What’s in a name? Understanding diagnostic assessment in education

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What’s in a name? Understanding diagnostic assessment in education

September 13, 2024

Categories: Assessment

Choosing a name for a product takes a lot of thought. One classic blunder supposedly involved the Chevrolet Nova, which did not sell well in Latin America because its name translates as “no go” in Spanish. This is actually [...]

Effective whole group instruction: Engaging every student, every lesson

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Effective whole group instruction: Engaging every student, every lesson

August 16, 2024

As an educator, you’ve probably noticed just how impactful whole group instruction can be for your students. It’s a dynamic teaching method that sets the stage for new learning and helps assess student comprehension. But how can you make sure [...]

Creating Accelerated Reader book quizzes for Dog Man (and other popular series)

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Creating Accelerated Reader book quizzes for Dog Man (and other popular series)

July 30, 2024

Categories: Reading | Products: Accelerated Reader

One of the most common questions we hear from educators is, How can we motivate students to read more? New research published in the latest edition of our What Kids Are Reading report highlights an often overlooked strategy: Encourage [...]

Connecting assessment and instruction: What should “personalized learning” really mean?

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Connecting assessment and instruction: What should “personalized learning” really mean?

June 10, 2024

Personalized learning is a hot topic in K‒12 education. Of course, personalization can be viewed as the continuation of a much older dialogue around differentiation, and it’s also closely related to the concept of responsive teaching. As always, [...]

Comprehensive assessment systems: Finding assessment’s Holy Grail

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Comprehensive assessment systems: Finding assessment’s Holy Grail

May 9, 2024

Categories: Assessment | Products: DnA, FastBridge, Renaissance Fundamentals, Star CBM, Star CBM Lectura, Star Custom, Star Math, Star Phonics, Star Preschool Literacy, Star Reading, Star Spanish

Both history and mythology are filled with memorable quests and searches. Juan Ponce de León sought the Fountain of Youth, Don Quixote strove to live a chivalrous life, Captain Ahab pursued the white whale, and numerous explorers have sought the [...]

The making of fluent readers: Using the Fluency Development Lesson

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The making of fluent readers: Using the Fluency Development Lesson

April 15, 2024

Categories: Reading

Every educator has heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect.” But as Vince Lombardi famously said, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” So, what is “perfect” practice? As two of my colleagues recently explained, reading practice is [...]

Why some Spanish assessments aren’t what they appear

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Why some Spanish assessments aren’t what they appear

March 20, 2024

Categories: Assessment

You’re probably familiar with the idiom “The emperor has no clothes,” which comes from a folktale popularized by Hans Christian Andersen. This idiom refers to logical fallacies, meaning things that are widely accepted as true and praiseworthy but are, [...]

Assessment buyer beware: Is your assessment a “black box”?

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Assessment buyer beware: Is your assessment a “black box”?

February 21, 2024

Categories: Assessment

A regular part of my job involves responding to questions from educators about our Renaissance assessment suite. Often, these questions involve other products in the market. How are Renaissance’s assessments alike or different? How do they compare in terms of [...]

How to use MTSS in preschool to improve learning outcomes

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How to use MTSS in preschool to improve learning outcomes

February 2, 2024

In a recent blog, we explained how preschool assessment can support great reading outcomes in elementary school. We focused especially on how to help teachers identify children who might benefit from additional support in language and early literacy, and [...]

3 takeaways to enhance the power of practice for literacy

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3 takeaways to enhance the power of practice for literacy

January 24, 2024

When you think of an expert—whether it’s a musician, an athlete, or a chef—the common denominator for their success is most certainly the amount of practice they put in. When it comes to reading, the same holds true: Students who [...]

Renaissance Blog

Latest Post

What’s in a name? Understanding diagnostic assessment in education

What’s in a name? Understanding diagnostic assessment in education

Recent Posts

Effective whole group instruction: Engaging every student, every lesson

Effective whole group instruction: Engaging every student, every lesson

Creating Accelerated Reader book quizzes for Dog Man (and other popular series)

Creating Accelerated Reader book quizzes for Dog Man (and other popular series)

Connecting assessment and instruction: What should “personalized learning” really mean?

Connecting assessment and instruction: What should “personalized learning” really mean?

Comprehensive assessment systems: Finding assessment’s Holy Grail

Comprehensive assessment systems: Finding assessment’s Holy Grail

The making of fluent readers: Using the Fluency Development Lesson

The making of fluent readers: Using the Fluency Development Lesson

Why some Spanish assessments aren’t what they appear

Why some Spanish assessments aren’t what they appear

Assessment buyer beware: Is your assessment a “black box”?

Assessment buyer beware: Is your assessment a “black box”?

How to use MTSS in preschool to improve learning outcomes

How to use MTSS in preschool to improve learning outcomes

3 takeaways to enhance the power of practice for literacy

3 takeaways to enhance the power of practice for literacy