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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230613T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230613T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092704
CREATED:20230530T054232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T164147Z
UID:240781-1686668400-1686673800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Nurture Connection: The Movement for Early Relational Health
DESCRIPTION:“Early relational health creates a necessary footing for young children to optimally learn and engage in the world around them. It helps children to cultivate relationships throughout their life. It lays the foundation for early brain development that helps to support learning and behaviors into adulthood. It’s foundational. Early relationships shape the well-being of both the child and the caregiver and there’s this dynamic\, dyadic two-way natured relationship about early relational health that affects both generations\, and it creates health for every aspect of that dyad.” — Dayna Long\, MD\, Benioff Children’s Hospital. \nIn this GLR Learning Tuesdays Partners webinar\, Nurture Connection: The Movement for Early Relational Health\, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) was honored to host leaders of Nurture Connection\, the newly launched national network committed to promoting early relational health (ERH).  Nurture Connection supports strong\, positive\, and nurturing early relationships for every family to build healthier\, more connected communities. \nModerated by Dr. David Willis\, senior fellow with the Center for the Study of Social Policy\, the panel was comprised of local and national leaders and funders of the Nurture Connection movement including clinicians\, family network leaders and programmatic leaders. Dr. Willis provided an overview of ERH\, noting the importance of social connections and the paradigm shift needed in clinical practices to partner with families and communities to promote relational health. \nDr. Dayna Long of Benioff Children’s Hospital provided an overview of Nurture Connection\, including the vision\, mission and goals\, and explained how families are at the center of the movement. Bringing her perspective as a practicing pediatrician and mother of three boys\, Long noted that the power of healing relationships is one of the things she appreciates most about the movement.  Long also shared that Nurture Connection is developing a policy agenda to promote ERH across systems at the national\, state and local levels.  \nTwo leaders from Nurture Connection’s Family Network Collaborative\, Claudia Aristy with Children of Bellevue and Tish MacInnis with the Alabama Partnership for Children\, shared their experiences working with families and how they are helping to transform systems within their communities and within the state of Alabama.  \nAristy shared her experience working with Latinx and immigrant families through the Reach Out and Read program. Aristy shared how the Family Network Collaborative of Nurture Connection has created the space to bring the voices of parents and caregivers to the forefront of the movement. She explained how families have been engaged\, noting that as facilitators they bring research to families and sometimes need to translate the academic language or research questions into “living room language” and other languages such as Spanish for their family leaders. These efforts are the essential building blocks to maintaining relationships with families.   \nTish MacInnis of the Alabama Partnership for Children provided a close-in look at how the statewide network is engaging families virtually. Clearly evident was the respect for the diversity of family composition — single parent\, mom or dad headed\, grandparents\, two parents and more. Noting the dedication of the parents and caregivers served\, especially during the isolation of the pandemic\, MacInnis shared that parents lobbied to increase the frequency of their virtual gatherings from monthly to weekly. Parents are hungry for knowledge and are given opportunities to enroll in specific curriculum trainings. She noted that showing up and building relationships are critical to working with families. \nAllison Logan of Logan Consulting & Partners\, LLC\, brought the perspective of a place-based model supporting ERH. Logan was the former Executive Director of Bridgeport Prospers in Bridgeport\, Connecticut. She shared how the initiative was formed and details about the Baby Bundle program. The program engaged parents in developing the model that provides prenatal to age 3 resources such as health navigators\, developmental screening\, doulas and more recently universal home visiting for all families.    \nCarly Roberts of the Overdeck Family Foundation provided commentary on the models discussed and on Nurture Connection. She shared why this work is especially important to the Foundation and their goals to support the early development of young children. Roberts stressed the importance of deeply listening to families and challenged webinar participants to consider how to bring the concepts of Nurture Connection to life in their own communities and work.  \nThe panel emphasized the importance of changing paradigms within systems to engage families and help to support the development of these most critical early relationships. Audience members were invited to join Nurture Connection and become part of the movement.  \n“The Nurture Connection work is really an all-in strategy for everybody. Hearing relationships matter\, connection matters\, countering isolation at every level starting prenatally and forward.” — David Willis\, MD\, FAAP 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/nurture-connection-the-movement-for-early-relational-health/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230620T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230620T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092704
CREATED:20230530T112949Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T181147Z
UID:240838-1687264200-1687269600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Kindergarten as a “Sturdy Bridge”: Place-Based Investments
DESCRIPTION:Swati [Adarkar\, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning] really called out two key transitions — the transition into kindergarten and then transition from kindergarten into first grade. When those transitions and those systems are so misaligned or disjointed\, it puts an extra burden on families because they’re not just trying to align to one system. They’re trying to align to different systems that are themselves disjointed\, and it just creates additional barriers for families.” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this Funder-to-Funder Conversation\, Kindergarten as a “Sturdy Bridge”: Place-Based Investments\, Vivian Tseng\, Ph.D.\, of Foundation for Child Development offered the above reflection while moderating a conversation with philanthropic leaders as they discussed their investments to support children’s learning and development along the birth through third grade continuum.  \nJonathan Hui provided an overview of The Kresge Foundation’s investments in the Marygrove Campus\, a 53-acre cradle-to-career effort where area residents can access high-quality early learning\, K–12 public education and postsecondary opportunities with aligned two-generation supports and services.  \nBarbara Reisman described how the Maher Charitable Foundation began its work in education by investing in development of high-quality early learning facilities in low-income New Jersey cities. But the foundation quickly shifted to an advocacy focus to ensure all young children in the state had access to high-quality PreK learning opportunities as poverty has moved into more suburban communities. \nKarla Ruiz\, MAP\, provided an overview of Sobrato Philanthropies’ English Learner Program\, which is driving systems change statewide in California. The program also is supporting utilization of Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) professional development to ensure that PreK–12 educators are equipped and empowered to deliver rigorous language learning to students who speak a language other than English in the home — a population that represents 60% of students across the state. \nJymil Thompson described how the John and Janice Wyatt Foundation was boosting kindergarten readiness in three geographic areas across Northern Virginia and Maryland. The foundation is investing in PreK pilots in public schools\, delivering resources and professional development to community-based early learning providers\, and connecting families with programs to support learning at home.  \nThe panelists discussed the various roles that funders can play\, including investments in: \n\nHigh-quality early learning facilities;\nFamily engagement efforts that bring diverse cultures and languages into K–12 systems;\nCommunity engagement and listening to ensure that programs and investments reflect and are informed by students\, families and community-based providers;\nProfessional development for educators\, including joint training between early learning and early grades educators;\nAdvocacy to ensure early learning educators are compensated at levels commensurate with the important roles they play; and\nAdvocacy for greater public investment in PreK and early learning. 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/kindergarten-as-a-sturdy-bridge-place-based-investments/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Past Event,Readiness,Reading & Math
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230620T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230620T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092704
CREATED:20230716T183559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T181201Z
UID:242276-1687273200-1687278600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Strengthening Kindergarten to Improve PreK-3rd Grade Experiences
DESCRIPTION:“The vast majority of people in our school communities want to create equity oriented educational systems. When we put the pieces together we create the conditions to act. This joyful\, developmentally appropriate aligned equity focus\, early learning and elementary continuum. The results are incredibly hopeful.” \nAnya Hurwitz\, Ed.D.\, of Sobrato Early Academic Language offered this insight during this GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, Strengthening Kindergarten to Improve Children’s PreK-3rd Grade Experiences. She shared her dream that “When we truly ground [our efforts] in assets\, in seeing children for all of their potential across their multiple languages\, cultures\, and worlds and seeing teachers for all their potential\,” we create a stronger kindergarten and a stronger PreK through third grade experience. \nThe panelists were asked what a well-aligned\, joyful and developmentally informed PreK through third continuum means for dual language learners\, children with disabilities and children from families with low incomes. Gloria Corral of the Parent Institute for Quality Education explained it this way\, “children’s ability to thrive is based on their ability to feel welcome\, for their families to feel welcome\, for their culture and the community to be valued….Seeing the community and the family as an asset meaning they have different stories\, they have different contacts\, they have different cultures perhaps — there’s richness in that.” And finally that we must “see families as an integral part of the learning that happens at school and those 18 hours outside of school.” For Shantel Meek\, Ph.D.\, of the Children’s Equity Project of Arizona State University\, there are five dimensions where they focus their work — access to early intervention and preschool special education\, identification of needs\, quality of services\, discipline\, inclusion and receiving services in a general education setting. About this work\, Meek says\, “there are some really clear\, established inequities that we have seen\, that have been consistent in services and systems for kids with disabilities in the K–12 system or the PreK–12 system.” \nFor the panelists there is much work to be done\, but this is a hopeful space. Meek explains this hope saying\, “Things are complex. Yes\, we know that there is a divide between what we know and what we’re doing right. This is not an intractable problem…and so there’s hope in that\, and hope that we can choose to do better and use the information we have to really align practice and policy.” \nThis was the sixth and final webinar in the series Promoting Impactful Teaching and Learning in Kindergarten that the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and New America’s Early & Elementary Education Policy Program have developed to promote impactful teaching and learning in kindergarten.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/strengthening-kindergarten-to-improve-prek-3rd-grade-experiences/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230627T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230627T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092704
CREATED:20230716T063206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T190054Z
UID:240846-1687878000-1687883400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Technology-Assisted Teaching and Learning: Continuing the Conversation
DESCRIPTION:In this GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, Technology-Assisted Teaching and Learning: Continuing the Conversation\, we revisited a session from early 2021 when school district leaders discussed how they were using specific education technology (EdTech) tools to sustain and deepen learning while schools were still largely operating virtually or in hybrid models. In this week’s session\, we rejoined with the EdTech leaders from the 2021 session\, along with their district partners\, to reflect on how high-tech and high-touch solutions have been and are being deployed to enable a rapid and large-scale response to accelerate learning. \nSuperintendent Diego R. Ochoa of the San Mateo-Foster City School District in California shared how the EdTech tool\, Footsteps2Brilliance\, supporting early literacy\, helps him easily and quickly get a snapshot that tells him how students throughout his large district are progressing:  \nOne of the most powerful components of Footsteps2Brilliance is my ability\, as a superintendent\, to pull a report every day that tells me who is using the program and for how many minutes\, what components of the program they’re using\, how much stamina they have in the program\, and then what their comprehension is at the end of the use of the program.   \nModerator Kevin P. Chavous of Stride facilitated an engaging discussion among panelists who shared background on three EdTech tools — Footsteps2Brilliance\, BookNook and DreamBox — and how they have been able to customize the use of these innovative tools by listening to the needs of district administrators and educators. District leaders emphasized that the technology tools are a complement to quality instruction that work when teachers are provided with comprehensive professional learning and opportunities to collaborate. All panelists agreed that relationships and human connection are essential to making EdTech effective in achieving the impactful results they have seen. Driving home the importance of relationships by referring to the adults working with students as “learning guardians\,” Jessie Woolley-Wilson of DreamBox shared how their EdTech leaders approach school and district leaders to make the tools work:  \nWe ask them what their problems are\, because the solutions are in technology. The answer is the relationship between the learning guardian and the technology. So we ask\, what their problems are. We ask where they’ve seen some success. And then we try to meet them where they are. So while our technology is intelligently adaptive\, we try to make our partnership with districts intelligently adaptive as well. 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/technology-assisted-teaching-and-learning-continuing-the-conversation/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230711T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230711T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092704
CREATED:20230716T221835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T160726Z
UID:242287-1689087600-1689093000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:From Reading First to Reading Legislation With Shanker Institute
DESCRIPTION:“One of the things that we learned is that every state is different\, and every state has different abilities and different infrastructure. And what we recognize is that states needed greater flexibility\, they know their audience well\, and they really needed to have the flexibility to say what is appropriate for their individuals and their families.” — Susan B. Neuman\, Ed.D.\, Professor\, NYU  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nThis GLR Learning Tuesdays conversation\, From Reading First to Reading Legislation With Albert Shanker Institute\, moderated by Suzanne Mineck\, former President of the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation\, kicked off with the expertise and experience of Susan B. Neuman\, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education. Neuman discussed the encouraging motivations behind Reading First’s federal initiative to provide core reading instruction and support for struggling schools\, as well as what pitfalls came about\, such as the inefficacy of a federal initiative for local issues or the need to recognize parents and guardians as key players in children’s education. Mary Cathryn Ricker of the Albert Shanker Institute then explained the Institute’s ongoing commitment to the science of reading\, and how that coupled with learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the forthcoming comprehensive literacy legislation study. This was followed by a conversation with Neuman\, Ricker\, Kayla Reist\, and Esther Quintero\, both of the Albert Shanker Institute\, covering the motivations and methodology of their study\, hopes for the future\, and bright spots they found during their research.   \n“This is critically important to [legislators]\, and I actually take that as a message to students\, their families and educators\, and the whole community of caring so much that we are going to do something about it to support you. There are legislative bodies that have done a lot of work. There are some who have taken first steps there\, some will have taken a couple of first steps\, and we are encouraging them to keep going again. The complexity of supporting education\, teaching and learning as a whole system is going to take a lot of effort\, and there isn’t just one bill that is going to magically support all of teaching and learning. I think we take this as an example that legislatures have found this to be of statewide importance\, and that is why they are perhaps working alongside their historic respect for local control.” — Mary Cathryn Ricker\, Executive Director\, Albert Shanker Institute 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/from-reading-first-to-reading-legislation-with-shanker-institute/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230717T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230717T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092705
CREATED:20230721T185117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250503T064204Z
UID:242584-1689597000-1689602400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Gratitude & Appreciation: Public Television Partners With CGLR
DESCRIPTION:“It is midnight in our world today and the media landscape is cluttered with divisive\, uninspiring content. Much the same as it was more than 60 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first gave his Knock at Midnight sermon and the late great Newton Minnow gave his Vast Wasteland speech. So it is especially gratifying when public media is recognized for the light that we provide by the people we admire\, by the organizations that answer the figurative knock at midnight and consistently keep fresh the bread of love\, faith and hope.”– David Lowenstein\, Senior Director Ready To Learn\, PBS KIDS. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur kick off to GLR Week 2023 began with Gratitude and Appreciation: Public Television Partners With CGLR\, recognizing the contributions and partnership with public television and media. This appreciation video opened the session and was followed by remarks from CGLR Managing Director Ralph Smith. Smith noted how important the partnerships with public television have been across CGLR’s national network. \nPamela Johnson with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, David Lowenstein with PBS KIDS and Patrick Butler with America’s Public Television Stations responded to both the video and Smith’s remarks\, noting their appreciation for the longstanding partnership with CGLR. \nThe panel conversation moderated by Jamila Smith with the U.S. Department of Education highlighted the efforts in three communities and states that are implementing the Ready To Learn Initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Panelists included Mouna Algahaithi with PBS Wisconsin\, Cathy Cook and Gina Masciola with WQED Multimedia in Pittsburgh\, Miriam Mendoza with Austin PBS\, Shelley Pasnik with Education Development Center and Kierstan Schwab with Texas PBS. They each shared how their organizations are working in neighborhoods\, communities and statewide to provide engaging content for  children and the adults in their lives. This two-generation approach\, a hallmark of Ready To Learn\, supports early learning by providing high-quality programming for children and parents\, and professional development for caregivers\, educators and out-of-school providers. Shelley Pasnik shared some of the research that demonstrates the success of using high-quality media to support children’s learning. \nThe panelists all agreed on the importance of taking time to build trust\, use an active listening approach and co-design their models with families and local and statewide partners. \nDuring the session\, participants were encouraged to post their stories\, memories and thoughts about how public television has impacted their families\, their own lives\, and the lives of the people they serve. A message from the Padlet sums up the importance of public television: “It allowed me to see people that looked and interacted like me.”
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/public-tv/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230717T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230717T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092705
CREATED:20230721T193738Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T154247Z
UID:242616-1689606000-1689611400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Building on Common Ground: A Governor’s Conversation
DESCRIPTION:“When I’m talking about child poverty\, there’s not a Republican or a Democratic way of dealing with it. When we’re talking about creating educational supports for kids\, there’s not a Democratic way of educating kids and a Republican way of educating kids. Follow the data. Follow the things that are making sense and then…take and utilize the state budget and the state bully pulpit in order to make those things available for more students.” – Gov. Wes Moore\, Maryland \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this GLR Week 2023 session\, Building on Common Ground: A Governor’s Conversation\, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading launched a new series of conversations exploring areas of broad voter support that can be leveraged to secure bipartisan “wins” to advance children’s early school success. This first session featured a conversation with Maryland Governor Wes Moore\, a Democrat. In future sessions\, we will have the chance to hear from other elected officials from both sides of the aisle.  \nThe session began with a conversation with the moderator John Gomperts and Governor Moore as he shared insights from his early efforts to secure bipartisan support for proposals in his first year in office\, including record investments in education. Governor Moore stressed the importance of building relationships — with elected officials on both sides of the aisle and with voters across the state — and incorporating their thoughts and perspectives into decisions and proposals. He explained how he led with data to make the case for his proposals with voters and state legislators — including data on the science of early brain development and its impact on children’s school readiness and data on child poverty and policies such as the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit.  \nAfter this opening conversation\, John Gomperts engaged a panel of education leaders — including Denise Forte of The Education Trust\, Seth Gerson of National Governors Association (NGA)\, Lucy Berrier Matheson of The Hunt Institute\, and Martin West of Harvard Graduate School of Education and Education Next — in a discussion about what they heard from Gov. Moore and where they see potential for bipartisan action.   \nProfessor West shared highlights from Education Next’s 2022 public opinion survey\, noting that while the survey did find widening partisan rifts\, differences on education policy remain relatively muted in comparison with other issue areas. He shared examples of where divides were widening on issues such as support for teachers unions and where divides were emerging on issues such as charter schools. He also pointed to the rise of new issues\, including COVID-response\, where there is significant partisan disagreement.   \nLucy Matheson offered highlights from Hunt’s Across the Aisle survey report\, which found strong voter agreement on education issues such as school safety/anti-bullying\, teaching focused on real-world skills\, student mental health\, and efforts to address learning loss and advance early literacy.   \nThe panelists discussed the importance of lifting up examples of success in other states and using data to make the case for bipartisan action and of thinking holistically to address early school success. Seth Gerson noted that finding common ground is at the center of much of the work at NGA and shared that Utah Governor Spencer Cox will be leading a “Disagree Better” Initiative over the coming year as he serves as NGA Chair. Denise Forte reminded the group that efforts to find common ground do not preclude a commitment to social justice and equity\, encouraging leaders to look for agreement on the outcomes and goals they are seeking first and then build a bipartisan policy to achieve that shared goal. She pointed to the bipartisan focus on the Science of Reading in a growing number of states as an example.   
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/building-on-common-ground-a-governors-conversation/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T003000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T020000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092705
CREATED:20230721T191446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T222914Z
UID:242613-1689640200-1689645600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:What Happens (or Doesn't Happen) in One Generation Affects the Next: Two-Gen Strategies for Alleviating Poverty
DESCRIPTION:In this GLR Week 2023 session\, United Way Worldwide\, Ascend at the Aspen Institute and CGLR engaged a powerhouse of national and local leaders\, including Ralph Smith of CGLR; Ayeola Fortune of United Way Worldwide; Camille Busette of the Brookings Institution and the Race\, Prosperity\, and Inclusion Initiative; Marjorie Sims of Ascend at the Aspen Institute; Becca Bice of United Way Greater Austin; and Amy Weber of United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Mission aligned around an aspiration for children and families that envisions an intergenerational cycle of opportunity\, the panelists discussed two-generation (2Gen) strategies — an approach to achieving improved outcomes for families by intentionally working with both the children and the adults in their lives simultaneously. \nBrookings offered up a new framing for consideration for our work around poverty — one that seeks well-being as a human right and challenged the audience to invest in transformative change. Ascend shared their theory of change\, data and evidence to support the approach\, outlining the core components of a 2Gen approach: Education\, Economic supports\, Social capital and Health and well-being. Serving in the role of catalysts\, leaders and champions for CGLR’s work and Aspen’s 2Gen Network\, the United Ways of Austin and Cincinnati described how they have contextualized 2Gen approaches in their respective communities and shared insights on the internal systems and the policies/processes needed to support this work. \nScience and experience affirm that the development of children is inextricably linked to parents and caregivers. This session explored how communities are integrating services for primary caregivers and their children to achieve better outcomes. By serving both generations together\, more children and their parents are moving toward educational success and economic security.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/what-happens-or-doesnt-happen-in-one-generation-affects-the-next-two-gen-strategies-for-alleviating-poverty/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092705
CREATED:20230721T192248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230815T185835Z
UID:242629-1689683400-1689688800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:What Happens (or Doesn’t Happen) in One Generation Affects the Next: Two-Gen Strategies for Alleviating Poverty
DESCRIPTION:In this GLR Week 2023 session\, United Way Worldwide\, Ascend at the Aspen Institute and CGLR engaged a powerhouse of national and local leaders\, including Ralph Smith of CGLR; Ayeola Fortune of United Way Worldwide; Camille Busette of the Brookings Institution and the Race\, Prosperity\, and Inclusion Initiative; Marjorie Sims of Ascend at the Aspen Institute; Becca Bice of United Way Greater Austin; and Amy Weber of United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Mission aligned around an aspiration for children and families that envisions an intergenerational cycle of opportunity\, the panelists discussed two-generation (2Gen) strategies — an approach to achieving improved outcomes for families by intentionally working with both the children and the adults in their lives simultaneously. \nBrookings offered up a new framing for consideration for our work around poverty — one that seeks well-being as a human right and challenged the audience to invest in transformative change. Ascend shared their theory of change\, data and evidence to support the approach\, outlining the core components of a 2Gen approach: Education\, Economic supports\, Social capital and Health and well-being. Serving in the role of catalysts\, leaders and champions for CGLR’s work and Aspen’s 2Gen Network\, the United Ways of Austin and Cincinnati described how they have contextualized 2Gen approaches in their respective communities and shared insights on the internal systems and the policies/processes needed to support this work. \nScience and experience affirm that the development of children is inextricably linked to parents and caregivers. This session explored how communities are integrating services for primary caregivers and their children to achieve better outcomes. By serving both generations together\, more children and their parents are moving toward educational success and economic security.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/what-happens-or-doesnt-happen-in-one-generation-affects-the-next-two-gen-strategies-for-alleviating-poverty-2/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092705
CREATED:20230721T165112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230830T190818Z
UID:242570-1689692400-1689697800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Locked Out of Literacy: Causes\, Consequences & Costs
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n“This (grade-level reading) is not an initiative for us. This is going to be a new way of life\, in which we’re going to ensure that all of our kids are going to be [reading] on grade level. You cannot do that without parents as your partners. When I came in as chancellor\, I had 4 pillars\, and one of those pillars was engaging families.”– Chancellor David Banks\, NYC Department of Education \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis GLR Week session\, Locked Out of Literacy: Causes\, Consequences and Costs\, was inspired by The Right to Read\, a documentary film that session attendees and others in the GLR Network had an exclusive opportunity to view as a part of GLR Week 2023. The session featured an amazing panel whose comments covered the expansive landscape of parent engagement\, teachers\, school boards\, access to opportunities\, results-based curriculum\, culturally sensitive approaches to English as a Second Language\, students with dyslexia\, and finally the power of documentary film.   \nRyan Lee-James\, Ph.D.\, CCC-SLP\, of the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy at Atlanta Speech School moderated an engaging conversation with Chancellor David C. Banks of the New York City Department of Education; Yolie Flores of Families In Schools; J. Nicholas Philmon\, Ph.D.\, of Marietta City Schools in metro Atlanta\, Georgia; Vincent Stehle of Media Impact Funders; and a family featured in The Right to Read — the Hunter family\, including Teresa\, Isaiah and their five-year-old daughter Ivy.    \nThe Hunter family shared an eye-opening account of what it was like to have cameras follow them during Ivy’s formative years. Teresa described the impact of being invited to enroll in LENA Start when she was expecting Ivy\, explaining how the program guided her approach to parenting. LENA Start is a parent group model that uses innovative talk training to empower parents of children ages birth to 3 and strengthens the home language environments during this critical phase of development. The Hunters found this program so impactful that five years ago Teresa became a parent trainer with LENA Start and now helps other new parents support their children’s early learning and development. Both parents stressed that engaging parents means meeting parents where they are — whether that’s in a grocery store or barber shop or laundromat. In terms of Ivy\, they credit her path to reading proficiency with giving her confidence and leading her to effectively express and advocate for herself.  \nDavid Banks\, chancellor of the country’s largest school system\, shared that it is a new day for literacy instruction in New York City\, noting that all teachers in the system will watch The Right to Read this fall to hear its compelling message. Gone is the time when the various school districts could pick and choose which curriculum they would use to achieve reading proficiency\, he said\, stressing that change is imperative with studies showing that 51 percent of New York City students don’t read on grade level\, and a staggering 64 percent of Black and Brown kids are not reading on grade level. New York City Schools will now have the option of selecting one of three prescribed courses of action\, stating that failure for all kids to reach grade-level reading proficiency is not one of those options. Banks said that key to the success of this new approach is the buy-in from the NYC Teachers Union\, one of the country’s largest unions\, which has fully endorsed his directives around literacy. Lee-James shared that she currently sits on the NYC Literacy Advisory Board along with other educators\, experts\, advocates\, parents and students. Banks’ optimism about the brilliance and ability of all children to learn was infectious — as was his call to action to ensure all children are afforded opportunities by teachers\, administrators and parents who commit to working together.    \nNik Philmon described efforts currently underway in Marietta\, Georgia\, to ensure all children learn to read\, noting that when kids aren’t learning\, teachers also suffer with frustration about their lack of ability to effectively support students. In Marietta\, the goal is to turn teachers into scholars of learning\, not just practitioners of learning. Using brain science as the North Star to help teachers know what they have been doing wrong and lighting the path to what they can do better has become life altering\, he explained. The approach in Marietta is based on three buckets: 1) a renewed and robust grasp of phonics; 2) the importance of small-group instruction; and 3) a consistent approach to learning. These changes have allowed the district to make measurable progress in literacy development\, based on data\, instead of on assumptions\, which is what was happening in the past.  \nYolie Flores echoed the importance of teacher buy-in and authentic parent engagement. Reflecting on her former role as a school board member for the Los Angeles Unified School District\, she said one of her most significant contributions while there was stressing the importance of the science of reading. Currently with Families In Schools\, she is now adamant about the need for culturally appropriate curriculum\, especially as it pertains to students for whom English is a second language. The wrong curriculum\, she said\, can essentially rob children of their right to read. She lifted up the Palo Alto Unified School District an example of what can happen when change is done correctly. Flores shared how a committed superintendent and school board in Palo Alto set aggressive goals\, adopted a new curriculum and worked in concert with the schools and parents\, helping the district move from the bottom third of districts in the state in terms of achievement of Latino students to the top 5 percent. With its new coordinated commitment in place\, the district exceeded its goals and was named the most improved district in California.    \nVince Stehle brought the discussion back to where it started: the power of a documentary to put a spotlight on an issue\, engage an audience and inspire viewers to action. He applauded The Right to Read and provided numerous examples of what past documentaries have accomplished and shared other documentaries that have had lasting impact.   \nFive-year-old Ivy\, who will enter first grade in the fall reading-ready\, offered the last word in the engaging conversation. When Lee-James asked her what she wanted people to do after watching the film\, she replied: “Go get ice cream.” One only wonders how much fun she will have being able to read all the flavors available to her!   
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/locked-out-of-literacy-causes-consequences-costs/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230719T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230719T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092705
CREATED:20230723T184042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T221617Z
UID:242655-1689769800-1689775200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:NCADE Emerging: A Briefing and Conversation With the Institute of Education Sciences
DESCRIPTION:In this special\, invitation-only GLR Week engagement held on July 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET\, we were honored to be joined by two leaders from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) for a briefing on the proposed National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE). IES received an additional $30 million from the $1.7 trillion federal omnibus budget package of 2022. The funds are designated to support “quick-turnaround\, high-reward\, scalable solutions” to significantly improve outcomes for all students. As proposed\, this new Center would follow a model similar to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to create the extra flexibility needed to achieve breakthroughs in education tools and practices. IES executives — Mark Schneider\, Ph.D.\, Director\, and Liz Albro\, Ph.D.\, Commissioner of Education Research — discussed the structure of IES along with their vision and plans for implementing activities aligned with the goal of establishing a DARPA approach in education. Schneider explained how taking risks and learning from failure are essential components of this innovative approach to education research:  \nWhy now? What’s the goal and the end game? First of all\, [we hope to replicate] DARPA’s model of rapid turnaround\, high-risk\, high-reward investments for all kinds of things that are usually not found in government agencies. In particular\, embracing risk is something that is pretty rare in agencies. But DARPA is built around the fact that most things fail\, and one of the goals is to learn from failure. Failure is common in any kind of research endeavor: pharmaceuticals\, physical science\, biological science\, and we have to learn to live with failure and to learn from failure. We tend to talk about the high reward\, but we also have to always remember that part of the model is high risk. \nModerator Jim Kohlmoos of Edge Consulting and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching engaged the IES executives in an informative and thoughtful conversation about this proposed work. He then shifted to a conversation with expert commentators\, Phil Halperin of the Silver Giving Foundation and Na’ilah Suad Nasir\, Ph.D.\, of the Spencer Foundation\, who shared their reaction to the concept of this innovative approach to education research from their perspectives as principals of leading foundations that are launching new funding opportunities for transformative research. These leaders also represented the voice of educators and practitioners who would be both partners in and beneficiaries of research that will be designed to result in new and needed interventions\, tools and resources. Nasir emphasized the point made by the IES leaders about the importance of NCADE centering its work around equity and engaging in collaboration with the individuals on the front-lines to make the transformative changes in education that are needed now:  \n[We would like to see the NCADE] approach really centered on equity\, by which we mean building systems that serve all learners and that recognize both historic and contemporary barriers to doing so. [The Spencer Foundation has put] some stakes in the ground about what we think gets there\, including deep collaboration. Researchers can’t do transformative work by themselves in the ivory tower and need to really be working alongside from the very beginning with people who would be — or who are — facing the challenges and opportunities that exist in education systems and who are at the front-lines.   \n 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/ncade-emerging-a-briefing-and-conversation-with-the-institute-of-education-sciences/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230719T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230719T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230723T190130Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T205732Z
UID:242670-1689778800-1689784200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:AI-Enhanced Efficacy: Assisting the Adults Helping Children
DESCRIPTION:“We absolutely do not believe that AI will replace teachers. They can never be replaced. Machines will not love students. Teachers love students.”  \n\n\n\n\nEirene Chen of Khan Academy offered this insight during the GLR Week session\, AI-Enhanced Efficacy: Assisting the Adults Helping Children\, moderated by Isabelle Hau of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. Chen points to generative AI as a means for moving students from passive learners to more active ways of learning and acknowledges that\, with ChatGPT’s launch at the end of 2022\, there was an immediate fearful reaction from many across the education landscape. Many wondered if AI will be used to replace teachers. Chen encouraged a bolder approach where practitioners ask\, “How can we harness these AI tools to help us realize our long-standing dreams for equity and closing opportunity gaps?” Our panelists pointed to a need for AI literacy education for students and for resources for vetting AI by families and educators\, such as those that Common Sense Media are developing. Jim Steyer said about AI\, “There’s really big opportunity\, but I also think there are huge downsides…I think it will be misinformation\, disinformation on steroids. So\, I think the big losers on that are kids.” \nTo assure that AI has the positive impact on learning and equity that these panelists envision\, Pati Ruiz\, Ed.D.\, of Digital Promise shared that the use of AI in education must ensure “these AI systems and tools always keep humans at the center of the decision-making process.” With humans at the center\, AI becomes a tool for good and expanding capacity of educators and families. Vicki Phillips\, Ed.D.\, of The National Center on Education and the Economy took this a step further and pointed to how education may shift in this new technological era. “Education should prioritize the development of skills that are uniquely human by preparing individuals to adapt and innovate and collaborate effectively.” This approach will prepare students for a future where AI is part of everything that we do. \nThe second part of this webinar focused on families and their engagement with current AI products. “As we think about parents there are two characteristics that really stand out\,” for Tom Sayer of Ello. “First of all\, parents want to do what’s best for their child…and the second is we’re really exhausted.” Christie Chu of Koalluh added that “I think the barriers to adoption largely revolve around access and digital fatigue.” For Nick Haber\, Ph.D.\, of Stanford Graduate School of Education this is exactly why AI is a beneficial resource for families. It builds their capacity\, augmenting the learning or coaching experience when they have limited time to support their children’s learning. “It’s a multiplying effect\, allowing these learning experiences to be had more often by the child\,” according to Haber.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/ai-enhanced-efficacy-assisting-the-adults-helping-children/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230720T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230720T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230723T193201Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T211936Z
UID:242686-1689856200-1689861600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Bright Spots and Groundwork: What’s Working in Communities
DESCRIPTION:“We are gratified by the absence of fatigue and the willingness and encouragement of communities to stay the course during the pandemic. As the pandemic appears in the rearview mirror\, we are inspired by the resolve\, resilience and the commitment of these communities to assure equitable learning loss recovery. We are assured by the many continuing reminders that the twin perils of complacency and cynicism have been displaced by the deep understanding and full embrace of urgent patience.”  – Ralph Smith  \nThe Bright Spots and Groundwork: What’s Working in Communities session brought together community and state leads\, funders and coalition partners to share how our CGLR community leads and field experts are integrating efforts around digital connectivity\, learning-rich environments and attendance in kindergarten. The meeting opened with remarks by Ralph Smith\, Managing Director of CGLR. Smith set the stage for the session by describing CGLR’s Civic Action and Advocacy Agenda for 2023–2026. These priorities were outlined and shared in this document CGLR Civic Action and Advocacy Agenda.   \nFollowing Smith\, Hedy Chang\, Executive Director of Attendance Works\, described the urgency of addressing chronic absence in kindergarten and necessary strategies.   \n“It’s going to take all of us working on all these different dimensions to make sure kids have the foundation they need to succeed. We know that kindergarten is a crucial platform for ensuring kids have the skills for long-term success. We are seeing alarming increases in the numbers of kids in kindergarten who are missing so much school that they are at risk academically and socially.” – Hedy Chang  \nSiobhan O’Loughlin Reardon\, Auerbach-Berger Senior Fellow with CGLR’s Everyday Places & Spaces initiative\, described the founding coalition as follows:    \n“The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has been working on building a collaborative established to fuel\, inspire and accelerate the embrace of communities as learning-rich environments. The collective representing more than three dozen private\, public and social sector organizations has coalesced to pursue the potential and share the joy of transforming unusual\, unexpected\, and ordinary places and spaces into learning-rich environments accessible to the children of economically challenged\, fragile and otherwise marginalized families.”  -Siobhan O’Loughlin Reardon   \nAttendees were then invited to join breakout room discussions that further explored digital connectivity\, learning-rich environments and attendance in kindergarten mentioned above. Discussion leaders represented our state and community-leading organizations who submitted stories to the What’s Working XChange census about local strategies for implementation.   \nRoom 1: Digital Connectivity was represented by Kellie Alexander and Cheri Coryea with The Patterson Foundation\, Juan Diego Amado with The Miami Foundation\, Malai Amfahr with CGLR\, and Jill Harris and Liz Hansen from Grinnell College.   \nRoom 2: Everyday Places and Spaces was represented by Liz Bahl with The Learning Alliance\, Kate Bennett and Cheryl Werner from United Way of Central Iowa\, Andy Gail from Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area\, Lisa Hoffstein with CGLR\, Liza Khan with the Children’s Services Council of Broward County\, Kate Knudsen from Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium\, Siobhan O’Loughlin Reardon with CGLR\, and Rachel Stine from Book Harvest.   \nRoom 3: Attendance was represented by Hedy Chang\, Cecelia Leong and Inika Williams with Attendance Works\, Dawn Gerundo from Valley of the Sun United Way\, Rosie Grant with Paterson Education Fund\, Melissa Litwin with The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation\, and Katelyn Orloski from the Avondale School District. The session closed with participants rejoining the main room with a reflective conversation about the take-aways from each of the breakout rooms.   \n 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/bright-spots-and-groundwork-whats-working-in-communities/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230720T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230720T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230724T154506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T161602Z
UID:242693-1689865200-1689870600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Global Perspectives on Post-Pandemic Academic Recovery
DESCRIPTION:“There’s a misunderstanding that TV is the solution [using same-language subtitling]. It’s not. It’s the passion — that’s the solution. What do children have passion for? How can we harness that?…When somebody watches content with captioning\, which is in the same language\, they try to engage with the text automatically. They cannot but try to read along. It’s a proven scientific fact.…We’re really trying to marry an educational outcome to the mass passion that already exists. And so our goal is always go look for the passion first\, and then think of what you can do with that passion\, and redirect it toward an educational outcome that we have.”  — Brij Kothari\, Planet Read  \n\n\n\n\nIn this GLR Week 2023 session\, Global Perspectives on Post-Pandemic Academic Recovery\, moderated by CGLR’s John Gomperts\, we heard from a number of speakers on the realities of learning and the efforts to combat learning loss globally. Brij Kothari of PlanetRead spoke about the research behind same-language subtitling as a literacy tool and his efforts to bring SLS to as many people in India as possible. Katherine Begley at CARE USA shared valuable insights to the many crises facing developing countries\, the disproportionate effects of learning loss on girls\, and the importance of community and teacher supports. Governor Bob Wise at the Global Science of Learning Education Network provided insightful framing on the stages of crises and reiterated the need to innovate using science-backed approaches. We also heard from Munro Richardson\, Ph.D.\, of Read Charlotte about the need to look outwards and follow the lead of effective academic recovery initiatives worldwide.  \nModerator:   \n\nJohn Gomperts\, Executive Fellow\, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading \n\n Speakers:   \n\nKatherine Begley\, Director of Technical Support\, Education and Adolescent Empowerment Team\, CARE USA \nBrij Kothari\, Founder\, PlanetRead; Co-Lead\, Billion Readers (BIRD) \nMunro Richardson\, Ph.D.\, Executive Director\, Read Charlotte \n​​​​​​​Bob Wise\, Former Governor\, West Virginia; Coordinator\, Global Science of Learning Education Network \n\n“We also saw an increased focus on being more clear about what barriers exist and which ones need to be addressed to improve gender equity and equality and social inclusion through the integration of social and behavioral change interventions. There were also some improvements in collecting disaggregated data about students to help better identify what learners most need in schools that are most in need. As well as having conversations with ministers of education and school governance bodies about how to monitor data to better understand what’s working in terms of teachers\, teaching practices and students’ learning.” — Katherine Begley\, CARE USA 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/global-perspectives-on-post-pandemic-academic-recovery/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230801T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230801T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230713T130915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T165114Z
UID:241938-1690902000-1690907400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Reading for Life: The Impact of Child Literacy on Health Outcomes\, with Scholastic and Yale Child Study Center
DESCRIPTION:  \n \n  \n“Everything that is so important to us about reading and literacy also has profound health impacts.” — Linda Mayes\, M.D.\, Chair\, Yale Child Study Center \nIn this Partners webinar\, Reading for Life: The Impact of Child Literacy on Health Outcomes\, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) was honored to host the release of a new research paper produced by the Yale Child Study Center-Scholastic Collaborative for Child & Family Resilience. Reading for Life: The Impact of Youth Literacy on Health Outcomes outlines the impact of literacy on long-term health outcomes\, including chronic illness rates\, longevity\, and other physical and mental health issues.  \nModerated by Amanda Alexander\, Ph.D.\, of Scholastic Education Solutions\, the panel conversation provided background on the paper and grounded the research in everyday experiences that impact vulnerable children. Dr. Linda Mayes of the Yale Child Study Center provided an overview of the research and the findings\, which included specific impacts on long-term health\, noting that literacy is an important mediator between socioeconomic inequality and health disparities. She also cited specific examples of improved health outcomes — such as higher rates of preventive care\, better diabetes and hypertension control over time\, and reduced risks of violence and substance use — in adolescents with higher literacy rates.   \nDr. Lee Beers\, immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and currently with the Children’s National Hospital\, shared more detail about the impact of the pandemic on children\, especially those from vulnerable families\, including significant disruptions\, social isolation and lost learning. Our panelists along with audience members noted that literacy is indeed a public health issue.  Dr. Beers shared “We absolutely know that for young people being able to see themselves in the world around them and in literature is affirming\, and it helps them to know who they are\, and that they’re not alone\, and it helps them to thrive emotionally\, physically\, and it helps them to thrive in schools.  \nDavid Adams of Urban Assembly brought forward the importance of building social-emotional skills in children that carry through their lifespan. Adams noted that language development and social-emotional development are inextricably linked.  \nThe panel stressed the importance of developing shared narratives from early in a child’s life that bring people together and build community\, helping to mitigate the epidemic of isolation and loneliness recently noted by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. \nReaching pre-service and practicing teachers and practicing health providers and those in training with this knowledge is critical to assuring that the professionals who interact most closely with families are highly attuned to the emotional needs of children and families and understand the links between literacy and health. Professionals with these skills and knowledge will help provide support for parents to reduce stress\, allowing for greater parental responsiveness that\, in turn\, impacts children’s well-being over their lifetime.   \nDr. Linda Mayes notes that “a literacy check is as vital as a pediatrician doing a weight check and a blood pressure check\, setting lifelong trajectory for health.”
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/reading-for-life-the-impact-of-child-literacy-on-health-outcomes-with-scholastic-and-yale-child-study-center/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230808T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230808T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230713T132648Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230824T155735Z
UID:242031-1691506800-1691512200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Following the Science: Bilingualism as an Asset Supporting Early Brain Development
DESCRIPTION:“I think an important way to support educators and bilingual programs and all these issues we discussed today is to continue to make sure that we keep them visible in public conversation\, that they are not relegated to this fringe\, side movement. And one way to do this is to really share your experiences\, share your needs\, share your personal experiences as a bilingual\, as a bilingual educator\, because some are not aware of all the issues that this community is facing and the importance of mainstreaming bilingualism in ways that are beneficial.” – Viorica Marian\, Northwestern University \nLeigh Giangreco\, contributing journalist at Early Learning Nation Magazine\, moderated a dynamic conversation on bilingualism\, the brain\, English learners\, the science of reading and teaching literacy. \nBob Stechuk began the session by sharing what he described as “toxic” and “scenic” views of the state of bilingualism in the United States today\, as well as the work that UnidosUS and AVANCE have done to identify and address issues facing Latino families. Viorica Marian followed with a global overview of multilingualism\, brain development and the self. Next\, Martha Martinez talked about Sobrato Early Academic Language’s work in supporting emergent bilinguals and the science of reading. Finally\, Claude Goldenberg gave a historic look at bilingual programs in the United States and discussed approaches to teaching literacy to English learners. \n“The message that we’re pushing forward from us is that children are capable of dual language development. The home language is a resource. The old narrative that two languages are too many needs to be called out and done away with. Early bilingual development is super important\, and it’s much more than learning two languages. It’s about identity and identity formation\, it’s about families and connections between family members and generations. It’s about culture\, and it’s about learning\, and it’s also about whether children and families feel a sense of belonging.” – Bob Stechuk\, UnidosUS
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/following-the-science-bilingualism-as-an-asset-supporting-early-brain-development-2/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230815T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230815T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230713T130924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T181202Z
UID:241556-1692111600-1692111600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Play + Relationship + Academics: Teaching in the Ways Kindergartners Learn Best
DESCRIPTION:“How do we get all these wonderful practices that you’re hearing about into the length of day that we have in kindergarten?” \nNell K. Duke\, Ed.D.\, of Stand for Children asked this amidst the rich conversation of the session\, Play + Academics + Relationships: Teaching in Ways Kindergartners Learn Best\, where panelists shared some of the most important research findings on teaching and learning in kindergarten. Her remarks pointed to increasing instructional density\, which Duke described as thinking about “multiple areas of literacy development at once and looking for opportunities for interdisciplinary instruction where you’re developing language. And when you’re developing literacy\, you’re developing science and math all within an interdisciplinary opportunity.” \nExperts discussed several strategies including delivering content with practices such as playful learning and learning goals and opportunities for social interaction and independent learning. Deborah Leong\, Ph.D.\, of Tools of the Mind discussed the importance of attention to building children’s executive function. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek\, Ph.D.\, of Temple University and Brookings Institution raised the importance of starting “with the cultural values that are meaningful to the community that you’re working at.” \nAnya Hurwitz of Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) built on this idea\, “When children are engaged\, when they’re interested\, when they’re curious\, the learning is deep. Children are born with scientific minds. We talked about them as critical thinkers. They’re natural sociologists and historians. They ask big questions\, big important questions\, and our job is to structure classroom and learning experiences to build on those innate assets.” \nEducators shared their reactions to the conversation to this point. Cynthia Crespo with New York City Schools noted\, especially this year\, the importance of building a classroom community\, so children feel safe and welcome. Without this work\, she said\, “things are not going to get done.” Crespo’s colleague\, Seymonnia Cutkelvin\, added the intentionality she has put on enhancing children’s social and emotional skills and building literacy skills because for many children\, “they’ve just been surviving with their families for the last three years.” \nFor Luis Gallego\, M.A.Ed.\, of Tools of the Mind\, one of the biggest ideas in the conversation so far is the power of using play intentionally to guide children’s learning. This was the second webinar in the series Promoting Impactful Teaching and Learning in Kindergarten that the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and New America’s Early & Elementary Education Policy Program have developed to promote impactful teaching and learning in kindergarten. Join us for the remainder of this series in 2023.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/play-relationship-academics-teaching-in-the-ways-kindergarteners-learn-best/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230822T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230822T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230713T070037Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230825T191741Z
UID:242047-1692716400-1692721800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Preventing Burnout and #Resignation: Investing in Teacher Coaching and Support
DESCRIPTION:In this GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, Preventing Burnout and #Resignation: Investing in Teacher Coaching and Support\, we continued our series of sessions that follow up on our recent exploration of state and district spending from the $190 billion Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) federal fund. This week\, our session explored the significance of teacher coaching and support to retain the quality teachers students need and prevent #resignation. Carey Wright\, Ed.D.\, the esteemed former State Superintendent of Education for Mississippi\, framed the importance of investing in teacher support as a strategy for equitable learning recovery: \n“Building teacher capacity is huge\, and we want to build our capacity to provide sound instruction for children\, because we know that’s exactly what happens when we want student achievement to improve. I can also tell you it’s a very smart investment. That was one of Mississippi’s most successful strategies in terms of our own improvement.”  \nWright then moderated a discussion with a panel of leaders from national teacher coaching providers who shared how they partner with school districts to leverage ESSER funds and invest in creating a culture of teacher coaching and support throughout the school day. We also learned directly from a state and a district leader who shared how their investments in this strategy are working to accelerate and improve educational outcomes for students\, referencing clear data demonstrating the impact and sharing how this effective strategy will be sustained for the long game of equitable learning loss recovery. Atyani Howard of The New Teacher Center emphasized how the benefits to teachers immediately and directly impact students’ learning. \n“[Teachers gain] knowledge of self\, [and we are] helping educators understand who they are as human beings\, and how the various lenses that they bring to their work influence practice. [And this helps them build an] understanding of what students do and do not know\, what they’ve mastered\, what their interests are\, and how to really spark and ignite the joy of learning that lives in children.”
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/preventing-burnout-and-resignation-investing-in-teacher-coaching-and-support-2/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230905T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230905T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092706
CREATED:20230814T152829Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T184006Z
UID:242909-1693926000-1693931400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:National Initiatives -> Local Impact: One Year In and A Strong Future
DESCRIPTION:In this Learning Tuesdays webinar\, we learned about the progress made in the past year on two national initiatives launched by the U.S. Department of Education in the summer of 2022. Last fall\, we introduced both the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) and Engage Every Student to the GLR Network\, and in this week’s webinar\, we learned what has been accomplished so far and where the initiatives will go from here.   \nModerator John Gomperts\, Executive Fellow with CGLR\, framed the discussion by taking a look at recent data from NWEA and the Education Recovery Scorecard indicating that\, unfortunately\, little to no progress was made in the 2022–2023 school year in terms of academic learning recovery. This data intensifies the urgency to deploy the proven-effective strategies that these initiatives are expanding in local communities\, including tutoring\, mentoring and coaching\, along with afterschool and summer programming. Maureen Tracey-Mooney\, NPSS Lead for the U.S. Department of Education\, reviewed the five roles that the initiative is committed to multiplying in service of students (see slides) and shared evidence showing the impact of these roles. Here she touched on two of the five roles:    \nWe took an evidence-based approach: a meta-analysis of high-quality tutoring programs found that these programs yield consistent and substantial positive impacts on learning outcomes\, so that’s why we’re laser focused on high-dosage tutoring. Student success coaches are a hybrid tutor-mentor role\, providing one-on-one tutoring\, small group instruction as well as social-emotional skill building that we know are important. The evidence shows that schools that partner with success coaches are up to two to three times more likely to improve in English and math assessments.   \nIn a newly released report\, researchers analyzed survey data from the 2022-23 National Partnership for Student Success Principal Survey\, which allowed them to estimate that an additional 187\,000 adults provided high-intensity tutoring\, mentoring\, college and career advising\, or wraparound supports in public schools during the 2022-23 school year\, when compared to the 2021-22 school year. This represents significant progress toward the goal of recruiting an additional 250\,000 into high-impact student support roles by summer 2025. \nAfter hearing updates from Tracey-Mooney on NPSS and from Sheronda Witter\, also of the U.S. Department of Education\, about accomplishments of Engage Every Student\, Gomperts moderated a robust discussion among national and local leaders from renowned tutoring and summer learning programs\, along with a prominent philanthropic leader. This group reflected on the impacts they have seen on the ground\, in local communities and across the country as a result of the two federal initiatives. Quality program delivery was a big topic in this conversation with panelists sharing that they have had the opportunity to co-design tools such as the “NPSS Voluntary Quality Standards” (see link below) and others that are being used in local communities. Gigi Antoni of The Wallace Foundation shared how important community partnerships are to achieving the quality programming needed:  \nWhat we have seen is a really interesting way that communities have taken what we know about evidence-based practices in out-of-school time and made them real in their communities. We know that if we want to move the needle for kids in out-of-school time\, we have to have high-quality\, academic instruction\, and we have to have high-quality engagement. And we have to do that through partnerships in our communities. That’s where we have seen the needle move for kids when those elements are in place and that it takes a lot of effort to do that.   \nThank you for joining this week’s learning and engagement opportunity. We hope it was productive for you and that you will plan to join us again for future opportunities. In particular\, on September 19\, we will be doing an even deeper dive into the data touched on by Gomperts.  \nLook back at last year’s conversations: \n\nNPSS: 250\,000 Caring Adults: Rolling Out a New National Effort \nEES: Engage Every Student: Building on Community Connections to Advance OST
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/national-initiatives-local-impact-one-year-in-and-a-strong-future/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230912T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230912T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092707
CREATED:20230821T202430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230915T202723Z
UID:243202-1694530800-1694536200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:The Urgent Need for Effective Child Care and ECE Policy
DESCRIPTION:In this GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, co-sponsored by Early Learning Nation Magazine\, we heard a riveting conversation about early childhood policy — past\, present and future.  \nModerator Michelle Kang of NAEYC opened the session by recognizing the essential yet currently undervalued and undercompensated role that child care and education professionals have\, and by a brief explanation of “how we got here.” Following this introduction\, Kang was joined by Elliot Haspel of Capita and Katharine Stevens of Center on Child and Family Policy who reflected on Build Back Better\, applauding its attempts to inject highly needed funding and create access to high-quality child care. Both\, however\, agreed that BBB did not sufficiently support pluralism and parent choice in terms of what kind of child care families have access to. \n“Child care is locked by its economic fundamentals. You can nibble on the edges with regulation. You can nibble on the edges with some of these economies of scale\, but ultimately it’s a human-intensive service to provide\, and it should be a human-intensive service to provide. It’s going to be expensive.” – Elliot Haspel\, Capita \nNext\, Stephanie Schmit of Center for Law and Social Policy shared insights into the behind-the-scenes process of getting BBB introduced\, outlining some of the limitations and challenges posed by the “uncharted territory” of such large-scale child care legislation\, the mindset shifts that come along with that\, and what was learned to improve future legislative attempts.  \nWe then heard from Laura Valle-Gutierrez of The Century Foundation about the very real impact that the end of pandemic rescue funding will have on families\, children\, child care providers and early childhood professionals\, the majority of the latter being women of color. She was followed by Jessica Sager of All Our Kin who reminded everyone on the webinar of the following:  \n“What we are hearing from educators is this: For a moment\, during the pandemic we were seen and recognized as essential workers. And now conditions have not essentially changed. And yet the funding that made it possible for us to do this work is going away. It feels like we and the children and families in our care have been abandoned…every family child care program is a community resource. It’s a hub. Sometimes it served generations of families\, and when that program is gone\, it is going to take decades to replace it. So the harm that we are doing to children\, families and the economy in both the short term and the long term really cannot be overstated.” \nLisa Roy of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood echoed Sager’s sentiment\, stating that the business community needs to get involved in recognizing and advocating for the benefits of robust early childhood systems\, in addition to sharing the work that Colorado is doing in this sector.  \nThe conversation ended with a discussion of future policy priorities to work toward a real early childhood system\, the common threads of which were that the current system is not working\, we need large-scale funding\, and families need access to high-quality choices for their child care needs.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/the-urgent-need-for-effective-child-care-and-ece-policy/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230919T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230919T143000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092707
CREATED:20230823T175010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230927T175454Z
UID:243237-1695128400-1695133800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:What Happens (or Doesn’t Happen) in One Generation Affects the Next: 2Gen Strategies for Alleviating Poverty\, Part 2
DESCRIPTION:On September 19\, 2023\, United Way Worldwide (UWW)\, Ascend at the Aspen Institute and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) hosted part two of a three-part series of conversations designed to engage diverse voices and perspectives on two-generation (2Gen) approaches to reducing poverty. This session focused on high-quality early childhood education for children and postsecondary education and skills training for parents and caregivers. \nAyeola Fortune of United Way Worldwide launched the conversation by sharing data from the 2023 United Way Global Impact Practices Survey. The survey provides data on how United Ways are advancing work in key impact areas across childhood and youth success\, economic mobility\, health and environmental sustainability\, and disaster response. Almost three-quarters\, 73%\, are working on childhood success\, ensuring that children ages birth to 8 get off to a good start by investing in efforts that help parents access high-quality early childhood programs and literacy supports for their children. \n2Gen strategies are helping United Ways to integrate holistic solutions that span a range of issues facing low-income families. By engaging community members\, making strategic investments\, aligning and coordinating efforts across partners\, gathering data to understand areas of progress and challenge\, and building community awareness of needs\, United Ways are strong partners leading and supporting 2Gen efforts. \nThe North Star for Ascend’s work is economic mobility for all families. The approach to achieving that vision is to intentionally and simultaneously work with children and the adults in their lives. The core components of 2Gen include financial stability\, social capital\, health care and quality education. Marjorie Sims of Ascend posited that “social capital happens to be the secret sauce of taking a two-generation approach. And that simply means allowing families to understand and bridge networks and opportunities\, so that they can navigate formal and informal systems for themselves.” \n2Gen approaches unfold along a continuum\, meaning that first and foremost organizations must learn about the approach. For many\, 2Gen represents a new way of thinking about designing programs and policies to serve families holistically. Most programs and policies center on the individual or member of the family. This work requires a mindset that helps organizations and systems design strategies to align and coordinate services to support the whole family. \nSims reminded us of the five guiding principles for a 2Gen approach: 1) measure and account for outcomes for both children and the adults in their lives; 2) engage and listen to the voices of families; 3) ensure equity\, particularly racial equity; 4) foster innovation and evidence together; and 5) align and link systems and funding streams. \nIn the next segment of the conversation\, representatives of the United Ways of San Antonio and Bexar County and Central Indiana described how they are designing programs and policies that support children and families simultaneously. \nSan Antonio’s 2Gen initiative serves 300 families\, which includes approximately 220 adults who are enrolled in education and/or training programs and 250 of their children who are receiving some type of quality care of after-school support. Lakeshia Bragg of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County described their approach to the work\, “We’re making sure that we’re providing the supports that families need. We know that families are the best teachers and families know exactly what it is that they want to receive from programs\, so voice is a big deal\, and it is a big issue within our initiative. It helps to guide us when we’re making decisions across our initiative.” \nWith more than 244 households in Central Indiana living in\, or one emergency away from poverty\, the local United Way has made a 2Gen approach foundational to the work in their community. United Way of Central Indiana is helping to move families toward economic prosperity by focusing on: safe and affordable housing\, basic needs\, economic mobility\, and early care and learning. For Shannon Jenkins of United Way of Central Indiana\, “all this work is grounded in the concept of reducing intergenerational poverty. We know that when we reduce intergenerational poverty\, we are creating intergenerational opportunity and economic prosperity for households and families.” \nBoth United Ways are leveraging parent voice to guide their work; collecting data and measuring the progress of children and their parents; and creating intentional linkages between child and adult services and supports to advance 2Gen strategies that emphasize children’s learning and development while simultaneously engaging parents in their own skill development. \nWhether in the role of funder\, provider or partner\, United Ways are supporting children\, families and caregivers together — which is at the heart of a 2Gen approach. We hope you will join us for part three of this conversation in November\, as we continue to explore 2Gen approaches that are working across systems and sectors to create intergenerational opportunity.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/what-happens-or-doesnt-happen-part-two/
CATEGORIES:Past Event,Peer Exchange Conversation
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230919T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230919T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092707
CREATED:20230906T180605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231016T183359Z
UID:243478-1695135600-1695141000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:SOS: New Data Indicate Stalled Progress in Learning Recovery & Some Bright Spots
DESCRIPTION:What really needs to be top of mind this year is getting schools to consider whether the response\, the scale of their response\, is actually matching the magnitude of the problem. So\, it’s really critical to be thinking about recovery\, not just as a multiyear effort with layered supports\, and be clear eyed that this is an effort that will undoubtedly extend past the availability of those federal recovery funds”— Karyn Lewis\, Ph.D.\, NWEA\, a division of HMH \nThis Learning Loss Recovery Challenge webinar engaged data experts from several renowned research institutions that had recently released data reports on the state of student learning in the United States\, representing a call to action for all who care about early school success.  \nIn a conversation moderated by Hedy Chang of Attendance Works\, the panel shared details about the magnitude of learning loss and some bright spots\, emphasizing the need for a long view as we explore opportunities to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on our most vulnerable children. \nKaryn Lewis\, Ph.D. with NWEA shared the findings of NWEA’s recently released report on longitudinal student achievement data from the MAP Growth\, which is used in about 25% of public schools. The data represent both achievement and growth data. While there has been some growth and progress\, during the past year this progress slowed. Lewis noted achievement gaps that existed pre-pandemic have only widened and marginalized students have the highest need for recovery supports. \nJennifer Sattem of Curriculum Associates shared information from two recently released reports focused on data from the I-Ready Diagnostics. The data also show that student achievement has stalled and students in the earliest grades have the largest amounts of unfinished learning. Sattem described the potential for learning recovery through the use of Stretch Growth coupled with professional development for teachers in setting learning goals for students. \nPeggy Carr\, Ph.D.\, Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics shared data from the most recent NAEP test and from the cohort using the School Pulse Survey\, which monitors use of strategies for learning recovery among other indicators. Carr noted the importance of distinguishing between high-dosage tutoring and standard tutoring and monitoring the effectiveness of the models. She also shared recent chronic absence data\, noting strategies to mitigate learning loss will work only if students are in school. \nAvery Cambridge with McKinsey & Company shared their analysis of NAEP data\, which looks particularly at differences among states and where the disparities between lowest and highest performers landed — some states had low disparities while others were quite large. McKinsey also looked at Bright Spot districts and states and offered examples of implementation strategies that were working to reduce learning loss.  \nThe panel agreed that braiding strategies with high-quality instructional materials and professional development for teachers was fundamental to success.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/sos-new-data/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230926T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230926T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092707
CREATED:20230906T163922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231208T175602Z
UID:243471-1695731400-1695736800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Rx Kids: A Prescription for Improved Child Health & Well-Being in Flint\, Michigan
DESCRIPTION:“We do good\, but we often fail to really address root cause issues. And in Flint and communities across the nation\, one of the most toxic\, one of the most pathogenic root cause issues that predicts the success of our children\, our families\, is poverty.”  \n\n\n\n\nDr. Mona Hanna-Attisha\, the head of Rx Kids who is also affiliated with Michigan State University and the Pediatric Public Health Initiative\, shared the above comment in this Funder-to-Funder Conversation as she underscored the need for programs like Rx Kids. \nIn a session moderated by Dr. Robert K. Ross of The California Endowment\, Hanna-Attisha was joined by Luke Shaefer\, Ph.D.\, of Poverty Solutions at University of Michigan and Neal Hegarty of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as they shared an in-depth overview of this transformational effort designed to alleviate infant poverty in Flint\, Michigan\, and beyond. The initiative received a $15 million challenge grant from the Mott Foundation this spring and the partners have leveraged that initial investment\, raising about $40 million of the projected $55 million cost. Scheduled to launch in early 2024 Rx Kids will prescribe all expectant mothers in Flint a one-time prenatal cash allowance of $1\,500 and all infants born in Flint a monthly allowance of $500 during the first year of life. While there are a growing number of guaranteed basic income programs in communities across the country\, the presenters noted that Rx Kids was unique in that it is the first citywide program of its kind. \nShaefer shared highlights from the deep body of research undergirding this effort—the benefits of cash allowances and a universal approach\, the poverty spikes experienced by many families around the time of birth\, and the benefits this kind of financial support has on food security\, access to books and parent-child interactions. He also explained how the partners worked with state leaders to secure TANF funding\, utilizing the flexibility built into that block grant and the provision for Non-Recurrent Short-Term benefits to cover four of the 12 monthly payments to families with infants. \n“We were able to make the case that this could chart a new path of providing the support to families during a critical\, acute\, and economically challenging time that is also developmentally important\, and complement that with the incredible philanthropic support of C.S. Mott and other foundations\,” Shaefer stated. \nHegarty offered the funder perspective on the initiative\, noting that the board and staff at the Mott Foundation were enthusiastic about the idea. But they initially struggled with it because “it didn’t fit neatly into any of [their] boxes….It’s a little bit policy\, a little bit poverty\, a little bit child and maternal health\, and a little bit community development.” But they also recognized the innovation and research undergirding the idea and its potential to both have a powerful impact locally and scale nationally\, enabling them to make the initial investment with unanimous board support. \nWith that dual focus on effective implementation in Flint and scaling beyond\, the partners are creating a playbook and carefully evaluating the impact of the effort. They are tracking its impact on frequency of prenatal and pediatric visits\, birth and child outcomes\, and the local economy\, as well as its impact on the social contract and trust in government and institutions—trust that was greatly harmed by the water crisis. The partners are already in conversation with elected officials in other communities and at the federal level\, noting that a relatively modest federal investment of $10 billion could enable the scaling of Rx Kids to reach every baby on Medicaid nationwide. \nRoss commended the partners for their success in not only crafting a comprehensive\, research-based approach but also helping to change the narrative about support for families from a frame of “welfare and charity” to one of “investment and prevention.” \nAfter their presentation\, Ross invited Dona Ponepinto of United Way of Pierce County to share her reflections on their overview of Rx Kids and the work that UWPC is doing to alleviate poverty. She lifted up the focus on joy\, love\, storytelling\, trust and dignity in what the presenters had shared and commended them for addressing the underlying systems and their efforts to change the narrative and create a scalable model. She shared that Tacoma was a part of a guaranteed basic income demonstration and UWPC was a part of a Poverty Reduction Work Group. UWPC is also working to advance policy changes to better support the ALICE — Asset-Limited\, Income Constrained\, Employed — population in Pierce County. \nPonepinto stated: “What I’m leaving with from the conversation is that this is doable. The resources are there. We know the benefits of this cash assistance system. How can we affect policy at a national level and utilize public and private resources in different ways to really address some of these root causes of poverty\, starting from birth and breaking that intergenerational cycle of poverty?
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/rx-kids-a-prescription-for-improved-child-health-well-being-in-flint-michigan/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Health,Parents,Past Event,Readiness
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230926T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230926T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092707
CREATED:20230921T205040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230927T185850Z
UID:243741-1695740400-1695745800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Beyond the Headlines: What Data Tell Us a Year Later
DESCRIPTION:Last November\, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading hosted a GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar discussing the sobering NAEP scores that had been recently released\, and this week we explored new reports from Curriculum Associates\, National Center for Education Statistics and NWEA\, revealing that learning recovery largely stalled during the last school year. These reports represent a call to action for all who are committed to early school success — action that can be informed by the innovations and successful efforts emerging in communities across the country. \nLast year\, we spoke with representatives of charter\, urban\, rural\, defense education and Catholic schools\, exploring insights\, successes and lessons learned as education leaders work to accelerate equitable learning recovery for those most impacted by the pandemic. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this session\, we engaged these leaders again to hear more about the strategies they are employing\, where they are gaining traction and their plans for the coming year. Despite the sobering data\, many bright spots exist\, and these early successes can inform action over the coming year.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/beyond-the-headlines-what-data-tell-us-a-year-later/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231003T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231003T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092707
CREATED:20230921T210317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250113T073216Z
UID:243750-1696345200-1696350600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Taking Action: Accelerating Equitable Learning Recovery
DESCRIPTION:In 1983\, “A Nation at Risk” brought the conversation of education reform to the American public. In the following years\, bipartisan accountability efforts such as No Child Left Behind increased student achievement\, particularly in math\, having the greatest effect on the lowest achieving students\, low-income students\, and Black and Hispanic students. During this week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, Taking Action: Accelerating Equitable Learning Recovery\, Michael Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute explained what happened next: “This bipartisan effort came to an end…. That has made it much harder for people at the state and national levels to work across the aisle on the meat and potatoes of trying to improve our schools. And of course after the pandemic with this terrible learning loss…plus the terrible mental health crisis\, we have big challenges. So we need people to come together and to try to find solutions.” \nPetrilli shared how a diverse group of thought leaders have responded to these big challenges\, coming together to develop a new call to action: “A Generation at Risk: A Call to Action.” Petrilli noted that coalitions and communities can replicate this approach by bringing together their own working group and provided recommendations on forming a group. The group should: \n\nInclude no more than 20 people;\nBe diverse in all the ways that matter;\nFocus on solving problems;\nIdentify effective facilitators to lead the session;\nAllow time for getting to know one another; and\nDo a lot of talking and listening before putting words on paper.\n\nJean-Claude Brizard of Digital Promise was one of the members of this working group and a signer of the resulting call to action. He talked about ways to “make learning ubiquitous. And how do we capture learning 365 days of the year? Our system is not set up for that. Learning does not have to happen only between the walls of the school.” This kind of thinking requires redefining what we consider success within education. For Brizard\, success looks like economic opportunity\, well-being and personal agency. \nBruno V. Manno of the Walton Family Foundation echoed Brizard: “This is not just a school problem. This is a community problem that we all need to participate in solving.” He framed a community-wide recovery strategy with four steps: \n\nCommunicate that there is a problem and what the problem is.\nDevelop a plan that includes strategies we know work when implemented in a consistent and serious way.\nImplement an accountability strategy that looks at an enlarged meaning of success and tracks progress toward this.\nFocus financial and human resources of the school and community toward this recovery work.\n\nThe panelists urged the audience to work in communities to provide pathways forward into the “ideological heartland” (Manno) because “this is about the future of our nation” (Brizard).
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/taking-action-accelerating-equitable-learning-recovery/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231010T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231010T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092708
CREATED:20230922T154755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251124T061403Z
UID:243785-1696941000-1696946400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:What's Working: CGLR Communities with Learning-Rich Spaces in Everyday Places
DESCRIPTION:Register for Nov 14\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Join us again on November 14 from 12:30-2pm ET for our next Crucible of Practice session! \n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				“We believe that it is critical that each of these everyday places and spaces should and could be a learning-rich environment for children.” –Siobhan O’Loughlin Reardon  \n\nThis session explored local efforts of building literacy and learning-rich environments into locations where families live\, work and play. \nThe meeting opened with remarks by CGLR’s Siobhan O’Loughlin Reardon establishing a foundation for the conversation and sharing a diagram depicting the “ecosystem of out-of-school learning opportunities.” Nurturing this ecosystem ensures that everyday places and spaces are transformed into accessible learning opportunities for all children and families. This is a crucial strategy to support early school success and general well-being in early childhood development. \nFollowing the opening remarks\, Lisa Greening of Turn the Page STL and Marissa Smith with WAKE Up and Read in North Carolina provided an overview of their CGLR coalitions\, how they are working to build learning-rich environments in their communities through unique partnerships\, and why this is an important area of investment. \n“WAKE Up and Read has invested in this out of love for our community and wanting to do what’s right for the children and families who live in Wake County\, NC. We believe that literacy is a right and every child deserves high-quality learning experiences.”  –Marissa Smith  \n“You have to listen to the people you are serving. What we knew with our strategic planning process is that you can’t just build something and expect people to go to it. You need to find out where families are\, talk with families\, and be where they are.”  –Lisa Greening  \nAttendees were then invited to join a breakout room discussion to further delve into conversation topics organized in four key areas: 1) inspiration and the early stages of projects; 2) interest and establishing partnerships for projects; 3) interaction and implementation of projects; and 4) investment and sustainability to keep things going. Joining the breakout room conversations were field expert guests\, including Alvin Irby\, Barbershop Books; Javier Maisonet\, MathTalk; Joanna Maniscalco\, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County; Liz McChesney\, LaundryCares Foundation; and Brianna Ray\, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.   \n“There are engaging opportunities everywhere for families to go for learning and still be effective with supporting student growth.” –Marissa Smith  \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Key Summary of Breakout Room Discussions \n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Stage 1: Inspiration (early stages of projects) \n				Locations for projects  \n\nInspiration can be found in consistent places where parents take their children.\nA similar example from two different organizations was shared of placing a learning corner with books in waiting rooms at the Department of Corrections and bringing books to family events at prisons. This also included enrolling children to receive books delivered to their homes.\nListen to communities about where to place projects and challenge folks to look at public spaces differently.\n\nProject co-creation and the infusion of family voice  \n\nJust because you give a child a book doesn’t mean they will read it. Relationships are also key.\nThe “lived-in” experiences of families are important when creating outcomes and measures. Value the voice of parents and families.\nDo a lot of listening in conversations with families to better understand their needs.\n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Stage 2: Interest (attracting critical partners for project development) \n				Key partnerships  \n\nRelationships to develop include those with school principals and teachers\, barbershops and salons\, families\, libraries\, doctors\, city and public sector employees like the Parks and Recreation Department\, laundromats\, places where families access other services\, childcare centers\, Boys & Girls Clubs\, neighborhood community centers and places of worship.  \nProvide opportunities for partner agencies\, organizations and families to lead project development\, comment on what the spaces should look like\, and share how they would like their environments to be used to supplement learning. \nThese projects rely on collaboration. Be creative in considering potential partnerships. \nThis quote was shared\, “If you want to go fast\, go alone. If you want to go far\, go together.” \n\nOrganic nature of partnerships  \n\nBe mindful of possible barriers to capacity when so much of the work relies on humans and volunteers to implement projects. \nDoing “a lot with little” has been a trend\, especially for teams with smaller-sized staff. Creativity to cover everything becomes necessary. \nHigh turnover rate with some positions can be a barrier\, especially when relationships depend on trust.  \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Stage 3: Interaction (implementation and interaction with children and families) \n				Challenges and barriers with implementation  \n\nThere can be a sense of security in “doing things the way they’ve always been done” and this can be a barrier to creativity.  \nThink of logistics and how families get to the locations where projects are implemented. “Smooth the path for families.” \nIt’s important to provide culturally relevant materials with book selection. Representation matters and the materials should reflect the people\, children and families who live in the community places where these projects are located.  \nPartnerships are key to promoting interaction with the spaces after the projects are developed.  \n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Stage 4: Investment (sustainability) \n				Outcomes\, evaluations and measuring success  \n\nWrap your outcomes around how you can engage with community\, stakeholders\, families and partner organizations\, ensuring the data can be gathered in ways that aren’t intrusive.   \nKnow what the project is driving toward over the long term when developing outcomes. What is the bigger picture? Focus on this in outcome design and link it back to project implementation.   \nSome of the outcomes will be survey driven to obtain the data\, so relationships built on trust become important in gathering the data needed for reports.  \nBe realistic with goals\, knowing the work and progress take time.  \nContinue to advocate for the value of family voice in evaluations and how anecdotal evidence is important and meaningful.  
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/whats-working-cglr-communities-with-learning-rich-spaces-in-everyday-places/
CATEGORIES:Crucible of Practice Salon,Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231010T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231010T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092708
CREATED:20230927T005206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231013T175516Z
UID:243883-1696950000-1696955400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:What Is Next in Learning Recovery? National Organization Perspectives
DESCRIPTION:“The data tells a story. I think one place where we can all improve at all levels is being able to turn this data into information and tell an effective story. Letting all of our groups not just respond and process it\, but have input in the solution. Ensuring that there is teacher voice at the table\, there’s school leader voice at the table\, there’s district voice at the table\, and\, most importantly\, there is student voice at the table\, because they’re the ones that are closest to the problem.”-Rosalyn Rice-Harris\, CCSSO  \nIn this webinar\, What Is Next in Learning Recovery? National Organization Perspectives\, attendees heard from leaders representing state chiefs\, superintendents\, and principals about smart investments currently happening at the school\, district\, and state levels\, as well as insights into what needs to change going forward.   \nGracie Branch\, Ph.D.\, of the National Association of Elementary School Principals\, talked about the importance of education leaders’ well-being\, the usefulness of communities of practice for school and district leaders\, and the importance of school-family-community relationships.  \nScott Hagerman\, Ed.D.\, superintendent of the Tanque Verde Unified School District in Arizona discussed the Professional Learning Community model used in his schools\, the importance of reprioritization in the face of unique needs and challenges\, and how repurposing what schools and districts already have can help to accelerate learning recovery.  \nAnn Levett\, Ed.D.\, with AASA\, the School Superintendents Association\, touched on providing staff and educator supports\, as well as the need for more initiatives to attract and retain teachers nationwide. Levett reiterated the importance of engaging with key partners both for teacher development and student success.   \nRosalyn Rice-Harris\, of the Council of Chief State School Officers also spoke about effective teacher supports\, as well as incentive initiatives and the need to put equity at the front and center of learning recovery. Rice-Harris shared information on impactful use of funding\, and stated that we should all be using data to tell a story and using the stories that data tell us to inform continued recovery efforts.   \n“We’re looking at how we can improve attendance\, making sure the students are present and the parents feel a part of the process. We’re also engaging with those other community partners who have a full investment in ensuring the students are successful. So when we look at the whole spectrum of support systems\, making sure that we are working in a way that students have full support\, and then set reasonable\, attainable goals with steady\, reliable and engaging support\, we will see the kind of progress we need to see.” -Ann Levett\, AASA
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/what-is-next-in-learning-recovery-national-organization-perspectives/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231017T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231017T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092708
CREATED:20231009T203146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240105T162257Z
UID:244168-1697545800-1697551200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Bridging the Gap Between Home and School to Boost Attendance and Achievement
DESCRIPTION:“People know that they need to engage families\, that relationships are key\, but they don’t always connect that to the incredibly important performance indicators we want for kids. That feels like a true opportunity moving forward\, to really capitalize on the demand that exists for family engagement….If you care about tutoring\, you de facto have to care about family engagement because a high-quality tutoring program is only going to be great if families know that it’s there and are excited about enrolling their kids.” – Stephanie Sharp  \nIn this Funder-to-Funder Conversation\,  Stephanie Sharp of Overdeck Family Foundation offered the reflection above as she underscored the importance of family engagement. Yolie Flores of Families In Schools moderated the session\, engaging funders\, researchers and family engagement leaders in a conversation about the impact that strong home-school partnerships can have on student achievement and attendance. Throughout the conversation\, the panelists stressed that trusting relationships are at the heart of their work\, frequently echoing Dr. Karen Mapp’s assertion that family engagement is a “must-have essential” rather than the “nice-to-have component” many have traditionally viewed it as.   \nAmbika Kapur of Carnegie Corporation of New York joined Sharp in highlighting the roles that funders can play in promoting family engagement. Both noted the importance of investing in efforts that foster demand for effective family engagement strategies and build the capacity of a wide range of research-based models to bridge the gap between home and school. Representing funders that invest in a number of education-focused strategies\, they highlighted how family engagement can enhance the impact of those other investments by building demand for them. Kapur shared recent highlights from a Grantmakers for Education report\, stating that\, while 60% of funders indicated an interest in family engagement\, only 8% of education support is directed at strengthening home-family relationships.   \n“We at the foundation have this belief that when parents are empowered as true partners in their children’s education\, students thrive\, schools are stronger and the whole community benefits.” – Ambika Kapur  \nEyal Bergman\, Ed.L.D.\, of Learning Heroes shared new quantitative data from a study it is conducting with TNTP. In this statewide study in Illinois\, the researchers compare student attendance and achievement in otherwise similar schools that had either strong or weak family engagement before the pandemic. Chronic absence rates in 2021–22 were 39% lower in schools that had stronger family engagement pre-pandemic while students in those schools experienced much smaller declines in both English Language Arts and math. The research team plans to build on this initial quantitative analysis by conducting qualitative analysis to understand what was happening in these different schools and districts. The team will use both the quantitative and qualitative data to inform the development of measurement tools to help schools track progress in implementing family engagement strategies. Bergman also shared several free resources offered by Learning Heroes to help schools\, districts and families collaborate.   \n“We want to see not just more investments but smarter investments. We know what works…. There are resources available. I think that a lot of times…folks don’t necessarily have a clear notion of how to invest. They might not necessarily have the mental models for what really compelling\, really good\, solidarity-driven family engagement actually looks like. This data can help us tell some of that story.” – Eyal Bergman\, Ed.L.D.  \nThe session also featured two examples of evidence-based family engagement models\, representing the wide range of approaches that schools can use from high-tech text models to high-touch home visiting approaches.   \nGina Martinez-Keddy introduced the Parent Teacher Home Visits model\, explaining how voluntary biannual home visits enable educators to develop trusting relationships with families that extend throughout the school year. She shared that educators are encouraged to ask families about their hopes and dreams for their child in the first home visit\, using the question to open up a different conversation and relationship. Martinez-Keddy also offered highlights from a research study that found the model resulted in significant decreases in chronic absenteeism and significant increases in English Language Arts proficiency rates.   \n“Trust is so fundamental to all other kinds of outcomes — attendance\, learning and social-emotional wellness. At Parent Teacher Home Visits\, we really pay attention to that foundation of trust. Because when you have trust between families and schools\, every other program\, every other intervention is probably going to work a whole lot better.” – Gina Martinez-Keddy  \nKate Pechacek\, M.Ed.\, explained how Talking Points leverages technology to strengthen communications and foster stronger relationships between educators and families. TalkingPoints automatically translates text messages between teachers and school staff into a family’s home language and then translates the family’s response back into English. She shared results from a five-year longitudinal study that found a causal relationship between TalkingPoints and improved math and reading proficiency and reduced rates of chronic absenteeism.   \n“We simply can’t survive in schools anymore without [strong family engagement]. We can’t just do more. We have to be smarter. And the smartest thing we can do is get families and schools to partner to support student success.” – Kate Pechacek\, TalkingPoints 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/bridging-the-gap-between-home-and-school-to-boost-attendance-and-achievement/
CATEGORIES:Chronic Absence,Parents,Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231017T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231017T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092708
CREATED:20231004T200145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231023T002142Z
UID:244111-1697554800-1697560200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:The First Month of School and Beyond: Nurturing Attendance Every Day
DESCRIPTION:“One of the biggest things we have tended to do is focus a lot on the parents because they’re the ones that bring the kids to the school. So [we’re]…picking up on that part…not only celebrating the kids\, but also celebrating the parents. – Sandra Romero\, Children’s Aid Society\, New York \nIn this session\, CGLR hosted a conversation with experts at the district\, school\, community and city levels to hear the multifaceted approach each is using to partner with families to overcome attendance barriers and make attendance a priority strategy for laying the foundation for early school success. \nHedy Chang of Attendance Works started the discussion describing the exceptionally high chronic absence rates affecting young students in every community in the United States. Chang moderated the event\, where panelists shared details about communicating attendance and health policies\, developing routines at home and helping families understand how daily attendance in kindergarten improves student learning and well-being. They also described successful district-wide initiatives and how city leaders and community partners can support kindergarten attendance. \nLysandra Agosto\, MBA\, with Children’s Aid in New York noted that staff begin the school year with a warm welcome for students and families. Agosto shared that during orientation and periodically throughout the school year\, staff discuss with families the definition of chronic absenteeism and its impact on student achievement. Staff are trained on procedures around monitoring attendance and how to respectfully check in and provide support to families. Children’s Aid also created videos with students and parents sharing why they enjoy attending school. \nSandra Romero of Children’s Aid emphasized an intentional approach to building relationships with families. Key is celebrating families whenever possible\, including during parent teacher conferences and monthly parent cafes. They also take time to talk with families about the lost instructional time when the student is out and help parents/caregivers to develop routines at home that support getting children to school on time daily. \nAnel Garza of Marshalltown Community School District in Iowa explained that school staff listen to parents’ concerns or the barriers causing them to not bring their child to school\, which might be health related\, work related or a social\, emotional\, mental need. Whatever it is\, they listen with intent. Staff show the family the attendance data and tell them it is a school concern and how it’s impacting their child. When those two concerns are on the table\, they problem solve and come up with various solutions and say\, “let’s try this one first.” And if it doesn’t work\, they try something else. The attendance team meets weekly to problem solve and address individual student needs as they arise. \nBenjamin Barlow with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) in New Mexico shared the district’s comprehensive approach\, which includes an awareness campaign with social media and a focus on capacity building for school teams. APS offers transformational coaching to support preschool and kindergarten teachers as they build their knowledge of chronic absence and apply practices to help families understand the critical benefits of early attendance. The coaching also focuses on supporting student groups facing additional challenges\, such as Native American students and students who are unhoused or in foster care. \nMonica Rossi\, MSW\, of Children’s Aid stressed the importance of making sure students have access to high-quality health care. She noted that many families need guidance for managing the common cold\, flu\, COVID-19\, asthma and any other illnesses children may face. Children’s Aid created a health manual for all school staff and a shorter version for families\, which includes a chart describing what families can do when a child is sick and when their child can return to school. \nBrandis Stockman with National League of Cities clarified that cities are invested in addressing chronic absenteeism\, because it makes a big difference in their communities by supporting high-quality schools\, community safety and an educated workforce. Mayors and city leaders can be partners in helping schools and districts address transportation barriers\, gain funding or organize a community-wide coalition\, as well as use their positions to promote attendance as a community priority. \nThe panel agreed that the priority activity in their attendance and engagement work is connecting parents and caregivers to develop trusting\, positive relationships that encourage families to bring their children to school each day.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/the-first-month-of-school-and-beyond-nurturing-attendance-every-day/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T092709
CREATED:20231005T212328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231027T203355Z
UID:244148-1698159600-1698165000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Building Parent Power: Fostering A Movement of Informed Learning Agents
DESCRIPTION:In this GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, we explored why parent power is so important for changing education systems and achieving equitable learning recovery for students. Expert panelists from national and local parent-facing organizations shared strategies to build strong and functional relationships between teachers\, school staff and parents that create space for parents to exercise their innate power and leverage their deep knowledge of what makes their children successful.   \nModerator John Gomperts with CGLR began by engaging in a deep discussion with Alex Cortez of Bellwether. Cortez shared the concept of creating “actionable demand” for great schools\, which requires informing and organizing parents so they can exercise their power through intentional partnerships with educators and focused actions that influence change and support for their children. He emphasized why it is important to focus on parent POWER and building agency among parents: \n“All parents care about the education and future of their children. But caring isn’t the same as power. If a parent’s child is in a failing school system and they lack the economic power to move or the political power to drive change\, they are stuck. So for me\, changing education systems is unapologetically about power\, and how we support efforts that inform and organize parents so they can exercise their innate power — individually and collectively — to drive and sustain change.” \nCortez also reviewed Bellwether’s recent report featuring a series of case studies on local parent power organizations and their key strategies that can be replicated by local communities. Gomperts then engaged two leaders of national parent advocacy organizations: Shana McIver of Learning Heroes and Joann Mickens of Parents for Public Schools who offered their perspectives about the concepts shared by Cortez and the lessons captured in the report and how these connect to their own research and approaches. \nAfter speaking with the national leaders\, Gomperts engaged in a robust discussion with leaders from two of the local organizations profiled in the report: Daniel Anello of Kids First Chicago and Duanecia Evans Clark of FaithActs for Education in Connecticut\, along with Get Georgia Reading Campaign partner Bridget Ratajczak of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. From this panel of parent advocates\, we had the chance to learn what works to leverage the power of parents in their communities to make a real impact on a day-to-day basis and the ways they have been able to mobilize parents to partner in strategic and productive ways with educators and schools. Anello captured how important it is to give parents the space to set the agenda and follow their lead: \n“The reason we exist\, Kids First Chicago\, is to give parents the microphone and to get out of the way. Our job is to help them be successful in achieving whatever they tell us they want to pursue. So they have the agenda and their agenda is not blind to the expertise that is out there. We want them to have the information they need to make informed decisions. But at the end of the day\, they’re telling us where to go. And that is our model. We work very closely with the district. We work with whoever — frankly\, the city\, whoever the issue lies with\, that’s who we’re helping parents get in front of.” \nThank you for joining this week’s learning and engagement opportunity. We hope it was productive for you and that you will plan to join us again for future opportunities. In particular\, on November 21\, we will again be joined by Learning Heroes to explore brand new research from Gallup revealing more about the disconnect between parents’ perception of their child’s achievement and the reality\, along with workable solutions to this issue. \n\n\n\n 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/building-parent-power-fostering-a-movement-of-informed-learning-agents/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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