Gadfly Bites 5/6/24—Go shout it from the mountaintop

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1. The policy director of Georgetown University’s FutureEd think tank visited Summit Academy’s Akron Elementary a few weeks ago to take a look at the school’s high-dosage tutoring program. And why wouldn’t she? It’s a charter school, the curriculum is focused on serving students with special needs, the tutoring is aligned with the science of reading, programming utilizes a hybrid virtual and in-person model, and (last but definitely not least) test score data show the tutoring is working to boost student achievement. Hope the research can find out what’s going so right up there and share it widely. (Akron.com, 5/2/24)
   
   

2. I’m hearing stories like this more and more lately and I love it anew each time: Bianca Patrone is graduating high school in the next few weeks, but she’s already earned her bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University. How awesome! These stories are bound to increase in number (Bianca tells us her younger brother is on track to do the same thing) as more and more years of access to the state’s College Credit Plus program elapse. But let us also point out what the stories mean in the larger context today: The first is that there are students all across Ohio like Bianca who are ready to take college classes by the end of seventh grade. The second is that she and others like her managed to breeze through high school while still taking multiple college courses in most semesters. The third is that every kid who manages this feat over the next few years accomplished it despite three years of pandemic-disrupted schooling at both the high school and the college level. Bianca herself understands it all clearly: “I had so many opportunities through this program. I gained some much needed experience in networking and it really molded me into the person I am today,” she says. “I really wanted to build a story and create something memorable for other people like me, who just want a different approach to education.” Do the adults understand it though? Are they looking for the next Biancas already in their midst? Are they working to build up others who just need a little push? Are they hearing these success stories and trying to create more of them? (Vindy.com, 5/6/24)

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