Clayton County (GA) Public Schools, Georgia State University’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), and Curriculum Associates will partner on a new program with middle-school teachers to implement the county’s math curriculum in their classrooms. The partnership will allow CEHD faculty and doctoral students to collaborate with master teachers and coaches to provide supplemental support to Clayton County middle-school teachers implementing the math curriculum. The work is supported by a two-year, $1.2 million grant to CEHD from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal is to provide ongoing professional learning opportunities for teachers that will help them teach the math curriculum effectively and improve student achievement. In particular, the focus will be on students of color and those who live in low-income communities. In addition, the grant team will develop manuals and teaching modules that other school systems in Georgia and around the country can use to implement this math curriculum at the middle-school level.
Study Reveals Value of Differentiated Instruction in Florida's Bay District Schools
During the 2017–18 school year, Bay District Schools rolled out Achieve3000, a differentiated literacy solution, in elementary classrooms and with sixth through tenth graders who required additional support. Findings from the year-long intervention show that when students are given equitable access to differentiated resources, it becomes easier for them to make learning gains while building foundational knowledge. Of elementary students who completed 80+ Achieve3000 activities with a 75 percent first-try score, 85 percent made learning gains on the FSA. Bay District Schools maintains a strong focus on literacy throughout their schools and curriculum. By collecting achievement data, teachers within the district are able to make instructional decisions that reflect the differing needs of students. The district will continue to utilize Achieve3000 to support students and teachers.
Peachjar Helps Iowa City School District Students Gain Access to Extracurriculars
Research suggests that extracurricular activities offer important academic, social, and emotional benefits for students. To ensure that every student has access to these opportunities, Iowa City School District implemented Peachjar, a cloud-based platform that distributes important updates and information about community resources in the form of digital flyers. Parents can access flyers through a smartphone or computer anytime, anywhere. The platform elevates student outcomes by connecting K–12 families with life-changing school and community resources. Peachjar’s digital flyers are made WCAG 2.0 A and AA compliant, so they can be read by those who are visually impaired with the help of a screen reader. The adoption of Peachjar has helped families in Iowa City School District understand the value of extracurricular activities and has removed barriers to student participation.
Simbli Board Management Software Now Available to All ISBA Districts
eBOARDsolutions, Inc. and the Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) announced a new partnership to make Simbli board management software available to all ISBA member school districts. Featuring six core integrated modules, Simbli brings together meetings, planning, policies, evaluations, documents, and communications into one board management software solution. Founded in 2007, eBOARDsolutions was developed originally to help the Georgia School Boards Association member boards increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Today, eBOARDsolutions’ flagship board governance software solution, Simbli, is used by over 1,200 school boards, nonprofits, and governments in 25 states. The company is proud to maintain a 99 percent annual renewal rate. The partnership with ISBA will provide more than 550 locally elected school board members and several hundred charter school board members throughout Idaho with the option to subscribe to Simbli’s board management software solution.
