Elementary School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools serving the lower grades, typically up to 5th, and their students
Thu., October 19, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Point Roberts Elementary School teacher Jessie Hettinga works with a group of first, second and third graders on reading at the school in Point Roberts, Wa., on Sept. 28, 2017.
Point Roberts Elementary School teacher Jessie Hettinga works with a group of first, second, and third graders on reading at the school in Point Roberts, Wash., on Sept. 28, 2017.
Philip A. Dwyer/The Bellingham Herald via AP
Reading & Literacy Classroom Reading Groups: What Works and What Doesn't
Studies show that leveled reading groups don't support struggling students. So what should grouping look like in the reading classroom?
Sarah Schwartz, August 15, 2023
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10 min read
A third grade student raises their hands during a Slow Reveal Graph exercise about colors of national flags around the world at Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., on June 1, 2023. Driscoll Math Specialist Jenna Laib curates a website for Slow Reveal Graphs, which are instructional routines that promote sense making about data by gradually revealing information.
Students raise their hands during a "slow reveal" exercise on data use in a 3rd grade class at Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., in June.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Mathematics Photos Graphs Are Hard for Students to Digest. Can a 'Slow Reveal' Help?
Follow along as a math specialist uses a "slow reveal" graph to teach a statistical lesson on countries' national flags.
Jaclyn Borowski & Sarah D. Sparks, July 31, 2023
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3 min read
Illustration of various data
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Mathematics Project The State of Math Education, in Charts
See the numbers on students' declining math scores, job demands for data skills, and teachers' math preparation.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 31, 2023
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1 min read
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Jacksonville, Fla., on July 21, 2023. Harris spoke out against the new standards adopted by the Florida State Board of Education in the teaching of Black history.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Jacksonville, Fla., on July 21, 2023. Harris spoke out against the new standards adopted by the Florida state board of education in the teaching of Black history.
Fran Ruchalski/The Florida Times-Union via AP
Standards Here’s What’s in Florida’s New African American History Standards
Standards were expanded in the younger grades, but critics question the framing of many of the new standards.
Ileana Najarro, July 25, 2023
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1 min read
A five photo collage on dark blue paper of principal Catherine Diezi and others from school.
Photos: Brad Vest for Education Week; Design: Gina Tomko/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management In Their Own Words 'What Happened to Sherman?': A Principal Who Can't Shake the Memory of One Special Student
Catherine Diezi shared her love for literature with staff and students. She'll remember how that transformed their lives.
Denisa R. Superville, June 23, 2023
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3 min read
Marlena Young-Jones, an ESL teacher at West Elementary in Russellville, Ala., works with students on Dec. 9, 2022. The Russellville City School District has worked to meet the needs of an influx of Hispanic students over the last few years through a number of methods, including hiring nearly a dozen new bilingual aides.
Marlena Young-Jones, en esta foto de diciembre de 2022, es profesora de ESL en la escuela primaria West Elementary y graduada del sistema escolar de Russellville. La inversión del distrito en desarrollo profesional y apoyo para los estudiantes de inglés envía una fuerte señal sobre su importancia, dice ella.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
English-Language Learners In Their Own Words ¿Cuál es la Mentalidad Adecuada para Enseñar a Estudiantes de Inglés? Una Maestra Explica
Profesores necesitan las disposiciones adecuadas para ayudar a los estudiantes de inglés, pero no son quienes determinan las condiciones.
Ileana Najarro, June 2, 2023
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4 min read
Illustration of children walking over missing puzzle piece.
SIphotography/Getty
School & District Management How an Elementary School Principal Slashed Chronic Absenteeism
Targeted parent communications, early interventions, teacher check-ins, and out-of-school supports all played a role.
Denisa R. Superville, May 22, 2023
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7 min read
Image of an empty desk.
Laura Baker/Education Week and kazuma seki/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Why Kindergarten Attendance Matters for the Whole School
Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten has academic consequences for students by 3rd grade—and not just for the students missing school.
Denisa R. Superville, May 18, 2023
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4 min read
Bella Cruz, 9, feeds a goat named S’mores at Hoggard Math & Science Magnet Elementary School in Las Vegas on April 25, 2023. The school has an urban farm and an animal lab where students care for and learn about more than a dozen different kinds of animals.
Bella Cruz, 9, feeds a goat named S’mores at Hoggard Math & Science Magnet Elementary School in Las Vegas on April 25, 2023. The school has an urban farm and an animal lab where students care for and learn about more than a dozen different kinds of animals.
Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal via TNS
School & District Management Goats at School? More Than 150 Animals Live on This Elementary School’s Campus
This popular magnet school has an out-of-the-ordinary offering: an animal lab.
Julie Wootton-Greener, Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 2, 2023
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3 min read
Young elementary children laying on the floor reading books with a bookshelf behind them.
iStock/Getty
Student Achievement 3rd Grade Reading Retention: Three Recent Developments
New research on the impact of retention is complicating states' approaches to retaining 3rd graders who aren't yet proficient.
Sarah Schwartz, April 28, 2023
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3 min read
202303 Ashley Burnaugh 4 BS
Families & the Community Video Reports of Radioactive Contamination Closed Their School. This PTA Is Demanding Answers
After their Missouri elementary school was closed, a group of parents have tried to engage with the district on the school’s future.
Kaylee Domzalski, April 3, 2023
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5:28
An ambulance leaves Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., on March 27, 2023. Officials say three adults and three children were killed in a shooting at the private Christian grade school in Nashville. The suspect is also dead after a confrontation with police.
An ambulance leaves The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., on March 27, 2023, after a shooting at the private Christian school killed three students and three staff members. The shooter is also dead after a confrontation with police inside the school.
John Amis/AP
School Climate & Safety 3 Students, 3 Staff Dead in Shooting at Private Elementary School in Nashville
The attack at The Covenant School was the 13th school shooting this year that resulted in injuries or deaths.
Evie Blad, March 27, 2023
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3 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor We Must Integrate Reading and Writing
"How to develop a nation of great writers is worthy of further discussion," says this letter to the editor.
March 7, 2023
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1 min read
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