Adam Geller

Recently, while supporting secondary principals in enhancing their MTSS practices, the Continua Consulting Group LLC team utilized a 2025 multivariate analysis of grading practices. The study reveals that families, students, teachers, and administrators in secondary schools have differing perceptions of grades and their purposes. Their approach emphasizes the importance of exploring these perceptions and seeking calibration before designing new grading systems. It is both trauma-informed and reflective of implementation science, highlighting the value of co-construction with our communities. This resource is valuable for anyone working on grading policies. #secondaryschools #gradingpractices #implementationscience https://lnkd.in/gbwgeqTf

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Digital learning has been going in new directions for a while, while also continuing to support existing use cases. Online courses still provide course options for students in rural districts who wouldn't otherwise have access. Students still choose online schools for many reasons including catching up or getting ahead academically. Students and families of all kinds still want their schools to flex around them--much like hybrid workers all over the world. But use cases like CTE and online phys ed tend to be overlooked, which is why I was glad to get this article into eSchool News (https://lnkd.in/gN5CbxHa) Shout out to Virtual Arkansas showing how CTE in an online and hybrid modality makes perfect sense, and to the online schools and traditional districts using Hiveclass to offer a new physical education option for their students. These specific examples are valuable. Even more important is that our field is leading the way in innovation for all of K-12 education.

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Pearson has entered into an agreement to acquire eDynamic Learning. eDynamic Learning serves over 885,000 K-12 students, reaching over 9,000 K-12 schools and higher education institutions, in addition to post-secondary learners and adult professionals. With 325 digital courses across more than 40 career pathways, it reaches learners through educational resources, immersive virtual career simulations, workforce training, and virtual teaching services. Read Press Release Here: https://lnkd.in/e5iDHVYW #careereducation #workforcedevelopment #publishing #education #careerreadiness

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I love the interactive report included in this newsletter that was sent out by Vriti Saraf of Ed3. If you are an in K-12 education this is a great read. "In Fall 2025, we surveyed 1,147 U.S.-based educators to understand how AI is currently affecting their professional responsibilities and how they envision the future of the profession." https://lnkd.in/eKjtssgd

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Supporting students with high-quality IEPs means looking beyond academic content and understanding how they learn. Yet too often, IEP goals overlook explicit executive function instruction, even though EF skills drive planning, organization, flexible thinking, working memory, regulation, and self-advocacy. This is where SMARTS and the MetaCOG Surveys can transform practice. The SMARTS Executive Function curriculum gives educators practical, research-based strategies that help students learn how to learn. MetaCOG takes that one step further by helping teachers identify each student’s EF strengths and challenges and then match those needs to targeted SMARTS lessons. The result is a clear, evidence-aligned roadmap for writing goals that truly support student growth. By integrating SMARTS and MetaCOG into the IEP process, educators can: • Develop strengths-based profiles that guide meaningful and individualized planning • Write goals that reflect the core skills students need to access the curriculum • Monitor progress through strategy use, metacognitive reflection, and increasing independence • Empower students to understand their learning and advocate for themselves When schools embed EF strategy instruction into IEP development, they create a strong foundation for academic success and lifelong learning. Students thrive when they have the tools to plan, prioritize, stay organized, and reflect on their progress. Executive function is not an add-on. It is essential to helping every learner grow. Learn more: www.smarts-ef.org #ExecutiveFunction #IEPs #SpecialEducation #SMARTS #MetaCOG #Education #UDL #ResearchILD #LearnHowToLearn

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Reminder about tomorrow’s free 30-minute webinar for school leaders: 👉 The AI-Ready School: Webinar for School Heads: Clarity on AI’s Biggest Risks — And The Solutions Schools Need Right Now. During this practical, solutions-focused session, we’ll unpack: 🧠 Academic Integrity – Setting expectations while protecting critical thinking 🎓 Smart, Safe AI in Teaching – Practical classroom applications 🧑‍⚕️ Counsellors + Chatbots – Managing AI as an emotional support tool ♿ Inclusion + Accessibility – Supporting diverse learners equitably 📝 Assessments – Keeping tests meaningful in the age of AI 🔐 Privacy + Data Protection – Key considerations for staff and students Register here: https://lnkd.in/dP3whzWD

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The same edtech tools have been in the top 100 for three years. They haven't produced a study. ⬇️ Three years of Instructure and Jacobs Foundation/InnovateEDU's EdTech Evidence Report alongside the full 2,135-product ISTE EdTech Index. The surface numbers: 15% of the full market has any evidence certification. 40% of the top 150. 85% of the broader market has nothing. The deeper pattern: companies that got Tier IV logic models during the 2024–2025 subsidy window (Jacobs Foundation, direct Amazon Web Services (AWS) sponsorship for SXSW EDU) mostly stayed at Tier IV. Level III is flat. Level II barely moves. Level I actually dropped from 5% to 2%. The ladder isn't being climbed, even by the companies with the most data to climb it. The realistic ask isn't for randomized trials. It's Tier II — a quasi-experimental design most established products can do with data they already have. Companies should do it. Districts should expect it. Funders should subsidize what the market won't do on its own. Erin Mote is getting the word out. It was the largest takeaway from ASU+GSV Summit. Digital Promise is working on the demand side. Let's do something about it. Your company stuck at ESSA IV? Get a free discovery call with me to get your plan together. https://lnkd.in/eyaDkba2 #essa #edtech #evidence #research

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Our Manager of Content and Innovation Thomas Hawkins addresses the misconception that AI can't be used safely in schools while working with districts nationwide on successful implementation strategies. Full Clip:  https://lnkd.in/e6d8Hmjh

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Academic progress testing provides the data, but great educators turn that data into action, growth, and opportunity for every student. It’s always more than just a test.

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60% of organizations are already piloting or scaling AI solutions across their workflows. As business and industry move full speed into AI, one question looms large for K–12 principals: Are our schools ready to keep up? ✅ Can AI help reduce teacher burnout? ✅ Can it personalize student learning? ✅ Can it streamline instruction and improve outcomes? The answer is yes—but only with a clear roadmap. It’s time for school leaders to act, not react. #FutureReadySchools #AIinEducation #K12Leadership #SchoolInnovation #EdLeadership 📖 Source: 2025 State of Marketing AI Report, Marketing AI Institute & SmarterX

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How industry partnerships can shape curriculum Earlier this year at NAMM, I had the opportunity to join David Whitehead from Roland and Wanda Mitchell from Hampton City Schools to unpack how Making Beats came to life. We explored what can happen when educators, industry and schools co-design learning together—not just as an idea, but as practical, classroom-ready curriculum that teachers can actually roll out. That thinking continues to shape how we approach contemporary music education at MusicEDU. I’m always interested in hearing different perspectives—what kinds of industry partnerships would you like to see more of in school music? 👉 Find out more about Making Beats: https://lnkd.in/gzEGix7w #MusicEducation #CurriculumDevelopment #IndustryCollaboration #EducatorInsights #CoDesignLearning #ContemporaryMusicalApproaches #SchoolPartnerships #InnovativeTeaching

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If you care about inclusive learning for all abled students, no matter what challenges they face, please watch this podcast on how Ablr 360 and Catalyst Education work together towards this goal and describe their mission. https://lnkd.in/dNcQyvbZ Accessible learning tech is essential, and now currently mandatory for institutions who take funding from the Dept. of Health and Human Services (NIH included). #accessibility #STEM #ADA

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We're thrilled to see the Off2Class and Richland School District 2 (South Carolina) randomized controlled trial featured by New America's Leslie Villegas, MSc. Leslie highlights how our intervention, combining teacher instruction and small-group online tutoring, helped adolescent EL students make significant gains in English Language Proficiency and literacy. • Even though we weren’t able to deliver the full intended “dosage,” students who received ~550–700 minutes of tutoring saw the greatest gains. • On average, students in the Tutor+ group outpaced peers in the teacher-only group, doubling expected annual ELP gains. • The estimated cost per student (~US$665) is lower than many “high-impact tutoring” programsa promising signal for scalability. New America This coverage helps bring attention to what rigorous, well-monitored tutoring programs can achieve — especially for older English learners whose progress is too often overlooked. To Leslie Villegas, MSc, thank you again for this thoughtful piece, and for centering the voices and data that matter, to Havala Hanson, Ph.D. for leading the study and to Littera Education and Accelerate for being great partners. https://lnkd.in/dMeuGhgX

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The Innovating Pedagogy 2024 report delves into a range of emerging educational practices and technologies that have the potential to significantly reshape the learning landscape. Drawing insights from experts at The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology and Vanderbilt University's LIVE Learning Innovation Incubator, the report highlights various innovative pedagogies that can enhance engagement, accessibility, and effectiveness in education. Among the key themes are the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality, which can create immersive learning experiences. The report emphasizes the importance of learner-centered approaches, advocating for personalized learning paths that cater to individual needs and preferences. Collaborative learning, where students work together across physical and digital spaces, is also highlighted as a means to foster community and enhance critical thinking skills. Furthermore, the report discusses the shift towards competency-based education, where assessment is focused on the demonstration of skills and knowledge rather than traditional grading systems. This approach aims to ensure that learners are equipped with the relevant competencies needed in today's rapidly changing job market. Overall, the Innovating Pedagogy 2024 report serves as a crucial resource for educators, policymakers, and institutions looking to leverage these innovations to create more effective and inclusive educational environments. By embracing these new pedagogical strategies, the report argues, we can pave the way for transformative change in how education is delivered and experienced. https://lnkd.in/e27jzpeN

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New Episode: Get Essential – Marching Forward with MTSS Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) continues to shape how schools deliver instructional support, behavioral systems, and data-driven intervention. In the latest episode of the Edufaith Essentials Podcast, key insights are shared on how educators and school leaders can strengthen MTSS implementation to ensure equitable outcomes for all learners. Topics include: • MTSS framework overview • Tiered support systems • Leadership strategies for implementation ▶️ Watch: https://lnkd.in/ewhc7Eyg 🎧 Listen: https://bit.ly/47ahaDr #getessential #MTSS #podcast #EducationLeadership #InclusiveLeadership #InstructionalLeadership #SpecialEducationLeadership #SchoolImprovement #teachersoflinkedin #leadership #parents #StudentsFirst #Intentionality #inclusion #diversity #Entrepreneurship #EdLeaders #k12 #profdev #sped #blacklinkedin

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Years ago, my colleague and friend, Christopher "C. J." Thompson, PhD, and I led a workshop on something we called The Seven Deadly Sins of Science Teaching. It was a simple but powerful (and fun) framework for naming those moments when our own instincts as teachers can unintentionally interrupt the natural flow of discovery, reasoning, and sense-making in the classroom. I hadn’t thought about that framework in quite some time. But as I began preparing for this upcoming webinar with Cengage School and Qubits Learning : K–12 Computer Science & AI, it came back to me in a new way. Nearly every time we talk with schools about expanding computer science, the same concern comes up: teacher confidence. And more often than not, that concern stems from a perceived lack of subject-matter expertise. That question got me thinking: What if the non-expert actually has an advantage in the computer science classroom? In this session, I’ll revisit the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins—this time through the lens of computer science instruction. It’s a chance to honor earlier work that shaped my thinking while also engaging with the very real challenges schools face as they bring a relatively new discipline into their classrooms. If this is a question you’ve wrestled with in your own work, I hope you’ll join the conversation. Registration information is provided in the original post.

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