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# Maximizing the Use of Title III Funding with Boardworks
by  | Sep 16, 2022 |  | 
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Since it was passed in 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has been reauthorized eight times, adapting to current education conditions but continuously providing a source of federal spending for elementary and secondary education. Most recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, funds are allocated by the federal government for state and local school systems for specific initiatives such as those described by Title III.
Title III is a grant program established by the ESEA that provides federal funds to support programs focusing on delivering language instruction to students whose primary language is not English. Designed to support English Language Learners (ELL) in achieving academic achievement standards, Title III is an important funding source for many districts. The  the specific guidelines by which ELLs are defined and how federal funding is allocated to state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs). The Department of Education  of the proficiency standards, educational programs, and non-regulatory elements to address common questions about the program.
These resources are valuable for identifying how funds can be used, the metrics by which SEAs and LEAs are measured, and helping develop new and emerging EL programs, but many districts want to ensure they maximize the use of the funds they receive. Boardworks partners with hundreds of districts to support their EL programs and maximize their use of Title III funding.
## Maximizing Title III Funds to Support EL Student Populations
Boardworks is designed to empower teachers and engage students with the ultimate goal of enhancing learning and ensuring equity in access to educational resources. Boardworks’ turnkey library of standards-aligned interactive lessons supports ELs K-12 and can provide a valuable resource to schools looking to maximize their Title III funds. Relevant Title III objectives include:
**Language Acquisition** – The core initiative of Title III to help ELs acquire the necessary skills in English Language to meet academic standards is a crucial element. Boardworks allows teachers to stress the importance of key terms with dedicated ELA and grammar skills modules and the ability to bold and highlight key terms for extra emphasis in all subject areas. Boardworks also allows teachers to pre-load audio of their voice into lessons to support emerging readers and provide extra support for a depth of comprehension.
**Meeting Academic Standards** – In addition to language acquisition, Title III tasks education agencies with meeting the same State academic standards that their peers are required to meet. Boardworks supports this by providing highly visual, interactive presentation materials supported by pictures, videos, and graphs. With access to this robust suite of interactive materials, students can learn more effectively, teachers can teach across language barriers, and a full room of students can engage with content on a common footing. Boardworks enhances instruction by supplementing lesson plans with visual, interactive materials.
**ELL Teachers Teaching Across Languages** – Teachers are often expected to teach all ELL students at their level, with various languages coming into the ESOL program. Boardworks helps teachers reach students across various languages by integrating student labs, interactive graphs, and self-paced animations. Regardless of class size, teachers can help everyone in front of them reach rigorous academic standards.
**Parental, Community Involvement in Learning** – Title III emphasizes the involvement of an EL’s family and community in their learning. Boardworks is designed to be accessible to everyone involved. Because Boardworks presentations don’t require a student login, teachers can share specific lessons and presentations with both students and parents, engaging and connecting learning outside of the classroom.
## Using Title III Funds for Boardworks in Your District
Boardworks has become a trusted partner for districts and schools across the country, supporting their ELL teachers and students. John Perlaza, Assistant Principal at Newcomers High School in Queens, NY notes that “because the students are learning English, you may not be able to cover or go through content as quickly; you have to go at a slower pace to ensure that the vocabulary is emphasized and clarified. It’s great that the teachers can go through the content in Boardworks and pick and choose the parts that work for their particular lesson or style.”
The flexibility to craft presentations that fit the specific needs of ELL teachers at different levels, within different subjects, and for individual students makes it an ideal fit for schools looking to develop and enhance their ELL program offerings.
When implementing Boardworks, organizations receive a lifetime license. This ensures you have a resource that will support your students for years to come and not just the years in which a license is renewed. That lifetime license covers every student and teacher in your program, ensuring all teachers can save time developing classroom materials and that new teachers get up and running quickly. With the ongoing teacher shortage, turnkey curriculum supplements that support your Title III initiatives will save time and reduce the risk of teacher burnout.
If you are interested in learning more about how Boardworks can help maximize your use of Title III funds, request a demo or reach out to a member of our team to discuss how the platform can support your efforts.
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# Preparing for the B.E.S.T Standards Changes Coming to Florida in September
by  | Aug 22, 2022 |  | 
Following two years of development, Florida is set to complete its transition to Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T) standards for the 22-23 school year. While professional development and some components of the new standards were implemented last year, the 22-23 school year marks the full implementation of the new math and ELA curriculum across K-12. Because such a comprehensive shift to a new assessment and standards will impact educators throughout the state, let’s take a closer look at what this will entail and some of the resources that can make the transition as smooth as possible.
## A Shift in the Approach of Teachers
Curriculum standards provide a framework for teachers when creating lesson plans and preparing students for assessments. They guide educators in what to teach, what elements of those subjects should be emphasized, and how students will engage with them. Any shift in standards can be challenging because of this: requiring teachers to create new materials, adjust existing lesson plans, and adapt to a new approach. Even experienced teachers with established resources and activities will need to make changes as Florida’s B.E.S.T Standards for ELA and Math are implemented.
The new standards are comprehensive and affect many ways math and reading are taught. Some key differences from the common core standards used in Florida until now include:
 is shifting away from the logic-based approach of the common core toward a stronger focus on baseline skills and concepts. Florida’s Education Commissioner notes how B.E.S.T will “focus on the correct answer, not just the method used to obtain it,” and a “balanced emphasis on skills vs. concepts.” Additionally, there will be a focus on “how different topics connect within a grade and from one grade to the next.”
, implemented in the 21-22 school year, shifts away from excerpt-based reading assignments and toward reading more complete books, framing “learning around classic literature and primary source materials.” Civics education will also be integrated into the ELA curriculum, with a Civic Literacy Test to assess students’ understanding of civic roles and responsibilities.
## Supporting Teachers in the Shift to B.E.S.T
Shifting to a new curriculum presents several challenges for teachers, especially amid an . It’s crucial to support teachers of all experience levels K-12 as they develop new materials and transition from existing materials to new ones that will support the updated standards.
Educator burnout is pervasive, with  feeling overwhelmed following years of COVID-adjusted learning, the ongoing effect of teacher shortages, and increased demands of their time. Adding another layer, the shift to an entirely new curriculum risks further draining teacher resources that could impact student outcomes and teacher performance.
For schools in Florida grappling with this challenge, providing as much support for teachers as possible is important. Boardworks is designed to supplement the curriculum and provide an invaluable resource to teachers who are already being pulled in too many directions. With easy-to-use curriculum supplements mapped to B.E.S.T. and NGSSS standards for ELA, Math, History, and Science, Boardworks can act as a stopgap that supports teachers during this transition period. For schools shifting to Florida’s new Unified Progress Monitoring and Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (F.A.S.T) aligned to the B.E.S.T Standards, Boardworks provides K-12 supplements for elementary, middle school, and high school ELA and math.
## How Boardworks Supports a Smooth Transition to B.E.S.T Standards
Boardworks is designed to support teachers K-12 across subject areas, providing standards-aligned curriculum support. Boardworks presentations cover English Language Development (ELD) standards for English Language Learners (ELL), address the Mathematical Thinking and Reasoning standards (MTRs) outlined by B.E.S.T, and are built to be easy to use for teachers with limited time and resources. Teacher notes are included to support high-quality instruction and provide ideas for activities in the classroom, activities are embedded throughout presentations, and discussion questions and visualizations are embedded to engage students and check for understanding.
B.E.S.T.’s focus on how different topics connect both within a single grade and from one grade to another can be addressed with the large library of 25,000 Boardworks presentation slides. Teachers can quickly add slides or access presentations from other grade levels and subjects to supplement lessons and help make those connections.
If you’re actively working toward adopting Florida B.E.S.T standards for the 22-23 school year,  and provide the resources and tools your teachers need during the transition.
# The Measurable Impact of Interactive Learning Materials
by  | Aug 5, 2022 | ,  | 
A  emphasized the importance of modifying and improving interactive learning strategies. Specifically, they noted how interactive learning materials can have a measurable impact on student engagement and performance.  is one of the nine strategies used to promote a higher level of engagement during interactive learning, as explained in the report.
The data and anecdotal feedback alike support this position. A recent  reveals that educators see playful learning and student choice in learning methods as vital to helping boost student engagement. Over 8,000 educators were surveyed nationwide, and as we enter the fourth school year impacted by COVID, teachers are still concerned about the drop in student engagement starting in 2020. With a drop in engagement and the importance of interaction, it’s no surprise that 68% of teachers said their students are more likely to remember what they learn during learning activities they choose themselves.
## Student Engagement is a Key Factor in Overall Success
As we enter the 2022-2023 school year, we must bridge the achievement gap created by the pandemic. According to educational neuroscience expert %20student%20engagement,all%20subjects%20for%20engaged%20students.), there are substantial benefits of creating interactive lessons that engage students more actively than static activities completed as a class. Designing engaging lessons leads to a higher level of class participation, enjoyment in achieving learning goals, a development of persistence through challenges, and a motivation to gain a new and deeper understanding of materials.
Learning Sciences International provides a compelling case study from Moseley Elementary School in Florida. The school developed strategies to improve engagement and motivation by allowing student collaboration time, creating autonomy and student ownership structures, increasing rigor, and adjusting expectations. Moseley’s approach emphasized allowing students to track their progress by organizing digital resources and recording them into a spreadsheet to track their success.
## Interactive Learning Materials Allow Flexibility for Educators
Interactive learning materials offer students a more engaging experience in their education, but they also provide more flexibility for educators. Resources found at Boardworks enhance that flexibility and reduce the required time to prep for lessons.
With a library of 25,000 interactive slides and presentation materials, all mapped to state standards to fit seamlessly into existing lesson plans, educators can lean into interactivity efficiently. Because Boardworks materials are designed to be used immediately, prep time for teachers is significantly reduced.
Teachers can access the lessons in their personal or school library and customize them to their needs, hiding slides, rearranging materials, or adding new slides to support a specific lesson. Boardworks lessons are embedded with opportunities for student choice, focused discussion, and demonstrations, allowing educators flexibility and ease of use. For more information on how Boardworks creates flexible learning environments, read our recent post about .
## You Don’t Need to Reinvent the Wheel
Well-structured materials support existing standards without reinventing the education wheel. Instead, the %20student%20engagement,all%20subjects%20for%20engaged%20students.) to emerge stronger than before the pandemic. Online learning materials are designed to enhance the standards set forth by each district. With over 25,000 interactive slides, Boardworks covers content from K-12, ELA, Math, Science, History, and much more.
Boardworks’ K-12 curriculum supplements are designed to align with each state’s respective curriculum standards. As our , with Boardworks, there’s no ‘what if’ regarding standards alignment.  to see Boardworks in action and assess how it can support your district’s student engagement efforts.