Nidhi Sachdeva, PhD’s Post

As money runs out in schools districts across the nation, math is still a problem for many students. Between fall 2019 and 2022, national test scores sank four points in reading and nine points in math for 13-year-olds. While scores have started to improve, researchers at the testing nonprofit NWEA estimated last summer that the average American eighth-grader would still need the equivalent of nine more months of schooling to catch up in #math, compared with seven extra months in reading. https://lnkd.in/gHfFYS2H #reimagineeducation #stem #kidalytics #students #data

 Children across the country returned from virtual learning much further behind in math — a subject where each skill builds on another and gaps in understanding can leave students lost — than they were in reading. Between fall 2019 and 2022, national test scores sank four points in reading and nine points in math for 13-year-olds — the largest drop in math in half a century. Educators worry they must turn things around fast, or else a big cohort of children will be ill-prepared for higher-level math courses, college and ultimately for the kinds of sought-after jobs in technology and science that could give them more financial stability and propel the economy.

Answer – Teach reading the way our brains learn it. We moved kids from 53% of grade level to 86% over 5 1/2 weeks this summer at Dearborn Elementary in Seattle. Question – What's the fastest way to overcome school funding shortfalls, mental health issues, drug abuse, the school-to-prison pipeline, homelessness, systemic inequity, address climate change, and fuel STEM careers?  The Status Quo – OSPI recently announced that once again, 35% of Black and low-income students in Washington read at grade level, as do 50% overall. These stats have remained virtually unchanged since 2014.  https://lnkd.in/g-jXK67S

In rural Kentucky, students deepened their understanding of math, Indigenous wisdom, and practical skills by investigating Native American practices for harvesting maple sugar. In urban Georgia, students used geography, history, and mapmaking to uncover a nearly forgotten story of racial segregation and community upheaval. Both projects demonstrate the power of place-based learning to spark student inquiry, connect with local partners, and emphasize cultural ways of knowing as essential for learning. The teaching strategies behind such hyperlocal projects are the focus of a new book, Place-Based Learning: Connecting Inquiry, Community, and Culture, by veteran educators Micki Evans, Charity Marcella Moran, and Erin Sanchez. I spoke with them recently about the promise and challenges of learning in place. Breaking barriers is a recurring theme in the book and in the authors’ own classroom experiences—which add up to nearly a century of teaching and professional development. “So often, people’s experience of place-based learning is through service-learning or only in rural areas. But we’ve all experienced the power of place in urban environments,” says Sanchez, as well as across grade levels and content areas. “We saw a need for pushing down barriers.” Focusing on local issues “allows the contextualization of the inquiry,” adds Moran. Projects that center on students’ own communities and cultures make learning more tangible, engaging, and equitable. “Learning becomes more exploratory,” Moran says, with students recognizing community assets while also driving toward action to solve local problems. Tackling place-based projects may mean challenging histories that don’t tell the full story of a community and its people. “So many kids try to fit into the dominant narrative,” Evans says. “We want their community to see them for who they truly are.” Read (by Thomas Courtney, a Sixth Grade Humanities Teacher) about practical strategies such as Story Maps, Counter Maps and Community Asset Maps on this Continuing Journey: https://lnkd.in/gHVfwNae #emotionintoart #motivation #motivational #motivationalspeaker #motivationalspeaking

The 35th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book is out today and I spent the morning participating in dozens of radio interviews across the country. The Data book examines the unprecedented declines in student math and reading proficiency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on education. The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals that between 2019 and 2022, fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math scores plummeted, representing decades of lost progress. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for action to address the growing academic disparities among U.S. students. In the book we highlight how chronic absence (missing 10+ days of school per year) and childhood trauma (experiencing poverty, community violence, etc.) contribute to lower educational success for students. Unfortunately 30% of all kids were chronically absent in 2022 and 40% of all kids experienced one or more traumas. These are extremely common issues. We have a lot of work to do to help our children overcome these barriers to gain the high-level reading, math and problem-solving skills required in a competitive global economy. The failure to adequately prepare our children will have dire consequences for their futures and for the economic vitality of our nation. Read the full report by visiting our website at: https://lnkd.in/e-iVrnyb

The Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count report is an incredibly helpful and important resource which tracks child well-being nationally and by state across several critical domains. I look forward to diving in to this year's 35th edition, and strongly recommend it to clients, investment groups, non-profit partners, etc. Here is this year's summary with more information and a link below. "The 35th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book examines the unprecedented declines in student math and reading proficiency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on education. The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals that between 2019 and 2022, fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math scores plummeted, representing decades of lost progress. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for action to address the growing academic disparities among U.S. students. Today's students, who will comprise America's future workforce, are ill-prepared for the high-level reading, math and problem-solving skills required in a competitive global economy. The failure to adequately prepare our children will have dire consequences for their futures and for the economic vitality of our nation."

Alabama State Board of Education approves first revision to social studies standards since 2010 LINK: https://lnkd.in/eP_iK6Kb #TheDailyConsultant #Education #Learning #TeachersPayTeachers #TpT Please LIKE & REPOST _______________________________________________________________ Are you looking for Educational Tools for children? check out our education products: https://lnkd.in/db_H7993 1. Addition Math Drills: https://lnkd.in/enCdPV8C 2. Subtraction Math Drills: https://lnkd.in/eNuVHcCt

Have you ever wondered how a global crisis can reshape our education landscape? The recent test scores from the Los Angeles Unified School District provide a glimpse into that transformation. While the pandemic posed significant challenges, it also ignited a renewed focus on improving student outcomes, particularly for those historically underserved. This month, LAUSD announced that 43.1% of students met state proficiency targets in reading, just shy of pre-pandemic levels. In math, only 32.8% achieved proficiency. However, it’s heartening to see remarkable progress among Black and Latino students, who are now outperforming their peers statewide in these subjects. Programs like the Priority Schools Program and partnerships with organizations such as Partnerships for Los Angeles Schools are critical in providing the additional resources and support our educators and students need. As the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds approaches, it’s vital we ensure continued support for our schools. Equitable access to quality education is not just an aspiration; it’s a necessity for our communities. The progress we've seen is a testament to the hard work and resilience of both students and educators. Together, we can continue to pave the way for a brighter future where every student has the opportunity to thrive. #Education #EquityinEducation #EducationReform #Innovation #SupportOurSchools

A great article with some deeper insights into the challenges gifted children face within the current education system. It's great to see SA's own Dara School and Dr. Lynda McInnes feature. Are we failing the most gifted kids in our schools? How money and advantage affect education - ABC News https://lnkd.in/gjrWk_DU

📓 "In an average year, kids lose about 20% of their progress in reading and 27% in math during the summer, according to a 2020 study of outcomes from 2008 to 2016 in the American Educational Research Journal." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gz8PuUyr #summerslide #summerreading #summerlearning #learningloss #strugglingreaders #buildingstrongreaders #COVIDlearningloss