Marketing Team, July 2023, 8 min read

With so much heated debate over the concept of teaching to the test, it almost seems counterintuitive to ask teachers to assess their students even more. However, assessments are the only way to discover if students are actually learning anything, and when done correctly, they can really help students think and grow.

Who says that an assessment has to be boring, tedious, and stressful to actually mean something?

Formative assessments are anything but those things. They can even be quite fun. And in most cases, students don’t even realize that they’re being assessed in the first place, so they stay relaxed and engaged in class—showing off the new knowledge and skills they’ve recently come to know.

What is Formative Assessment

Forget those end-of-unit tests or semester portfolios. Formative assessments include a variety of different activities that take place while students are actually learning, and they provide helpful and immediate feedback that educators can then use to inform their teaching as it happens.

Unlike summative assessments, which test student knowledge after learning has already taken place, formative assessments are more of a low-stakes strategy to see where students are at each day. They basically tell teachers whether it’s time to reteach information in a new way, clarify it, or move on to something else.

Benefits of Formative Assessment

The benefits of formative assessment are many, making it a powerful tool that teachers can use to reach each student individually and improve the overall success rate in their classrooms. By continuously monitoring student learning and providing helpful feedback in real-time, formative assessment strategies help teachers challenge their students in new and creative ways so that they can find academic success all year long.

Here are the top four benefits of using formative assessment strategies regularly in the classroom:

1. They increase student engagement and motivation to learn.
2. They enhance student understanding and retention of new information.
3. They assist teachers in providing personalized feedback and targeted instruction.
4. They allow for the identification of learning gaps and suggest areas for improvement.

Once daily formative assessment strategies are implemented in the classroom, both teachers and students enjoy the perks right away.

Formative Assessment Strategies

There are tons of different options when it comes to administering formative assessment strategies in the classroom. And the more variety that’s offered, the greater the chance teachers have to reach each of their students throughout the week—letting them shine in the ways that come most naturally to them.

The very best part is that implementing new formative assessment strategies is just plain fun. This is a chance to get those creative juices flowing in the classroom and see where imagination can come into play.

Using the four prominent learning styles as a guide, teachers can utilize any of the well-known formative assessment strategies out there, tailoring them as needed to meet the needs of their particular students, or they can create their own.

Formative Assessment Ideas

Here are twelve formative assessment ideas anyone can use in the classroom organized by the prominent learning style they fall under.

Visual

1. Pictionary
   Set a timer and provide students with a word or concept they’ve been learning in class. Students will then draw a visual representation of that word or concept before the timer runs out.
2. Affinity Maps
   Prepare a designated space on a whiteboard or poster board with a word, phrase, or question. Next, have each student use a colored marker or sticky note to contribute something to the affinity map as a group.
3. Graphic Organizers
   Ask students to complete a graphic organizer using what they’ve learned in class that day. Mix it up by using KWL charts, sequence maps, Venn diagrams, and other graphic organizers throughout the week.

Auditory

1. Popsicle Sticks
   Have students write their names on a popsicle stick that you keep in a jar. While asking questions in class, draw a popsicle stick, and have that student answer the question aloud for all to hear.
2. Fishbowl Discussions
   Place students into two groups: an inner and outer circle. Task the students in the inner circle with having a discussion about a predetermined topic and the students in the outer circle with listening and taking notes.
3. Socratic Seminars
   Arrange all students in a circle with the teacher remaining outside of it. Students will then host a formal discussion among each other regarding a pre-selected topic while the teacher moderates the discussion by asking open-ended questions.

Reading & Writing

1. Think-Pair-Share
   Start off a Think-Pair-Share by posing a question in class. Students will then write down their answers independently, pair off with a partner to discuss their answers, then share their answers in class one pair at a time.
2. White Boards
   With small white boards sitting on their desks, students can write down their answers to questions asked in class, hold them up for the teacher to review, then erase them and prepare for the next question.
3. Entrance/Exit Tickets
   Entrance and exit tickets are a quick and easy way to assess student knowledge prior to teaching a lesson or just after teaching one. Simply ask a question and have students write it down on a notecard or piece of paper to hand in.

Kinesthetic

1. Hand Signals
   Using hand signals is a no-prep way to make sure students are engaged in class and learning new material. Just ask students to give a thumbs up if they fully understand a new concept, a sideways thumb if they still have questions or need more practice, or a thumbs down if they feel totally lost.
2. Beach Balls
   Get your students moving while they learn by having them sit on the floor or stand up at their desk, asking them a question, then throwing a beach ball to them. Whoever catches it answers the question then throws the ball to another student to add more information or back to the teacher for a new question.
3. Response Cards
   With pre-made cards already on their desks, ask students if they understand the new material and have them hold up one of their cards in response. The cards can have yes, no, or unsure answers on them, a green, red, or yellow traffic light, or even emojis on them to illustrate how they’re currently feeling.

www.masteryeducation.com

www.masteryeducation.com

Educational studies have proven time and time again that learning loss is a real phenomenon.

In just a few short months away from the classroom, many students experience that dreaded summer slide for themselves. Of course, once they return to school in fall, they’ll have to spend several weeks relearning previous skills just to catch back up. And that’s a huge waste of time for both teachers and students who could be working on new skills right away during the upcoming school year.

Fortunately, summer learning loss and constant reteaching year after year are not inevitable occurrences. When students are given quality instruction during the summer months and provided with comprehensive learning materials for enrichment purposes, they can actually start the new school year off ahead—ready and willing to learn from day one.

To help your students make the most of summer vacation this year, it’s imperative that you provide them with enrichment activities that keep them engaged and working continuously on the mastery of grade-level standards. And here are 7 tips that can help you do just that.

How to Create Engaging Summer Activities

1. Work Backwards

The most important step in creating engaging summer activities that students find success with is to start by working backwards. Ask yourself where you would like your students to be by the end of the summer, the end of the month, the end of the week, and the end of the day. Doing so will help you narrow down which standards, in particular, your students should master right now.

2. Build Upwards

Looking at where your students are now and which standards you’re going to target next is the precursor to building upwards. Similar to taking baby steps, scaffolding will allow you to break up skill development tasks into smaller, easier-to-manage chunks that your students can complete successfully.

3. Think Variety

No matter how fun your summer enrichment plans are, students won’t want to complete the same tasks over and over again. So build in a lot of variety with a combination of hands-on activities and digital learning opportunities. You can also break up monotony with whole class, small group, and intervention pairings.

4. Tap Into Student Interests

Students are naturally drawn to the topics that interest them most and the different types of reward systems you put into play. Designing enrichment activities around these student interests increases their engagement level and encourages a higher academic result.

5. Utilize the I Do, We Do, You Do Model

Using the I Do, We Do, You Do teaching model helps students gain confidence in their own ability to try something new. As you demonstrate the skill for them, practice the skill with them, then provide feedback as they practice the skill on their own, they learn far more than they would without this perceived safety net.

6. Use Assessments Wisely

Assessments are a teacher’s best friend because they provide important data which you can then use to pivot in any direction based on your students’ current needs. By using assessments wisely in class, you can discover what level your students are at now, how they compare to other students in their grade level, whether or not they understand today’s lesson, and how much learning took place during a unit.

7. Review What You Already Have

Designing the perfect summer enrichment activities for your students doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. Many of the lesson plans you already have will work just fine—either as stand alone activities or in conjunction with others.

Academic Success with Measuring Up Products

Having a comprehensive and well-designed curriculum at your fingertips will go a long way toward creating summer enrichment activities that engage students in their learning.

The Measuring Up line of products from Mastery Education is one such curriculum that pairs incredibly well with summer enrichment programs and integrates with any curriculum you already have. Having these products at your disposal will make building summer enrichment units all the more easy.

Measuring Up Reach are instructional ebooks that are customized by location. They provide lessons based on specific grade-level standards in your particular state, which helps you work backwards in your planning. They also come with built-in scaffolding, so building upwards becomes a much simpler process. Plus, each of the included lessons are blended learning opportunities which can be taught as whole class, small group, or intervention, creating a sense of variety.

Measuring Up MyQuest is the online portal for students. Full of activities based on interesting topics, Measuring Up MyQuest also takes gamification to a whole new level with rewards tokens, leader boards, and other built-in fun. The practice activities found therein are also designed around gradual release and are adaptive in nature, providing corrective feedback as students work.

Lastly, Measuring Up Insight is the assessment component. With plenty of pre and post assessments to choose from, as well as exit tickets and state practice tests, teachers can quickly gather important data on all of their students.

Summer Enrichment Activities for Students

With the right guidance and materials, students can find academic success each school year—without losing ground over summer. Enrichment activities are meant to integrate with your current curriculum and do so in a fun way that excites kids and keeps them learning. And using high-quality, targeted instructional materials, like Measuring Up, make it easy for both teachers and students to make that happen.

www.masteryeducation.com

Ways to Empower

English Language Learners

Why English Language Learners Need Your Support

Unless ELL students are supported properly, they risk falling behind their English-fluent peers. In Child Trends’ 2014 study, the Academic Achievement of English Language Learners, Dr. David Murphey points to an achievement gap between ELL students and English fluent students in Texas. Only 36% of fourth-grade ELL students scored at or above a basic level in reading and only 46% of eighth-grade ELL students scored at or above a basic level in math. There is a clear achievement gap between ELL students and their English fluent peers.

To make progress towards closing the achievement gap, educators and administrators need to consider the needs of ELL students and implement strategies to support their academic success. The following guidelines and strategies have been endorsed by scholars and researchers in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

General Guidelines for Including ELL students

• Foster a welcoming class environment where students are allowed to make mistakes.
• Avoid unnecessary idioms and slang.
• Allow plenty of time for students to develop their ideas.
• Use visual media to build connections to concepts.
• Differentiate instruction.
• Praise ELL students’ hard work in learning an additional language.

• Provide extra test-taking time. ELL students need more time to process information in a second language.
• Read the test aloud. Some English language learners develop speaking and listening skills before reading and writing skills.
• Provide word banks. Word banks help ELL students make connections between concepts and relevant vocabulary words.
• Use informal assessments. Fill-in-the-blank questions and written responses aren’t the only way to assess students’ knowledge. Use informal assessment techniques such as observation, performance assessment, or sorting activities.

ELL students don’t rely solely on verbal cues while interpreting the English language, they also use non-verbal body language to understand what’s being taught. Using TPR in your class is a great way to support the success of ELL students.

Be sure to call on your ELL students just as often as you call on your English fluent students even if your ELL students are shy or hesitant to speak up. It’s natural for ELL students to feel some anxiety about speaking in front of the class but it’s important for them to do so. Always be patient with your ELL students and give them enough time to communicate, don’t try to finish their sentence for them or guess what they are trying to say unless they ask for assistance.

Peoples Education, Inc. | Mastery Education, Inc.

25 Philips Parkway, Suite 105 | Montvale, NJ 07645 | 800-822-1080 | MasteryEducation.com

School administration and educators faced a strenuous task in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: how to educate students without a classroom. As schools remained closed, educators relied on Google Classrooms, Zoom, and other online platforms to connect with students.

What is Blended Learning?

Blended learning is an educational strategy that uses online and technology-based material to support traditional in-person learning. A 2010 study from The U.S. Department of Education found that blended learning strategies yielded better results than classes that solely used in-person strategies. What exactly qualifies as blended learning is still a topic of debate among scholars, but there are a few models that have been recognized for their positive impact on learning:

• Rotation model: students rotate stations on a fixed schedule, moving from technology-based stations to face-to-face time with their teacher.
• Enriched virtual model: students have required face-to-face learning sessions with their teacher and then are free to complete their remaining coursework remotely.
• Flex model: teachers deliver most content online, but in a traditional school setting. Teachers guide students through learning and provided one-on-one or small group help when needed.

How to Effectively Use Blended Learning

District Administration (Cheser, 2021) noted an increase in the use of technology being implemented in school had a rapid rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tasked with getting a remote program up and running, schools increased the use of technology Now that students and teachers are back in the classroom, more teachers are choosing to use a blended solution — technology combined with in-person learning — for a flexible learning model.

So, how can you make sure you’re effectively implementing this educational strategy? How will you know which model is right for your students?

You don’t have to figure it out on your own, Measuring Up offers blended learning solutions to help you make assessments, target instruction, and deliver differentiated instruction. Measuring Up offers eBooks and online tools specifically designed to help you meet your state’s educational requirements while using blended learning strategies.

Print and digital products by Measuring Up have been developed by experts in the field. Using their products frees up your valuable time and allows you to focus on what you love the most: teaching. With their dynamic assessments and practices, you’ll be able to use blended learning in the most effective way for your classroom.

Blended Learning is Here to Stay

We know that educators have used the blended learning strategy long before the COVID pandemic. Now we know that blended learning is here to stay. It’s clear that blended learning has a lot of value to offer our education system. If you have never used blended learning models before, it’s not too late! Talk to your administration about using Measuring Up resources to get started with blended learning.

Reference

Karen Cheser | September 16, 2021 noted Four ways active learning spaces support the modern educational environment. https://districtadministration.com/4-ways-active-learning-spaces-support-the-modern-educational-environment/?highlight=node%2Fblended%20learning

2022 – 2023 Back to School: A Practice Guide

School leaders in today’s educational environment recognize that the school year does not begin on the first day of classes. It starts with careful planning months in advance. Now more than ever, with school disruptions, it is critical to put in place educational tools and supports for students as soon as possible.

Here are some suggestions for back-to-school preparations

Enrollment & Academic Data

To effectively support students starting on day one, it is important for administrators to anticipate the total enrollment at school and by grade level. Having a complete picture of each student’s most recent academic data is also crucial.

Student data helps to determine not just how individual students are progressing but also how subgroups (e.g., Bilingual/ESL, Special Education, Gifted and Talented) of students are doing.

This information impacts budget allocations, staffing decisions, and scheduling.

Budgeting & Purchasing

Budget responsibilities of a school administrator include purchasing instructional resources and securing the right number of materials for students and teaching personnel. When administrators have a solid understanding of key student data, they can make informed decisions about the best, high-quality core and supplemental educational products. Additionally, administrators can determine whether differentiated materials, such as standards-based resources for on-, above-, and below-grade level is needed for students.

Administrators may begin buying educational equipment, resources, services, and supplies on July 1 or September 1, depending on when the new fiscal year begins.

Inventory & Storage

Instructional material storage areas can quickly get out of control if they are not prioritized. The end of the school year is the perfect time for administrators to take inventory and reorganize storage areas so new materials can be received efficiently during the summer.

Collaboration with key instructional staff during the summer months offers opportunities for collaboration to review student data, budget priorities, and curriculum materials distribution.

Strategic Calendar

The school calendar for 2022–2023 is another important topic for collaboration that deserves an in-depth look. A strategic calendar is essential to getting things done in the new school year.

It is important to review and adjust the calendar on a regular basis to plan school events and activities, such as teacher planning times, parent-teacher conferences, and Back-to-School nights.

Having an updated, visible, and organized calendar makes the school run more smoothly.

Communication Strategy

Communication is essential for an administrator to connect students, teachers, families, and other stakeholders to the school’s mission. It is important to determine how, when, and to whom information will be shared.

Below are a few Back-to-School communication items that can help start the year off right:

• Staff Welcome Letter
• Parent Welcome Letter
• School Announcements
• First Campus-Wide Assembly

How cognitive research influenced the Measuring Up Foundations instructional design

Many students struggle because they lack the foundational skills needed for grade-level standards. Foundational skills underpin the rigorous standards that are the norm in today’s classrooms. Researchers suggest teaching prerequisite skills at time of need. There is a window of opportunity for teaching and learning; the task is to know when it appears and exploit it.1 Much like building background information sets students up for learning success, teaching foundational skills as they are needed increases students’ ability to connect to increasingly difficult skills.

Accelerating Learning

The more you know about your students, the better able you will be able to accelerate their learning. But having students with learning loss or unfinished learning puts added pressure on teaching grade-level curriculum. Experts are calling for a shift in thinking from wholesale placing students in remedial programs to teaching pre-requisite skills at time of need.2 Building both background knowledge and foundational skills makes learning new and more difficult skills easier.

References

1. Killi, Steinar and Morrison, Andrew. Universal Journal of Educational Research 3(10): 742-750, 2015 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2015.031013 Just-in-time Teaching, Just-in-need Learning: Designing towards Optimized Pedagogical Outcome. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1077677.pdf
2. Mayer & Moreno (2003). Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 43–52. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253772914_Nine_Ways_to_Reduce_

Peoples Education, Inc. | Mastery Education, Inc.

25 Philips Parkway, Suite 105 | Montvale, NJ 07645 | 800-822-1080 | MasteryEducation.com

Learn how schools have created productive ELPs.

Creating a balance between academics and fun is also important. One way to boost the “fun factor” is to create a reward system for academic success that allows students to choose a non-academic reward.

Finally, communication between extended-learning staff and students is important. After all, it is the teacher who is recommending students for ELP, so it is critical to keep the lines of communication open.

Conclusion

ELPs share the same goal as the classroom but should use totally different styles to keep students engaged. With an eye on academic achievement, creating a risk-free, fun learning environment is a welcome asset into struggling students’ world.

References

⁽¹⁾Lauer, P. A., Akiba, M., Wilkerson, S. B., Apthorp, H. S., Snow, D., & Martin-Glenn, M. L. (2006). Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Meta-Analysis of Effects for At-Risk Students. Review of Educational Research, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Summer, 2006), pp. 275-313. American Educational Research Association. 3. Vandell, D. L., Reisner, E. R., & Pierce, K. M. Quoted in What does the research say about afterschool programs. November 2017. The Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved from http://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/what_does_the_research_say_about_afterschool.pdf

⁽²⁾McCutcheon, Emily R., Hadjiharalambous, Sissie. (2016) Profiles of Extended Learning Programs: Promising Practices in Tennessee’s 21st Century Community Learning Center. Retrieved from https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/documents/ext_learning_promising_practices_profiles.pdf

Peoples Education, Inc. | Mastery Education, Inc.

25 Philips Parkway, Suite 105 | Montvale, NJ 07645 | 800-822-1080 | MasteryEducation.com

A recent Eschool news article (Ascione, 2021)¹ addressed the issues of post-pandemic learning in the classroom. They reported that the number of teachers surveyed consider themselves to be comfortable using technology rose from 50% in 2020 to 66% in 2021—and that is good news. The survey also revealed that teachers are more positive about using technology for personalizing learning for students—good news indeed.

Connecting assessment to instruction and practice is essential when individualization is the goal. When technology is used for assessment, it generates real-time assessment data that is especially valuable to inform instructional decisions, monitor students’ progress to standards mastery, and examine learning trends. It provides opportunities for personalized learning and empowers students “to demonstrate mastery of standards while working at a self-regulated pace. When instruction and practice are utilized within the same platform, the benefits increase.

Effective blended-solution resources are specifically designed to be fully integrated into an instructional program. Blended is a key point of differentiation. Lessons that incorporate teacher-led instruction with technology means that educators are in control of instruction—and that’s an important distinction.

Resources

1. Ascione, Laura. What’s in store for the post-pandemic classroom? eSchoolNews. August 27, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.eschoolnews.com/2021/08/27/whats-in-store-for-the-post-pandemic-classroom/
2. Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update. US Department of Education. October 2017. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf

Does each student have a personalized learning plan?

The most effective instruction is directed by individual student’s strengths and needs. Collecting and using data is foundational to knowing students well enough to create a personalized plan for them. Assessment technology can be a fast and accurate way to get baseline data—and identify learning gaps.

Do your resources support your intervention goals?

Having a variety of resources is also key to keeping intervention fresh and on point.

Measuring Up Foundations is a new resource that homes in on the foundational skills students require for grade-level learning. Organized for easy use, the clean-page format and streamlined instruction helps students to focus and stay on task. Technology can help too. Measuring Up Live 2.0 offers educators the ability to assess quickly and effectively. The integrated system also provides practice ensuring that students are working on the precise skills they need for mastery.

Does your instruction build the necessary foundational skills for grade-level learning?

Struggling students often have gaps in foundational skills needed for grade-level learning. Rather than going back a year “just in case,” the Council of Great City Schools (2020) suggests accelerating learning with “just-in-time” teaching—teaching foundational skills in small groups as they are needed for grade-level learning.

Do you respond quickly to changing needs?

Reaction time matters. The quicker the response time, the less likely a student will fall behind. Effective educators alter instruction, ask questions, think aloud, model, and provide scaffolds according to students’ needs. Teachers support and monitor practice, so time spent independently is purposeful and productive.

Conclusion

So, how does your intervention instruction measure up? (No pun intended!) It’s never too late to adjust our practices-especially when achievement is at stake. Addressing learning challenges take time. It also takes dedicated educators and resources working together to ensure student achievement.

Resources

Council of Great City Schools (June 2020) Addressing Unfinished Learning After Covid-19 School Closures. Retrieved from https://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity?Domain/313/CGCS_Unfinished%20Le

Peoples Education, Inc. | Mastery Education, Inc.

25 Philips Parkway, Suite 105 | Montvale, NJ 07645 | 800-822-1080 | MasteryEducation.com

According to Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, author of Driven By Data: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction, assessments are not the end of teaching and learning, they are the starting point. Mastery Education, the makers of Measuring Up, believes that rigorous assessment and instruction are at the heart of student success.

From creating quick Exit Tickets to producing Formative, Summative, and Benchmark Assessments, Measuring Up Live 2.0 (MUL 2.0) allows immediate access to an item bank of rigorous questions to generate well-designed assessments with ease. Select from various question types that include open-ended, tech-enhanced, and multiple-choice. Narrow down items based on difficulty, Bloom’s, or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge levels.

Visit here to see how easy it is:

MUL 2.0 allows any assessment to be delivered with fidelity. Real-time, actionable reporting helps measure student performance, growth, and standards proficiency. Personalized, adaptive practice is automatically generated for each student based on assessment results.

To learn more about Measuring Up Live 2.0, check out this brief overview.