Latest news with #TEKS
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Witte Museum Launches Groundbreaking Statewide Initiative
100% TEKS Aligned Curriculum - Expeditions in Science - Now Available San Antonio, TX, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Witte Museum proudly announces the launch of Texas Museums 360, a bold new initiative that transforms how Texas students engage with science. Designed to bring the trusted expertise and wonder of museums directly into the classroom, this groundbreaking program kicks off with Expeditions in Science, a 100% TEKS-aligned, inquiry-based digital science curriculum created by Texas museums for Texas classrooms. In partnership with Space Center Houston, the Witte Museum has developed a custom experience 'that supports hands-on, phenomena-driven learning for fourth and fifth grades. Students will be scientists as they explore real-world specimens, interact with scientists in the field, and investigate the world around them through authentic, museum-powered lessons. Each unit in the bilingual curriculum is carefully designed to align with TEKS and STAAR testing standards while sparking curiosity, critical thinking, and discovery. 'Texas Museums 360 is a visionary leap forward in how we connect students to real science,' said Dr. Michelle Cuellar Everidge, CEO and President of the Witte Museum. 'At the Witte, we've always believed that learning should inspire wonder. With this initiative, we're ensuring that every child across Texas has access to the kind of engaging, hands-on science education that builds not just knowledge, but confidence and curiosity. We are proud to lead the way.' Early Adopters: Voyager SchoolsTexas Museums 360 is currently onboarding its first cohort of Voyager Schools—a group of pioneering educators and districts who will be the first to implement Expeditions in Science. These schools receive exclusive early adopter benefits, including price protection, direct access to curriculum developers, discounted hands-on activity kits, and even free field trips to the Witte Museum. They will help shape future iterations of the program while leading the charge in transforming how science is taught statewide. All participating schools will benefit from robust professional learning, including early training sessions and ongoing support throughout the academic year. The program positions educators as collaborators—engaging them in a network with their colleagues, empowering them with tools, content, and direct access to museum educators and subject matter experts. About Texas Museums 360Texas Museums 360 is a consortium led by the Witte Museum and Space Center Houston, bringing together more than 125 years of combined experience in science education. The initiative was built to grow—with plans to expand beyond science into history, culture, and arts education through museum-based, interdisciplinary digital curricula. Join the JourneyEducators, school leaders, and science coordinators are invited to schedule a demo and explore how Expeditions in Science can transform learning in their classrooms. For more information or to sign up, contact:emailhttp:// ### About the Witte Museum: Founded in 1926, the Witte Museum inspires people to shape the future of Texas through transformative and relevant experiences in nature, science and culture. Located on the banks of the San Antonio River in Brackenridge Park, the Witte is consistently voted San Antonio's top museum. Here, visitors of all ages journey through Texas Deep Time, uncovering untold stories of the people and forces that shaped Texas across millions of years to the present day. For more information, visit About Space Center Houston: Space Center Houston's shared purpose is to bring people and space closer together. Over 1.3 million visitors and more than 250,000 students and educators visit each year to connect with the significance of space exploration to pursue a path in STEM or follow along as incredible feats of human spaceflight continue to make new discoveries. Space Center Houston is owned by the Manned Space Flight Education 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and generates an annual $118M economic impact to the Greater Houston area. Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Certified Autism Center. Learn more at CONTACT: Katye Brought Witte Museum 210-790-6013 katyebrought@
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Best Learning Games For Kids (2025): Prodigy Recognized as Top Educational Game For Kids by Expert Consumers
Expert Consumers has identified Prodigy as a top educational game for children in 2025 NEW YORK CITY, May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expert Consumers has identified Prodigy as a top educational game for children in 2025. This recognition reflects the platform's evidence-based learning model, broad curriculum alignment, and its unique ability to combine game-based engagement with educational outcomes across both math and English Language Arts (ELA). Top Learning Game for Kids Prodigy - a game-based learning platform that helps students in grades 1 to 8 build math and English skills through engaging, curriculum-aligned content Developed by Prodigy Education, Prodigy delivers standards-aligned content through an adaptive, gamified experience designed to foster learning in students from grades 1 to 8. The game's success is grounded in its mission: 'To help every student in the world love learning,' a commitment backed by an in-house team of educators, researchers, and technologists. With over 100 million registered users, Prodigy has grown into a global learning platform that offers both math and ELA curriculum - each developed to meet rigorous academic standards. 'At a time when parents and educators are increasingly looking for tools that are both academically effective and engaging for children, Prodigy has struck a rare balance,' said Drew Thomas, a spokesperson for Expert Consumers. 'The platform's adaptive technology ensures students receive content tailored to their individual skill levels, while the game mechanics motivate consistent participation without relying on advertisements or pay-to-win models.' Curriculum-Aligned Learning Backed by Research Prodigy Math is aligned with multiple national and regional standards including Common Core, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and Ontario Curriculum, among others. Through its adaptive algorithm, the platform personalizes math questions in real time, providing the right level of challenge for each learner. According to research published by Prodigy Education, regular use of the platform is linked to measurable gains in math performance. In particular, students who answered at least 30 curriculum-aligned questions per week demonstrated significantly greater improvement compared to peers with minimal engagement. Prodigy English, launched more recently, brings a similar adaptive learning experience to language arts. Targeted for students in grades 1 to 6, the game helps learners strengthen grammar, reading comprehension, and vocabulary skills through gameplay rooted in storytelling and world-building. The curriculum is aligned with standards such as the Common Core and TEKS, ensuring that activities reflect classroom expectations. Both games employ a student-centered learning model and are free to access, with optional memberships that offer cosmetic rewards rather than academic advantages. This model supports equity by making educational resources widely available without creating performance disparities. Designed for Engagement and Accessibility One of the key differentiators noted by Expert Consumers is Prodigy's capacity to foster intrinsic motivation. Rather than relying solely on external incentives, the game's design encourages students to engage with academic content voluntarily. In-game rewards, character customization, and narrative progression are all tied to learning outcomes, turning classroom-aligned questions into key elements of game progression. Teachers can create classroom accounts and assign curriculum-aligned content directly through the platform. Meanwhile, parents receive insights into their child's progress and learning habits through a separate dashboard. This three-tiered ecosystem - student, teacher, and parent - supports a full-circle approach to learning. In terms of privacy and accessibility, Prodigy is compliant with leading data protection regulations such as COPPA and FERPA, and it has also earned the Common Sense Privacy Seal for its commitment to protecting student data. The platform is browser-based and mobile-friendly, ensuring accessibility across devices without requiring costly hardware or software. Broader Implications for Learning Technology Prodigy's growth coincides with larger trends in education, where gamification and adaptive learning are increasingly seen as critical tools for engagement and differentiation. As classrooms become more diverse in learning needs and technological access, platforms like Prodigy offer scalable solutions that maintain both academic rigor and student motivation. Click here to explore Prodigy's features and offerings. For the full review, please visit the Expert Consumers website. About Prodigy Prodigy Education is an educational technology company committed to making learning engaging and accessible for every student. Founded with the mission 'to help every student in the world love learning,' Prodigy combines curriculum-aligned academic content with game-based experiences to support students in grades 1 to 8. The company offers two core platforms - Prodigy Math and Prodigy English - each designed to adapt to individual learning levels while aligning with standards such as Common Core and TEKS. Used by over 100 million students, parents, and educators worldwide, Prodigy provides a free-to-access model supported by optional memberships that enhance gameplay without affecting academic progress. With a strong emphasis on educational research, student privacy, and accessibility, Prodigy continues to lead in developing digital tools that inspire lifelong learning. About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. CONTACT: Drew Thomas (press@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reforming standardized testing in Texas: a break down of House Bill 221
ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Ahead of the 2025 legislative session, State Representative Brooks Landgraf introduced House Bill 221, which proposed significant reforms to standardized testing in Texas schools. 'House Bill 221 is the bill that I filed in the Texas House of Representatives to scrap the STAAR exam,' Landgraf said. 'It's an unnecessary, overly expensive, high stakes standardized test that's not serving Texas students very well, or taxpayers.' Educators at Ector County ISD said they rely on STAAR data to assess what their students have learned. 'The assessment is made and designed to assess whether students learned the TEKS, which is the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and just to see their academic performance year-over-year,' said Dr. Robert Trejo, the Executive Director of Accountability and School Improvement at ECISD. 'And, to inform educators what they can focus in in the classroom, year in and year out.' While the STAAR does provide ECISD with data, it does not provide the district with funding. 'Our funding is based off of attendance or ADA – attendance or percentage of students attending our campuses,' said Trejo. 'So, STAAR performance has no yield as far as the funding that we receive from the state.' Rep. Landgraf said other states offer better ways of conducting standardized testing. 'No other state uses STAAR, but there are some very successful models that are used in 27 other states. One being the Iowa Assessments, which are much more accurate than STAAR,' Landgraf said. 'They are more cost effective, and that's why they're used with such great success in many other parts of the country. Normally, I think we do everything better here in Texas, but standardized testing is one area where other states get it right and we don't.' Rep. Landgraf also stated that the STAAR can be a major cause of anxiety in students and teachers. 'It's anxiety not only for the students, but for teachers and parents too,' said Landgraf. 'We put so much pressure on how students as young as third grade perform on this exam…We're not taking the entire education of our students into consideration.' Educators at ECISD said that no matter what happens to the STAAR, they are still going to be dedicated to providing the best opportunities to their students. '…We would look at what assessment is coming out of that, what instrument is coming out of that, and then we still do what we do as educators,' Trejo said. 'And that's dissect the data, and then intervene for students and provide them the best educational opportunities and ensure that they're learning.' Landgraf said House Bill 221 could pass before Memorial Day this spring. The bill would take about a year to implement once passed. 'I think this is also going to be an important part of the debate that is going on right now in the state of Texas with regards to Education Savings Accounts,' said Landgraf. 'Governor Abbott has made ESA's and some other education issues emergency items for the legislative session that we're in right now. So, there is a lot of focus on these issues. I think we can include this as part of the larger discussion of education reforms here in Texas.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
