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  ACT just released a new study indicating just how far off-track students are when it comes to college preparedness. The results? Researchers examined multiple cohorts of eighth-grade students whose EXPLORE (a test administered by ACT) scores were “Far Off Track” and were more than one standard deviation below Benchmark. Of those deemed “Far Off […]

Want the scoop on education in America?  Here it is: Our children are not reading at grade level.   In a recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, one out of three students scored “below basic” on the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Reading Test. In Virginia, 61% of fourth graders score […]

  As Virginians gear up for another General Assembly session, here at E3: Elevate Early Education, we celebrate and applaud Governor McDonnell for making education one of his two major policy challenges this year! In a press conference last week as the Governor unveiled his K-12 legislative agenda, he announced a new initiative, All Students, […]

It’s no secret that reading is the foundation for academic success.  From kindergarten to third grade, a child is learning to read.  By third grade, a child is reading to learn. Sadly, all too often, a child who starts behind, stays behind.  Reading struggles are strongly linked to difficulties in school (academic, social, and behavioral).  […]

  We’re all aware that reading is linked to overall academic success.  But did you know that it is MUCH more than simply reading words aloud?  It’s analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information in math, science, and social studies.  It is about learning how to interpret and make meaning from what you’re reading. When it comes […]

  Over the weekend, Nicolas Kristof wrote an extremely persuasive Op-Ed in Sunday’s New York Times on the value of investing in early education. “A growing body of careful research suggests that the most effective strategy is to work early on children and education, and to try to encourage and sustain marriage…Early interventions are not […]

This morning on Morning Joe, Mark McKinnon, co-founder of No Labels, was featured talking about the importance of putting kids on the agenda. According to McKinnon, where does the real investment need to be made?  “The real return on investment is early investment in Pre-K and early education…early Pre-K investment is where the real payoff […]

  Think the NBA and education have nothing in common?  Think again. LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player in the NBA today, was recently named Sports Illustrated’s 2012 Sportsmen of the Year. Yet, beyond touting James’ incredible accomplishments on the court, they also praised him for his significant contributions to young children off the court, particularly in the […]