9 book ideas to celebrate Black History Month

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9 book ideas to celebrate Black History Month

February 9, 2017

Categories: Reading

This month is a special time. Since 1976, February has been officially recognized as Black History Month, although the celebration goes back decades beforehand. Black History Month honors not only the achievements of African Americans, but also recognizes their importance [...]

The difference between proficiency and growth

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The difference between proficiency and growth

February 2, 2017

Categories: Assessment, Math, Reading

Introduction This blog is rated PG for Proficiency and Growth. Readers are advised that the content of this blog is rigorously debated among noted experts and common understandings are yet to be realized. Even so, the terms “proficiency” and “growth” [...]

3 ways you can use the What Kids Are Reading report in your classroom

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3 ways you can use the What Kids Are Reading report in your classroom

January 26, 2017

Categories: Reading

In between episodes of Parks and Recreation, I was sifting through some of the recently added movies and TV shows on Netflix. One title caught my eye—A Series of Unfortunate Events. Where have I seen that before? Why does that [...]

STEM: Stamina and the competitive skill

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STEM: Stamina and the competitive skill

January 19, 2017

Categories: Math, Reading

Is STEM—the focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—a concept or a curriculum? Is it a reaction or a reinvention? Is it four distinct disciplines (S, T, E, M) or one (S+T+E+M)? Let’s open with a bit of background on [...]

The law of the vital few

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The law of the vital few

January 12, 2017

Categories: Math, Professional Development, Reading | Products: Star 360

Teachers regularly report that they have more skills to teach students than the time necessary to teach them. Therefore, teaching often requires making tough choices about which skills to focus on and which to minimize or skip entirely. How do [...]

Success Story: Finding and showcasing the greatness in every student

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Success Story: Finding and showcasing the greatness in every student

January 5, 2017

Categories: Math, Reading | Products: Star 360

She seemed destined to be just another at-risk statistic, on a path to increasingly destructive behavior born of a troubled home life, poverty, abuse, and neglect. But along the way, one caring church family and a devoted elementary art teacher [...]

3 big predictions for K12 education in 2017

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3 big predictions for K12 education in 2017

December 29, 2016

Categories: Assessment, Math, Professional Development, Reading

What will change in 2017? What will stay the same? Where is education heading? As 2016 comes to an end, we’ve put our heads together and made three big predictions for K12 education in 2017. Personalized learning and more flexibility [...]

The top books Renaissance quiz writers read in 2016

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The top books Renaissance quiz writers read in 2016

December 22, 2016

Categories: Reading

Ever wonder who writes the reading comprehension quizzes in Renaissance Accelerated Reader® and Renaissance Accelerated Reader 360®? With more than 180,000 quizzes available and new books published every day, we have an amazing team that reads new books each week [...]

How to jump-start struggling readers

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How to jump-start struggling readers

December 15, 2016

Categories: Reading

Imagine reading a sentence, but not understanding its context. You can read each individual word fine, but the sentence itself doesn’t make sense. Imagine praying, crossing your fingers, and hoping that your teacher doesn’t call on you to read aloud [...]

Learning to sail: Engaging reluctant readers

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Learning to sail: Engaging reluctant readers

December 8, 2016

Categories: Reading

What was the last thing you read? Did you read for pleasure, to gain information, or to complete a task? Did you read to calm yourself, escape the day, or get energized? For many, the answers are as swift as [...]

Renaissance Blog

Latest Post

9 book ideas to celebrate Black History Month

9 book ideas to celebrate Black History Month

Recent Posts

The difference between proficiency and growth

The difference between proficiency and growth

3 ways you can use the What Kids Are Reading report in your classroom

3 ways you can use the What Kids Are Reading report in your classroom

STEM: Stamina and the competitive skill

STEM: Stamina and the competitive skill

The law of the vital few

The law of the vital few

Success Story: Finding and showcasing the greatness in every student

Success Story: Finding and showcasing the greatness in every student

3 big predictions for K12 education in 2017

3 big predictions for K12 education in 2017

The top books Renaissance quiz writers read in 2016

The top books Renaissance quiz writers read in 2016

How to jump-start struggling readers

How to jump-start struggling readers

Learning to sail: Engaging reluctant readers

Learning to sail: Engaging reluctant readers