Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Tennessee

literacy

reading intervention

Tennessee
August 20, 2015

Tennessee rolls out sweeping literacy initiatives amid stagnant reading scores

Calling Tennessee's stagnant literacy rates a "true ethical and moral dilemma," Candice McQueen discusses her first major initiative as education commissioner.

Teachers' turn

Tennessee
July 16, 2015

Tennessee teachers school Haslam on testing, evaluations during first Teachers Cabinet meeting

Gov. Bill Haslam convenes the first meeting of his Teachers Cabinet by quizzing teachers on everything from professional development to evaluations to student testing.

it begins with books

New York
March 30, 2015

Making progress on a promise, Fariña brings books to homeless children

A year after vowing to put more books in the hands of homeless children, Chancellor Carmen Fariña has helped oversee the creation of small libraries at 20 shelters.
New York
February 6, 2015

‘Ready to read’? Why schools should reject the label and focus on solving the problem

Harlem Link's Steven Evangelista: What can educators and policymakers do about the word gap that lower-income children face even before kindergarten?

Bite size

Colorado
January 8, 2015

A new medium for early literacy tips: Texting

A new program from Bright by Three capitalizes on the growing momentum behind text messaging interventions by offering weekly text tips to parents of children 0-3.

beyond the marshmallow test

Colorado
November 12, 2014

New research on homegrown curriculum “Tools of the Mind” helps pave way for expansion

A curriculum called “Tools of the Mind,” which focuses on developing skills like self-control and attentiveness along with reading and math, aims to make learning more efficient and build valuable lifelong skills.
Tennessee
October 10, 2014

Rise & Shine: Shelby County Schools makes plans to close achievement gaps

expanded learning time

New York
August 6, 2014

Fariña: Books are the answer to everything

Students from seven middle schools and three community-based centers were at the event with Chancellor Carmen Fariña to celebrate the end of a reading pilot program called SummerSail, which aims to stem the "learning loss" that affects many students from low-income families when school is out. The implied goal: to make the students enjoy reading as much as Fariña does.
New York
July 22, 2014

Adult students with poor literacy getting short shrift, teachers say

A recent bulletin from the Office of Adult and Continuing Education urged principals to refer low-level students to free classes at the library. The department says referrals benefit students, but longtime adult educators are worried that the department is shortchanging the city's neediest adult learners.

Not Done Yet

New York
June 2, 2014

Years after Common Core's arrival, reading overhauls continue at top charter networks

The city's top charter school networks are continuing to overhaul their reading materials and methods to meet the Common Core standards years after they were adopted. The networks have moved with new urgency since pass rates plunged on the first-ever Common Core state tests.

Takeaways

New York
May 12, 2014

Some Common Core insights from a panel of experts: teachers

To give parents a glimpse into Common Core-aligned reading classrooms, Chalkbeat facilitated a conversation last week among three teachers that touched on close reading and textual evidence—and falcons and agriculture.

Politics & Policy

Colorado
May 9, 2014

Sheridan middle school shows off literacy push to parents

Ian Render, a Sheridan Middle School math teacher, shows parent Nora Munoz, right, how one of the school’s new math programs, ALEKS, tracks student proficiency. Munoz…

Anatomy of a lesson

Colorado
April 21, 2014

At Pueblo charter school, teaching literacy hasn’t changed much with new standards

Reading lessons may seem strikingly similar to lessons of yesteryear, even though this is the first year schools are supposed to be teaching to a new set of standards. For some Colorado districts, the new standards have meant a complete instructional overhaul. But at this Pueblo school, teachers began exploring the standards in 2010 and found that in most subjects, they only had to make slight shifts, said Natalie Allen, head of school.

Uncategorized

Tennessee
January 22, 2014

With lawsuit settlement, Shelby County School officials shift focus toward academic improvements

With the municipality split and a subsequent lawsuit mostly settled, members of the Shelby County School Board and Superintendent Dorsey Hopson are shifting…
New York
January 14, 2014

How sticky notes help my students read novels independently

In a First Person piece, teacher Ariel Sacks shares a strategy she uses to help her diverse group of students read and understand whole novels on their own — an unusual goal for a middle school class.