ChalkTalk - Teach amazing.

Maximize Your Success with ChalkTalk

Unlock the full potential of ChalkTalk with proven strategies and insights from top-performing schools and districts.

You’ll discover how to:

Integrate ChalkTalk into your curriculum
Establish routines with ChalkTalk
Enable educators to champion ChalkTalk

Integrating ChalkTalk into Your Curriculum

Peoria High School

Grades 10-11 Peoria, Arizona

Peoria High School has successfully utilized ChalkTalk to enhance its core curriculum, achieving remarkable gains in both Math and ELA. With an 11% increase in math scores and a 10% increase in ELA, they led the district in performance improvements last year. They leverage ChalkTalk extensively across multi-grade level classes, primarily with sophomores and juniors. Their block scheduling allows students to rotate courses mid-year, adapting to the varying academic needs and grade levels.

Hillsborough County

Grades 11-12 Tampa, Florida

At Hillsborough, daily integration of ChalkTalk for juniors and seniors has markedly improved academic performance. ELA students dedicating at least 6 hours to the platform averaged a 2-point ACT increase, and math students completing more than 40 lessons experienced a rise of over 3 points. Systematic incorporation through ChalkTalk pacing guides facilitated consistent use and measurable academic enhancements.

Broward County

Grades 11-12 Miami, Florida

Broward County illustrates the effectiveness of fully integrating ChalkTalk into the curriculum for sustained educational impact. By teaching a complete semester of the program and subsequently conducting an 8-week intensive bootcamp based on skill level reports to focus on the most critical standards, schools have harnessed this targeted approach to maximize educational outcomes. This method of reteaching the curriculum intensively before the national test has proven to significantly enhance student performance, demonstrating the power of well-timed, concentrated learning interventions.

Key Takeaways

1
Identify Your Target Students Determine if ChalkTalk will primarily enhance core curriculum, support remedial education, or prepare students for college pathways.
2
Incorporate into Daily Schedules Leverage the customized pacing guide to incorporate ChalkTalk regularly into the school day for optimal score improvements.
3
Prioritize for Maximum Impact Utilize skill level reports to focus on areas that significantly boost score improvement.

Establishing Routines with ChalkTalk

Tarrant County College South

Grade 10 Fort Worth, Texas

This Fort Worth ISD school demonstrated an effective ChalkTalk implementation through a well-organized plan. The administration set clear usage expectations—40-45 minutes, three times per week—to introduce 10th graders to test prep. This early exposure allowed them to get their feet wet, ensuring they are better prepared when they pick back up in their junior year. Regular briefings with ChalkTalk partnership managers and data coaching sessions analyzed progress and refined strategies. This thorough approach kept all stakeholders aligned and engaged, achieving significant improvements in student learning outcomes and test scores.

Levy County

Grades 11-12 Bronson, FL

Levy County School District focused on personalized practice to enhance student outcomes. Over the course of 3 months, 216 students completed a total of 33,622 practice questions and videos, as well as hundreds of teacher-led activities. This rigorous practice, combined with targeted lessons guided by their teachers, resulted in an average score improvement of 1.78 points on the ACT. By integrating ChalkTalk’s Study Hall feature and encouraging regular practice, Levy County was able to significantly boost student performance and tailor learning experiences to meet individual needs.

Denison ISD

Grades 11-12 Denison, Texas

Denison ISD illustrated the benefits of completing placement and post tests with ChalkTalk, enabling consistent practice sessions and more accurate data for teachers, administrators, and students. They worked with their account manager to schedule each test in advance, ensuring fidelity and consistent implementation. This approach enabled ongoing adjustments, directly tailoring lessons to reflect reported skill mastery levels. As students engaged more frequently in practice and assessments, their lessons became increasingly personalized, maximizing educational outcomes.

Key Takeaways

1
Set Clear Expectations Develop a communications plan detailing when/how teachers and students should use ChalkTalk to ensure consistent and effective integration.
2
Encourage Personalized Practice Promote ChalkTalk’s lesson practice and Study Hall feature to tailor learning to individual needs and enhance student outcomes.
3
Focus on Strategic Assessments Schedule pre and post tests to optimize curriculum efforts and refine pacing guides based on the results.

Enabling Educators to Champion ChalkTalk

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Grade 11-12 Memphis, TN

For smaller to medium-sized school districts, we work directly with the curriculum admin to ensure a streamlined and manageable implementation. With Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the largest school district in Tennessee, we collaborated with a broader team comprising of the equity office, high school programming office, and research department. Their collaborative efforts ensured the program not only enhanced academic performance but also fostered a supportive and responsive learning environment. As a result, the number of TISA-eligible students increased by 2.5 times from the placement test to the exit test (6 weeks).

Volusia County

Grades 11-12 Volusia, FL

In Volusia County School District, regular PLC meetings were established where teachers discussed ChalkTalk implementation, shared successes, and worked through challenges together. These meetings provided opportunities for continuous professional development and ensured everyone stayed aligned with program goals. Their dedicated ChalkTalk account manager also facilitated an in-person PLC to help guide the team, offering expert advice and tailored support. This collaborative approach led to a cohesive and effective implementation of the program across the district, with teachers feeling more supported and confident in utilizing ChalkTalk.

Nicholas Academic Center

Grade 11 Santa Ana, California

ChalkTalk regularly sends out survey opportunities for teachers to share their feedback. At Nicholas Academic Centers, where their teacher was teaching SAT prep for the first time and relied solely on ChalkTalk for their curriculum and lessons, these feedback sessions were particularly insightful. These 1:1 feedback sessions offered valuable insights into what was working and what needed adjustment, ensuring the program evolved to better meet the needs of both teachers and students. This constructive feedback loop fostered a sense of ownership and continuous improvement, further enhancing the overall effectiveness of the ChalkTalk implementation.

Key Takeaways

1
Set Clear Expectations Choose which key personnel should be involved in the ChalkTalk team. This could include curriculum leads, assistant principals, counselors, PTAs, and other influential figures in the school community.
2
Schedule Key Checkpoints Allow time for teachers to connect and share best practices and strategies during staff meetings or PLCs.
3
Attend Feedback Sessions Encourage teachers to engage in 1:1 feedback sessions with ChalkTalk managers to help shape the program.

Incorporating ChalkTalk into Your RTI/MTSS Framework

Pull Outs

Teachers can use the Skill Level Report to form homogenous groups, ensuring students with similar learning gaps receive focused instruction. This approach is particularly effective for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students who need targeted interventions to address specific challenges. Alternatively, teachers can create heterogeneous groups to encourage collaborative learning and peer support, fostering growth in both higher-performing and struggling students.
ChalkTalk's adaptability ensures that pull-out sessions are productive, whether they're designed to accelerate learning for Tier 1 students or provide intensive, individualized support for Tier 3 students. This flexibility empowers educators to meet the unique needs of every learner without disrupting the core class schedule.

Rotational Models

In this model, the teacher can lead group instruction, focusing on targeted lessons and discussions that address specific skills or concepts. Meanwhile, another group of students can engage in small group practice with ChalkTalk, working through collaborative exercises designed to reinforce classroom instruction.
For the independent practice rotation, students use ChalkTalk's adaptive learning platform, which personalizes instruction based on their unique Lexile levels and proficiency. This ensures that each student is challenged appropriately, enabling them to progress at their own pace while still building confidence and mastery.

Flex periods

ChalkTalk brings structure and clarity to flex periods, a dedicated time during the school day designed for personalized student support. Whether used for teacher-led instruction, small group activities, or individualized practice, this flexible time ensures students engage in meaningful, goal-oriented learning that complements their regular curriculum.
Using the Skill Level Report, educators can group students strategically to maximize outcomes. Groups might work with an ELA teacher on reading and writing skills or a Math teacher to reinforce key concepts. These targeted sessions enable differentiated instruction, addressing skill gaps and accelerating progress, making the most of this valuable learning time.

Key Takeaways

1
Using Data to Drive Instruction Download the Skill Level Report to pinpoint gaps, benchmark progress, and personalize instruction.
2
Schedule Key Checkpoints Use ChalkTalk’s tools for small groups with adaptive practice and worksheets, providing engaging yet achievable challenges.
3
Attend Data Training Sessions Schedule training sessions with ChalkTalk managers for your administrators and teachers to help them understand the data and use it effectively in their teaching.

Hear from these educators and leaders who have implemented ChalkTalk

"I ran through ChalkTalk the first semester, and all my at-risk students who failed the Florida test the first time took the test again that semester and 83% of them passed."

Pascale

"I love ChalkTalk! My students are more engaged because I am part of what they're doing. It’s not just me saying ‘do this right here’ and watching them. We hit a 95% graduation rate this year, the highest we’ve ever had!”

Glynese

"Our district evaluates a lot of programs and there is nothing else out there like ChalkTalk."

Elena