and summer learning and enrichment opportunities, as well as mental and physical health services. During the pandemic, community schools, for example, re-engaged students, hosted vaccine clinics, provided meals, and secured technology to ensure students can access remote learning.
|
|
.SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY
Test driving the new 'buyer's guide' for ed tech
Government Technology (Commentary)
Through various forms of new federal funding, school districts have received sizable allocations to address their pandemic-created needs. And this is especially true for educational technology, allowing schools to upgrade their technology infrastructures, replace student and teacher devices, and purchase new tech-based curricular resources.
|
|
Report: K-12 connectivity on the rise, but work still needed
K-12 Dive
Since 2020, there's been a 25% uptick in school districts nationwide meeting or surpassing the Federal Communications Commission's bandwidth goal of 1 Mbps per student, according to the Report on School Connectivity released this week by nonprofit Connected Nation.
|
|
|
|
Outsource cybersecurity expertise in K-12 districts with a vCISO
EdTech Magazine
School districts around the country are struggling to rise to the challenge of cybersecurity threats. Ransomware attacks continue to plague K–12 schools, threatening instructional time and the theft of sensitive, personal information belonging to students, teachers and administrators. In addition to having a robust cybersecurity plan in place to protect their districts, schools should also have someone on their IT team who is dedicated to cybersecurity.
|
|
The remote classroom of the future
Newsroom
These strange couple of past years may have forced through some of the biggest changes the classroom has ever seen - namely, learning from home.
Across the world, the classroom has transformed from a physical structure to a digital idea, beamed from the teacher’s home to students, unrestrained by space or time.
|
|
How COVID-19 changed computer science education
BCS
The global pandemic has forced lecturers and academics to transform how computer science is taught. Discover how they’re using innovative technology and techniques during lectures which may be distributed across the world.
|
|
|
|
| Promoted by
Brainfuse, Inc. |
 |
|
- State-Aligned: 24/7, state-aligned online tutoring support
- Accessible Platform: Our easy to use whiteboard is available from any desktop or mobile device
- Experience: Brainfuse has completed over 15 million one-to-one online tutoring sessions since 1999
- High-Quality Tutors: Our tutors undergo a rigorous selection and training process
- Field-Tested: Brainfuse has consistently outperformed other online tutoring companies in head-to-head trials
|
|
4 strategies for helping educators embrace change
eSchool News
Digital transformation is about more than making incremental changes to instruction or layering technology on top of existing practices. It’s about fundamentally reimagining education so that it works for all students more effectively, leading to deeper, richer learning that is personalized, engaging, and relevant to students’ future.
|
|
Creating classroom community in a digital space
eSchool News
When asked to build that same sense of community with my students through a computer screen as we went into a distance learning mode, my brain started to misfire. How am I going to do that? Are the students going to be engaged in their learning? Will they be able to feel that sense of belonging in a virtual classroom setting? So, after a few days of crying and worrying, I accepted this new challenge.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Learn tips and strategies to deliver inspired feedback, master MTSS, and create a culture and curriculum that’s inclusive and effective for every learner. Bestselling author Katie Novak (Innovate Inside the Box and UDL Now!) and Mike Woodlock show you how. Order A UDL Playbook for School and District Leaders today!
|
|
The 4 phases of a cybersecurity strategy that schools must implement
EdTech Magazine
Despite the increased cyber risks K–12 schools face, some still don’t have a formal cybersecurity plan in place.
A poll from EdTech: Focus on K–12 in October found that, of the first three phases of a proactive cybersecurity strategy, prevention is the area where K–12 IT leaders feel they need the most help. However, nearly half of respondents said they needed help with all three of the phases or had no cybersecurity plan in place at all.
|
|
.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Self-regulation strategies for young students
Edutopia
As an occupational therapist who has worked for a long time in the school system, I see a significant improvement in self-regulation skills among students when schools consistently reinforce strategies and exercises across the academic environment in a multisensory manner.
|
|
Indigenous knowledge is often overlooked in education. But it has a lot to teach us.
EdSurge
Indigenous Knowledge Systems is a phrase that originated in Indigenous studies. I could describe it to you using academic terms such as epistemology, ontology, and axiology. But ultimately, Indigenous Knowledge Systems are the ways that Indigenous peoples make sense of the world around them, and how they recognize, value, share and use knowledge in their daily lives.
|
|
|
The all-new AstroPure™ portable air purifier from AAF Flanders features an advanced interface that allows fine-tuning of settings and visualization of particulate levels. This interface can be locked to prevent unauthorized changes, and because the unit makes so little noise, distractions are kept to minimum.
|
|
|
|
|
Imagination Playground
is a breakthrough playspace designed to encourage child-directed unstructured free play. Unlike traditional hardscape playgrounds, Imagination Playground is low cost, requires no installation, and can be used both indoors and out. Our Blue Blocks are proudly made in the USA from a closed cell waterproof foam, making them durable and easy to clean.
|
|
|
|
|
Calm corners comfort kids in class
Tribune Chronicle
It’s normal for anyone to get excited, or feel upset or worried, but for the littlest learners it’s sometimes difficult for them to process those emotions and focus on their school work.
Thanks to a new initiative led by Currie Elementary School counselor Samantha Lantz and supported by the building’s teachers, students in kindergarten, first and second grades now have a designated space to go when they are feeling overwhelmed.
|
|
Heart-centered classroom management
Teaching Channel
Classroom management depends on solid and intentional relationship building with your students. This is the first and most important element of successful management in your room. Sure, students need to know what to expect when they walk into your classroom, so a clear sense of procedure and routine needs to be established as well. But I would also argue that a student must feel safe and comfortable when they share your space.
|
|
.EDUCATION RESEARCH
National survey shows mentoring more important than ever for student success
THE Journal
As educators and school leaders seek new ways to keep students engaged and supported in and out of the classroom, mentoring has emerged as an affordable solution. According to Mentor, students who have a mentor are 55% less likely to skip school and 78% more likely to volunteer in their community.
|
|
| |
Promoted by Stepping Stones Museum For Children
Empower your teachers with exciting new virtual STEAM-powered classes, clubs and workshops at award-winning Stepping Stones Museum for Children. The Stepping Stones Studio makes it easy to inspire and delight young learners with a celebrated lineup of play-filled, brain-building educational offerings now accessible to everyone, everywhere. “This is the most wonderful hands-on experience for children! The Traveling Seeds workshop was extraordinary. The students were engaged and learned a lot. I enjoyed watching the children play and learn at the same time,” a 1st grade teacher, Norwalk Public Schools, Norwalk CT. Click the link here for detailed information: https://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/app/uploads/2021/12/21-School-and-Groups-Flyer-VIRTUAL-120821.pdf
|
|
|
The COVID generation: How is the pandemic affecting kids' brains?
Nature
Like many pediatricians, Dani Dumitriu braced herself for the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus when it first surged in her wards. She was relieved when most newborn babies at her hospital who had been exposed to COVID-19 seemed to do just fine. Knowledge of the effects of Zika and other viruses that can cause birth defects meant that doctors were looking out for problems.
|
|
Decoding inner language to treat speech disorders
ScienceDaily
What if it were possible to decode the internal language of individuals deprived of the ability to express themselves? Researchers have now managed to identify promising neural signals to capture our internal monologues. They were also able to identify the brain areas to be observed to try to decipher them in the future.
|
|
.IN THE STATES
Mississippi students hit the books during pandemic, report shows
WAPT
The Mississippi Department of Education released the 2020-21 Superintendent's Annual Report recently, which details how Mississippi students, teachers and school leaders continued to strive in classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic by building upon historic academic gains of recent years.
|
|
|
|
No remote learning option in NYC schools for 6 months
The 74
The timeline, which effectively means no virtual instruction through the end of the 2021-22 academic year, represents a stark rejection of the concerns of students, parents and teachers worried for the safety of in-person learning as the Omicron variant continues to cause roughly 40,000 new COVID cases per day in the city.
|
|
.ASSOCIATION NEWS
Leaders we need now
NAESP
The last couple of years — marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and a national reckoning with racial and social injustice — have left their imprint on schools and principal leadership. That’s why NAESP teamed up with the American Institutes for Research to discover principals' perspectives on the ways schools and the profession are changing, and what policy supports they believe are necessary to help schools recover and rebuild.
|
|
Make the most of professional learning networks: 12 tips
NAESP
Networking. Ugh. Shoehorn yourself into cocktail-hour conversations, or break into the cozy virtual chats of the multitudes following legendary educators. How is a rookie principal to make a splash? Take a deep breath and dive in, say veteran principals. It’s a must because networks remain vital sources of the fresh ideas and moral support that nourish your leadership capabilities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
|
