Illuminate Blog
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What is Progress Monitoring?
Data-based decision making is a key component of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Such systems employ universal screening in order to identify all students’ learning needs. Those students whose…
How (and Why) to Complete a Midyear Check on Equity & Growth
Even in a normal school year, carving out time to do a midyear progress check using data can feel overwhelming. With all the challenges and changes districts are still navigating…
Research-Based Recommendations for Overcoming Learning Loss Due to 2020 Learning Disruptions
Researchers from Illuminate Education compared fall 2020 screening data to results from over one million fall FastBridge screening administrations going back to fall 2016, to reveal substantial math losses and…
Does Online Instruction Really Work?
When most schools closed in March 2020, teachers worked hard to provide some type of instruction for K-12 students. But the urgency of the situation left little to no time…
Digging into the “Digital Divide”
The COVID pandemic has affected many facets of instruction and learning. The changes in instruction were compounded by a lack of universal access to digital devices and the internet (Lieberman,…
What is Disproportionality and Exclusionary Discipline?
According to the American Psychological Association, “exclusionary discipline encompasses any type of school disciplinary action that removes or excludes a student from his or her usual educational setting” (American Psychological…
Tips for Writing Items for Quality Data: Lessons Learned from Reviewing Hundreds of Items
Years ago, when I was working as a graphic designer, I designed a menu for a high-end restaurant. Both the client and I proofed this menu, and it went to…
Busting 2 Common Neuromyths about Learning
Once something is learned, is it retained forever? Do students learn best when taught according to their learning styles? The answers seem to be held by the majority…
Literacy as a Social Justice Issue
Why We Must Follow the Science of Reading to Give All Students the Skills and Opportunity to Succeed When we think about issues of social justice, many people think of…
Assessing and Equitably Accelerating: The Power of a Comprehensive and Balanced Assessment System
At the start of the fall, some degree of learning loss was widely anticipated as a result of both the spring closures due to COVID, and the typical “summer slide” we…