academic success Archives - Page 28 of 28

May 16 2017

What Should You Consider When Selecting Your Child’s Preschool?

Each spring, parents struggle when making a decision about selecting the appropriate learning environment for their preschool child. Important considerations should include the following:

What type of learning environment supports your child?
Does the school provide both academic and play centered learning activities?
Is the school day structured to meet your child’s needs?
Does the school provide for outside activities, free play, arts exploration, and creative expression?
Does the school’s curriculum accommodate a variety of learning modes?
Should you register for a school that requires parent participation?
Is the school accessible from your home and work place?
How much can you afford to spend on a preschool program?
Does the school provide flexible extended care hours beyond the regular school day?
Do the students represent the demographics of your community?

[Read more…]

Joyce Iwasaki, Early Parenting

Joyce Iwasaki has over thirty years of educational experience working with diverse students in grades from preschool through high school. Joyce’s extensive background includes teaching elementary school, serving on early childhood advisory boards, and advocating for educational initiatives as a legislative aide. During her tenure as a legislative aide, she helped create legislation that allowed incarcerated mothers to keep their newborn babies with them while in prison. Additional legislation was enacted to allow incarcerated pregnant mothers to remain unshackled during labor and delivery. Ms. Iwasaki established and served as the president of an educational scholarship foundation for fifteen years. Her foundation awarded college scholarships to emerging student leaders who provided service to their schools and communities. Joyce is active in performing arts and cultural organizations. She also provides ongoing support to her daughter and family by raising her grandson in her home.

Apr 25 2017

The Importance of Educational Assessment

Parents often ask us how they can use assessment data to support their children’s learning. Think of assessment as a quilt whose pieces include standardized test results, classroom measures, report cards, and other information on your child’s learning. These quilt pieces should come together to support each student’s academic success.

[Read more…]

Laura Greenstein, Ed.D.

Laura Greenstein has been an educator for over 30 years serving as a teacher, department chair, and school leader in multiple grades and subjects. She combines this background with her experience as a school board member and professional development specialist to bring fresh and original ideas to educators about teaching, learning, and assessing. She consults with schools and districts and presents at workshops and conferences locally and nationally. As an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut and the University of New Haven, she teaches Human Development and Assessment to undergraduate and graduate students and more recently, Teaching, Learning, and Assessing with Technology in the 6^th year Digital Literacy program. She has a B.S. from the University of Connecticut, an M.S. from the State University of New York at Oneonta in education, a 6th year from Sacred Heart University in administration, and an Ed.D. from Johnson and Wales University in Educational Leadership. Her website, http://www.assessmentnetwork.net, is a valuable source of information on issues and topics in assessment. She is the author of multiple books on assessment including What Teachers Really Need to Know About Formative Assessment, Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Guide to Evaluating Mastery and Authentic Learning, Restorative Assessment: Strength-Based Practices to Support all Learners, and Sticky Assessment: Classroom Strategies to Amplify Student Learning.

Mar 07 2017

How to Find Help for Your Child by Accessing Community Resources

Joey just came home from school. He was crying that he no longer wanted to go to kindergarten because he did not have friends. Joey complained that the teacher put him into timeout again for disrupting the class. He suddenly had a stomach ache. Mom was beside herself. This was not the first time that Joey complained. It was becoming a weekly and sometimes a daily event. [Read more…]

Carole Flowers, Health

Oct 25 2016

Academic Success One Day at a Time

Parents want academic success for their children. They know that a good education can open many doors of opportunity for them. Children, however, live in the here and now. They don’t consider the long-term consequences of their decisions. How can we break down the lofty task of educating our children into doable tasks they can embrace? Here are five tips of actions that parents and children can do daily to establish good learning habits. [Read more…]

Rosemarie Perez, Parenting

Rosemarie Pérez has worked with English learners and their families in public education for more than twenty years. She has served as a bilingual teacher, professional developer, and district administrator. Administrative roles included serving as the Director of English Learners for an elementary school district and as a Coordinator of Reading and Language for the San Mateo County Office of Education. Rosemarie continues to work with families as she leads the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Parent Engagement Initiative during the past three years. Ms. Pérez provides expert guidance to teachers, school site staff, and school administrators in creating culturally sensitive parent training modules and academic curricular units. She facilitates parent education and Common Core Standards workshops. Engaged parents are further trained to become parent leaders and advocates. Rosemarie is the mother of five adult children and three grandchildren.