Gifted ELL students often overlooked Alison DeNisco English language learners remain the least represented group in gifted programs—meaning districts do not sufficiently tap the talents of the growing number of immigrant students entering U.S. schools. Read more>> Tools to help ELL students develop word proficiency Sponsored by VocabularySpellingCity.com VocabularySpellingCity provides ELL teachers with tools to help their students develop both academic and social language proficiency. The program’s activities are aligned to the three essential components of reading instruction: phonics, vocabulary development and reading fluency, including oral reading skills. Read more>> We need to rethink all history if textbooks are to be revised Huffington Post The history textbook revisions being considered across the country are a milestone for the educational system. Until now, history and social studies classes have focused on European history, but it is time for students to learn about the rest of the world. Knowing that everyone is going to interpret historical events differently is even more of a reason to make sure these children are taught objectively and thoroughly Read more>> How to support dyslexic students in your school Sponsored by Learning Ally Twenty percent of the student population has dyslexia. Join us for a webinar where we'll cover why students struggle; what administrators need to know about identification, accommodations and interventions; and building a district culture to support struggling readers. Attendees will receive a CE certificate from edWeb. Read more>> Education is the civil right NBC News Disparities in course availability and enrollment and leads to challenges in career entrance, readiness and success. Maximizing educational opportunities ensures that all students—despite race, national origin, gender, ability, sexuality or religion—are equipped to and are supported in overcoming academic or socioeconomic barriers to a quality education. Read more>> Bring strategy and planning for every school board meeting Sponsored by BoardPaq Since most school board decisions have strategic implications, board members should approach critical decisions that impact your learning communities and students from a perspective of strategy and planning. BoardPaq’s new SWOT feature allows school boards to conduct a simple analysis on any particular agenda item. Read more>> Don't begrudge teachers using sick time when they need it Las Vegas Review-Journal Those who exploit the sick time benefit harm their students. A good approach would be to identify educators who have chronic attendance issues and closely monitor their absenteeism and performance. Increased oversight might help deter abuse, as would disciplinary policies that give school leaders the power to deal with habitual no-shows. Read more>> How teacher-created free online resources are changing the classroom KQED Keeping information fresh and up to date in a quickly moving world is one of the biggest reasons districts are starting to get more serious about the power of teacher-created open resources. Districts typically adopt new textbooks on a five-year cycle. At that point, some of the information is outdated. Read more>> | 