Author: Reporter

What Is A Diagnostic Assessment? A diagnostic assessment is a pre-instruction evaluation used to identify learners’ prior knowledge, skill gaps, and misconceptions before teaching begins. In simple terms, a diagnostic assessment is a structured way to understand what learners already know and what they do not, so instruction can be targeted from the start. Often called a diagnostic test, diagnostic exam, or diagnostic evaluation, this type of assessment is used at the beginning of a course, unit, or program. Its purpose is not to grade performance, but to inform decisions about teaching, pacing, and support. It is important to distinguish…

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Each summer during new employee orientation at Prospect Schools, I open with a hard reality: Despite the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, most school districts remain deeply segregated. New York City — one of the most diverse cities on earth — is home to the largest and most segregated school district in the nation.  A report released last month makes this even harder to ignore: New York State ranks among the most segregated in the entire country. That finding…

At the Utah State Correctional Facility last week, more than 50 incarcerated students donned caps and gowns to receive career-focused certificates from Ensign College—the first full cohort to have a commencement ceremony held inside the prison. The graduates are part of the inaugural class of the Ensign Prison Education Program, an online course delivered through the Utah Department of Corrections. The program has no faculty or physical campus presence inside the facility. Since launching in October 2024, the Ensign Prison Education Program has enrolled nearly 500 incarcerated students, making it one of the largest higher education partnerships with the Utah…

Most teachers and their students’ parents/guardians understand the importance of family support for student learning.This series will offer specific suggestions for how families can do just that. ‘Essential Partners’ Karen L. Mapp, a senior lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is a leading family- and community-engagement expert whose research and practice focus on cultivating partnerships among schools, families, and communities for enhancing student achievement and school performance. She is also the co-author of Everyone Wins! (Scholastic, 2022):I believe that families are essential partners in ensuring every child’s academic and developmental success. My Dual Capacity-Building Framework for…

Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Lessons that introduce young learners to different types of bugs and insects can be one way to stimulate their interest in science and get them in contact with nature, provided teachers tamp down any “ickiness” factor students — or they themselves — might feel. “On the playground, we’ve found worms, and we pick them up,” said Michelle Durange, kindergarten teacher at Alloway Creek Elementary School in Littlestown, Pennsylvania. “We try not to be scared of it, so they’re not scared of it.”…

The Kaplan Languages Group also has more than 100 university and college partners in the United States. A British investment group has acquired Kaplan’s language-learning platform, Kaplan Languages Group.  According to a news release from Inspirit Capital, all the conditions for the sale have been met, and the deal is expected to be finalized May 1. The private companies did not disclose the value of the sale. Founded in 1938, Kaplan Inc. provides education services to students, professionals, universities and businesses, including test preparation, online learning and language training. Since 2006, KLG—which is composed of Kaplan International Languages, Alpadia Language…

Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. To teach or not to teach Shakespeare? That is the question — not at the high school level, where it’s an easy “yes,” but for upper elementary and middle school classes, where educators differ as to how well the Bard translates. Among those who say Shakespeare can be integrated in earlier grades is Jon Wargo, associate professor at the University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education, who has undertaken research on the Shakespeare in Detroit summer STEAM program aimed at youth.…

An investigative report released by Ohio State University Tuesday found that former president Ted Carter inappropriately used his position for two years to benefit a “close personal associate.” Carter resigned in March after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a woman later identified as Krisanthe Vlachos, who wanted to use public resources to benefit her personal business. While the nature of that relationship was not clear when Carter stepped down, the new report sheds light on how he sought to steer university resources to Vlachos. And while he was not found to have broken any laws, the report determined that…

Samuel J. Abrams, RCEd The closing of Hampshire College was not a surprise. It was a long time coming, and its demise reflects a broader shift in what families now expect from higher education.

Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, handing a significant legal victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into classrooms.The 9-8 decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the law, delivering a boost to backers of similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana. Opponents have argued that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms amounts to government endorsement of religion and risks pressuring students, while supporters say the displays reflect the nation’s historical foundations.Writing for the majority opinion, the conservative-leaning appeals…