Monthly Archives: August 2021

Assessments, Learning Loss, and the Future of Learning

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A lot of people in the education industry are talking about how the pandemic fundamentally changed education, simply because it was being delivered through a different medium.

We disagree.

If the means by which we expect students to learn is not allowed to change, then change doesn’t happen just because we vary the medium through which education is delivered. In fact, most educators, often bound by the curriculum requirements of their districts, are still teaching the same subjects in the same way with the same assessments. Just because they’re doing it online instead of in person doesn’t mean anything has fundamentally changed – and fundamental changes to education are what we really need.

We Need to Stop Focusing on Failure

If a student is excelling in music and art while failing math and science, then that doesn’t mean they’re failing as a student. It means they demonstrate exceptional skill in areas that can lead to innovation. In order to foster the true passion and talent in every student, we need to make a fundamental change in how we assess success. This point has been brought to bear on how we evaluate learning loss as a result of the pandemic. Dr. Yong Zhao explains during an interview with Dr. Wendy Oliver, published on EdisonLearning:

The pandemic has created a very unhappy environment for a lot of children. They’re isolated, they’re not going to school, and they’re not talking to friends. But at the same time, we probably should pay attention to see how they have grown. Human beings learn from experiences. These experiences have changed our children in different ways. Perhaps now they are better at handling adverse situations. They are now better at making friends online, which is essential in today’s life. Maybe your children are becoming more independent in learning? These are the types of things he stresses we really need to focus on.

Right Now, We Assess Failure and Focus on Failure

From early on in our students’ educational journeys, we focus on measuring failure. We conduct spelling and math tests and mark what they get wrong. We focus on how far beneath the average they are and we assume that wherever they are at that moment academically is where they will remain. This places an undue burden on the students and the teachers when they are forced to approach education in this way. Instead, we should be focused on the successes and strengths students have. When we focus on successes and strengths and take the time to understand a student’s passions and interests, we can find ways to improve their subject matter expertise by teaching through their passions.

Every Student Deserves to Have an IEP

Right now, the only students who qualify for an IEP (Individualized Education Program) are those students who have a disability that is recognized by the federal government. But shouldn’t every student have an individualized learning plan that is customized to meet their needs and help them achieve the best outcome?

We must be particularly cautious as we come out of the pandemic, as there is a push to assess students and determine what they’ve lost by learning from home. Brian Moon explores this in terms of the unbounded concern over learning loss. He points out that part of the problem stems from education focusing on the wrong question: “How do we help students perform better on standardized tests?” By doing this, we are forcing teachers to teach to the test and focus on teaching what students need to know to pass tests instead of engaging their minds.

Moon suggests a new question: “How do we use assessment to accelerate, deepen, and showcase individual student learning?”

How Do We Use Assessment to Accelerate, Deepen, and Showcase Individual Student Learning?

That is the question that needs to be explored as we redefine education in the twenty-first century. But in doing so, let’s focus on Moon’s point:

We need not categorize students as deficient in order to justify improving the efficiency, depth, and meaning of their learning experiences. Assessment scores are finite, but learning is limitless. When we center student growth – rather than points or percentiles – as the goal of education, we expand the possibilities for how schools can provide value.

The Future of Learning

The future of learning should be individualized. Assessments should not be used to penalize students but rather to help encourage learning. And what students learn should be modernized and revolutionized so that the students moving through the education system today are prepared to live, work, and engage in the society of tomorrow. Learn more about how Lumen Touch is contributing to the future of learning.

Student Data Privacy Tips

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As school resumes around the country, student data privacy becomes a primary concern for all administrators and IT leaders. Protecting student data is certainly a top priority, but managing how and where student data is collected, shared, and disseminated can be extremely difficult. It’s easy to overlook federal and regional mandates, easier still to overlook parent and student rights when it comes to data sharing.

So, the question is: How can we make it easy for school districts to protect student data?

The easier it is to protect their data, the more likely it is that schools will be capable of doing so to a degree above and beyond basic compliance. It’s not that schools are negligent or lazy about protecting student data; it’s that there are so many other responsibilities resting on the shoulders of education leaders that it all becomes overwhelming. As student data privacy is so technical in nature, it can often be something that is overlooked without anyone even realizing it.

Student Data Security Problems

Unknown App Usage – One of the biggest challenges associated with protecting student data is in how to control who has access to the data and who has the ability to share it. For example, a teacher might sign up to use an app in the classroom and share student data necessary to use the app. But if that app has not been vetted and approved by the school, then the entire school may be at risk of a data breach should the app have security flaws that go undetected because the administration never knew that the app was in use.

Rogue Apps – Even when the use of an app is approved by the school, districts must be able to track each vendor. It’s not easy to track vendors, let alone understand what they do with the student data they obtain, how they store that data, and whether or not they share it with others. And what happens if the app is no longer in use? Does the provider have suitable data destruction policies?

Federal and State Compliance Requirements – Schools must adhere to specific guidance requirements to comply with federal, state, and local regulations. While these regulatory mandates are the least restrictive in terms of protecting student data, they cannot be ignored.

Best Practices for Student Data Privacy

Managing the safety and privacy of student data requires ongoing monitoring and comprehensive, district-wide policies concerning who can share what information with whom. Depending on the contract with your edtech vendor, your data may be left at risk long after students leave your school. These best practices can help to ensure that your schools are doing all they can to protect student data:

1) Establish student data privacy policies to which all employees in the district must adhere. This should include restrictions on independently sourced apps and edtech solutions, specific permission requirements to share student data, and a system for managing vendors and vendor data privacy policies.

2) Communicate clearly with parents. Under FERPA, schools are allowed to share the following data without direct permission: a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and attendance dates. However, parents are allowed to opt out of that. Most schools do not make a concerted effort to communicate parent rights in this area, which can cause aggravation and mistrust. Clear communication policies should be in place that instruct parents about their rights to restrict the data that is shared about their students. Schools should also make it easy for parents to communicate the desire to opt-out.

3) Develop a cybersecurity strategy that protects your students, teachers, and school from the barrage of cyberattacks that have escalated in the last few years. Firewalls, layers of security, regular monitoring, and off-site back up should all be the norm, as should the training of all employees, to help them recognize cyber threats.

4) Hold vendors to strict security standards and vet them carefully. You should be willing to forego working with an edtech vendor that can’t demonstrate the ability to protect student data. Your policies should ensure that the least amount of student roster data required is provided for any app the district implements, and the policy should restrict or prevent third parties from having direct access to your data without strict oversight.

5) Partner with Lumen™ Touch to meet your student data privacy needs. Bright PASSPORT governs how schools share personally identifiable information (PII), such as student roster data. Rather than allow teachers or school districts to implement apps for their classrooms, Bright PASSPORT provides districts with a library of approved apps that have been properly vetted to meet the required security standards. Learn more.

Does Your School Need a Cybersecurity Audit?

In order to know where you need to make improvements to your cybersecurity strategy, you need to know where your weaknesses are. That’s why Lumen Touch is offering a brand new service for schools: Bright LITE. 

Our customized service offering provides individuals and organizations with the information and education to efficiently evaluate both the risks and opportunities they face. 

Let Lumen Touch help you be more secure with Bright PASSPORT and Bright LITE. To learn more, get in touch.

Download the Bright LITE brochure (PDF)

How to Support Teachers as We Return to the Classroom

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July has come to an end, and in August virtually all educators begin thinking about the coming school year as they develop lesson plans and prepare their classrooms. This school year in particular, there are many challenges facing teachers, not the least of which is a teacher shortage in many areas. Given these challenges, what can we do to make returning to the classroom easier?

How Administrators Can Support Teachers

Obviously, one of the best ways to better support teachers is to increase salaries wherever possible. When educators are not burdened with financial stress, they are better able to focus on the most important job they hold. But beyond allotting bigger salaries, administrators can demonstrate support by:

  • Providing teachers with the tools and technology they need in the classroom
  • Listening seriously to their ideas about how to improve education, safety, and the learning environment – and implementing any ideas you can
  • Ensuring they have a safe workplace
  • Saving teachers time by giving them a powerful learning management system that manages curriculum, instruction, assessment, and grading

How School IT Leaders Can Support Teachers

Most schools were already integrating more technology into the curriculum, but that certainly escalated during the height of the pandemic. IT leaders were responsible for making sure students had the equipment they needed, and for providing tech support for students, parents, and teachers throughout the school year.

For most districts, going into the new school year, the focus will shift toward ensuring that classrooms are ready for teachers and students. As more schools convert to smart classrooms, technology – and the experts who make sure the IT infrastructure stays up and running – become more crucial, to ensure the best possible educational experience. As SEL (social-emotional learning) becomes more prevalent in every school, IT leaders can play a much more important role.

How Parents Can Support Teachers

Aaron Cardwell, who was a teacher at Rocketship Public Schools and recently started a position as Assistant Principal at Success Academy Charter Schools, shared advice that went viral on Facebook about how parents of kindergarten and first-grade students can help, as their children begin the school year. He emphasized the focus on practical skills. Read his post here. Parents can also support teachers by:

  • Providing the requested supplies – and sending extra if possible
  • Filling out and returning all forms (a lot of this can now be done online through a parent portal)
  • Responding to and communicating with teachers when parental involvement is needed
  • Supporting their efforts in the classroom by ensuring that their children do their homework each day and come to school prepared to learn
  • Being active in the PTA and in the community, advocating for education equity and support

How the Community Can Support Teachers

There are so many ways the community can support teachers, including getting involved in the school board, attending school district meetings, advocating for the changes that teachers need, and voting “yes” on budget increases in those communities where voter approval is necessary for district funding. However, we know that teachers often spend far more each year on school supplies than their tax-deductible $250, so one thing we can all do to support teachers is to #clearthelist. This is a movement started on social media to help teachers obtain the supplies they need for their classrooms. Another organization, Donors Choose, connects communities and corporate donors with teachers who need project funding. It’s a great way to support education.

A well-educated society is the backbone of an economically strong, socially engaged country – and teachers are a pillar of that society. Our teachers have always been heroes but in most cases have gone unrecognized. The pandemic focused a spotlight on the education system and the value of the teacher versus the institution. It is our hope that everyone will support teachers more fervently going forward.