Language arts

America’s Blood Centers Announces National Partnership with Body Interact to Help Innovate Blood Donation Education

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 20, 2024

"America’s Blood Centers is proud to partner with Body Interact to bring cutting-edge virtual learning scenarios to our Vein to Vein program.

Key Points: 
  • "America’s Blood Centers is proud to partner with Body Interact to bring cutting-edge virtual learning scenarios to our Vein to Vein program.
  • This collaboration will help innovate how students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation, fostering a lifelong interest in supporting our nation’s blood supply.
  • "At Body Interact/Take The Wind, we are honored to join forces and collaborate with America's Blood Centers.
  • Founded in 1962, America’s Blood Centers is the national organization bringing together community-based, independent blood centers.

Scholastic and the Council of the Great City Schools Names Detroit Public Schools Community District as the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 1, 2024

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company, together with the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), a coalition of 78 of the nation's largest urban public-school systems, announced Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) as the winner of the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award.

Key Points: 
  • As part of the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award prizing, DPSCD has selected Mason Academy to receive a library makeover.
  • "The Council is excited to partner with Scholastic to present the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award to the Detroit Public Schools Community District, whose students have recently made progress in reading," said Council Executive Director Ray Hart.
  • "Together, we will continue to advance the legacy of Scholastic Chairman and CEO Richard Robinson by supporting children's literacy and encouraging students to become lifelong readers.
  • "We thank the Council and Scholastic for their continued support of our district but most importantly, supporting our students."

Students Across L.A. Face Challenges from Pandemic yet these Latinx, Black, and Recently Immigrated Middle and High Schools Continue to Outperform Neighboring Schools

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 17, 2024

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is pleased to share that, according to data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), the network's scholars continue to thrive and outperform neighboring schools.

Key Points: 
  • Despite recent challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic, all 26 Alliance campuses are seeing consistent growth in student learning.
  • Despite entering 3 or more grade levels behind, 95% of Alliance scholars graduate high school and 96% of those graduates are accepted to college.
  • Alliance schools are also outperforming in every other comparison point, including continuing to see growth in math scores.
  • Scholars from Alliance high schools are now 10-15% more proficient in ELA and 5-10% more proficient in math than LAUSD and neighboring schools.

Student Organizations Join Forces to Encourage Donations During National Blood Donor Month

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 10, 2024

This National Blood Donor Month, we encourage educators, students, and all eligible individuals to start the New Year by answering the call to make a difference through blood donation," said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers.

Key Points: 
  • This National Blood Donor Month, we encourage educators, students, and all eligible individuals to start the New Year by answering the call to make a difference through blood donation," said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers.
  • "National Blood Donor Month brings a time to recognize the tremendous impact made through the HOSA-Future Health Professionals and America’s Blood Centers partnership and bring awareness to the ongoing need for support.
  • One of the ways we can show our appreciation and gratitude is by supporting National Blood Donor Month, which aims to raise awareness of the need for blood donations and to encourage people to donate blood regularly,” said Mandy Nau, Executive Director of Health Professions Week.
  • This month continues to be celebrated each year to thank America's blood donors and encourage more people to donate blood.

Post-pandemic Education: 'Excel-erate' Program Focuses on Challenging Advanced Students

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 15, 2023

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Educators around the country have been concerned about the effects of the pandemic on their students. And while much of their focus has centered on learning loss, sagging test scores, and the ability to keep up with current instruction, curriculum experts at National Heritage Academies (NHA) also focus on another group of students: advanced learners.

Key Points: 
  • It's why NHA's curriculum team created Excel-erate, a program developed to challenge students to explore advanced pathways in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.
  • Middle school students who fit that same qualification can begin working on advanced courses for high school credit.
  • Hagan noted the math program has been active for two years and has seen growth from students who never slowed down during the pandemic.
  • The program focuses on sixth- through eighth-grade students who show the ability and desire to dive deeper, developing stronger critical thinking skills related to the assigned reading material.

Associa H.R.W. Management Demonstrates “Heart And Soul” With Corporate Book Drive Promoting Children’s Literacy

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Management (HRW) , a leading provider of community management services throughout the greater Raleigh, Fayetteville, and East Coast areas of North Carolina, recently held its 1st Annual Book Fair to promote children’s literacy.

Key Points: 
  • Management (HRW) , a leading provider of community management services throughout the greater Raleigh, Fayetteville, and East Coast areas of North Carolina, recently held its 1st Annual Book Fair to promote children’s literacy.
  • The company’s Heart and Soul social events committee planned the book fair which collected 168 new and used books.
  • The event was highlighted by a “Guess Who Donated This Book” contest, the winner of which received a Barnes & Noble gift card.
  • At the end of the day, the donated books were boxed up and delivered to the 501(C)3 non-profit New Kids on the Books literacy project.

Ohio Department of Education Partners with Varsity Tutors to Accelerate Student Learning and Recovery

Retrieved on: 
Friday, August 18, 2023

The collaboration aims to accelerate learning in literacy and numeracy while boosting workforce readiness and student wellness.

Key Points: 
  • The collaboration aims to accelerate learning in literacy and numeracy while boosting workforce readiness and student wellness.
  • Varsity Tutors for Schools has been appointed by the Ohio State Department of Education after undergoing extensive evaluation.
  • Each Ohio district that partners with Varsity Tutors for Schools will receive a tailored tutoring program designed to fit their unique needs and requirements in order to close learning gaps.
  • “We're excited to partner with the Ohio Department of Education to provide high-quality tutoring services,” said Anthony Salcito, Chief Institutional Officer at Varsity Tutors for Schools.

The California Virtual Academies Kindergarten Prep Program Helps the Youngest Students Get Ahead of the Game

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 10, 2023

(LRN)-- The California Virtual Academies (CAVA) today announced that 86% of its Transitional Kindergarten students have re-enrolled in its virtual school this year for Kindergarten.

Key Points: 
  • (LRN)-- The California Virtual Academies (CAVA) today announced that 86% of its Transitional Kindergarten students have re-enrolled in its virtual school this year for Kindergarten.
  • CAVA’s Transitional Kindergarten, which uses the award-winning Embark program, and prepares students academically and socially for the upcoming school year.
  • Widely adopted in schools throughout the country, the comprehensive and age-appropriate early learning program harnesses the power of game-based learning.
  • California Virtual Academies are nine independent online public charter schools that use the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN).

Why B.C. has ended letter grades for students in kindergarten to Grade 9

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 27, 2023

In British Columbia, the province’s move away from letter grades for students between kindergarten and Grade 9 has produced anxiety or has been opposed by some parents and teachers.

Key Points: 
  • In British Columbia, the province’s move away from letter grades for students between kindergarten and Grade 9 has produced anxiety or has been opposed by some parents and teachers.
  • In lieu of a letter grade system, the province will use a proficiency scale to assess students up to Grade 9.
  • The proficiency scale model was first piloted in 2016-17, and for the first time this fall all B.C.

Curriculum overhaul

    • British Columbia’s kindergarten to Grade 12 education system has been undergoing an overhaul since 2010.
    • Adoption of the new curriculum occurred in phases, beginning in 2015 for kindergarten to Grade 9, and in 2019 for grades 10 through 12.

The rationale

    • Teachers will use the scale to assess how students are doing in developing these competencies.
    • The scale operates from a strengths-based perspective that views all students as coming to school with inherent skills.

Letter grades: highlighting students’ deficits

    • Letter grades and percentages position some students (with As or Bs) as having strengths, while other students (with Cs or Ds) are regarded as not even being on the continuum of learning.
    • Letter grades highlight the deficits of underperforming students, thereby perpetuating a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.
    • Although letter grades had the appearance of being definitive, they were ambiguous: students received the very visible stamp of a letter grade or percentage but had little understanding of how that grade came to be.

Process of learning


    The most important aspect of the proficiency scale is its focus on the process of learning itself. For example, a student’s position on the scale in Language Arts is determined by more comprehensive measures that include:
    B.C.’s scale-based assessment helps students to not only understand facts, but also the processes behind how those facts come to be. By teaching students about the process behind various concepts, the intention is that they will be able to transfer those skills across various areas of schooling, which previously were subject specific.

Particular criticisms, questions

    • To this end, all forms of assessment and reporting are subjective to some degree.
    • Scale-based assessment, through its use of descriptive feedback, hopes to clarify the basis of assessment.
    • They’re also concerned that the proficiency scale may cause students to lose their competitive edge, given that it values independent learning over competition.

Face-to-face conversations needed

    • I have a helpful tip for the Ministry and schools, and this relates to communication.
    • The anxieties of stakeholders largely relate to people not understanding the rationale behind this change or how to interpret it.
    • The ministry, school district leaders, principals and educators need to do a better job communicating the intentions of this change.

Remind Tutoring Becomes a Qualified Education Service Provider for the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP)

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 25, 2023

SAN RAMON, Calif., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Remind, the leading communication platform in education, today announced that Remind Tutoring has been approved as a Qualified Education Service Provider for the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), enabling parents and guardians to use their KEEP award funds on personalized one-on-one tutoring.

Key Points: 
  • SAN RAMON, Calif., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Remind, the leading communication platform in education, today announced that Remind Tutoring has been approved as a Qualified Education Service Provider for the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), enabling parents and guardians to use their KEEP award funds on personalized one-on-one tutoring.
  • Remind Tutoring provides invoices that families can submit directly to KEEP instead of requiring them to pay up front.
  • As a Qualified Education Service Provider for KEEP, Remind Tutoring offers pre-approved online tutoring services in math and English Language Arts.
  • To use their KEEP award funds for Remind Tutoring, families will need to sign up for tutoring services through www.remind.com/tutoring/keep .