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Culture surrounds each and every one of us, just like the air we breathe.  We are so embedded in our own cultures that we oftentimes take our own culture for granted.  It usually isn’t until someone or an event makes us realize that our beliefs about the world and how we behave are not universal.  That person or event opens … Read More

English Learners (ELs) are students from diverse cultural backgrounds that have varying academic, language, and social-emotional needs.  As most EL students are learning English, most of them have developed basic communication skills in English. However, they still struggle with academic language and tougher academic subjects. There are almost 5 million EL students in the U.S. public school system.  This number … Read More

Project Based Learning – An Overview Project Based Learning is a type of learning that prepares students for academic, career, and personal success.  It also assists in readying young people, so that they can rise to meet the challenges of their lives that they will encounter.  In essence, Project Based Learning prepares students to find real solutions and answers to … Read More

Parent engagement is crucial to the academic success of students.  However, many non-English language speakers or English Language Learners (ELLs) don’t have the skills needed in order to participate in the education of their children.  For that reason, school administrators and teachers need to provide structured curriculum and training to ELL parents that are proven to be effective. The Latino … Read More

Reflections of Ourselves and Our World in Books Reading and oral literacy are essential skills to achieve academic success.  Therefore, it is important to foster a love for reading in all children.  In order to do so, it is important to include culturally relevant and meaningful books that reflect students’ backgrounds in the classroom and home.   Readers are able … Read More

School Improvement Grants (SIG) – Challenges in Rural Schools School Improvement Grants (SIGs) are financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to help underperforming schools meet accountability standards set in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  SIG grants were authorized by Congress to provide funds to improve low-performing Title I schools. Schools that receive SIG … Read More

How can parents know if their kids are comprehending a story? Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what has been read.  A key component of comprehension is possessing adequate vocabulary or knowing the meanings of many words.  Kids who have strong comprehension skills are able to readily come to conclusions about what they have read.  Comprehension involves a … Read More

What is Title II in Education? Title II falls under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which is the most recent reauthorization of the 1965 act that establishes the role of the federal government in education.  Title II was put in place to authorize programs to improve teaching and leadership in the schools via professional learning opportunities at the district … Read More

Trauma: Impact of Trauma on Child Development & Behavior Trauma has a major impact on child development and behavior.  A startling number of children in the United States have experienced or are still experiencing some type of trauma, chronic stress, or violence.  Research shows that a startling two out of three students in the United States have been or are … Read More

Parents in Schools – Why It Matters A great deal of research exists about the significance of parents in schools and why it matters.  Research strongly demonstrates that there is a direct link between parental involvement and student achievement.  Education Week states that multiple studies have demonstrated that “students with involved parents” get much better grades, higher test scores, and … Read More