Joyce Epstein

It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment. The 2023 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed steep drops for 13-year-olds in math and reading on the long-term trend assessment. Students tested in the fall lost seven points in reading and 14 points in math from a decade ago. Achievement in reading has fallen to levels not seen since the 1970s.

Being ready to improvise helped these Michigan preK teachers strengthen their connections to families during the pandemic. Getty Images In March 2020, when school buildings across the country were shuttered and in-person gatherings were restricted, teachers were forced to rethink just about every aspect of their work, from lesson planning to instruction, assessment, grading, and on and on. The challenges were, and continue to be, enormous.

Brief texts can help schools build a stronger partnership with parents of middle school students. Getty Images Early adolescence brings with it the perfect conditions for students to become disengaged with academics.