C&I Connections Newsletter

Please note that the Weekly Overview has been adjusted to account for the calamity days in January and February.

This week’s highlights include a feature on math tech-enhanced practice, with practical ways to integrate digital tools to strengthen conceptual understanding and provide meaningful application opportunities. You’ll also find a refresher on reviewing Lexia reports following last week’s training—an important step in using student data to inform small-group instruction and targeted support.

Additionally, we are spotlighting a keyboard­ing challenge from Learning.com. Please see the flyer below for additional information.

Finally, March is Women’s History Month. Below, you’ll find resources and ideas for incorporating women’s contributions and perspectives into your lessons across content areas.

Please reach out if you have questions or would like support implementing any of the featured resources.

Warm Regards,

The C&I Team

We are excited to have Lisa Husain (l_husain@chuh.org) back as the Summer School Coordinator this summer!

There will be an optional Q&A Session on March 4th at 4:00pm for anyone who has questions about working summer school. (link to attend)

The Summer Employment Opportunities Form for summer school is now open! If you are interested in working during summer school, please fill out the form by Friday, April 10, 2026. Staffing decisions will be made and communicated by Friday, April 17, 2026.

Below are important dates/times for summer school:

• Summer School Dates: June 8-July 17 (no school on June 19 or July 3)

• Summer School Teacher Hours: 8:00-12:30pm

• Optional Virtual Q&A Session: March 5 from 4:00-4:30pm (link to attend)

• Form Submissions Close: Friday, April 10

• Staffing Decisions Communicated: Friday, April 17

• Required All Staff Training: Wednesday, May 20 from 4-5pm (compensated)

• Required Teacher Training: Tuesday, June 2nd (compensated)

• Elementary Teachers: 8:30am-3:30pm

• Middle School Teachers: 8:30am-11:00am

• High School Teachers: 1:00-3:30pm

March recognizes Women’s History Month, highlighting the contributions and leadership of women who have shaped our communities, nation, and world. In elementary grades (K–5), students learn about influential women through biographies and stories, building foundational historical thinking skills and understanding how individuals impact society (History: H.H.3; H.H.4; H.HT.1–2).

In middle school (6–8), students analyze women’s roles in movements such as suffrage, civil rights, and reform, using primary and secondary sources to examine events from multiple perspectives (H.HT.1; Grade 8 History Content on cultural biases and consequences).

At the high school level, students evaluate the contributions of women in shaping government, public policy, and social change while exploring civic participation and engagement in a democratic society (American History Content Statements on diverse groups; American Government Civic Involvement Standard).

Call to Action: Students are encouraged to reflect on how women’s leadership and civic engagement continue to influence opportunities, equity, and community progress today.

As we continue preparing students for the OST, it’s important that we give them opportunities to practice not only the content but also the technology-enhanced tools they’ll use on the assessment.

One area that can feel unfamiliar to students is the tech enhanced questions. These items often require students to actively engage with digital tools such as creating data graphs, plotting points on a coordinate plane, drawing and transforming shapes, or constructing lines. While students may understand the math conceptually, navigating the tools confidently is a separate skill that benefits from intentional practice.

To support this work, a technology-enhanced practice has been created in the CRS for Grades 3 through Geometry that includes 5–9 problems focused specifically on these tech-enhanced item types. Last year, similar practices were developed for Grades 3–5; this year, they have been updated and expanded to include content through Geometry. These assessments provide students with a low-stakes opportunity to interact with the same tools they will encounter on the OST.

You can find these practice tests in the CSR under: Assessment Authoring → Tests → Tests Shared With Me

These practice assessments are a great way to:

• Build student familiarity with OST-style grid and graph items

• Provide authentic practice with the digital tools

• Reduce test-day anxiety by increasing comfort with the platform

We encourage teams to incorporate this practice into upcoming lessons as appropriate. If you have any questions or would like support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The C&I team is happy to help in any way.

Looking for a past math feature? Click here to explore our archive of math articles from C&I newsletters dating back to the start of the 2024–25 school year. This link is also available on your at-a-glance!

We’re excited to spotlight the great work happening with Zearn in Becca Larson’s kindergarten classroom at Noble!

Becca’s students don’t just use Zearn, they look forward to it. The excitement is tangible as they log in, eager to tackle new lessons and celebrate their growth. With a goal of completing three lessons each week, students take ownership of their progress by physically moving their individual “rainbow” to track their accomplishments. This simple but powerful visual system builds motivation, reinforces goal-setting habits, and makes learning visible.

Thank you, Becca, for sharing your experience and for the thoughtful ways you inspire our youngest learners to grow their mathematical brains!

Have a Zearn story of your own? We’d love to feature it in an upcoming C&I newsletter, please reach out and share!

It was great seeing our K-5 team diving into the Lexia reports last week! We know how valuable your instructional time is, and we’re excited to see how these data points help you tailor your small-group lessons to meet every student’s needs.

Here is a brief overview of the three primary reports discussed:

• Class Standards Report: This report allows you to monitor how your class is performing against specific grade-level literacy standards. It’s a great tool for identifying which standards have been mastered and where additional reinforcement is needed.

• Skills Progress Report: This provides a detailed look at individual student movement through the program. You can see exactly where a student started, their current accuracy and rate, and any specific sub-skills where they may be struggling.

• Class Usage Report: This report can be used to track weekly engagement. It shows which students are meeting their recommended minutes and units.

Understanding the Predictor Measure

On your Class Overview page, you will see a Predictor Measure (On Target, Some Risk, or High Risk). This indicates a student’s current likelihood of meeting their end-of-year program usage & program benchmark.

How it works: Risk information is updated monthly based on a combination of the student’s progress, usage, rate, and accuracy within the program.

Important Note: Because our district launched Lexia in January, please keep in mind that the predictor may not be fully accurate.

Need more help? Check out the Lexia Resource Guide shared during our training for step-by-step instructions and implementation tips.

If you have not yet participated in the Clarity Cohort and are interested in joining next year, please add your name to the interest form. You only need to do this once.

If you have already been part of the Clarity Cohort (last year or this year), you do not need to add your name here.