Latest news with #DivisionofElementaryandSecondaryEducation
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Consistency matters when measuring students' learning
Students with learning differences can benefit from text-to-speech technology. (Maskot/Getty Images) Headphones on and intently staring at his screen, Hayden sat at his table reading about ice cream. He was totally engrossed in the test's content, his lips moving silently with the narrator's voice. Some of my 5th graders sat at single desks to better focus as they read, others wore unplugged headphones to block out noise, and still others like Hayden readied their text-to-speech (TTS) settings on their devices to begin their read-along sessions. Each student had the tools and options they needed to be successful in this most important task: reading. When I walked by to check on Hayden, he gave me a thumbs up as he began answering explicit and inferential questions, a tough skill for any 5th grader. Students like Hayden with learning differences make up about 23% of all students in Arkansas. Once they've put in the work to learn how to use tools like TTS, the results are remarkable. Texthelp tools like Read&Write and Equatio, which are provided by the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, help bridge the learning and literacy gaps for students in grades 3-12. Research shows that students with learning differences demonstrate increased comprehension scores when using text-to-speech technology on reading tests. This includes students with a range of learning differences, including dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and vision impairment. The Arkansas Teaching, Learning & Assessment System (ATLAS), which is administered each spring, was designed to assess students on state standards for math, science, reading, language, and writing. Cohorts of teachers vetted the assessment prior to its adoption in the 2023-24 academic year to ensure its alignment with Arkansas standards and rigor in the question types. However, assistive technology that is part of daily instruction in a classroom like mine is not allowed on state testing for students on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) like Hayden. As of 2023, 30 states allow for text-to-speech access on state testing for students with documented disabilities who use such resources in their daily learning. Arkansas should join these states so every student has the opportunity to consistently use the same assistive technology across their daily tasks and the state test that measures what they know and can do. Providing this crucial learning tool to Arkansas students on the ATLAS test would boost their reading confidence and reduce stress associated with high-stakes testing. For example, one of my students uses speech-to-text to capture his ideas on longer writing assignments, thereby overcoming the negative impacts of dysgraphia, a neurological condition in which someone has difficulty turning their thoughts into written language. He is able to bridge this neurological barrier and successfully express himself. Students like Hayden find success in my classroom by leveraging the tools and resources available to them, which rewards their effort and fuels their desire to succeed. By removing the barrier for Hayden to decode words, I can evaluate what he comprehends in the writing he produces and adjust my instruction accordingly. I can also support Hayden in improving his decoding skills through individualized reading interventions, so that he eventually won't need the text-to-speech tool. Having consistency in students' use of assistive technology also helps teachers like me, who rely on assessment data to adjust instruction and implement interventions and supports. I spend time using this data to understand the strengths and weaknesses of incoming students each fall. If TTS is allowed on state testing, we can ensure our instructional shifts are effective and efficient from year to year. With the support of TTS, Hayden is growing more and more confident and is able to answer complex questions at grade level. All students should have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in a way that does not create feelings of inadequacy and failure. Giving students access to these tools on state tests would empower them and help them reach their full potential.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas lawmakers file bill to restrict phone access at school
Rep. Jon Eubanks (left) and Sen. Tyler Dees, both Republicans, discuss a bill to restrict cell phone use in schools at the Arkansas Capitol on Jan. 29, 2025. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) State lawmakers filed legislation Wednesday that would ban smartphones and other personal electronic devices from all Arkansas public schools beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Senate Bill 142, also called the Bell to Bell, No Cell Act, follows through on the promise to ban cellphones in schools made by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders during her State of the State address this month. Speaking during a mental health event at the Capitol rotunda in Little Rock Wednesday morning, Sanders said the bill will curtail 'unrestricted access to smartphones and social media,' which she said has caused a decline in children's mental health over the last decade. 'Arkansas has the opportunity to lead on this issue globally and pass one of the most comprehensive phone-free school bills in the world, and that's a good thing,' Sanders said. 'And when we do that, I truly believe we won't just improve test scores and school discipline, we'll also get to one of the root causes of so many of the mental health issues facing our state today.' Co-sponsored by Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, and Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, SB142 requires cellphone policies — which school districts must publish on their websites — to include exemptions for health reasons, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), extracurricular activities and emergencies. Policies must be submitted to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval, and a district that fails to adopt or enforce a policy will be cited for a violation of state accreditation standards. Under the proposed law, districts would not be liable if a personal electronic device is lost, stolen or damaged. Eubanks told the Advocate he has first-hand knowledge of health issues and learning problems for students because his daughter is a counselor at an elementary school. SB142 is a way for the Legislature 'to help our young kids have a bright future,' he said. 'We want to be able to limit the distraction that students have in school,' Eubanks said. 'They're there to learn, and we want to make sure that that happens.' Arkansas governor, education secretary call on schools to join mental health pilot project Proposals to reduce smartphone usage have gained traction in recent years in states like California and Florida. Arkansas joined the conversation last summer when the governor and education secretary invited schools to participate in a pilot program focused on restricting cellphone access during the school day. In August, state lawmakers permitted the Arkansas Department of Education to distribute $7 million to districts to cover the cost of pouches or lockers where students could store their phones during class time. Sanders said Wednesday the administration 'received an overwhelmingly positive response from school leaders.' Stakeholders, who used data from the pilot program to inform SB142, have been working on the legislation for over a year, Dees said in an interview. The bill aims to respond to parents' concerns, he said. 'Our response today with this bill is that we're no longer going to allow our children to be guinea pigs of Big Tech and social media and the ramifications that have affected our kids,' he said. Dees anticipates the bill will be presented in committee next week and said it will have bipartisan support. As of Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Reginald Murdock of Marianna was the sole Democratic co-sponsor of the bill. This is not the first time state lawmakers have tried to limit Arkansas children's access to social media. Dees and Eubanks sponsored the Social Media Safety Act of 2023 to prohibit minors from creating a social media account without parental consent. It would have been the first such law in the nation, but a federal judge blocked the law in August 2023 before it was set to take effect. Echoing statements made in her State of the State address, Sanders in a press release Wednesday said she plans to update the law so it's no longer held up in court, and to give parents the right to sue tech companies under state law 'so they can hold bad actors accountable.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
