Blog

  • The Digital Assessment Library's strategic solution to PPM 169

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    In the evolving landscape of educational support, Ontario's Policy/Program Memorandum 169 (PPM 169) represents a critical step toward comprehensive mental health and learning needs strategies for school districts. One solution to help bolster this transformation is the Digital Assessment Library (DAL), a powerful technological solution designed to not just meet but exceed the memorandum's rigorous requirements.

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  • ‘Tis the Season for Learning Through Literacy at Home

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    As educators anticipate the opportunity to rest and recharge over the holiday break, they are also mindful of the potential for an academic “slide” that can accompany an extended pause, which can be troubling because they’ve just re-established momentum post-summer. 

    However, the holiday season, with its focus on quality family time, can also allow caregivers to take more active roles in their children’s literacy. A report prepared by consulting firm Deloitte for the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation,  “An Economic Overview of Children’s Literacy in Canada,” found that an estimated one million Canadian children under the age of 15 have below grade-level literacy skills. 

    Modeling the importance of reading at home can be a powerful way to build confidence and instill a lifelong affinity for literacy. As the holiday season approaches, here are some ways you can help your school community harness family time to boost literacy skills. 

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  • The Learning Curve: How Training Supports Recruiting and Retaining Cleared Talent

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    It requires a specific kind of employee to pursue security clearance work. These individuals must embrace pressure and want to make a difference in national security. The constrained talent pool of cleared employees shows how unique this population is, and, on top of that, cybersecurity and technology roles in the intelligence community and government agencies require extremely specific skill sets. The rapid advancement of AI is accelerating this trend even further.

    “The recent Executive Order from the U.S. White House on AI adoption is just the latest driver of talent demand in the security-cleared space,” says Andy Gill, strategic talent acquisitions lead with MetroStar, a digital services and IT modernization company based in Virginia, USA focused on Federal, Department of Defense (DoD) and national security customers at the highest security levels. “The need for technical skills and security clearances means it’s more important than ever to not only find the right candidates but also to retain the cleared folks you already have and ensure talent mobility,” he adds.

    How can staffing firms and HR professionals manage talent acquisition (TA) with this employee population and keep key positions filled? By emphasizing learning and development (L&D) opportunities, recruiters and TA teams can address both sides of this coin — recruiting qualified candidates and retaining valuable employees.

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  • Helping students with dyslexia navigate assessment

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    Education is driven by a shared goal: helping students grow and thrive. Assessments play a vital role in this journey, providing insights into student strengths, needs and progress. However, for students with learning differences, such as dyslexia, these assessments can present unique challenges.

    Here’s how your school community can ensure an inclusive assessment experience for all students.

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  • The ADHD Evidence Project

    Illustration of a head with a brain

    Addressing misinformation and promoting evidence-based understanding

    If you attended the 2024 ADHD Virtual Summit, you likely watched the ADHD Evidence Project Presentation by Dr. Stephen Faraone. Dr. Faraone is clinical psychologist, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and President of the World Federation of ADHD.

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