Mes: agosto 2020

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The North Carolina State Board of Education recently selected Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready as an approved assessment for Read to Achieve. Now, teachers throughout the state can use the award-winning Diagnostic as part of the Grades K–3 literacy initiative to plan and differentiate their instruction and support student growth. The award-winning i-Ready program serves more than eight million students and approximately 25 percent of all K–8 students in the United States, including 70 percent of North Carolina’s local education agencies (LEAs) and charter schools.

«Developing early reading skills is critical to students’ ongoing achievement across all subject areas,» said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. «We are currently supporting more than 300,000 students across North Carolina and are committed to the success of the state’s educators and students, whether they are teaching in person or remotely. We look forward to serving even more young learners with i-Ready through the Read to Achieve initiative.»

As part of the Excellent Public Schools Act, Read to Achieve is designed to help ensure all students are reading at grade level by the time they reach Grade 4. The multifaceted initiative aims to eliminate social promotion, facilitate early grade reading proficiency, promote developmental screening and a kindergarten entry assessment, provide a comprehensive plan for reading achievement, support successful reading development for retained students, outline notification requirements to parents and guardians, and implement the accountability process.

i-Ready was selected by the State Board of Education as one of the approved assessments for Read to Achieve based on its ability to measure students’ ability to «read, comprehend, integrate, and apply complex texts needed for secondary education and career success.»

i-Ready makes the promise of differentiated instruction a practical reality for K–12 teachers and students. It combines powerful assessments and rich insights with effective and engaging instruction in reading and mathematics to address students’ individual needs.

The Diagnostic provides educators with actionable criterion-referenced and normative data to deliver impactful, equitable learning experiences. Teachers administer the Diagnostic at the beginning of the school year to chart a course for their instruction and to personalize i-Ready instructional paths. A midyear and end-of-year Diagnostic helps students and teachers measure growth and have data chats. Teacher-led and online instruction continues throughout the year to help students address their learning gaps and access grade-level learning.

To learn more about i-Ready and the Read to Achieve approval, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/Products/i-Ready/Read-to-Achieve-North-Carolina.

About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company’s products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.

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SOURCE Curriculum Associates

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in unique ways—throwing millions of individuals into a new role as family caregiver and challenging seasoned caregivers to take on additional responsibilities in order to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Whether they’re lending a hand to an aging spouse, parent, relative or friend, more than one in five Americans now serve as unpaid family caregivers, according to the latest research from AARP.

For every family caregiver—veteran or newcomer—it’s often difficult to balance personal obligations such as work and caring for children, in addition to daily caregiving responsibilities. The challenges of tending to a loved one can place significant stress on the person overseeing care. Gradually, this stress can build up and lead to caregiver distress—a situation where an individual may become more susceptible to other health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes and increased risk of stroke.

«It’s very common to see caregivers placing the needs of their loved ones before their own,» said Lakelyn Hogan, gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead Senior Care. «But we just can’t pour from an empty cup. By taking time to tend to your own needs and acknowledge the challenges you may be facing, we can create a caregiving environment that is healthy and rewarding for every person involved.»

While caring for an older adult can be a meaningful and fulfilling experience, the daily duties of caregiving can still prompt isolation and self-neglect. To keep your personal well-being top of mind, Hogan recommends the following strategies and tips:

• Schedule «me time.» Even just a few mindful moments each day can help reduce feelings of stress or resentment. A quick walk around the block, a 30-minute music break or a three-minute deep breathing exercise on a meditation app can make all the difference. If you’re struggling to find time for just yourself, try asking other family members and friends to momentarily step in. Or, consider seeking out a professional caregiver for intermittent help.
• Create a gratitude jar. It can be easy to lose sight of why you took on this role in the first place. Try to remain optimistic by using note cards to record what you are thankful for. Place them by your desk or bedside table – and at the end of the year or season, reflect on the small moments that made you smile. This simple exercise can even retrain your brain for positive thinking. If you need help getting started, try filling in the blank: The best part of being a caregiver is __________.
• (Actually) unplug. Plan for respite care to take single days off or even enjoy a week-long vacation. When you’re away, stay away. Talk about things other than caregiving, crack open a book you haven’t been able to get to and treat yourself to something special as a reward for everything you’ve accomplished. Whenever possible, avoid long periods of time on social media, which can leave you comparing yourself to others or feeling down in the dumps about your current situation.
• Explore workplace benefits. Balancing a career and caregiving can come with its own set of challenges. But oftentimes, employees aren’t aware of what their company offers in the way of family-friendly benefits. Especially now during the current work environment, many companies have introduced flexible arrangements, such as more paid time-off or remote working solutions. Take time to familiarize yourself with the benefits your employer may offer, and be sure to use them to your advantage.
• Join a support group. Social distancing can create feelings of isolation for caregivers, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Dedicate time each week to connecting with other caregivers and lifting one another up. Lean on your own support group, whether your «team» is friends, family or even an online community like Home Instead’s Caregiver Stress Facebook page.

Practicing self-care is not selfish. We are all living in uncertain times and adjusting to the new normal. By making time for yourself, you can ensure you’re able to provide the best care for your loved one for years to come. And, most importantly, don’t forget that the care you’re providing is making a significant impact on your loved one.

For more resources to help manage stress or identify the things that might make caregiving more challenging for you, visit CaregiverStress.com.

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Home Instead Senior Care® franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 80 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 13 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 90,000 CAREGivers℠ worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum – from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimer’s care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources.

Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care

RANDOR, Pa., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — KnowFully Learning Group («KnowFully» or the «Company»), a leading provider of end-to-end professional education courses in the accounting, finance, and healthcare sectors, today announced the launch of KnowFully Healthcare Education–the new home for KnowFully’s family of healthcare education brands–as well as the debut of a new test prep course, NAPLEX Review by KnowFully. These launches continue KnowFully Learning Group’s growth across the accounting, finance, and healthcare industries and is expected to bring both significant value and unparalleled technological innovation to the NAPLEX test prep sector.

While the name is new, KnowFully Healthcare Education’s family of brands are long-time leaders in the healthcare professional education space, including CME Outfitters, a leading provider of accredited continuing medical education focused on outcomes-based education for medical professionals, freeCE, a top provider of online CE for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses;; and American Health Resources, organizer of the top-rated Northeast Hematology and Oncology Pharmacy Symposium (NEHOPS). KnowFully Learning Group is backed by NexPhase Capital, a thematic and operationally-focused private equity firm.

The launch of NAPLEX Review by KnowFully marks the Company’s first venture into exam review within the healthcare vertical. Its course offering will leverage KnowFully’s proprietary adaptive learning software, A.S.A.P. Technology™, which powers the Company’s lines of industry-leading accounting and finance exam prep courses. This award-winning, AI-powered technology fully customizes the learning experience for each learner, generating study plans that address those areas where they show weaker comprehension, ultimately getting learners «exam-ready» with far fewer hours of study.

A.S.A.P. Technology features several breakthrough and award-winning features that improve study efficiency, including ReadySCORE™ and MyMCQ™. ReadySCORE uses a sophisticated algorithm and actual exam scoring rules to estimate what an individual student would score on the real exam if they were to take it that day, while also identifying a student’s specific knowledge gaps. Each candidate’s ReadySCORE continually updates based on their study progress and knowledge, providing a highly accurate indicator of true exam readiness. MyMCQ™, another KnowFully innovation, uses machine learning to deliver multiple choice questions (MCQs) that are calibrated to just the right difficulty level for each student’s area of comprehension in any particular topic, avoiding MCQs that are too easy to learn from, while challenging each student with study questions tailored to help them learn more in less time.

The NAPLEX Review by KnowFully offering includes the fully-adaptive Essentials Pass, comprised of 1,500 multiple-choice questions, mobile-friendly software, and a pass guarantee, as well as a non-adaptive QBank, which will allow students the option to study MCQs independently using KnowFully’s collection of study content.

«At KnowFully, we’re committed to providing the best education possible for healthcare professionals at all stages of their careers, and we recognize that a large part of that lies with the candidates preparing to enter this industry,» said Eric Cantor, CEO of Knowfully Learning Group. «That’s why we’re thrilled to bring to market a course and learning platform that’s unparalleled in this field. Not only will our course help students pass the NAPLEX Exam quicker and more conveniently, but it will enable them to sit for the exam with complete confidence that they’re ready.»

A.S.A.P. Technology™ has driven outcomes that have rocketed KnowFully’s accounting and finance exam prep courses (sold under the Surgent brand) to critical and commercial success. Surgent’s CPA Exam candidates, for example, have reduced their study time by as much as 80%, while achieving pass rates nearly 40 points higher than the national average of just 50%. As a result, experts have recognized Surgent’s innovative approach to learning, with acclaim ranging from the Business Intelligence Group’s BIG Innovation Award in 2020, to the American Business Award’s Technical Innovation of the Year (Silver Stevie Award, 2019).

Candidates interested in learning more about NAPLEX Review by KnowFully or about the proprietary A.S.A.P. Technology™ that powers it can find more information at KnowFullyHealth.com.

About KnowFully Learning Group
Founded in 1985 as Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC, the KnowFully Learning Group now provides continuing professional education, exam preparation courses and education resources to the accounting, finance, and healthcare sectors. KnowFully’s suite of learning solutions help exam takers become credentialed, satisfy required credit hours to maintain credentials, and remain informed on the latest trends in their industries thereafter. For more information, please visit https://www.knowfully.com.

SOURCE Knowfully Learning Group