Fluent reading and comprehension result when all strands remain strong and tightly woven. A student’s reading ability is impaired when damaged or missing strands weaken the reading rope.

Language Comprehension 

The top set of strands focuses on language comprehension skills that grow increasingly strategic into adulthood. The strands in language comprehension include:

• Background Knowledge: Background knowledge represents what a student already knows about a topic. Studies show that the more a student knows about the topic, the easier the text is to read and ultimately comprehend. Teachers can help students build background knowledge before diving into a text. Background knowledge acts like a “hook” that students can use as a place to “hang” their new knowledge and increases the likelihood of retaining information.
• Vocabulary: Vocabulary is fundamental to reading. Knowing what words mean while reading or listening, and then being able to use those words while speaking and writing, is vital to student success. To enhance students’ ability to comprehend texts, educators should teach words that are important for comprehension along with strategies for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Language Structures: Syntax and semantics are language structures. Syntax refers to the rules of the English language (grammar), and semantics refers to how a writer uses words to create meaning. Understanding syntax and semantics helps students better make meaning from texts.
• Verbal Reasoning: Verbal reasoning refers to a student’s ability to make inferences. It also refers to the ability to understand that words and phrases can be used both literally and figuratively. Students use verbal reasoning to determine the meaning of figurative language such as metaphors, similes, and idioms, which aids text comprehension. A student’s ability to make inferences allows them to analyze texts.
• Literacy Knowledge: Literacy knowledge includes print concepts and genres. Print concepts include knowing the parts of a book (covers, table of contents, etc.) and reading from left to right, following lines down the page, and turning pages to continue. Students should also learn the difference between different genres: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography, etc. Knowing the foundational mechanics of how to read, as well as what types of texts they can read, helps students have the basic tools to start reading and comprehending.

Word Recognition

The bottom three strands of the rope focus on the word-level foundational skills that become increasingly automatic as students become better readers. Most word recognition instruction happens in early elementary school (K-3). It is most effective when explicit and research-based.

• Phonological Awareness: Phonological awareness develops as students begin to understand that spoken words consist of sounds. To be successful readers, students need to be able to associate certain sounds with letters or letter combinations. Phonological awareness is the first step in this process.
• Decoding: Phonics is the ability to understand the connection between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes). Students use sound-letter correspondence to decode, or read, words. Phonics also includes encoding, or spelling, skills.
• Sight Recognition- Sight Recognition refers to the ability to use orthographic mapping to quickly retrieve a word’s spelling, meaning, and pronunciation. High-frequency word instruction helps increase the number of words students have mapped. The more words that are mapped and that a student doesn’t have to decode, the more efficient and fluent a reader they are. This frees up a reader’s brain capacity for higher-order tasks like inferencing.

How does Scarborough’s Reading Rope help educators?

Scarborough’s Reading Rope provides educators with an easy-to-understand visual of the complex process of reading and how all the different strands weave together to create skilled readers. When a student struggles to read, educators can assess which strand or strands are the source of the issue and intervene accordingly. Educators can also use Scarborough’s Reading Rope to determine whether their curriculum and classroom give students the full foundation they need to be skilled readers and, if not, pull in necessary resources. 

Check out Edmentum’s free Science of Reading Toolkit for a set of videos, webinars, articles, and other resources, including an Early Literacy Needs Analysis, to support a strong, evidence-based foundation for literacy instruction. 

About the author

Elizabeth Tricquet has over two decades of experience in education. In her current role as Lead Learning Designer at Edmentum, Elizabeth is passionate about developing effective, high-quality resources for students and teachers.  

Elizabeth has worked at Edmentum since 2016 in a variety of positions including Content Designer, Assessment Specialist, and Learning Designer. She has worked on a variety of products including Exact Path, Study Island, and Benchmark Assessments.  

Prior to working at Edmentum, Elizabeth had nearly 10 years of experience in the classroom teaching grades 1, 3 and 4 with a focus on helping struggling readers and students with learning difficulties. While teaching, Elizabeth earned her National Board Certification for Early and Middle Grades Literacy. She then worked at the Florida Department of Education's Test Development Center as an ELA Content Specialist. During that time, Elizabeth worked on state-wide summative assessments.  

• Teachers work a median of 54 hours per week
• They spend over 180 hours grading and providing feedback over a school year
• 79% of public schools have faced difficulty staffing positions with fully certified teachers

Meanwhile, more than 1 in 4 students nationwide were chronically absent (missed at least 10% of school days) in 2023. A shortage of faculty and staff available to develop strong relationships with students has been indicated as a factor contributing to absenteeism, and the learning gaps resulting from poor attendance cause additional strain on the remaining teachers. An Education Week survey of teachers found that extra time spent planning makeup work for students was a major cause of stress, and lacking bandwidth to build relationships is something that keeps teachers up at night. 

District leaders and school leaders alike are feeling the pain. Education Week surveys conducted at the same time found that school funding, resources, and staffing—including a lack of certified staff applying for jobs—is the number one issue that administrators are worried about.

Addressing teacher capacity concerns is an effective way to demonstrate tangible support for educators and enhance the instructional environment for students. Here are three ways administrators can begin:

1: Expand instructional capacity through virtual instruction

Are you experiencing any of these challenges?

• Overcrowded classes
• Increased overall student loads for individual teachers
• The need to use temporary or emergency certifications
• Lack of qualified applicants for open positions

Cost-effectively adding virtual instructional staff can be a game-changing solution for your schools, your teachers, and your students. 

For example, Edmentum recently helped one district offer Spanish across four different schools using one certified EdOptions Academy teacher. This helped fill the roles amid a shortage of teachers, gave the other teachers time back for planning periods, and ensured students has access to Spanish classes taught by a certified instructor, rather than four educators teaching out-of-area.

Dr. James Bevere is Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Hillside Public Schools in New Jersey, another district Edmentum has supported. He explains, “It put an actual [virtual] teacher in the classroom that was certified in the New Jersey content standards, that could deliver direct instruction to our kids five days a week within our bell schedule.” This helped Hillside improve its graduation rate, but more importantly, says Dr. Bevere, students’ test scores increased. 

Plus, recapture enrollment by providing educators and options

Your district may also be facing declining enrollment—and the associated loss of funding—which can limit the resources available to address staffing needs and other instructional goals, even as the existing enrollment outpaces teacher capacity. Virtual instruction is one way to address these competing challenges simultaneously by expanding course access and ensuring classes are taught by qualified educators. This makes it appealing for students to return to the district with confidence they’ll have the personalized options and quality, human-centered instruction they desire. 

2: Address individual educator needs through coaching

Every educator can improve through coaching. Some may feel overwhelmed, particularly in classroom management. They may be new teachers, new to their subject area, new to your district, or just facing a new set of challenges. Each of these needs can be supported through coaching.

When you coach your educators, you give them the space and time to improve their craft systematically. Even veteran teachers benefit from coaching, allowing them to explore new strategies and tools and avoid the yearly burnout that many educators face.

We offer a non-evaluative instructional coaching program built on mentorship. It’s an educator-first approach that increases: 

• Morale
• Retention
• Effectiveness
• Student performance 

Educators receive personalized coaching based on their content and systems, aligned to your standards and strategic plan, with engaging resources and networking opportunities.

3: High-impact tutoring to address individual student needs

High-dosage tutoring has been shown to make an impact in addressing the negative outcomes of chronic absenteeism, closing persistent skill gaps, and improving the intentional use of instructional time. Interestingly, students experiencing chronic absenteeism are more likely to attend school on the days they are scheduled to receive high-impact tutoring; this is consistent with students’ stated desire for relationships with instructors, which student-centered tutoring can provide. 

When implemented correctly, tutoring can help improve these challenges and add capacity to your educators. For example, being able to slide virtual tutoring into an elementary classroom in a station rotation model or in a secondary schedule through a study hall or even during self-directed time in the classroom means teachers can continue doing what they do best – leading a whole class’s instructional time - while their struggling students receive the help they need, without disrupting the classroom or sourcing more teachers.

These ideas are just a few of the ways Edmentum can support teachers. Check out our free Teacher Capacity Toolkit to learn more about these and other methods for extending teacher capacity.

These roles are present in every sector of the economy, in each of the 14 career clusters. Traditionally, they’ve required specialized postsecondary training, but students now have the opportunity to develop career-ready skills during their high school years.  

In this conversation, Jamie Candee, President & CEO of Edmentum, and Doug Donovan, Founder & CEO of Interplay Learning, describe how Gen Z (“the toolbelt generation”) is embracing the trades and taking a wider variety of paths to college and career; how states and districts are implementing successful industry partnership and apprenticeship programs; and the various ways students’ educational experience is enhanced when they have exposure to career exploration and preparation.  

They also introduce a new solution, Edmentum Career: Trade Prep Powered by Interplay, which expands Edmentum's career-connected learning (CCL) offering with immersive, job-ready training for in-demand skilled trades. This unique offering gives high school students access to learning once reserved for industry professionals in fields like aviation and the military.

Dive Deeper into Career-Connected Learning:

• [Toolkit] Career-Connected Learning: Our top tools and resources to support your students' college and career readiness.
• [Article] How to Maximize Funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE): Perkins V is foundational, but it's far from the only funding opportunity. This article presents an array of funding sources to consider when planning CTE or career-connected learning (CCL) programs for your district.
• [Article] Career-Connected Learning Drives Reimagination of Secondary Education: The number of different routes students are taking to college and career continues to increase, and a comprehensive approach to postsecondary readiness must account for a variety of potential pathways. This article presents national leaders' perspectives on the topic.
• [Webinar] How to Implement Districtwide CTE Programs Aligned to State Standards: Gain insights on states’ objectives around career-connected learning and how district leaders can implement programs that both align to state blueprints and personalize opportunities for all students to thrive.

Most K-12 leaders turn to the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V)—the primary federal source dedicated to CTE—when thinking about funding for college and career readiness programs (learn more about Perkins funding). While Perkins is foundational, it’s far from the only funding opportunity. Many states provide categorical or incentive-based dollars for CTE, and numerous federal and state funding streams—though not exclusively tied to CTE—can support career-readiness initiatives.  

This article presents an array of funding sources to consider when planning CTE or career-connected learning (CCL) programs for your district.  

How Can Districts Leverage ESSA to Fund CTE Programs? 

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides several flexible funding options that can support CTE programs: 

• Title I, Part A – Improving Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged:  The funds can be used for a wide range of supports, including expanded learning opportunities—like CTE—aimed at closing achievement gaps and ensuring equitable access to high-quality education.
• Title IV, Part A – Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grants:  These funds support a well-rounded education and improved learning conditions. CTE can be included as part of enrichment and academic achievement strategies.
• Title IV, Part B – 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC): Title IV, Part B provides funding for academic enrichment and expanded learning opportunities, including CTE, STEM, financial literacy, and more. 

How Does State Formula and Incentive Funding Support CTE? 

Most states use categorical funding models—based on cost, enrollment, or program type—to support CTE. Others use a hybrid approach, combining general formula funding with targeted CTE dollars. States may also offer incentive payments for CTE participation and completion. 

Examples include: 

• Texas CCMR Outcomes Bonus: Districts receive $2,000–$5,000 per student who meets College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) benchmarks.
• Indiana: $1,000 incentive per student earning an industry-recognized credential upon graduation.
• Michigan Section 61d(1): $35 per student enrolled in a CTE program (grades 9–12) and $70 per student in high-demand field programs. 

Learn more about your state’s funding model using ECS’s 50-State Comparison or Advance CTE’s state CTE funding analysis.  

How Can School Improvement Grants Fund CTE Programs? 

Under ESSA, states must include at least one non-academic indicator in their accountability system—a School Quality or Student Success (SQSS) metric. Over half of the states include college and career readiness (CCR), often measured by CTE course or pathway completion.  

In your state, review the funding that's made available for general school and district improvement, in addition to specific grants focused on increasing CTE course completion for historically underserved students. Here are some examples: 

• Alabama Career Readiness Indicator Grant: Prioritizes schools with a >15% gap between graduation and CCR rates.
• Ohio Equity in CTE Grants: $1.6M in FY25 Perkins V reserve funds for districts addressing equity gaps in CTE participation and outcomes.
• Ohio Career-Based Intervention (CBI): Funding for academic and career supports for at-risk students. 

Focusing on High-Demand Career Fields Expands CTE Funding Eligibility 

Expand your eligibility for CTE funding with a focus on high-demand career programs. Many states align CTE grants with workforce priorities. These include: 

• Indiana Education Readiness Grants: These support high school CTE programs aligned with in-demand fields and foster school-industry partnerships.
• New Jersey Elevate CTE Innovation Grants: Enhance programs in state-identified key industry sectors.
• Washington Core Plus Grants: Support aerospace, manufacturing, maritime, and construction CTE programs.  

How to Support CTE with Gifted Education Funding 

Advanced coursework, including CTE, is supported in many states through gifted education funding. Check out the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) State of the States Report to learn more about state funding and initiatives.  

Here are some examples: 

• Minnesota: Competitive grants to expand Pre-AP, AP, and IB STEM course participation.
• Wisconsin Competitive Gifted and Talented Grants: Grants for services beyond regular programming for gifted students across academic and creative domains. 

How Can Computer Science and Technology Grants Support CTE? 

With over 30 states investing in computer science (CS), many include CTE-related programs or require high schools to offer CS courses, sometimes as a graduation requirement. Check out Code.org’s State of Computer Science Education Report to learn more about state funding and initiatives.  

Examples of computer science and technology grants that can support CTE: 

• Pennsylvania PAsmart Grants: Expand CS and STEM programs.
• Illinois CS Equity Grants: Increase enrollment of underrepresented students, expand access, and support early preparation for success.
• New Jersey CS Education Grants: Develop and implement new, high-quality CS courses aligned to state standards. 

Final Takeaway

Districts can strategically use a broad range of federal and state funding streams—including those focused on equity, accountability, innovation, and workforce development— to expand and sustain high-quality CTE programs. Understanding how these funds align with CTE priorities can help schools unlock new opportunities and drive meaningful outcomes for student. 

When you're ready to build a districtwide program for middle and high school students, Edmentum is here to help. Edmentum Career is a comprehensive career-connected learning solution designed to help students grades 6-12 build a deeper connection between their learning and their future and to enhance postsecondary success and workforce readiness. 

About the author

Hadley Blangy is Director of Policy and Advocacy for Edmentum. She leads strategic policy development and advocacy initiatives to shape national K-12 education policy. Her work focuses on career-connected learning, accountability, online and blended education, and optimizing funding frameworks. With experience from The College Board and the Council of Chief State School Officers, Hadley specializes in translating complex policy landscapes into actionable strategies. 

Now is the time for schools to double down on middle school intervention and to do it with strategies that reflect both the academic and developmental realities of young adolescents. 

The Stakes Are High: Gaps That Persist Become Barriers 

If a student enters high school still struggling with core math and reading concepts, the impact is immediate and often long-lasting. They’re more likely to flounder in grade-level content, lose confidence, disengage, and in many cases, drop out. In fact, multiple studies confirm that 9th-grade success is one of the most reliable predictors of high school graduation (see references below for more information on these studies). 

That means the work of closing skill gaps must happen before high school—and middle school is the final, critical window. 

But identifying and addressing those gaps takes more than traditional remediation. It requires a strategic, adaptive, and personalized approach that meets students exactly where they are, both academically and developmentally. 

What Middle Schoolers Actually Need: Developmentally Informed Intervention 

Middle school students aren’t just older elementary students or younger high schoolers; they’re unique learners with specific needs. Cognitively, they are ready to tackle more complex, abstract thinking. But they still benefit from clarity, structure, and guided practice. Socially and emotionally, they’re navigating new relationships, identity exploration, and a stronger desire for autonomy. 

That’s why effective intervention at this level must be: 

• Just-right challenging—offering learning experiences in each student’s Zone of Proximal Development to stretch without overwhelming.
• Scaffolded for independence—so students can take ownership while still receiving the support they need.
• Focused and digestible—managing cognitive load by teaching one concept at a time with visual models and chunked instruction.
• Motivating and engaging—especially important for middle schoolers who often disengage if content feels too easy, too hard, or too repetitive. 

What Middle Schools Need: Technology That Understands Middle-Grades Learners 

When done well, edtech can transform middle school intervention from a manual, time-intensive process into a strategic, efficient, and student-centered system. The right tools don’t just assess; they actively close gaps. 

Look for solutions that: 

• Provide adaptive diagnostics that pinpoint where students are in their learning path, not just whether they’re “on grade level.”
• Deliver personalized learning paths that progress from concrete to abstract (following research-backed models like CRA).
• Include immediate feedback, checks for understanding, and embedded assessments to correct misconceptions early.
• Respond in real time to student performance—differentiating instruction automatically and freeing up teachers to focus on higher-impact teaching. 

Better Prepared for 9th Grade—And Beyond 

When intervention is delivered in the middle school years with fidelity, students enter high school ready to thrive. They’re not just caught up, they’re confident. And they’re more likely to stay on track for graduation, postsecondary success, and lifelong learning. 

The Bottom Line: Middle School Intervention is a Necessary Investment in Student Success 

Middle school intervention isn’t just a “nice to have”, it’s a necessary investment in student success. With the right tools and approach, educators can make the most of this pivotal time, ensuring every student builds the foundation they need to step into high school prepared and empowered. 

Exact Path Prepares Middle Schoolers for Algebra I, English 9, and Beyond 

To make the most of middle school intervention, educators need a solution that not only closes learning gaps, but also connects with how middle schoolers think, feel, and learn. Exact Path does just that with grades 6-8 math and ELA curricula designed to spark curiosity, sustain engagement, and prepare students for high school success. 

Built on cognitive science and middle school-specific research, Exact Path delivers personalized, grade-band curriculum that unlocks essential skills and lays the foundation for success in Algebra I, English 9, and beyond. It’s more than intervention, it’s preparation for what’s next. 

Want to see how it works? Watch our middle school webinar to learn more. 

Orihuela, Yuria R. (2006). Algebra I and Other Predictors of High School Dropout (Publication No. 3249717) [Doctoral dissertation, Florida International University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. https://www.proquest.com/docview/304924276 

Huffaker, E. (2025). Evidence-based practices for Algebra I access, placement, and success (EdResearchBrief No. 34). EdResearch for Action. https://edresearchforaction.org/research-briefs/evidence-based-practices-for-algebra-i-access-placement-and-success/ 

Allensworth, E. M., & Easton, J. Q. (2007). What matters for staying on-track and graduating in Chicago public high schools: A close look at course grades, failures, and attendance in the freshman year. Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/what-matters-staying-track-and-graduating-chicago-public-schools 

Last week, TNTP and New Classrooms released a report, “Unlocking Algebra,” which identifies specific “predecessor” math skills from earlier grades that strongly predict student success in Algebra 1. The report finds that targeted, individualized instruction on these foundational skills is likely a more effective intervention than general remediation or grade-level-only instruction. The report presents several conclusions: 

Conclusion #1: Not all prior knowledge is equal

Students who lacked key predecessor skills struggled significantly more in Algebra 1 than those who had them, even if they had general math knowledge.

• Students with few prior math skills: 13% success rate
• Students with general prior math knowledge (but missing key skills): 31% success rate
• Students with general and key predecessor skills: 58% success rate

Conclusion #2: Instructional coherence is essential

Core instruction (Tier 1) and interventions (Tier 2) are often disconnected and inconsistent. Evidence underscores the importance of aligning curriculum, materials, assessments, and interventions around a shared vision of grade-level expectations and key predecessors.

Key Predecessor Skills and Exact Path

The Unlocking Algebra report reaffirms our conclusion that not all prior knowledge contributes equally to algebra readiness. That’s why we built our framework around the foundational skills most predictive of Algebra 1 success, not just general math knowledge. 

Our Exact Path 6-8 content was built with these predecessor skills in mind and with an intentional goal of ensuring students experience a connected progression of skills across grade levels. Each Exact Path lesson is part of a carefully scaffolded pathway that teaches prerequisite skills explicitly and in sequence, helping students make meaningful connections between what they know and what comes next, supporting both Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction. 

Below, we have compared the report’s list of necessary prerequisites (grade 6-8) and identified the Exact Path lesson that teaches each skill and the applicable concepts. After removing duplicate entries and skills taught exclusively in 9th grade, 28 unique skills remain—each addressed by a targeted Exact Path lesson and its supporting concepts:

It’s important to note that each key predecessor skill depends on earlier foundational concepts. Exact Path is intentionally designed to teach these concepts in a logical, sequenced progression. This sequencing isn’t just a feature; it’s essential. The TNTP report highlights that instructional coherence is as crucial as identifying the right skills: students need to learn the right skills, in the right order, with effective scaffolding. In Exact Path, students develop proportional reasoning, rational number fluency, and coordinate plane skills in a sequenced way, which together prepare them to master graphing linear equations and calculating rate of change.

Exact Path lessons are clearly and intentionally aligned to standards and grounded in research-based instructional frameworks that ensure students build fluency and understanding over time. Concepts are segmented into manageable chunks, presented with cognitive load in mind, and introduced in a logical order that reflects the way students actually learn by connecting new ideas to prior knowledge. 

Supporting success in Algebra 1

Success in Algebra 1 depends on more than isolated remediation. Exact Path supports learners across the full spectrum by developing number sense, reinforcing proportional relationships, and advancing from concrete representations to abstract reasoning. It does this through intentional scope and sequence and a learning model that emphasizes meaning-making, conceptual understanding, and fluency. This alignment between instructional design and research-based skill progressions is what makes Exact Path an effective tool for closing learning gaps and accelerating long-term success in math.

Together, these design principles ensure that Exact Path not only develops the key predecessor skills identified as critical for Algebra 1 success, but also delivers them through a coherent, research-based instructional sequence—directly reflecting the TNTP report’s core conclusions.

Check out these related resources to support math success:

• Toolkit: Math Success Toolkit
• Article: Curriculum Coherence and Connections Across K-12 Math Instruction
• Webinar: Algebra 1 and English 9 Readiness: Close the Middle School Gap with Exact Path
• Webinar: 5 Ways to Support Your Students’ Transition into Algebra 1

Reference

TNTP. (2025, May 13). Unlocking Algebra: What the Data Tells Us About Helping Students Catch Up. TNTP. https://tntp.org/publication/unlocking-algebra/

About the author  

Stephanie Gold brings over two decades of experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, and digital learning to her role as a Learning Designer at Edmentum. With a deep-seated passion for transforming education through technology, Stephanie has held pivotal roles in STEM education, course design, and school leadership, notably influencing digital curriculum development across various educational settings.   

With a Master of Arts in Science Education from New York University and now pursuing a Master's program in Instructional Design and Technology, Stephanie is adept at integrating pedagogical expertise with technological acumen to craft educational experiences that resonate with both students and educators. Her journey through the educational landscape includes leadership positions in Independent Schools, Online Schools, and the development of Professional Learning Platforms. 

While ongoing formative assessment supports instruction, targeted test readiness ensures students are ready to demonstrate their knowledge on state assessments. Preparing for these high-stakes moments isn’t about last-minute cramming—it’s about building familiarity, confidence, and skill fluency over time. 

Practice That Mirrors the Real Test

In the lead-up to testing, educators can use Exact Path Standards Mastery for independent practice.

What are the independent practice features in Exact Path Standards Mastery?

• Randomized practice questions from a large item bank
• Immediate feedback on responses
• Retry opportunities with new questions from the same standard

This mirrors the format and rigor of high-stakes tests while supporting learning and retention through repetition and feedback.

Real-Time Insights to Guide Final Prep

As students engage in independent practice, educators receive real-time data showing which standards have been mastered and which still need attention. This is where Exact Path Standards Mastery shines—equipping educators at every level with actionable insight.

What do actionable insights equip educators to do?

• Focus class time on high-priority standards
• Use real-time data to target final instruction
• Monitor progress up to the last day of prep

This ensures that instruction in the final weeks is sharply focused on closing remaining gaps.

A Strategic Timeline for Test Readiness

Start incorporating test prep using independent practice 6–8 weeks before testing. Structure your weeks to focus on standard clusters that align with state blueprints.

What are some test prep implementation ideas?

• Whole-class instruction on common gaps
• Small-group or 1:1 intervention sessions
• Daily practice for test-taking stamina and format familiarity

The short 10-question format allows practice to be embedded flexibly as bell ringers, exit tickets, or review stations.

Flexible, Effective, and Actionable

What makes this strategy so effective is how seamlessly it integrates into instruction. Educators don’t have to reinvent the wheel—Exact Path Standards Mastery does the heavy lifting with flexible, pre-built, auto-graded assessments to inform instruction and drive content reviews and test prep.

Together, ongoing formative assessment and strategic test practice form a complete instructional cycle. Exact Path Standards Mastery empowers educators to monitor progress all year, adjust instruction in real time, and prepare every student for proficiency and test success.

This article focuses on implementing effective, year-round formative assessment to monitor progress on grade-level standards. In part two, we explore how to shift that focus to targeted, high-impact test readiness as state assessments approach—and how the same tool can serve both goals with ease.

In today’s classrooms, year-round formative assessment is essential for monitoring the effectiveness of instruction, identifying specific student needs, and ensuring proficiency in state standards. When done effectively, frequent, consistent short-cycle assessment provides a roadmap for tackling students’ ongoing proficiency needs. But without a sustainable strategy, the effort can feel overwhelming. 

That’s where Exact Path Standards Mastery provides a game-changing solution: real-time data, efficient tools, and actionable insights at every level.

Formative assessment isn’t a one-time event—it’s a mindset of continuous check-ins and instructional adjustments. Exact Path Standards Mastery makes this easy with pre-built, state standards-aligned assessment sets that draw on deep pools of items. Educators simply select the standards they wish to assess, assign the corresponding 10-question assessment, and instantly receive data on student performance. These assessments are auto-graded, saving teachers valuable time and providing immediate insight into who has mastered the content, who just needs a bit more practice, and who needs reteaching.

How to Make Formative Assessment Work Year-Round

The key to effective year-round formative assessment is consistency. Implementing a rhythm of frequent low-stakes checks allows educators to spot potential gaps early and respond before they become obstacles to proficiency.

What is a recommended formative assessment cadence?

• Weekly or biweekly assessments aligned to lesson timelines
• Leave room for reinforcement and reassessment between rounds
• Embed assessments into core instruction

Because these assessments are short, targeted, and easily administered, they fit seamlessly into existing classroom routines.

Real-Time Data at Every Level

What sets Exact Path Standards Mastery apart is the visibility it offers. Data is instantly available not just at the classroom level, but also at the student, subject, grade, school, and district levels. This multi-tiered insight supports instructional decisions from individual just-in-time supports to systemwide resource allocation.

What can educators do with the data from Exact Path Standards Mastery?

• Identify struggling students by standards proficiency
• Track grade-level trends across schools
• Adjust instruction weekly, not just quarterly

This ongoing data collection helps ensure every student is making progress toward grade-level proficiency and allows schools to be agile and responsive in improving readiness for state testing.

Save Time with Pre-Built Assessments

Exact Path Standards Mastery saves time. With a nearly unlimited bank of pre-built, standards-aligned assessments, educators don’t have to spend hours writing, formatting, or grading quizzes. Everything is ready to go. The educator simply chooses what they’d like to assess, and the system handles the rest.

What are the key benefits of pre-built assessments in Exact Path Standards Mastery?

• 10-question sets aligned to state standards
• Auto-graded assessments with instant data
• Flexible use alongside core instruction to support grade-level acceleration

In short, ongoing formative assessment doesn’t have to be time-consuming or inconsistent. With Exact Path Standards Mastery, schools can make it a routine part of teaching and learning, fueling targeted instruction and paving the way for accountability success.

Formative Assessment: Actionable Data to Move Students Forward

Formative assessment isn’t just about gathering data—it’s about acting on it to move students forward. With Exact Path Standards Mastery, educators gain the tools and time they need to make informed instructional decisions, every single week. It’s how schools stay responsive, students are consistently supported, and instruction remains aligned to grade-level expectations.

But as state testing approaches, priorities naturally shift. Educators need to go from spotting standards gaps to building confidence and readiness for high-stakes performance. That’s where part two of this series picks up—showing how to use the same Exact Path tool to pivot seamlessly into targeted test preparation that empowers students to show what they know when it matters most.

As we celebrate the 14th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we're reminded of a fundamental truth in education: learning should be accessible to everyone. Established in 2012, GAAD is celebrated on the third Thursday of May each year and has grown into a worldwide movement dedicated to digital access and inclusion. This annual event encourages people to think, talk, and learn about how to make digital technology accessible and inclusive for the more than one billion people worldwide with disabilities and impairments. From its humble beginnings, GAAD has expanded to include hundreds of events across more than 35 countries, bringing together everyone from developers and designers to educators and policymakers. These events—whether virtual webinars, in-person workshops, or community discussions—all share the common goal of raising awareness about digital barriers and how to overcome them.

At Edmentum, accessibility isn't just a compliance checkbox—it's core to our mission of creating innovative, proven learning acceleration solutions, partnering with educators to ignite student potential. We believe that educational technology should open doors rather than create barriers, which is why we've made accessibility a cornerstone of our product development and content creation processes.

Understanding Digital Accessibility in Education

What is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility means designing digital content and technology so that people with disabilities can use them effectively. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, or neurological differences who may interact with technology in a variety of ways.

For students, inaccessible educational technology can mean the difference between engagement and exclusion. When a visually impaired student can't access an image without alt text, or when a student with motor challenges can't navigate a poorly designed interface, we're not just failing to meet technical standards—we're failing to provide equal educational opportunities.

The WCAG Guidelines: A Framework for Inclusion

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide the foundation for digital accessibility. Currently, we adhere to WCAG 2.2, which organizes accessibility principles under four main pillars:

1. Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means providing text alternatives for non-text content, creating content that can be presented in different ways without losing meaning, and making it easier for users to see and hear content.
2. Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable. This includes making all functionality available from a keyboard, giving users enough time to read and use content, and avoiding content that could cause seizures or physical discomfort.
3. Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This means making text readable and understandable, making content appear and operate in predictable ways, and helping users avoid and correct mistakes.
4. Robust: Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This involves maximizing compatibility with current and future user tools.

By following these guidelines, we ensure that our educational content works for everyone, regardless of how they access or interact with it.

Universal Design for Learning: A Framework for Inclusive Education

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that guides the design of learning experiences to meet the needs of all students. Developed by CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology), UDL is based on cognitive neuroscience research and focuses on three key principles:

1. Multiple means of engagement: Providing various ways to motivate learners and sustain their interest
2. Multiple means of representation: Presenting information and content in different formats
3. Multiple means of action and expression: Offering diverse methods for students to demonstrate what they know

At Edmentum, we've integrated UDL principles into our product development process, recognizing that designing for variability from the start benefits all learners. UDL and digital accessibility work together hand-in-hand—while accessibility ensures that content can be technically accessed by users with disabilities, UDL expands on this foundation to create learning experiences that are engaging and effective for everyone.

For example, providing closed captions on videos not only makes content accessible to deaf or hard-of-hearing students (an accessibility consideration) but also helps English language learners, students in noisy environments, and those who process information better through reading than listening (a UDL approach).

How Does Edmentum Make Digital Products Accessible?

Commitment to Born-Accessible Content

At Edmentum, we've embraced a dual approach to accessibility: ensuring all new content is "born accessible,” and remediation of existing content.

Born-accessible content means designing with accessibility in mind from the start, rather than retrofitting it later. This approach not only creates better experiences for users with disabilities but also typically results in improved usability for everyone. When we design for diverse needs from the beginning, we create more thoughtful, flexible, and user-friendly educational experiences. For example, our product development teams consider how a student who may be visually impaired would interact with our products while also keeping the level of engagement high for students with no visual impairments. This results in an equivalent experience that is usable for all learners. 

Here are some examples of born accessible content in Courseware and Exact Path:

Transcripts with Scene Descriptions

All new videos include a transcript that provides scene descriptions for content presented in the background of the video that may not be discussed in narration.

Videos with Closed Captioning

All new videos have narration and include synchronized closed captioning files.

High Contrast Image and Text

Images used within videos and alongside content provide high contrast between the background, image, and text (where needed).

LaTeX (with MathJax)

Math content is made compatible with screen readers and zooming functionality by using MathJax, an engine that displays mathematical notation in web browsers as text instead of images of text.

Highlighters

Students are able to use highlighters within instruction to help with high contrast, as well as note-taking.

The Remediation Effort: Scale and Impact

Our commitment to accessibility has required significant investment in remediating our extensive content library. Some key achievements include:

• Adding descriptive alt text to over 200,000 images, ensuring that visually impaired students can access the same visual information as their peers
• Remediating thousands of pages of PDFs to make them fully accessible to screen readers and other assistive technologies
• Replacing tens of thousands of images of mathematical equations with MathType (LaTeX), making complex mathematical content accessible to students using screen readers or other assistive devices
• Added closed captioning and transcripts with scene description files to hundreds of hours of videos

This massive undertaking represents not just technical compliance, but our dedication to ensuring that every student can engage with our content on equal terms.

Measuring Success: Edmentum’s Accessibility Evaluation Process

Creating accessible content represents only half the equation—we also verify the effectiveness of our efforts. We take a comprehensive approach to evaluating our accessibility:

Third-Party Validation

Edmentum partners with Level Access to leverage their digital accessibility platform and 25 years of experience to achieve and sustain conformance to accessibility standards. We use Level Access’ digital accessibility platform to evaluate our digital properties in accordance with best practices and, supported by a representative team of accessibility professionals, including users with disabilities.

VPATs for Transparency

For each of our core products, we leverage our partnership with Level Access to publish Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) every year. The VPATs document how our products conform to accessibility standards. These detailed reports allow educators and administrators to make informed decisions about which tools will best serve their diverse student populations.

Continuous Improvement

Accessibility isn't a one-time achievement but an ongoing commitment. We regularly review and update our content and platforms to address new accessibility challenges and incorporate emerging best practices by providing ongoing training and documentation to our product and technology teams.

Learn More About Accessibility at Edmentum

We're proud of our accessibility efforts, but we recognize that this work is never complete. We continue to learn, improve, and adapt to meet the diverse needs of all learners.

To learn more about our commitment to accessibility:

• Visit edmentum.com/about/accessibility to access VPATs for Exact Path, Courseware, and Apex Courses, and information about accommodations and modifications for each product.
• Explore our product-specific accessibility features in the support documentation for individual programs.
• Contact our support team with specific accessibility questions or needs.

Conclusion: Digital Accessibility Creates Opportunity

Global Accessibility Awareness Day reminds us that digital accessibility isn't just about technical compliance—it's about creating equal opportunities for all learners. At Edmentum, we're committed to building educational technology that empowers rather than limits, that includes rather than excludes.

By making our content accessible, we're not just following guidelines; we're affirming our belief that every student deserves the chance to learn, grow, and succeed. As we continue to innovate in educational technology, accessibility will remain at the heart of everything we create.

About the author

Dr. Wendi Tierney has over a decade of experience in education. With a broad range of experiences within education, accessibility became her passion throughout her time in the classroom as well as her time here at Edmentum. 

She has expertise in literacy and social studies teaching, from grades 4-12, where she worked in many roles over her years in public education. These roles included ELA teacher (grades 4-12), Social Studies Teacher (grades 4-12), Teacher Technology Coach, Mentor Teacher, Certified Teacher Evaluator with NIET, and Professional Learning Leader through a Special Education grant with the state of Louisiana. 

At Edmentum, she has worked in a variety of roles including Content Designer, Content Specialist, and Accessibility Strategy and Implementation Manager. Each of these roles has included product expertise in every Edmentum product. 

Her academic research explored ways to make digital curriculum accessible for all students. This research, training, and follow-up surveying was conducted within the Edmentum organization. After completing her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, she pursued leading the Accessibility Program for Edmentum by working with the ad hoc Accessibility Working Group that consisted of multiple stakeholders across departments.

This trend presents challenges for district enrollment and funding, but also offers new opportunities for school systems to bring students back by thinking strategically. Flexible offerings, part-time enrollment, and even becoming an approved ESA provider are options for districts to consider.

Homeschool Growth: A Nationwide Shift

The rise in homeschool participation isn’t isolated—it’s happening across nearly every state. According to EdChoice’s 2025 ABCs of School Choice report:

• In Idaho, Alaska, and North Carolina, over 8% of students are homeschooled.
• Florida, Texas, and Georgia report some of the largest raw numbers of homeschool students.
• Families who choose to homeschool increasingly cite flexibility, safety, personalized learning, and dissatisfaction with traditional schooling as drivers.

The result? Fewer full-time enrollees in public schools and a direct hit to district budgets tied to Average Daily Membership (ADM) or Average Daily Attendance (ADA).

ESA Programs and Homeschool Access

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) provide families with state funds to use on approved educational expenses, including online courses, tutoring, and supplemental curriculum. ESA programs in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina with active ESA programs explicitly include homeschool students.

In states like Arizona, where the ESA program is universal, districts can register as ESA vendors, offering part-time courses, tutoring, or credit-bearing virtual classes that homeschool families can purchase with ESA funds.

For districts, this is a chance to re-engage learners through non-traditional channels.

Part-Time Enrollment: A Prorated Path Forward

Another approach that’s gaining traction is part-time enrollment for homeschooled students. In some states, laws allow homeschoolers to enroll in one or more public school classes, which generates prorated funding for the district.

States with clear statutory language supporting part-time public school enrollment include:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• North Carolina (including ESA+ students)
• Wisconsin

Districts in these states can expand access to online electives, lab-based science courses, or CTE programs to incentivize re-engagement from homeschool families—without requiring full-time enrollment. And even in states without explicit language, local policy or board action may still allow part-time enrollment.

What Can Districts Do?

Forward-thinking school systems are proactively responding to these trends. Here’s how:

• Become an ESA provider: In states like Arizona or Alabama, districts can list approved courses, tutoring programs, or enrichment offerings on ESA marketplaces, reaching homeschool families directly.
• Offer flexible part-time pathways: Create course bundles or intervention services homeschool families can “opt into” based on need or interest.
• Market virtual and hybrid options: Highlight flexible, high-quality learning experiences available through your district—particularly for hard-to-staff subjects like AP, world languages, and STEM.
• Track local policy shifts: Monitor your state's ESA expansion and part-time rules. Laws are evolving quickly, and your district can be a leader. 

Families are seeking choice and flexibility. Districts that respond with adaptive programming, open access, and innovative partnerships stand the best chance not only of stemming enrollment losses, but turning them into opportunities for growth.

Learn how Edmentum can help you meet families' needs for flexibility and quality education while keeping students enrolled in your district with EdOptions Academy’s turnkey virtual learning.

Career-Connected Learning vs. Career and Technical Education 

Traditional vocational and training programs evolved into Career and Technical Education (CTE) two decades ago. Although this led to some expansion in focus and availability, CTE programs are still often promoted only to some students, and particularly a segment of students who are considered to be on a “non-college” track.

Now, the broader and increasingly accepted term, Career-Connected Learning (CCL), includes both CTE and career pathways and features an expanded focus and reach shaped by growing evidence of improved academic outcomes. The goal of CCL is to enable all students to graduate both college- and career-ready. Importantly, building quality CCL programs is an objective for all members of a district’s leadership team—not only the CTE directors who traditionally oversee such programs, but also superintendents, curriculum directors, principals, and other leaders responsible for overseeing teaching and learning. Backed by research, CCL is increasingly gaining traction because it reflects and responds to the real-world needs of today's students, as well as the evolving demands of the job market. 

The Importance and Urgency of Career-Connected Learning: "Why?" and "Why Now?" 

For too long, CTE was treated as vocational or non-academic. It was seen as a fallback for students who weren’t college-bound. But those days are over. A broad consensus is beginning to emerge: all students deserve access to high-quality CTE, and it should be viewed as a crucial framework that prepares learners for both higher education and the workforce.

During a recent Edmentum webinar, Deb Delisle, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education and State Superintendent of Schools for Ohio, emphasized that a focus on career-connected learning for all is really about expanding economic mobility. She pointed out that too many students graduate without a clear sense of direction, and that CCL can play a vital role in helping them identify their interests and skills and then connect those to meaningful career paths.

This shift is visible in the data, too. According to an Advance CTE report, in 2024 alone, 40 states enacted more than 150 policies to enhance career readiness and accessibility, the most since 2019. These changes reflect a growing recognition that our traditional education systems haven't kept up with modern student needs or job market demands.

Consider the powerful example shared by Edmentum’s CEO Jamie Candee during the same webinar: a student who was nearly expelled because he’d missed so much school found purpose in forensic science and criminal justice courses. That coursework turned into motivation, and graduation became a stepping stone to a career—not just a school requirement. Stories like these illustrate the impact of exposure to hands-on, relevant learning opportunities.

States like Indiana and Maryland are transforming accountability systems to include career learning experiences as graduation requirements. Maryland is going a step further: by 2030, all high school graduates must earn an industry-recognized credential or complete a registered apprenticeship. These forward-thinking policy decisions signal a big shift in what it means to be "ready" for life after high school.

There’s a certain urgency here, too, given that the workforce is undergoing a "silver tsunami," as veteran employees retire in droves. Because in the process, they’re taking decades of institutional knowledge with them. 

Schools are forming partnerships to bridge this gap. Students are not just learning about careers, they’re also experiencing them firsthand, from internships and job shadowing to building homes through Habitat for Humanity and participating in career-themed academies.

Postsecondary Readiness Means College and Career

As Tim Taylor, co-founder and president of America Succeeds, puts it, technical skills alone are no longer sufficient for jobs. His organization analyzed 88 million job descriptions and found that eight of the top 10 most in-demand skills are "durable skills" like critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.

These skills often develop through real-world experiences, project-based learning, and student-led initiatives. Knowing the answers isn’t enough. Students need to apply their knowledge in authentic settings and learn what it means to function as capable, responsible adults.

Donald Fennoy II, former superintendent of the School District of Palm Beach County, says career-connected learning goes beyond job training. It helps students learn how to interact with others, take responsibility, and gain real-world experience that prepares them for both work and life. He also stresses the need for strong partnerships with business and industry, since schools often can’t update curriculum fast enough on their own. For Fennoy, this kind of learning gives students the practical skills and global perspective they need to succeed.

Research from the CTE Research Network reinforces this. Over two decades of studies show that students who engage in high-quality CTE are more likely to complete high school, enroll in two- or four-year colleges, earn industry credentials, and secure employment with higher wages.

Rather than channeling students into narrow career tracks, we can instead empower them with skills that support multiple pathways: college enrollment, meaningful employment, or even military enlistment, as seen in Virginia’s 3E accountability framework (Enrollment in post-secondary institutions, Employment, and Enlistment in the military).

Indeed, it’s time for the whole concept of postsecondary readiness to change. Rather than focusing on just academic achievement, we need to help students learn to apply their knowledge under real-world conditions. And this starts with giving them opportunities to do so.

Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends survey highlights an “experience gap” in Generation Z. Employers increasingly want entry-level candidates with 2-5 years of experience. What they’re really seeking are workers who can apply knowledge in context and who already possess skills like problem-solving, time management, and the ability to prioritize. This expectation is only going to grow.

Building a Modern CTE Program Starts in Middle School

Middle school is actually emerging as the new frontier in comprehensive career-connected learning. Research shows that early career exploration helps students connect their interests to long-term goals. Middle school is a critical transition period where real-world learning can boost student engagement and help close achievement gaps.

Edmentum Career is helping districts lead this shift with a comprehensive approach for grades 6-12. Students begin by discovering their interests through surveys and exploring broad career fields, such as digital citizenship, health sciences, and engineering. By high school, they dive deeper into over 180 semester-long courses aligned to the 14 Career Clusters.

This type of layered experience gives students agency. They can sample a wide range of fields before choosing to specialize, which reduces the pressure of early decision-making and helps align passions with practical outcomes.

Students who "concentrate"—which means they take three or more CTE courses in a specific field—see even greater benefits. They graduate with industry-recognized credentials and are better prepared to adapt in a fast-changing workforce. And with 57 multi-year pathways available, Edmentum enables students to tailor their journey and build a portfolio that employers respect.

Sarah Miles, National Solutions Director at Edmentum, emphasizes that building an effective CTE program takes collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders. It’s not just about district leadership; it’s about forming relationships with local industries and involving them directly in program design. When employers participate in advisory panels and planning teams, schools are better positioned to align coursework with real workforce needs—opening doors to internships, apprenticeships, and career pipelines that begin before graduation.

While stakeholder collaboration ensures programs reflect real-world needs, the design and delivery of curriculum itself also plays a pivotal role. In a webinar covering CCL for all, Jason Bass, Edmentum’s Senior Vice President of Courses and Career, highlighted the importance of a flexible, engaging curriculum. Edmentum’s scaffolded courses include pre-tests, tutorials, mastery checks, and interactive tools that support learning at every stage. Because the courses are customizable, schools can adapt them to meet the unique needs of their communities—ensuring content stays relevant, rigorous, and responsive to evolving job markets.

Another key element is the integration of durable skills, which are essential for success across career sectors. Through a partnership with America Succeeds, Edmentum embeds these skills into the curriculum. This allows us to teach not just technical knowledge, but also how to lead, collaborate, and solve problems in dynamic (read: real) environments.

Getting these programs off the ground isn’t always easy, of course. One major hurdle is funding: CTE programs often receive a small slice of K-12 budgets. However, when districts see CTE as essential to their academic strategy—not just an add-on—it can absolutely open the door to braided funding models and stronger alignment with postsecondary and industry partners. 

Further, through a partnership with Interplay Learning, Edmentum Career gives students the opportunity to engage in simulation-based learning in nine of the most high-demand skilled trades—including HVAC, electrical, and plumbing—without the need for expensive equipment and facilities. This disrupts the status quo of trade prep by making experiential, job-ready training available to students everywhere. 

Teacher capacity can be another challenge. CTE educators need both industry knowledge and classroom pedagogy. Edmentum supports schools with coaching, on-demand help, and access to credentialed instructors who can lead online instruction tailored to local needs and schedules. 

What’s Next for Career-Connected Learning Across U.S. Districts?

Many educational leaders are excited by the transformative potential of career-connected learning. It's less about steering students down a single path and more about opening doors. As students increasingly navigate nontraditional routes and multiple career changes, educators must provide the durable skills and practical experience to keep up.

Programs like Edmentum Career exemplify this future. They provide flexible, customizable solutions for districts aiming to give every student a strong start. From exploration in sixth grade to capstone projects that link learning to the workplace, this model is designed to help students succeed in the long term.

Districts are clear about what they want. The objective is to graduate students who are equipped to thrive. They're asking for systems that support whole child development, integrate real-world context, and prepare learners for a complex, evolving job landscape. From educators to employers, stakeholders tend to share this vision.

So, as state policies evolve, funding models improve, and more success stories emerge from classrooms and communities, the case for career-connected learning grows stronger. And the momentum, of course, continues to build. 

What’s exciting about career-connected learning is that it’s not a trend. It’s a fundamental rethinking of how we prepare students for life. By prioritizing real-world skills and opportunities in our schools, we’re not just helping students graduate. We’re giving them the tools to thrive in any path they choose.

The most effective way to achieve this is not by adding more to educators’ plates, but by streamlining how assessments are used. That’s where a strategic split between ongoing formative assessments and targeted practice becomes powerful. When these two functions are clearly defined and thoughtfully deployed, they work in tandem to give educators what they need when they need it: real-time instructional insight and test-readiness support. 

A Smarter Framework: Two Paths, One Goal 

While both formative assessments and test practice aim to advance learning, they serve distinct purposes in the instructional cycle: 

• Ongoing formative assessment is embedded within daily instruction. It acts as a real-time GPS, helping educators navigate the learning path, identify misconceptions, and adjust in the moment. These frequent, standard-specific checks are the engine behind instructional efficiency and keep classrooms aligned with grade-level expectations.
• Practice, by contrast, is designed to build endurance and confidence for test day. It simulates high-stakes environments with rigorously aligned content while still offering learning-forward features like immediate feedback and detailed explanations. The option for randomized retakes ensures that students are practicing with purpose, not just memorization. 

By distinguishing between these two modes—not just in function, but in delivery—educators are empowered to take a more intentional approach. Each serves a unique role in helping students master content and prepare for the stakes of state testing. 

Why the Separation of Assessment Types Matters 

Bundling all assessments under one umbrella dilutes their purpose. Educators might be left guessing: Is this a teaching tool or a testing tool? By contrast, a clear, dual-mode system simplifies execution. Educators know exactly when and how to use each—no second-guessing, no wasted time. 

• Formative assessment improves instructional alignment and teaching efficiency, allowing teachers to focus their energy where it counts.
• With practice, students gain familiarity with test-like conditions, reducing anxiety and improving performance when it matters most. 

Together, they create a cadence of learning and rehearsal that drives both classroom success and systemwide proficiency gains. 

Making Dual-Purpose Assessment Work in Practice 

A strong strategy doesn’t require overhauling instruction; it requires consistency and clarity. Here's a four-step plan to implement both modes without creating new burdens: 

1. Embed formative checks weekly, aligned to current instruction. Use the data to guide pacing and interventions.
2. Introduce practice at key intervals—end of units, after major standards clusters, or in lead-up to benchmark assessments.
3. Encourage student ownership by sharing progress data and allowing retakes. When students see growth, motivation follows.
4. Review patterns at the system level. With data aggregated across roles—student, teacher, school, and district—leaders can spot trends and act early. 

This isn’t about adding more assessments. It’s about using them more purposefully—turning every insight into action, and every action into momentum. 

From Insight to Accountability Success 

The ultimate goal? Not more tests. Not just better scores. But proficiency with purpose—grade-level mastery that’s sustained, scalable, and measurable. A strategy built on both real-time insight and rigorous practice closes learning gaps faster and supports achievement at every level—from the individual student to district-wide accountability targets. 

If you’re ready to streamline your assessment approach and accelerate progress toward accountability goals, Edmentum’s Exact Path Standards Mastery was built for this moment. With a nearly unlimited bank of state standards-aligned items, auto-grading, rich data reporting, and dual-mode flexibility, Standards Mastery turns assessment into a strategic advantage, making teaching more efficient, learning more intentional, and accountability success more attainable.

“I just don’t ‘get’ math.”

We’ve all heard students say some version of these statements. Perhaps we’ve even said them ourselves. Yet, we know that any student can be a capable math learner when they understand what’s possible. With a dedicated teacher on their side, kids can learn anything.

For this piece, we asked a few of Edmentum’s middle school math teachers—each of whom has years of experience teaching both in traditional and online settings—to share their insights for helping students build confidence and develop their math skills.  

How our teachers help all students see themselves as capable math learners 

Heather Lane is in her fourth year with Edmentum and currently teaches middle school math. Prior to joining Edmentum, she spent over 10 years teaching middle school math in-person. She also spent time as an elementary math teacher, but her true passion is in the middle grades.  

How Heather helps students understand they are capable of learning math: 

"No matter a student's background or skill level, my goal is to make math accessible and approachable. I break concepts down into clear, manageable steps, ensuring they can be easily followed. By identifying and filling in any gaps in understanding, I help students build confidence to tackle problems independently.” 

Bill Phare is a math educator with 18 years of teaching experience, including being with Edmentum since 2018. He holds a BS in Mathematics from the University of Colorado - Denver and a M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Digital Teaching and Learning. Bill has taught students from young elementary through AP courses, designing engaging, standards-based lessons that foster conceptual understanding and confidence. 

How Bill helps students understand they are capable of learning math:   

“I foster an environment built on growth mindset, clear communication, and personalized support. I strive to create a supportive environment where mistakes are part of learning, and I use clear, consistent pedagogy along with multiple instructional strategies to build understanding of mathematical concepts. My goal is to build confidence and curiosity, helping students internalize the belief that they can succeed in mathematics with persistence and support.” 

Jackie Varner been teaching math for eight years, with three years in a brick-and-mortar classroom and five years as a virtual math teacher. Jackie's passion lies in making math accessible and meaningful for all learners, helping them build confidence and achieve success. She strives to change the narrative that "math is hard" by breaking down concepts in a way that makes sense to students, showing them that math is not only understandable but also enjoyable. 

How Jackie helps students understand they are capable of learning math:   

“I help all students understand that they are capable math learners by fostering a growth mindset and creating a supportive learning environment. I remind my students that mistakes are part of the learning process; if they don’t know an answer, it’s okay because we will review the questions together as a class. Sometimes during practice problems, I pair students so they can collaborate, discuss their thinking, and learn from each other. By celebrating progress, providing meaningful feedback, and setting high expectations with support, I help build my students' confidence in their ability to succeed in math.” 

Ashleigh O’Neill has been an educator for more than 20 years as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, mathematics specialist and administrator. 

How Ashleigh helps students understand they are capable of learning math:   

“It's important for students to believe that they can be successful in their math courses. Sometimes, students have self-limiting beliefs that make it difficult for them to find success. Working with students individually and allowing them to see their own strengths often helps restore a student's confidence.” 

Favorite strategies to help middle school students develop their math skills 

Jackie Varner: Using visual models, concrete manipulatives, and real-world scenarios 

One effective strategy for helping middle school students develop their math skills is using visual models to teach fraction operations, particularly in grades 6 and 7. Fractions are often an intimidating concept for students because they involve multiple rules for different operations, making it easy to feel overwhelmed. Many students struggle with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions because they rely solely on memorized procedures without truly understanding the concepts behind them. By incorporating visual aids such as fraction bars, number lines, and area models, students can better grasp how fractions relate to one another, making these operations more intuitive. 

In 7th grade, solving equations is a critical skill that helps students build a strong algebraic foundation. At this stage, students transition from basic arithmetic to understanding variables, inverse operations, and balancing equations. Many struggle because they see equations as abstract rather than logical steps that maintain balance. A helpful strategy is using concrete models, such as online algebra tiles or a balance scale analogy, to show that whatever is done to one side of the equation must also be done to the other. These hands-on approaches help students visualize the process and develop confidence in solving equations independently. 

In 8th grade, developing a strong understanding of slope and rate of change is essential. Many students struggle with slope because they see it as just a formula rather than a concept that describes real-life relationships. To make it more meaningful, I use real-world applications and visual representations. I relate slope to familiar scenarios, such as the steepness of a ramp, speed in miles per hour, or the cost per item when shopping. By connecting slope to real-life experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of how rates of change apply beyond the classroom. 

By using visual models, concrete manipulatives, and real-world connections, students develop a stronger conceptual foundation, making math more engaging and accessible. These strategies help students gain confidence, improve problem-solving skills, and prepare them for more advanced math courses. 

Ashleigh O’Neill: Making content manageable and relatable  

Middle school students often need to have the work broken into smaller chunks so the content doesn't feel overwhelming. The content also needs to feel relatable—if it doesn't feel like it connects to the student's real-life experiences, it's harder for them to make the leap from abstract to concrete concepts. 

Bill Phare: Interactive tools and collaborative activities 

In an online setting, I use interactive tools like Desmos and virtual manipulatives to help 6th and 7th graders grasp concepts like ratios, proportions, and fraction operations. These visual platforms keep students engaged and make abstract ideas more concrete. 

For 8th grade, I use GeoGebra and coordinate plane tasks to teach the Pythagorean Theorem. Students explore right triangles, calculate distances, and visually confirm the theorem in real time. I also try to use collaborative activities, like breakout rooms, to encourage peer discussion and strengthen conceptual understanding. 

Heather Lane describes a time her student made a major math breakthrough 

I had a student that was really struggling in math. His mom reached out and asked if I would meet with him on Zoom (at the time, he felt so lost that he was uncomfortable asking for help). We set up a call and I spent some time getting to know him better.  

We had some common interests, so we talked about them a little bit and then transitioned to the math assignments. He was overwhelmed. The math was just not making sense to him. He struggled with the terminology, so I rephrased some of the procedures to put them in simpler terms. Then, I asked some of the questions on an assignment and he was able to do them! That was a big boost to his confidence. 

The student and I met throughout the semester working through any difficulties that came up. Occasionally, it was a skill that needed to be sharpened, but most of the time he just needed to talk over the math and have it phrased in a way that made sense to him. I had the student again the following year, and he sailed through with confidence and great success! We only met 1-on-1 once that year, at the end...he wanted to tell me thank you. 

Visit our Math Success Toolkit for videos, articles, and other resources to support students' math learning. Or, visit our virtual learning page to learn about scalable, human-centered, pedagogically sound virtual instruction to help you address teacher shortages, increase capacity, and expand options in your district.  

Below are 15 ideas to help school leaders celebrate teachers and foster a sense of connection and gratitude across the building: 

Help Teachers Enjoy Deals and Discounts 

Many restaurants, stores, and online retailers offer freebies and discounts during Teacher Appreciation Week. We’ve compiled a list of more than 65 deals you can share with teachers. You can also encourage them to enter Edmentum’s gift card giveaway!  

Make an Appreciation Routine 

Regularly shining the spotlight on your staff, via a post from your school social media accounts, an email blast, or just an old-fashioned shout-out during your next team meeting, is great way to show you see the incredible things they are doing and value how hard they are working. You can even start sharing these free downloadable gratitude cards with your staff right now. 

Choose a Fun Theme 

Arranging a special staff lunch, setting up a coffee and donuts one morning, or even taking the time to celebrate a teacher’s birthday are all easy ways to show your staff you care. But taking the extra step of including a fun theme can really wow the crowd by showing that you’re willing to put in the extra effort to make things special. Check out these fun theme ideas by Julie David. 

Write Personalized Thank You Notes 

A handwritten note from the principal recognizing each teacher’s unique impact can go a long way in making them feel seen and appreciated. To make them authentic and meaningful, be sure to set aside time to share something personalized for each of your teachers.  

Give Classroom Coverage Breaks 

Offer short breaks by stepping in to cover a class. As everyone challenged by tight school schedules can understand, even 30 minutes of downtime feel like the world to an overextended teacher. 

Choose a ‘Star of the Week’ 

Go the extra mile by periodically selecting a member of your staff to be the teacher’s lounge ‘Star of the Week.’ You can find a simple Star of the Week template online, and either have your Star Educator fill it out themselves with a few fun “get-to-know-me” facts or create their Star of the Week poster yourself. Once it’s ready, find a place to put it up where everyone can see. It may seem a little silly at first, but spotlighting your teachers shows that you see them (and appreciate) who they are, inside and outside of the school building.  

Set Up Catered Meals and Coffee Stations 

Here’s a chance to teach your teachers: this week, there is such a thing as a free lunch. Bring in breakfast, lunch, or create a rotating snack and coffee bar to keep spirits high throughout the week. 

Arrange Student-Led Appreciation 

Organize ways for students to share their thanks—whether through morning announcements, a gratitude wall, or heartfelt notes delivered to teachers. As much as teachers enjoy being celebrated by their principal, there’s nothing like appreciation from students.  

Organize “Room Service” for Teachers 

Design a simple menu where teachers can request small treats or supplies to be delivered to their rooms by staff or volunteers. 

Celebrate Themed Spirit Days 

Plan lighthearted dress-up days that give everyone a reason to smile—think “decades day” to dress like the ‘80s or ‘90s, dress like your teacher, or favorite book characters. 

Plan On-Campus Wellness Breaks 

Partner with a local spa or therapist to provide a day of chair massages or transform the lounge into a peaceful recharge zone. Make sure to plan for coverage during the day so teachers can truly relax and take advantage of the offer.  

Encourage Self-Care 

Teachers are under a lot of pressure and we know they put their whole selves into their work. It can often feel difficult to ask for support when needed, or they may simply feel too busy to even think about it. Make it a routine to encourage and support self-care. You can start by sharing these ideas.  

Arrange Gift Card Giveaways 

Secure donations from local businesses and run daily drawings for gift cards or small prizes. It’s a simple way to inject joy into each day (and don’t forget to have your teachers enter Edmentum’s gift card giveaway). 

Honor Teachers with Public Recognition 

Use school announcements, social media, and even campus signage to highlight your teachers’ achievements and contributions. 

Make it a Surprise! 

Take these ideas to the next level by making them a surprise. After all, who doesn’t love some unexpected perks? 

Let’s Celebrate Teachers, Together 

Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 is more than just a few days on the calendar—it’s a meaningful opportunity for schools and communities to come together in recognition of those shaping our future every day. 

Whether it’s a handwritten note or a free coffee, these thoughtful gestures make a big impact. When principals lead the charge in showing appreciation, it sets the tone for a school culture rooted in respect, gratitude, and collaboration. 

Read below to learn more about Edmentum’s $500 gift card giveaway, along with a list of restaurants, stores, and online retailers offering freebies and discounts for Teacher Appreciation Week. If you’re a principal, share it with your teachers. And if you’re a teacher: thank you for all you do! 

Enter Edmentum’s Teacher Appreciation Giveaway! 

To celebrate educator appreciation, we're giving three lucky winners a $500 gift card to their choice of Amazon or Target. Eligible educators can enter now for a chance to win and the giveaway will begin on April 28. Enter the Edmentum Teacher Appreciation Giveaway here.  

What Freebies Are Available for Teacher Appreciation Week? 

We’ve rounded up some of the free offers available to educators below: 

Free Food and Treats at Restaurants for Teacher Appreciation 

• Applebee’s: Many locations are offering either a free appetizer or dessert with an entrée purchase. Check your local Applebee’s for available offers.
• Burger King: Burger King is expected to offer free fries for educators with any purchase. Watch for app alerts to find out about your local offer.
• Chick-fil-A: Many locations gave free breakfast or lunch to teachers last year. Check with your local store for this year’s promo.
• Dickey’s BBQ Pit: In 2024, Dickey’s offered a free Big Yellow Cup with a $10 purchase. Check in for this year's offer.
• Firehouse Subs: Teachers using the Firehouse Rewards app get BOGO sub deals. Download the app to learn about available perks.
• Freddy’s Frozen Custard: Teachers get a free mini sundae with a valid school ID.
• Hat Creek Burger Co.: At this Texas chain, teachers got a free menu item for Teacher Appreciation Day last year. Check their website for this year’s offer.
• Huddle House: Free meals for teachers were offered in 2024. Check with your local restaurant to confirm 2025 deals.  
• Insomnia Cookies: Last year, teachers with a valid ID for a free classic cookie all week.
• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice: Free small Ice or Gelati on Teacher Appreciation Day. Watch their social media channels to confirm the offer for 2025.
• McAlister’s Deli: McAlister’s is giving a free beverage (iced tea or lemonade) to teachers and a catered lunch giveaway.  
• McDonald’s: At many locations, teachers who present their ID can get free coffee or breakfast products.  
• Peter Piper Pizza: Teachers can get a free personal pizza in-store from 3-7 p.m. during Teacher Appreciation Week.  
• Potbelly: Free cookie or fountain drink with entrée purchase last year. A 2025 repeat is likely.
• RaceTrac: Last year, educators could get a free medium coffee. Watch for 2025 announcements soon.
• Shake Shack: Teachers get a free milkshake with valid school ID.  
• Shipley Do-Nuts: Last year’s offer was a half-dozen glazed donuts free with any purchase for loyalty members.  
• Sonic: Teachers in Sonic Teachers’ Circle got app-exclusive freebies last year. Join to access this year’s deals.
• Starbucks: Last year, educators could receive a tall brewed coffee at many locations. Check your local Starbucks for offers.  
• TGI Fridays: Look out for free entrées for teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day.
• Whataburger: Free breakfast items for teachers before 9 a.m. with a valid school ID.  
• Zaxby’s: In 2024, they offered a BOGO Boneless Wings Meal for rewards members. 

Free Classroom and Supply Kits for Teacher Appreciation 

• Staples: Teachers got free supply kits with ID in 2024. Arrive early—supplies run out fast. Teachers can also get 20% off in-store purchases.  

Teacher Appreciation Digital Freebies for Educators 

• Canva for Education: Always free for teachers. Sign up to access classroom-ready design tools.
• Headspace: Free annual subscription for educators. Register with your school email.
• Loom for Education: Free video recording platform for teachers.  
• Microsoft Office 365 Education: Free access with school email. Includes Word, Excel, Teams, and more.
• WeAreTeachers: Free printable posters available each year. Grab 2025 designs on their site. 

What Discounts Are Available for Teacher Appreciation Week? 

Many restaurants and retail businesses are also offering discounts: 

Teacher Appreciation Restaurant Discounts 

• Abuelo’s: Teachers get a free queso throughout the school year, until May 31. On Teacher Appreciation Day, teachers get 20% off their entire check.  
• Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza: 20% off with teacher ID in 2024. Check with your local restaurant for 2025 deals.  
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Teachers get 20% off all week with ID.  
• BurgerFi: 20% off orders with teacher ID last year. Likely to return.
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Large drinks were $5 for teachers last year. Check for this year's deal soon.  
• Golden Corral: Teachers got 20% off their meal, Monday to Friday last year, with school ID.  
• Happy Joe’s: 10% off at participating stores. Check with your location.
• HTeaO: In 2024, teachers got 50% off drinks. Keep an eye out for 2025 deals.  
• Mountain Mike’s: $15 off any pizza with code APPRECIATE25 from May 6 to 9.
• Noodles & Company: In 2024, they offered $15 off catering with a promo code. Check for this year’s deal.  
• Salata: 20% off meals and catering for teachers on select days. Check their 2025 details.
• Tijuana Flats: Last year, educators got 20% off. Check in-store for details. 

Teacher Appreciation Retail and Tech Discounts 

• Academy Sports: Get 10% off your in-store or online purchase.
• Adidas: Save 30% online or 15% at outlet stores.
• Ann Taylor and LOFT: Educators save 15% in-store.
• Apple: Educators can get up to $200 off eligible devices.
• AT&T: Teachers receive special wireless plan pricing.
• Books-A-Million: With an Educator’s Card, you can get 20% off classroom purchases.
• Cole Haan: Educators can get a 20% discount on footwear and accessories.  
• Crayola: Take 20% off select products using an educator promo code. Check the website for details.  
• Crocs: Teachers receive 15% off full-priced shoes online.
• Dagne Dover: Educators can get a 20% discount.  
• Dockers: Teachers receive 25% off apparel.
• Eyemart Express: Get 20% off eyeglasses with a valid school ID.
• Half Price Books: Educators can save 10% year-round with an Educator Discount Card.
• Hanes: Educators can get 10% off clothing.
• J.Crew: Take 15% off in-store or online purchases.
• JOANN: Get 15% off every purchase with Teacher Rewards.
• KitchenAid: Save 15% on most appliances sitewide.
• L.L. Bean: Eligible educators receive 10% off outdoor gear.
• Michaels: Save 15% on both regular and sale items with a valid teacher ID.
• New Balance: Get 15% off footwear and apparel.
• Office Depot: Educators can receive up to 25% off select items.
• Peacock TV: Teachers are eligible for a discounted premium account.
• Ray-Ban: Educators can save 15% on eyewear.
• Reebok: Save up to 50% online through the teacher discount program.
• Saatva: Receive $225 off mattress orders of $1,000 or more.
• Samsung: Access up to 30% off eligible electronics.
• Tarte Cosmetics: Enjoy 40% off verified purchases.
• Vineyard Vines: Take 15% off your entire online order. 

From all of us at Edmentum—thank you, educators, for the difference you make every day. We hope this list helps you take advantage of the recognition you so richly deserve. 

Here are four foundational questions every district should ask when evaluating its current intervention program or considering a new one:  

1. Are we truly seeing growth, and can we prove it? 

The right tool should accelerate academic growth across diverse student groups, not just show activity or completion. It should also make it easy for educators and leaders to track that growth with meaningful reports tied to research-based usage goals. 

Can you connect program usage directly to student improvement? Can you see the impact at the classroom, school, and district level? If not, it might be time to rethink what “effective” really means. 

2. Will this solution engage students for the long haul? 

Short-term engagement is easy to manufacture. But the real test is whether students stay motivated over time, especially in multi-year implementations. Are the lessons developmentally appropriate across K-12 and personalized to individual learners? Do students see themselves reflected in the content, characters, and voice? 

If every student gets much the same experience regardless of grade level, ability, or age, that’s a red flag. Long-term learning requires more than just logging in. It requires students to want to come back. 

3. How much instructional time are we losing? Is it worth it? 

Diagnostics and placement tests are necessary. But if they’re eating into days—or weeks—of instructional time, it’s worth asking: are they efficient enough? 

Assessment should be accurate and reliable, but also time-conscious. The best solutions provide the information educators need without taking over the calendar. Every day spent testing is a day not spent teaching, and students who need intervention can’t afford to lose that time. 

4. Is our solution the best value for the learners we need to serve? 

Intervention should be powerful, yes—but also flexible. Are you paying only for the students you need to serve, or are you locked into bulk pricing? Are you stuck with additional vendors to support tiered intervention or credit recovery? 

The most valuable programs adapt to your ecosystem and budget, not the other way around. It’s not just about spending less, it’s about getting more from what you do spend. 

The Bottom Line: Greater Possibilities Are Available 

Students deserve interventions that do more than just “work.” They need programs that work better. That means proven growth, real engagement, instructional efficiency, and smart, scalable value. 

If any of these questions gave you pause, you're not alone. More and more district leaders are re-evaluating the tools they’ve used for years; they’re asking, what else is possible? 

At Edmentum, we built Exact Path to reflect these very priorities. Designed to grow with your students and support educators at every step, it offers a thoughtful, research-driven approach to intervention that respects time, celebrates progress, and drives meaningful outcomes. Backed by several ESSA-rated studies and proven effective across assessments and student groups, it delivers some of the strongest results available—at a price that makes sense for schools.  

Take a closer look at Exact Path and see how it can support your goals for student success. 

Mathematical reasoning begins with recognizing when and how math applies to a real-world situation. Students must be able to reframe everyday scenarios as mathematical problems and reason through them using the concepts, strategies, and procedures they've learned. This process transforms informal observations into structured problem-solving opportunities, leading to deeper understanding and more flexible thinking. 

6 Key Mathematical Understandings 

To be mathematically literate, students need opportunities to reason, not just compute. Beyond standards and concepts, there are key mathematical understandings students need that support the development of mathematical reasoning: 

• Understanding quantity, number systems and their algebraic properties
• Appreciating the power of abstraction and symbolic representation
• Seeing mathematical structures and their regularities
• Recognizing functional relationships between quantities
• Using mathematical modeling as a lens onto the real world   
• Understanding variation as the heart of statistics 

The key understandings identified above are not taught in isolation; they are built through meaningful problem-solving experiences and deep engagement with mathematical thinking. When teachers use students’ informal reasoning as a starting point and guide them toward more formal concepts, they help students make sense of complex ideas and build lasting mathematical literacy. This approach creates a strong foundation for mathematical literacy by honoring students’ thinking and helping them connect intuitive strategies to more sophisticated mathematical structures. 

3 Instructional Strategies that Build Math Reasoning 

Practice Tasks with High Cognitive Demand 

Assign problems with multiple solution paths or strategies, where students must explain their thinking rather than just compute an answer. Research by Stein et al. (1996) shows that high-level tasks promote reasoning, representation, and connection-making. These tasks encourage students to explore structure, generalize, and make sense of relationships. 

Use Visual Representations and Multiple Modalities 

Incorporate number lines, bar models, diagrams, manipulatives, and student-created visuals to support reasoning. Representations help students move from concrete to abstract thinking. Research from Boaler (2016) supports the use of visual models to make mathematical structure visible and accessible. “When students learn through visual approaches, mathematics changes for them, and they are given access to deep and new understandings.” 

Connect Informal Strategies to Formal Mathematics 

Start with students’ own reasoning or invented strategies, then guide them toward more efficient or formal methods. Research shows (Baek, 2005) that students who used invented strategies before learning standard algorithms showed better understanding of place value and properties of operations. 

Supporting mathematical reasoning means valuing how students think, not just what they get right. When instruction begins with students’ ideas and builds toward more formal understanding, learners become confident, creative problem-solvers. By prioritizing reasoning in our classrooms, we open the door to deeper understanding and help students see themselves as capable, empowered thinkers who can use math to make sense of the world. 

References 

Baek, J. M. (2005). Children’s mathematical understanding and invented strategies for multidigit multiplication. Teaching Children Mathematics, 12(5), 242–247. 

Boaler, J., Chen, L., Williams, C., & Cordero, M. (2016). Seeing as understanding: The importance of visual mathematics for our brain and learning. Journal of Applied & Computational Mathematics, 5(5), Article 325. https://doi.org/10.4172/2168-9679.1000325 

Henningsen, M., & Stein, M. K. (1997). Mathematical tasks and student cognition: Classroom-based factors that support and inhibit high-level mathematical thinking and reasoning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 28(5), 524–549. https://doi.org/10.2307/749690 

About the author  

Stephanie Gold brings over two decades of experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, and digital learning to her role as a Learning Designer at Edmentum. With a deep-seated passion for transforming education through technology, Stephanie has held pivotal roles in STEM education, course design, and school leadership, notably influencing digital curriculum development across various educational settings.   

With a Master of Arts in Science Education from New York University and now pursuing a Master's program in Instructional Design and Technology, Stephanie is adept at integrating pedagogical expertise with technological acumen to craft educational experiences that resonate with both students and educators. Her journey through the educational landscape includes leadership positions in Independent Schools, Online Schools, and the development of Professional Learning Platforms. 

Edmentum's Exact Path is designed to help students build a strong mathematical foundation by addressing both the why (conceptual understanding) and the how (procedural fluency). The TEKS emphasize the need for students to grasp underlying concepts while also developing the skills necessary to work through math problems accurately and efficiently. 

Conceptual Understanding 

• Exact Path introduces new math concepts through visual models, concrete representations, and real-world examples (e.g., number lines, fraction strips, and geometric representations).
• Students engage in checks for understanding and interstitial questions intend to guide the students to explore why procedures work, building deeper comprehension of patterns, relationships, and underlying principles. 

Procedural Fluency 

• Edmentum’s Exact Path lessons provide scaffolded practice with step-by-step strategies, ensuring students develop accuracy, speed, and flexibility in applying algorithms or formulas.
• Targeted exercises gradually remove scaffolds, helping students gain confidence and mastery of procedures—such as multi-digit multiplication, solving linear equations, or creating and interpreting data charts. 

In Exact Path, lessons often begin by providing visual representations and real-world situations that illuminate the core ideas behind a concept. By presenting, for example, fraction models or geometric relationships, the platform fosters that initial “aha!” moment where students see the reasoning behind each topic. As students progress, they transition into more traditional problem-solving tasks. These activities guide them in mastering the appropriate algorithms or formulas, reinforcing procedural skills that are fundamental to success in higher-level mathematics. 

Throughout this process, Exact Path weaves in the TEKS process skills in a practical way. Students are regularly encouraged to reason through questions, explain their thinking, and test their understanding in a variety of contexts.  

Let’s look at the Knowledge & Skill Statement 5.6 as an example. In 5.6, the student applies mathematical process standards to understand, recognize, and quantify volume. The student is expected to:

• 5.6A: Recognize a cube with side length of one unit as a unit cube having one cubic unit of volume and the volume of a three-dimensional figure as the number of unit cubes (n cubic units) needed to fill it with no gaps or overlaps if possible.  
• 5.6B: Determine the volume of a rectangular prism with whole number side lengths in problems related to the number of layers times the number of unit cubes in the area of the base. 

 In our Grade 5 mathematics module “Tanks a Lot” students work on finding the volume of a fish tank modeled as a rectangular prism. Our lesson embeds a structured problem‐solving process that aligns with TEKS process skills. First, students view a visual model of the tank, which helps them grasp the underlying concept (conceptual understanding). Next, the module guides them through a problem‐solving framework similar to Polya’s four-step method:

• Understanding the Problem: Students examine the model to determine what the problem is asking—identifying dimensions and noting key details.
• Devising a Plan: The module then outlines a strategy: using layers of cubes to cover the base of the tank, which serves as a concrete way to transition from visual to abstract reasoning.
• Carrying Out the Plan: As students input their calculations, the system provides immediate feedback. If their answers aren’t correct, scaffolded hints prompt them to revisit their plan or reexamine the model.
• Reviewing and Reflecting: Finally, students are encouraged to review their steps through a review phase that asks guiding questions about how they arrived at their answer, ensuring they’ve truly understood both the concept and the procedure. 

This interactive, scaffolded approach actively requires students to engage with the problem, apply a logical sequence of steps, and test their understanding through iterative practice and feedback. This model not only reinforces mathematical reasoning but also mirrors the TEKS emphasis on students demonstrating both conceptual insight and procedural fluency. 

In a downloadable resource document, lessons and practice items are linked explicitly to TEKS Student Expectations (SEs), so educators can see where conceptual exploration is happening and where procedural fluency is being developed.   

By explicitly intertwining conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in every aspect of lesson design—from initial exploration to final assessment—we ensure students grasp fundamental principles and develop strong, flexible skills that meet and exceed TEKS requirements. This approach nurtures mathematically proficient learners prepared to tackle increasingly complex concepts and real-world problems. 

Guest article by Dr. Shannon H. Doak, Director of Technology at Nanjing International School 

At Nanjing International School (NIS) in China , we take immense pride in being at the forefront of educational innovation. As the  director of technology, it has been my privilege to contribute to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our curriculum and daily practices. This journey, characterized by both challenges and rewards, has provided us with valuable experiences, insights, and advice for other schools embarking on a similar path.

What Does AI Integration Look Like at NIS?

NIS has adopted a pioneering role in the region by integrating AI across various grade levels, from grades 2 through 12. Our early adoption and piloting of AI platforms have enabled us to explore and harness AI's potential to enhance learning experiences. We have conducted numerous professional development sessions for our teachers, covering essential topics such as advanced prompting techniques, custom-built educational chatbots, the use of an AI platform for launching virtual learning environments, and AI  art generation.

Our real-life experience with AI integration has been transformative. Teachers are saving time and enhancing learning environments with AI, while students engage with our AI platform under teacher guidance. This hands-on approach has significantly boosted engagement from both teachers and students. One particularly interesting project involved an AI chatbot designed as a carbon footprint calculator. Grade 3 students used this chatbot to calculate their class's carbon footprint and received suggestions on reducing their impact. This project generated substantial interest, culminating in a guest speaker  session for the entire grade level. This example highlights how we are addressing the needs of our students by helping them connect personal actions with the impact on climate change. AI is making a positive impact by fostering deeper understanding and engagement with critical real-world issues.

Our AI integration philosophies and practices are fully aligned with NIS' mission to inspire international-mindedness, personal excellence, and creative thinking, ensuring that our approach to AI supports our commitment to inclusion and sustainability. 

Transparent communication with all our school constituents—senior leadership, the school board, parents, students, and teachers—has been crucial in articulating our intentions, philosophies, and the rationale behind integrating AI into our curriculum. By openly sharing our vision and the benefits we anticipate, we've fostered a deeper understanding and garnered substantial support from the community. This inclusive approach ensures that everyone is on the same page, promoting a collaborative and supportive environment as we navigate this innovative journey together. 

What Safeguarding and Ethical Considerations Have You Taken?

As we integrate AI into our school environment, safeguarding our students remains a top priority. We train our teachers to educate students on the importance of not sharing personal information with AI platforms. Additionally, we ensure that any personally identifiable information is redacted before teachers utilize it in AI for professional purposes. To further protect our students, we have adopted an AI platform that does not require students to log in or create accounts, allowing them to benefit from AI without compromising their privacy.

Why Should Schools Integrate AI?

AI is rapidly becoming ubiquitous in our world, and it is our responsibility as educators to prepare our students to use AI responsibly, safely, and appropriately. AI can revolutionize education by making it more contextually relevant to our students' needs. As we prepare students for a future filled with unknowns, we must equip them with the skills and knowledge to navigate and thrive in an AI-driven world.

Advice to Schools: A Three-Phase Cyclical Process

To successfully integrate AI into your school, I recommend following a three-phase cyclical process:  philosophy and guidance, action and implementation, and reflection and strengthening.

Phase 1: Philosophy and Guidance

• Mission & Strategy Alignment: Ensure that AI integration aligns with your school’s mission, vision, and strategy. AI should enhance your educational goals, not detract from them.
• Philosophy & Practices: Develop clear documents outlining your school’s philosophy, beliefs, and practices regarding AI. Create one-pagers to simplify implementation for teachers and students.
• Choice of Tools: Select a few ( two to five) AI platforms or tools to be your official school tools. Choose platforms that align with your educational objectives and are user-friendly.
• Legal Considerations:  Familiarize yourself with the applicable laws and regulations related to AI use in education. Ensure that your AI practices comply with these legal requirements to protect your students and staff.

Phase 2: Action and Implementation

• Community Communication: Communicate your AI integration plans clearly to all members of the school community, including teachers, students, and parents. Transparency is key to building trust and support.
• Student Communication/Piloting: Clearly explain the who, what, when, where, why, and how of AI use to your students. Provide examples and run pilot programs to demonstrate AI’s potential and gather feedback.
• Faculty Communication: Educate your faculty on AI philosophy and practices. Offer internal and external professional development opportunities to upskill and train teachers.
• Parent Communication: Keep parents informed about the AI integration process, philosophy, and practices, and tell them how they can support their children at home.

Phase 3: Reflection and Strengthening

• Measure: Assess the impact of AI on teaching and learning, administrative functions, and teacher workload. Use data to understand what is working and what needs adjustment.
• Reflect: Regularly review and update your AI-related documents to reflect changes and advancements in the AI field.
• Update: Make necessary updates to your documents, tools, and practices based on your reflections and measurements.
• Adjust: Adapt your approaches and training programs to meet the evolving needs of your students and staff.
• Communicate: Continuously communicate any changes or updates to the school community to keep everyone informed and engaged.

Conclusion

Integrating AI into education is a dynamic and ongoing process that requires careful planning, execution, and reflection. Recent advancements indicate AI’s potential to support individualized learning, in alignment with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. At Nanjing International School, we have seen firsthand the transformative power of AI in enhancing education. By following a structured approach and prioritizing the safety and well-being of our students, we can harness AI’s potential to prepare them for a future where AI will be an integral part of their lives.

I encourage other schools to embrace AI with enthusiasm and caution, ensuring that their implementation strategies align with their educational missions and values. Together, we can create learning environments that are innovative, engaging, and safe for all students.

About the author

This article was written by Dr. Shannon H. Doak, director of technology at Nanjing International School. He is an edtech and innovation leader, speaker, author, Poe  creator, coffee lover, and home barista. He is an experienced leader and educator at international and independent schools and has worked in international schools in China for almost two decades. He is an expert in blended learning and  e-learning, and he is practiced in making  professional development more effective. Dr.  Doak is an expert  in using Web 2.0 and 3.0 tools for professional learning.  He is a lifelong learner  and a social media and mobile device  enthusiast, who believes that connection is the key to real learning. He is an AI enthusiast and early adopter. He holds an Ed.D. and a master’s in educational technology, a degree certificate in school technology coordination, and a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education . Dr. Doak has been at the forefront of changing the digital and educational landscape of the schools he has worked for and is continually looking for ways that technology can improve teaching and learning.

In an Education Week article, Sarah Sparks explored the roots of math anxiety, its impact on students and teachers, and how outdated beliefs about who is 'good at math' continue to shape math instruction today. Sparks wrote, “there aren’t ‘math people’ and ‘non-math people,’ only those who work through the challenging lesson and those who surrender too soon.” This idea invites us to reconsider how we define math ability and how we can better support all learners. Let’s take a closer look. 

Where does math anxiety come from? 

While math anxiety is often assumed to result from poor math ability, research tells a different story. You might be surprised to hear that emerging cognitive and neuroscience research (Barroso et al., 2021) finds that math anxiety is not a response to poor math performance. In fact, four out of five students with math anxiety are average-to-high math performers. Rather, math anxiety is linked to higher activity in areas of the brain that relate to fear of failure before a math task, not during it. 

Research consistently shows that anxiety can negatively impact academic achievement. When students experience math anxiety, their stress response takes over, making it harder for them to focus on solving problems (Eysenck et al., 2007). Instead of concentrating on the task, their attention shifts to their anxiety, often interpreting challenges as threats rather than opportunities to learn. This negative thought cycle can make it difficult to engage with the details of a math problem, as worries about failure or frustration take center stage. 

What to look for and how to respond 

Math anxiety can manifest in various ways, from subtle behavioral cues to more overt signs of distress. Students experiencing math anxiety may display avoidance behaviors, such as reluctance to participate in math discussions, hesitancy to attempt problems, or frequent requests for help on tasks they are capable of completing. They may also exhibit physical symptoms, such as tense posture, fidgeting, sweating, or even trembling when confronted with a math-related task, especially under time constraints. To identify students experiencing math anxiety, educators can observe these behavioral and emotional cues, listen for self-defeating language, and monitor how students engage with mathematical tasks. Recognizing these signs early allows educators to respond with strategies that build confidence, reduce stress, and foster a supportive environment where all students feel capable of engaging with math. 

One major barrier to overcoming math anxiety is the prevalence of a fixed mindset; the belief that knowledge or skills are static and cannot be expanded, in this case, the belief that some people are simply 'not math people' while others are naturally gifted. These attitudes take root in childhood and shape how students respond to challenges. When students see intelligence as fixed rather than something that can grow with effort, they may avoid risks, struggle with setbacks, and develop anxiety around math. Research shows that fostering a growth mindset, emphasizing effort, strategies, and persistence, can help break this cycle and build resilience in mathematics (Blackwell et al., 2007). 

How can Edmentum help?

• Digital learning tools with real-time progress monitoring, such as those in Edmentum’s products, can help teachers pinpoint when a student’s struggles stem from a lack of conceptual understanding versus when anxiety may be impairing their ability to demonstrate knowledge.
• Exact Path provides individualized learning paths based on diagnostic assessments. Students work at their own pace, reducing the anxiety that comes from feeling behind or rushed. They receive content that matches their skill level, helping them build competence before moving on to more complex concepts.
• With scaffolded digital lessons that break down multi-step problems and provide guided support, instruction is designed to reduce cognitive load, making it easier for students to focus on problem-solving rather than feeling overwhelmed by complex calculations.
• Edmentum encourages a growth mindset by giving students instant feedback on their answers and progress. Instead of focusing on whether they got an answer wrong, students see mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve.
• Low-stakes assessments and mastery-based learning paths measure progress through formative checks rather than high-pressure exams. Students can see their own growth over time, building confidence rather than feeling defeated by a single poor test score. 

By understanding the roots of math anxiety and addressing it through intentional, research-based strategies, educators can create learning environments where all students feel empowered to succeed. Tools like Exact Path not only provide personalized support and reduce pressure, but also help shift the narrative from fixed ability to growth and progress. When students are given the space to build understanding at their own pace and celebrate incremental gains, math becomes less about fear and more about possibility.  

References:

Barroso, C., Ganley, C. M., McGraw, A. L., Geer, E. A., Hart, S. A., & Daucourt, M. C. (2021). A meta-analysis of the relation between math anxiety and math achievement. Psychological Bulletin, 147(2), 134–168. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000307 

 Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x  

Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: Attentional control theory. Emotion, 7(2), 336–353. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.7.2.336 

About the author 

Stephanie Gold brings over two decades of experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, and digital learning to her role as a Learning Designer at Edmentum. With a deep-seated passion for transforming education through technology, Stephanie has held pivotal roles in STEM education, course design, and school leadership, notably influencing digital curriculum development across various educational settings.  

With a Master of Arts in Science Education from New York University and now pursuing a Master's program in Instructional Design and Technology, Stephanie is adept at integrating pedagogical expertise with technological acumen to craft educational experiences that resonate with both students and educators. Her journey through the educational landscape includes leadership positions in Independent Schools, Online Schools, and the development of Professional Learning Platforms. 

As schools across the country navigate a range of student needs, it’s important to understand the distinct but complementary roles that growth and proficiency play in shaping student outcomes. By integrating these two approaches, schools can create a more holistic, data-informed learning environment that supports every student on their path to success. 

Understanding the Difference: Growth vs. Proficiency 

Growth and proficiency are both essential components of academic achievement, yet they focus on different aspects of student development. 

• Growth refers to the progress a student makes over time, particularly in areas where they may be struggling or working below grade level. Growth initiatives are designed to close gaps in students’ foundational knowledge, helping them reach grade-level expectations by addressing specific learning deficits. This approach is about individual progress, not necessarily meeting a specific benchmark.
• Proficiency, on the other hand, centers on students reaching the defined standards for their grade level or subject. It’s about ensuring students have mastered the necessary content, skills, and knowledge that are expected at that point in their education. Proficiency focuses on ensuring students can meet or exceed established benchmarks, such as state standards, and are prepared for assessments and real-world applications. 

While growth helps to bring students up to speed, proficiency ensures they meet the expectations required for academic advancement. 

Why Both are Necessary for Student Success 

Students come to school with diverse needs. Some may be performing well but need to refine their knowledge to stay at grade level, while others may need significant support to catch up. Focusing solely on growth may not prepare students for the rigor of standardized assessments and college- and career-ready standards. Similarly, focusing only on proficiency can overlook the needs of students who are still working to bridge gaps in their foundational knowledge. 

The reality is that students need both. A growth-focused approach is essential for bringing students up to grade level, but proficiency-focused initiatives are critical for ensuring that once they reach grade level, they can continue progressing and achieving at the expected benchmarks. Together, growth and proficiency form the backbone of a comprehensive education strategy that supports all learners, ensuring that no student is left behind while also preparing all students to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. 

The Combined Approach: What It Looks Like in the Classroom 

Integrating both growth and proficiency in the classroom doesn’t require a complete overhaul of existing curricula. Rather, it’s about layering the two approaches in ways that complement each other and meet students where they are. 

In the classroom, growth initiatives might focus on personalized learning paths that address specific areas of need for individual students. Teachers can use data to identify gaps in foundational skills and create targeted interventions that help students build mastery in these areas, enabling them to catch up to grade level. 

Proficiency-focused strategies, in contrast, would ensure that students are practicing and mastering the content aligned with their state standards and curriculum. This might include providing students with targeted practice, assessments, and instructional support focused on these critical learning objectives. 

When these two strategies are effectively integrated, the result is a curriculum that addresses both the individual needs of students and the collective requirements of the grade-level standards. It’s a balanced approach that supports all students, regardless of where they start, and ensures that they stay on track to meet the academic milestones they need to achieve. 

Leveraging Educational Technology for Efficiency and Impact 

Implementing both growth and proficiency initiatives can be time-consuming and complex, particularly when trying to meet the needs of diverse learners. This is where educational technology plays a transformative role. 

With the right edtech tools, administrators and teachers can streamline and scale both growth and proficiency efforts. Educational technology platforms can automate diagnostic assessments, track student progress, and provide personalized learning pathways—reducing the burden on teachers and allowing them to focus on high-impact instruction. 

Moreover, educational technology can offer students immediate feedback, individualized instruction, and targeted practice, helping them progress at their own pace while remaining aligned with grade-level standards. By integrating data-driven decision-making into daily practice, technology enables educators to quickly adapt to the needs of their students and adjust their teaching strategies in real time.

The Benefits of Combining Growth and Proficiency on a Single Platform 

When educational technology platforms bring both growth and proficiency tools together in one system, the benefits are even greater. Here’s why:

• Seamless Integration: With both growth and proficiency features housed on the same platform, teachers and administrators can track both types of progress in one unified dashboard. This makes it easier to monitor student outcomes, adjust instruction, and implement interventions without juggling multiple tools or platforms.
• Data Consistency: A shared platform means that data from diagnostic assessments, practice sessions, and proficiency-based activities are all stored and analyzed in one place. This consistency allows for better insights into student performance, as well as a more holistic understanding of each student’s learning journey.
• Personalization at Scale: With both growth and proficiency features integrated, teachers can offer more personalized learning experiences that simultaneously address gaps and support mastery of grade-level content. Students can benefit from a customized learning path that meets their unique needs while preparing them for proficiency.
• Efficiency and Time Savings: When both approaches are embedded in the same platform, teachers and administrators save time by eliminating the need for multiple logins, different assessments, or managing separate tools. The result is less administrative burden and more time focused on student engagement and success. 

Conclusion: A Unified Solution for Student Success 

Incorporating both growth and proficiency-focused strategies into your school’s curriculum is essential for supporting every student’s academic journey. By leveraging educational technology to integrate both approaches, administrators and educators can provide personalized, efficient, and effective solutions that meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. Combining these strategies on a single platform not only streamlines efforts but also ensures that teachers have the tools they need to help students make meaningful progress and reach their full potential.  

As schools continue to embrace technology, Edmentum is leading the charge to ensure schools have the solutions they need to track and drive growth and proficiency together, creating equitable, efficient, data-driven educational environments that set all students up for success.  

Exact Path, our growth acceleration solution delivers diagnostic-driven personalized learning across grades K-12, while Exact Path Standards Mastery, our standards proficiency solution on the same platform, delivers core subject formative assessment and state test readiness. When combined, these two solutions create a powerful growth and proficiency engine allowing educators to deliver proven, data-driven tiered instruction and drive student success systemwide. 

Recently, we’ve connected with a number of educators and literacy experts to ask for their insights on schoolwide strategies, classroom instruction, and ideas to make reading fun. 

In this piece, we’re sharing a Q&A with Jessica Jones White, Middle School Assistant Principal at Inspired Teaching Demonstration School in Washington, D.C. She is also an education consultant for The Creation Gym. 

Jessica has been in the field of education for over a decade, servicing children in grades PreK-12 as an educator and athletic coach. Her teaching skills include project-based learning, arts integration, 21st century skill development, digital and blended learning curricula, and educational technology. Jessica is also a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor. 

Additionally, Jessica demonstrates her commitment to literacy as a member of Reading Is Fundamental’s Middle School Literacy Advisory Board. In this work, she focuses on removing barriers to reading by making books and resources easy to access. She collaborates on work that prioritizes evidence-based strategies, such as close reading protocols and text-based discussions, to promote comprehension and analytical thinking.

We discussed school leaders’ role in building a culture of reading success, how to support teachers’ effectiveness with reading instruction, and how literacy skills connect to the development of other 21st century success skills. Read the Q&A below:

What does a schoolwide culture of reading success look like in middle school?

Jessica Jones White: A successful schoolwide culture of reading involves students who are excited to engage with texts because they know they’re about to embark on a journey or gain new knowledge. It’s students recognizing that the information they seek in life often comes through reading—whether for pleasure or research. They understand that one of the easiest ways to access knowledge, without needing firsthand experience, is by reading what others have already learned.

For my students, I strive to build a culture where they see that the answers to their questions are obtainable through exploration or through reading—because research requires reading. I capitalize on this generation’s natural inclination for information-sharing. They want to read posts, articles, and news updates. I help them make the connection between consuming small bits of information, like a caption under a story, and reading lengthier texts for deeper learning. 

We create an environment where classrooms and common areas display a diverse variety of high interest texts, and students have regular opportunities for independent and collaborative reading. We also teach students how to gain access to digital texts and graphic novels. Reading is integrated into meaningful tasks such as inquiry projects or book discussions, which improves both motivation and comprehension outcomes. 

But it doesn’t stop there. I encourage students to take the next step: how do they share something with others through writing once they’ve read and learned something new?

What are some ways school leadership can help build the strong reading culture?

JJW: School leadership can build a reading culture by engaging students with culturally relevant texts and ensuring that classroom and school libraries include texts that reflect students' identities and lived experiences. A love for reading often begins with the joy of learning something new or experiencing a powerful journey through fiction, realistic fiction, or memoirs. Leaders can help curate these experiences so students understand the power of reading and develop a passion for it. Leadership can promote schoolwide literacy events, such as reading challenges or guest author visits, which normalize and celebrate reading.

Another key strategy is fostering a growth mindset and a schoolwide culture of high academic achievement. When students are driven by curiosity and a desire to know more, they naturally turn to reading as a tool for exploration.

Finally, leaders must make reading accessible. This means providing books and resources at all reading levels and promoting them actively. Incorporating engaging tech—like book trailers that preview books the way movie trailers do—can spark interest. Requiring meaningful reading activities in classrooms and across the school further reinforces this culture.

How do you support teachers’ effectiveness with reading instruction?

JJW: Effective reading instruction comes from effective training. Teachers need a strong understanding of the science of reading—how students acquire the ability to decode words, use context clues, and ultimately comprehend texts. Without this foundation, it becomes difficult to help students succeed, which can lead to frustration for both teachers and students. In practice, this means providing teachers with strategies to scaffold complex texts, promote close reading, and teach vocabulary in context. 

I focus on equipping teachers with strategies to support students in building phonemic awareness, discovering context clues, developing vocabulary, and using tools like dictionaries or Google searches to find word meanings. When teachers feel confident in their instruction, students are more likely to experience success and remain motivated to engage with texts. It also involves helping teachers leverage formative assessments to differentiate reading instruction, ensuring all students can access grade-level content. Providing teachers with collaborative planning time is equally important—it allows them to share best practices, co-create reading interventions, and align instruction.

How do literacy skills connect to students’ development of other 21st century success skills?

JJW: In today’s digital world, literacy is essential for accessing and interacting with almost everything—from signing up for platforms to reading social media posts. Students already have a natural desire to engage with digital content, and we can use that interest to boost their literacy skills.

By guiding students to interact with various digital platforms for research, collaboration, and learning, we help them develop critical 21st century skills. This could include having students type essays instead of handwriting them, creating digital presentations on platforms like Canva, or learning basic coding through sites like Code.org.

Beyond technical skills, literacy also connects to students’ ability to be positive, ethical digital citizens. It’s important that they learn to extend their real-world integrity to the online world—interacting respectfully and responsibly. Strong reading comprehension skills are directly linked to students’ ability to evaluate online information for credibility—a key component of digital citizenship.

What do you like about working with digital curricula?

JJW: One of my areas of educational expertise is edtech, and I’m a strong advocate for using digital resources in the classroom. Digital curricula are highly engaging for today’s students and prepare them for the demands of college and future careers. One key benefit is the ability to personalize instruction.

Given the direction of society, it would be a disservice not to expose students to digital tools. Learning how to navigate and manipulate different programs is essential for their future success. I believe in creating well-rounded students who can effectively use digital resources to propel their academic and personal growth.

What are strategies to strengthen student motivation and engagement, ensuring continued progress in their learning and preparedness for high school?

JJW: To strengthen motivation and engagement, you have to understand what drives each student. Every student is fueled by different goals—some by a desire to improve society, others by aspirations for financial security and breaking generational cycles, and some by creative or artistic passions. Students are more motivated when they feel a sense of choice and relevance.

Once you know what motivates a student, you can connect their interests to classroom experiences. This makes learning feel relevant and meaningful. For older students, helping them recognize how education enables them to influence society can also be a powerful motivator. The more students learn—culturally and academically—the more equipped they are to make a meaningful impact. When students apply their reading to real-world contexts—such as creating podcasts, designing infographics, or writing persuasive letters—they find greater meaning in their literacy experiences. 

Ultimately, the best strategy is knowing your students: their interests, passions, and goals. From there, you can create opportunities that show them how education connects to their dreams and empowers them to shape their future.

We thank Jessica for sharing her insights. Are you an administrator or teacher interested in sharing your story or successful strategies for school leadership, literacy, math, career-connected learning, or other critical topics for today’s K-12 professionals? Send us your ideas at communications@edmentum.com

Coherence within and across instructional materials is essential to ensuring that students understand their learning as an interconnected web of ideas, rather than isolated skills practiced in silos. In all subject areas, students benefit when lessons and activities build connections between key concepts, helping them recognize overarching patterns, big ideas, and relationships across topics within the same grade level.  

Here's an example: a well-structured curriculum ensures that students learn fractions not as an isolated skill, but as a clear extension of their understanding of whole numbers, division, and proportional reasoning. In fourth grade, when students learn how to add fractions with unlike denominators, the instruction should be explicitly connected to their prior experience with equivalent fractions and least common multiples.  

Research highlights the importance of coherence 

When students can link new learning to prior knowledge and see how different concepts work together, they develop a deeper understanding and improve their ability to transfer knowledge to new contexts (National Research Council, 2001). Coherent instruction supports cognitive development by reducing cognitive overload, allowing students to focus on critical thinking rather than constantly learning new, disconnected procedures (Archer & Hughes, 2011). 

Exact Path helps students build connections between key concepts 

Edmentum’s Exact Path Learning in Math is intentionally designed to foster these connections from kindergarten through 12th grade: 

In elementary grades, instruction is designed to consistently reinforce early number sense, place value understanding, and operations fluency across topics. For example, when students work on addition and subtraction within 100, they also encounter opportunities to apply these operations when solving problems related to measurement, data interpretation, and even introductory geometry. This cross-domain reinforcement helps students recognize addition and subtraction as flexible tools that apply across mathematical contexts, rather than isolated procedures used only in number-focused lessons. 

Moving into middle school, proportional reasoning is not taught as a standalone skill; it is embedded across units on ratios, percentages, and linear relationships, reinforcing a consistent multiplicative reasoning thread across the grade. This approach helps students see proportionality as a fundamental mathematical structure that applies to diverse problems, from scaling recipes to analyzing unit rates in science experiments.  

This emphasis on coherence not only supports mastery of individual skills but also helps students develop the mathematical reasoning and problem-solving mindsets they need to confidently approach new and increasingly complex material. When students don’t just memorize slope formulas, but understand that slope represents a rate of change, they are applying and reinforcing connections they've seen before when calculating speed, comparing prices per unit, or analyzing data patterns. 

When students experience instruction that consistently links concepts, applies familiar strategies to new situations, and highlights underlying patterns, they begin to internalize a flexible and adaptable approach to mathematics. Whether they are transitioning from whole numbers to fractions, from arithmetic to algebra, or from numerical expressions to modeling real-world situations, students benefit when they can draw upon a well-connected network of prior knowledge and strategies, rather than treating each new topic as unrelated. 

References: 

Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. Guilford Press. 

National Research Council. (2001). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded ed.). National Academy Press. 

About the author 

Stephanie Gold brings over two decades of experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, and digital learning to her role as a Learning Designer at Edmentum. With a deep-seated passion for transforming education through technology, Stephanie has held pivotal roles in STEM education, course design, and school leadership, notably influencing digital curriculum development across various educational settings.  

With a Master of Arts in Science Education from New York University and now pursuing a Master's program in Learning Design and Technology, Stephanie is adept at integrating pedagogical expertise with technological acumen to craft educational experiences that resonate with both students and educators. Her journey through the educational landscape includes leadership positions in Independent Schools, Online Schools, and the development of Professional Learning Platforms. 

Poetry—some love it and some are intimidated by it. More and more, states are including an increased emphasis on poetry in their standards updates. Poetry is a valuable teaching tool for students of all ages because it can reinforce early reading skills for elementary school students and it encourages critical thinking skills in older students.   

Poetry in the Elementary Grades 

From the cradle, poetry is part of the life of children. Parents, loved ones, and caregivers sing songs and recite nursery rhymes to babies. They are a form of poetry. Those nursery rhymes and songs help build a foundation for future phonological awareness and phonics skills reinforcing a child’s understanding of sounds and rhyming.  

Using poetry in elementary classrooms can help teachers continue to support students as they master phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency.  Here are ways elementary school teachers can incorporate poetry into their instruction to support reading foundation skills: 

Phonological Awareness:

• How Many Rhyming Words?—Read aloud a short poem and have students identify rhyming words. To extend this activity, have students create more rhyming words for the ones identified in the poem (example: identified cat and bat in the poem and students come up with pat and mat).  Rhyming is the most basic of all phonological awareness activities. Struggling with rhyming can be an early indicator of reading challenges and teachers can use rhyming activities to monitor students.  
• How Many Syllables?—Using whatever poem you are working with, pick a few words to have students clap out or tap out how many syllables are in the word. Knowing how many syllables a word has lays the foundation for using syllabication rules for decoding.  
• Ssssame Ssssound—Read poems that illustrate alliteration like “Peter Piper.” Have students identify for the repeated sound or alliteration. Listening for the repeating sounds helps students start isolating individual phonemes. And drawing out continuous sounds like /s/ make reading poems with alliteration even more fun. 

Phonics: 

• Make a Word Family—After reading a poem as a class, have students circle the rhyming words in the poem. Then have them create a list of other words that are part of the word family. Recognizing word families helps students become more efficient decoders and expands vocabulary.  
• Where Are the Long Vowels?—After reading a poem aloud as a class, identify all the words that have a particular vowel sound. Have the students create a list of vowel teams that make the long vowel sound (example- o_e, oa, ow, oe all make the long o sound). This activity reinforces learning long vowel sounds in context.  

Fluency: 

• Repeated Readings—To increase student engagement, choose fun or silly poems from poets such as Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky and have students do repeated readings. Repeated readings of poems increase fluency and allow students to work on pacing, prosody, and expression.
• Paired Reading—Paired reading is when students work together to trade off reading parts (such as lines or stanzas) of poems. My students always enjoyed reading poems from Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman. Students should read the poem together multiple times to increase their fluency and work on their pacing, prosody, and expression. 

Poetry in the Middle Grades and High School 

By the time students reach middle and high school, poetry instruction is often greeted with a groan by both teachers and students. We all remember having to read poetry that uses difficult, archaic language and deciphering each word. But it doesn’t have to be so unpleasant for students. Using creative poetry activities increases engagement and students will benefit by practicing critical thinking skills, expanding vocabulary, improving reading fluency, finding an avenue for self-expression, and purposeful communication. Here are some ways to bring fun to teaching poetry and analysis skills in middle and high school classrooms:

• Analyze that Song—Many songs are poems. One way to engage students is to mix modern songs into instruction. Using songs that many students are familiar with increases engagement, and students are more likely to engage critical thinking and analysis to decipher multiple layers of meaning in the song.  
• Themes Both Old and New—After wrapping a unit about poetry of a particular literary movement, have students choose one piece that particularly speaks to them. Students must identify the theme(s) expressed in the poem. Then they must find a song that conveys those same theme(s). Next, they present an annotated version of the song lyrics where they identify the language and symbolism that supports the identified theme(s). This activity leads to some lively classroom discussion while having students practice their analysis and critical thinking skills.  
• Blackout Poetry—Have students take a copy of a page from their favorite story or novel and find the poetry on the page. Students need to black out words on the page to make their poem visible. This activity has students focus on the impact of individual words in the poem and how those words come together to create meaning. Blackout poetry also helps students gain confidence and reduces anxiety about creating a poem from scratch. 

While poetry is a valuable instructional tool for teaching foundational reading skills like phonological awareness and phonics to more advanced skills like analysis and critical thinking, it can be engaging too. Members of Edmentum’s product team (all former teachers) compiled this list of poetry activities and we hope that your students enjoy these activities as much as our team did. Do you have any other poetry activities you use in your classroom? Or are there other engaging poets your students enjoy reading? 

For more of our top resources to help you support a strong, evidence-based foundation for literacy aligned with the Science of Reading, visit Edmentum's Science of Reading Toolkit. 

About the author 

Elizabeth Tricquet has over two decades of experience in education. In her current role as Lead Learning Designer at Edmentum, Elizabeth is passionate about developing effective, high-quality resources for students and teachers.   

Elizabeth has worked at Edmentum since 2016 in a variety of positions including Content Designer, Assessment Specialist, and Learning Designer. She has worked on a variety of products including Exact Path, Study Island, and Benchmark Assessments.   

Prior to working at Edmentum, Elizabeth had nearly 10 years of experience in the classroom teaching grades 1, 3 and 4 with a focus on helping struggling readers and students with learning difficulties. While teaching, Elizabeth earned her National Board Certification for Early and Middle Grades Literacy. She then worked at the Florida Department of Education's Test Development Center as an ELA Content Specialist. During that time, Elizabeth worked on state-wide summative assessments.   

Numeracy is more than just learning how to count or perform calculations—it’s about using mathematics to make sense of the world. Like literacy, numeracy is essential for daily life, helping individuals reason mathematically, solve problems, and make informed decisions. However, there isn’t a single, universally agreed-upon definition of numeracy. Some experts describe it as the ability to use mathematics in everyday situations (also called quantitative or mathematical literacy), while others emphasize higher-order problem-solving and reasoning skills. In either case, numeracy is about using mathematics to make sense of the world and applying mathematics in a context for a social purpose. 

What is Mathematical Literacy?

As society becomes increasingly digitized, the ability to interpret and use mathematical information is more important than ever. From managing finances and evaluating data to understanding scientific and societal issues, numeracy is a critical skill for engaged and informed citizens. But how can schools and teachers effectively support numeracy development in younger grades?

The terms “numeracy” and “mathematical literacy” are used interchangeably in many places. In both cases, the emphasis is an individual’s capacity to reason mathematically and to formulate, employ, and interpret mathematics to solve problems in a variety of real-world contexts. In order to do this, learners need to develop concepts, procedures, facts, and tools to describe, explain, and predict phenomena. Numeracy is an essential component in helping individuals know the role that mathematics plays in the world and make the well-founded judgments and decisions needed by constructive, engaged and reflective 21st century citizens. (OECD, 2020)

Before students can effectively apply mathematics to real-world situations, they need a strong foundation in basic mathematical concepts. Early numeracy skills, such as number recognition, counting, understanding place value, and mastering basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), serve as the building blocks for more advanced problem-solving and reasoning. Students need a range of mathematical knowledge, skills, understandings and dispositions to solve problems in real contexts across personal, further learning, work, and community settings. Fluency in these foundational skills allows students to approach mathematical challenges with confidence, recognize patterns, and make connections between concepts. Without this solid groundwork, higher-order skills like critical thinking, estimation, and quantitative reasoning become difficult to develop. Just as learning to read begins with phonics and letter recognition, mathematical literacy starts with these essential early math experiences.

Strategies for Fostering Numeracy

To foster numeracy, students need opportunities to develop and apply mathematical understanding in meaningful ways. This requires moving beyond isolated skill practice and creating engaging, hands-on experiences that connect math to real-world contexts. By incorporating effective instructional strategies, educators can help students build confidence, deepen their understanding, and develop the critical thinking skills essential for strong numeracy.

Key Strategies:

1) Practice Real-World Applications

• Have students compare prices, calculate discounts, or estimate totals while grocery shopping.
• Measure ingredients and adjust recipes to reinforce fractions and proportions.
• Complete simple construction activities to help students practice measurement, estimation, and geometry.
• Discuss time management and planning to help children understand concepts of time and sequencing.

2) Use Hands-On and Visual Learning Tools

• Use manipulatives like blocks, counters, and number lines to help students develop a concrete understanding of numbers.
• Use visual graphs and charts to make numerical data more accessible and engaging for young learners.
• Find uses for educational technology and interactive games to reinforce key numeracy skills in an engaging way.

3) Develop Mathematical Language and Thinking

• Encourage students to explain their reasoning aloud.
• Use questioning techniques such as “How do you know?” or “Can you think of another way to solve this?”
• Introduce vocabulary words related to numeracy, such as estimate, pattern, and data.
• Encourage a growth mindset by reinforcing that making mistakes is part of learning.

4) Differentiate Instruction Based on Student Needs

• Use a variety of instructional approaches (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic).
• Provide targeted small-group instruction for students needing additional support.
• Offer extension challenges for students ready to advance their numeracy skills.

Numeracy is the ability to use mathematical understanding to make sense of the world, solve real-life problems, and make informed decisions. Building strong foundational skills, connecting math to real-world contexts, and using engaging, differentiated instruction are key strategies for developing mathematical literacy in students.

References:

OECD. (2020). PISA 2022 mathematics framework. OECD Publishing. https://pisa2022-maths.oecd.org/

About the author

Stephanie Gold brings over two decades of experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, and digital learning to her role as a Learning Designer at Edmentum. With a deep-seated passion for transforming education through technology, Stephanie has held pivotal roles in STEM education, course design, and school leadership, notably influencing digital curriculum development across various educational settings. 

With a Master of Arts in Science Education from New York University and now pursuing a Master's program in Instructional Design and Technology, Stephanie is adept at integrating pedagogical expertise with technological acumen to craft educational experiences that resonate with both students and educators. Her journey through the educational landscape includes leadership positions in Independent Schools, Online Schools, and the development of Professional Learning Platforms.