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AdLit gathers interesting news headlines about literacy, middle grade and YA books, best practices in instruction, and other key topics related to middle school and high school teaching and learning.

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Students Face Anxieties During Return to In-person School (opens in a new window)

PBS News Weekend

August 24, 2022

While most schools across the country returned to in-person instruction last year, many families opted to stick with virtual learning or switched to homeschooling. And for them, the start of this new school year brings a range of new anxieties. Geoff Bennett spoke with Kimberly Back and her daughter, Delilah, about transitioning back to the classroom.

Let Us Now Praise Great Teachers (opens in a new window)

Los Angeles Times

August 24, 2022

A love letter all the teachers going back to school this month. What I want to say to you is simple enough: What you do is vital to our future well-being. If most of us will be remembered by a handful of loved ones after we’re gone, you will be remembered by thousands. And you deserve it.

Over 1,700 Colleges Won’t Require SAT, ACT for Fall 2023, Up From Same Point Last Year (opens in a new window)

K-12 Dive

August 03, 2022

Some institutions had nixed SAT and ACT requirements before the COVID-19 health crisis. But the pandemic pushed the test-optional movement into overdrive as the coronavirus’s spread shut down traditional exam sites. 

The significant number of colleges sticking with these policies, despite coronavirus-related concerns waning, suggests the assessments will have a permanently diminished role in admissions.

Paper Books Linked to Stronger Readers in an International Study (opens in a new window)

KQED

July 29, 2022

A new international report suggests that physical books may be important to raising children who become strong readers. An Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study across approximately 30 countries found that teens who said they most often read paper books scored considerably higher on a 2018 reading test taken by 15-year-olds compared to teens who said they rarely or never read books. 

Most Millennials are Sticking Close to Home (opens in a new window)

Market Watch

July 28, 2022

Here’s a breakdown of young-adult migration by race and ethnicity from a study by Harvard and Census Bureau researchers. They found two-thirds of millennials living in the same area where they grew up and 80% having moved less than 100 miles away.

Will California’s $4.1 Billion Bet on ‘Community Schools’ Transform K-12 Education? (opens in a new window)

Los Angeles Times

July 26, 2022

A “Community School” model could take hold at many California K-12 campuses in the coming years. California is making a mega-bet with an unprecedented $4.1 billion investment over seven years, that converting hundreds of campuses in high-poverty neighborhoods into community schools offers the best chance to save children’s pandemic-damaged education and address entrenched inequities.

How To Parent Less (opens in a new window)

Slate

July 21, 2022

On this episode of How To!, we bring in Arthur Brooks, a Harvard University professor who studies the science of happiness and writes a column for the Atlantic called How to Build a Life. He also is the father to three adult children. He has some surprising tips and tough love for Karen to help her rebalance her relationship with her kids.

Improving Science Literacy Means Changing Science Education (opens in a new window)

The Conversation

July 21, 2022

A large body of research shows that traditional science education, for both science majors and non-majors, doesn’t do a good job of teaching science students how to apply their scientific knowledge and explain things that they may not have learned about directly.

A recent study developed a series of cross-disciplinary activities guided by a framework called “three-dimensional learning” to support students’ thinking in how to apply their science knowledge to real world problems.

24 Theme Activities for Middle School (opens in a new window)

Teaching Expertise

July 21, 2022

Teaching middle school students to identify the theme of a text is a difficult task. There are many other skills that need to be taught prior to gaining a real, working understanding of theme. Here are some interesting ideas on teaching theme to middle schoolers for you to try in your own classroom.

Blue Ace Athlete Reading Program Promotes Unity, Education Within Athletic Department (opens in a new window)

Newark Advocate

July 15, 2022

The Blue Ace scholar-athlete summer reading club is one example of the GHS athletic department’s determination to generate unity between its various sports teams. The reading club, which is currently in its second year, gives students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the athletic department’s values through a pre-selected book they read during the summer. 

Developing Career Clarity In High School (opens in a new window)

Forbes

July 15, 2022

The more dynamic the job market and the more expensive college gets, the more important career education becomes. However, most US students don’t get the chance to match their strengths and interests to emerging career opportunities.

MajorClarity is a career and college readiness platform for middle and high school students. It allows learners to test drive possible careers and, as students gain a sense of their interests and strengths, build a career aligned course of study.

On the Persistence of the Achievement Gap (opens in a new window)

Fordham Institute

July 11, 2022

David Armor discusses his analysis of the Black-White achievement gap, which has remained fairly constant from third grade through the end of middle school (eighth grade). The gap issue is less clear for the high school grades, since most statewide achievement testing programs do not test all of the high school years.

Linnea Ehri Receives William S. Gray Citation of Merit (opens in a new window)

International Literacy Association

July 11, 2022

The International Literacy Association (ILA) announced the winners of its 2022 awards and grants, including its top honor and one of the literacy field’s most prestigious, the William S. Gray Citation of Merit, which was awarded to City University of New York’s Linnea Ehri.

Is the Common School in America Dying? (opens in a new window)

Washington Post

July 06, 2022

“Is the post-modern state now dedicated to segmented tribes split along divergent ideologies of schooling rather than rallying behind a common good?” The Supreme Court’s decisions this month involving public education have stirred new debate about the future of public, secular education in this country but such concerns are not new to advocates of publicly operated and funded public schools.