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X-WR-CALNAME:LEO | Learning &amp; Engagement Opportunities Network
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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for LEO | Learning &amp; Engagement Opportunities Network
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220720T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220720T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120634
CREATED:20231218T212329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231218T214318Z
UID:245631-1658329200-1658334600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:$65B to Advance Digital Equity:  Leverage Opportunities and Challenges of State and Local Funders
DESCRIPTION:“This is an incredible moment for local advocates ― whether you’re in the digital inclusion space or anything else that rides on top of digital inclusion\, issues like immigration\, housing\, education and health care.” \nAmina Fazlullah of Common Sense offered the above reflection during this July 20\, 2022 GLR Week Funder-to-Funder Conversation on philanthropic opportunities for advancing digital equity. \nIn a conversation moderated by An-Me Chung\, Ph.D.\, of New America\, Fazlullah and her fellow panelists ― Cheri Coryea of The Patterson Foundation’s Digital Access for All Initiative\, Shayna Englin\, MPP\, of California Community Foundation’s Digital Equity Initiative\, Jack Lynch of EducationSuperHighway and Ashley Pollard\, MPP\, of PHLConnectED at the City of Philadelphia ― described how they came to the work of digital equity\, the actions they are taking and their advice to funders. \nThe panelists discussed how affordability of broadband continues to be a major barrier to ensuring digital equity and noted how the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)\, a federal program launched under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\, can help remove that cost barrier. Only 22 percent of eligible households had enrolled in the ACP at the time of this session and the panelists discussed how funders can play a key role in supporting trusted messengers to ensure families area aware of this resource and know how to sign up. While connectivity is critical\, they explained that digital equity must also include access to devices and technical assistance. States are being tasked with developing plans for the deployment of the federal funds\, and panelists encouraged funders to invest in advocacy efforts to ensure that those plans are informed by community voice and address the needs of those most in need. \nThe panelists discussed other opportunities provided through the unprecedented infusion of federal funding\, including promoting more competitive options like municipal broadband and establishing free Wi-Fi networks in multi-family affordable housing complexes.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/65b-to-advance-digital-equity-leverage-opportunities-and-challenges-of-state-and-local-funders/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Learning Loss,Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220719T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220719T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20231106T170244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231106T170244Z
UID:244741-1658242800-1658248200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Building Blocks for the New Normal: Mining the Bright Spots and Silver Linings
DESCRIPTION:“Kids need all of these kinds of supports. They need health care\, food and housing. But\, I don’t want to get away from the fact that they also need good schools.” \nSusanna Loeb\, Ph.D.\, of Brown University’s National Student Support Accelerator offered this reflection during Building Blocks for the New Normal: Mining the Bright Spots & Silver Linings\, a GLR Week 2022 panel conversation. Thank you for registering for this session that featured a panel of national leaders\, exploring how pandemic-driven innovations can contribute to a better “new normal.” \nThe panelists noted the 50 percent reductions in child poverty achieved through the temporary expansions to the Child Tax Credit and encouraged investments in narrative change and advocacy to shift the public and political will to better support families and early learning educators. \nStressing that “context matters\,” the panelists discussed the importance of supporting the whole child and whole family\, including reducing child/family poverty and ensuring stable housing\, social-emotional supports\, health care\, nutrition\, mental health and transportation – in addition to great schools. To understand how best to take this kind of holistic approach\, they called for stronger research-practice partnerships and more research that centers community and includes both content experts and context experts at the table. As research reveals effective strategies\, they stressed the importance of implementing with excellence. \nNothing the progress made during the pandemic to scale research-based high-impact tutoring programs\, advance digital equity and acknowledge the essential nature of the early education workforce\, they emphasized the need to sustain this progress.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/building-blocks-for-the-new-normal-mining-the-bright-spots-and-silver-linings/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220718T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220718T140000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20240404T005930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240404T011133Z
UID:247186-1658147400-1658152800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:A Virtual Gratitude Reception\, CGLR Salutes Our Public Library Partners
DESCRIPTION:GLR Week 2022 launched with a session celebrating public libraries as a mainstay of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading since its inception. Public libraries serve as trusted centers of communities in the unique position to attract potential partners and provide benefits and resources to community members with diverse interests and needs\, as uniquely captured by panelist\, Melanie Huggins of Richland Library in South Carolina: \nWhen we meet people where they are\, we treat them with dignity and respect\, they have agency. That’s how libraries do their work. \nPrior to the panel\, our salute to public libraries began with a unique video featuring national partners and local colleagues providing endorsements about the role and significance of public libraries addressing key issues and initiatives. Jill Bourne of the San Jose Public Library discussed digital equity; Gregg Behr of the Grable Foundation focused on Remake Learning; Greg Lucas\, State Librarian of California\, discussed Lunch at the Libraries; summer learning was addressed by Aaron Dworkin and Brodrick Clarke of the National Summer Learning Association; Tiffany Pizzino of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority focused on The Book Rich Environments Initiative; and Liz McChesney of the LaundryCares Foundation discussed literacy in the laundromat. \nThe video highlighted important data about libraries’ contributions: \n\n95.4% of public libraries provide summer learning programs.\nOver 100 libraries support the LaundryCares Foundation’s Play & Learn Spaces.\nThrough the National Book Foundation’s The Book Rich Environments Initiative\, more the 1.6 million books have been distributed through 50 library communities.\n18 public libraries are members of the Remake Learning Network\, and libraries are program partners in each of the 17 regional Remake Learning Festivals nationwide.\nMore than 88% of public libraries provide digital literacy programming.\nLibraries help to feed the 84% of children who are eligible for free lunches but unable to access them when school is out.\n\nFollowing the video\, Siobhan O’Loughlin Reardon of CGLR welcomed attendees and gave special recognition to public libraries supporting communities in crisis\, recognizing the El Progresso Public Library in Uvalde\, Texas\, and the Merriweather branch of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Reardon then introduced moderator Susan Hildreth\, library consultant and former director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)\, who engaged a panel of library leaders in a discussion about what they saw and heard in the video\, the importance of partnerships in aligning and advancing the work of libraries\, the current spectrum of community-led ideological approaches to library service\, and the current challenges facing public libraries. Following the panel conversation\, CGLR Founder and Managing Director Ralph Smith closed out the session with a big thank you to Susan Hildreth for her role in bringing together CGLR and IMLS and libraries overall many years ago\, and he acknowledged the panelists and the work and value of public libraries in advancing the goals of CGLR.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/a-virtual-gratitude-reception-cglr-salutes-our-public-library-partners/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220712T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220712T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20230926T203514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230927T181047Z
UID:243823-1657638000-1657643400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Systems of Resilience: Critical Factors for Decision-Making in Dallas ISD
DESCRIPTION:“Data isn’t a hammer\, it’s a flashlight showing the way.”\n– Cecelia Leong\, Attendance Works. \nModerated by Cecelia Leong of Attendance Works\, the July 12\, 2022 GLR Learning Tuesday Learning Loss Recovery Challenge webinar explored what makes a school district resilient in the face of various challenges that cause lagging reading proficiency\, including the COVID-19 pandemic. \nLauren Day\, Kelsey Clark and Nicole De Santis of BCG — a consulting firm that specializes in utilizing data to improve student outcomes and learning models — shared a behind-the-scenes look at the comprehensive data repository they developed for Dallas Independent School District. They shared insights on how districts can use data to develop strategic insights\, question what’s working and proactively iterate based on real evidence. \nSix years after BCG brought that approach to Dallas\, Elena Hill\, Ed.D.\, of Dallas Independent School District shared how the system helped glean predictive models that provided actionable insights\, as well as automated reporting that helped guide decision-making efforts across the district during the pandemic. The decision to engage in this early learning initiative was easy to make\, but it was more difficult to make happen — and so they learned it is important to have a team in place with the heart and mind to do the work. \n“With a clear vision\, you can always change the plan or approach but never the goal.” – Elena Hill\, Ed.D. \nAngela Whitelaw\, Ph.D.\, noted that Memphis-Shelby County Schools had just begun the initial phase of their data project with BCG. She shared how Memphis-Shelby County would be using data to develop one clear vision that applies district-wide\, with data-driven strategies and community support to drive faster and more resilient growth for early learners. \nBelinda Walters-Brazile\, Ed.D.\, from Marietta City Schools discussed her district’s approach for leveraging data to create a strong infrastructure. That infrastructure helped to minimize the impact of the pandemic on learning loss and set students up for success and getting back on track. She emphasized the importance of being consistent and using the data to guide the course.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/systems-of-resilience-critical-factors-for-decision-making-in-dallas-isd/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220614T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220614T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20231106T163705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231106T163705Z
UID:244727-1655218800-1655224200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Stabilizing the Early Care and Education Workforce: Increasing Compensation ASAP
DESCRIPTION:“It is our duty and your responsibility to participate and to speak up. Your voice is your currency. No one can tell us what our profession needs better than the actual practitioner for herself or himself. We are the experts in this field\, we know what we need.” – Jerletha McDonald \n In this week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, Jacqueline Jones\, Ph.D.\, of Foundation for Child Development moderated an inspiring and engaging conversation discussing the research around the complexity of the early childhood workforce gap\, the history of the compensation issue\, and state and local strategies to address these issues. Anna Markowitz\, Ph.D.\, of UCLA School of Education and Information Studies and Caitlin McLean\, Ph.D.\, of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at University of California\, Berkeley shared their research findings on the state of the early childhood education workforce\, followed by a brief conversation that dove deeper into what the research is showing about the precarity of early childhood professionals. Afterwards\, Jenna Conway of Virginia Department of Education\, Jamilah Jor’dan\, Ph.D.\, of Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development\, Jerletha McDonald of National Association for Family Child Care and Tonja Rucker\, Ph.D.\, of National League of Cities shared their perspectives on the real challenges faced in this field\, as well as areas of growth and progress. \n“This hurts our current employees\, hurts our enrollment and can really negatively affect the children who need to build the routine. I need to be able to pay my teachers a livable wage. It’s not fair for them to work so hard but be compensated so little.” – Anna Markowitz\, Ph.D. \nThroughout the discussion\, the message was clear: early childhood professionals are professionals\, and the current compensation norms must change to keep people in these jobs and to improve early child care and learning.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/stabilizing-the-early-care-and-education-workforce-increasing-compensation-asap/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220607T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220607T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20231217T205815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231217T211039Z
UID:245581-1654614000-1654619400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:State Strategies for Advancing Equitable Learning Recovery
DESCRIPTION:Moderated by CGLR Senior Fellow Barbara O’Brien\, last week’s timely GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, co-sponsored by ExcelinEd\, explored strategies for scaling a tutoring strategy statewide. To start the webinar\, Casey Sullivan Taylor\, Policy Director of Early Literacy at ExcelinEd\, described her research into the approaches taken by two states and the District of Columbia. Next\, Allison Rose Socol\, Ph.D.\, Vice President for P–12 Policy\, Research & Practice at The Education Trust\, presented insights from her recent report examining a number of early adopter state tutoring programs. Both Taylor and Socol shared some of the key components of successful statewide tutoring investments. \nProviding a state-level perspective\, John-Paul Smith\, Executive Director of the North Carolina Education Corps (NCEC)\, shared how that state’s tutoring program was formed by the State Board of Education and Department of Education and later transitioned to a 501(c)3. Smith shared the details of the NCEC model\, including recruitment\, training\, investment and evaluation. \nExecutive Director John-Paul Smith noted that “Americans are better at responding to the wolf at the door\, and we are responding to the termites in the basement. The pandemic has created this influx of federal dollars to respond to the wolf at the door and we want to be able to respond to both the wolf and the termites – because a lot of these issues were around pre-COVID.”
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/state-strategies-for-advancing-equitable-learning-recovery/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220531T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220531T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20231213T020249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231213T021630Z
UID:245335-1654009200-1654014600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Prioritizing Early Relational Health in Tutoring for Equitable Learning Recovery
DESCRIPTION:In this May 31\, 2022 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, attendees had the chance to learn from early childhood expert Junlei Li\, Ph.D.\, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education who shared the following wise words\, among many others: \n“Reading experts will talk about reading as a technical or mechanical process — the phonics\, the decoding of the letters and so on — but reading exists as a social\, cultural process that helps us understand who we are\, who our families are and who our communities are. So the technical\, relational and social processes work together to make learning and development happen\, and instrumental in that process are the human interactions that weave together the learning of the text\, the giving and receiving of ideas between the adult [i.e.\, tutor] and the child\, and then creating that sense of belonging\, affirmation and encouragement that children need to learn.” \nCGLR’s John Gomperts moderated an inspiring and informative conversation with Li\, exploring the key aspects of adult-child interactions that lead to positive youth development and increased focus on academic learning. This conversation was followed by a panel of leaders from national and local tutoring programs who discussed how tutors can be trained to focus as much on relationship building as on the important technical components of reading and academics that will lead to equitable learning recovery. From the tutoring experts\, we learned specifics of what this balance of relationships and academics looks like on a day-to-day basis for tutors working with early grade students who are most in need of focused support to get back on track. \n”That confidence comes from tutors sitting with students saying ‘Great job! Today was hard and you didn’t give up and you go back into class and you try that again.’” \n– Jennifer Joyce\, Reading Partners
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/prioritizing-early-relational-health-in-tutoring-for-equitable-learning-recovery/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220524
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220525
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20240229T223111Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240229T223111Z
UID:246822-1653350400-1653436799@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Elevating Educators: Investing in Teacher Professional Development for Long-term Payoff
DESCRIPTION:Lisa Roy\, Ed.D.\, moderated an inspiring and informative conversation with Sharon Hopper\, Sarah Brown Wessling\, Michelle Accardi and Cindy Hadicke\, Ed.D. Each speaker shared details of their organizations’ professional development programs and resources\, and talked in depth about barriers facing teachers and districts today when it comes to accessing high-caliber professional development. They highlighted the importance of students\, families and communities\, as Sarah Brown Wessling pointed out: \n“You have to know your students\, the story of their community\, their family\, their home. Going through the National Board process\, teachers learn how to embrace community as part of student academic growth. This is a really wonderful example of how this is more than certification.” \nThroughout the discussion\, all the speakers commented on the worthwhile investment opportunities that are out there for schools\, districts and states to take advantage of for teacher professional development\, and the importance of investing in teachers so that we can invest in student success. \n“When we know better\, we do better. If we can have a core of teachers who know better\, just think of the good we can do.” –Cindy Hadicke\, AIM Institute
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/elevating-educators-investing-in-teacher-professional-development-for-long-term-payoff/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220517T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220517T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120635
CREATED:20231219T171927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T180803Z
UID:245690-1652799600-1652805000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Innovations in Parent & Educator Supports Critical to Kindergarten Readiness
DESCRIPTION:“The secret sauce is the coaches. They’re amazing in working with these families and helping them understand the value of a good education.” \nJim Lund of Waterford Upstart offered this reflection in this week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays session as he and other panelists described their efforts to support parents and educators in nurturing children’s early learning and school readiness. \nThank you for registering for this engaging and inspiring session featuring three evidence-based models for supporting kindergarten readiness\, co-sponsored by Overdeck Family Foundation. If you missed this conversation or would like to review what was shared\, links to the recording and other related materials can be accessed HERE on CLIP\, with links to specific resources listed below. \nThe three featured models included: \n\nLENA Grow with information shared by Liz Pettit of LENA and implementation partners\, Crystal Skeeter-Davis and Jamie Morris of Child Development Resources\nSpringboard Collaborative with information shared by Keo Cheo-Young\, Ed.D.\, and Sarah Anderson\nWaterford Upstart with information shared by Jim Lund and Tiera Lindsey\n\nPanelists shared how they adapted their programs to the challenges posed by the pandemic\, making them shorter\, easier to implement and/or delivered virtually\, using data as a guide to ensure the adaptions continued to deliver measurable progress for children. They offered insights on how to connect with families and incentivize their ongoing engagement in the face of myriad challenges. 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/innovations-in-parent-educator-supports-critical-to-kindergarten-readiness/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220510T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220510T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120636
CREATED:20230912T184039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231208T182834Z
UID:243533-1652194800-1652200200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Showing Up Matters for R.E.A.L. (Routines\, Engagement\, Access to resources and Learning
DESCRIPTION:“This is not a time for blame\, this is a time for partnership and for collective action to rebuild the positive conditions for learning in our schools that we know help kids show up to school\, engage with teachers and friends\, and learn.” \n\nHedy Chang\, Executive Director of Attendance Works\, offered this call to action as she kicked off a panel of five educators from different regions of the country who shared their strategies for building Routines\, increasing Engagement\, ensuring Access to resources and supporting Learning. \nChang was joined by Patricia Chavez\, VP of External Relations at Parent Institute for Quality Education; Erin Simon\, Assistant Superintendent of School Support Services at Long Beach Unified School District; Maria Harris\, Principal\, Educare Los Angeles at Long Beach; Cherri Rowe\, Chief Program Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas; and Pam Allyn\, author and CEO\, Dewey. In a discussion moderated by Chang\, the five innovative educators shared pandemic-related challenges families and students are still experiencing\, as well as strategies they created for engaging with students and families in ways that inspire them to show up for school and participate in learning.  \nChang started the session describing the more than doubling of chronic absence nationwide\, noting that it is especially high in the early grades. Chang called this level of absenteeism profound\, adding that it will have an adverse\, long-term impact unless everyone works together to address it now. Panelists outlined key challenges affecting student attendance\, engagement and learning. Families have been fearful about sending their children to school during a pandemic. Quarantines have disrupted family routines and many lack access to the technology so crucial to keeping kids learning and gaining access to resources. Many families living in low-income communities are still facing significant economic pressures and experiencing food and housing insecurity as well as a lack of health care access. The panel also recognized how feelings of shame\, related to a child or their parent not experiencing success in school\, can cause disengagement and poor attendance.  \nPanelists then shared strategies for addressing these challenges by taking a whole child\, whole family and whole community approach\, leveraging the power of technology for communication in multiple languages and expanding enriching learning opportunities through community partnerships. They noted that families are now focused on their family’s mental health and would like social and emotional support.  \nThe educators described how they worked with community partners and organizations that are able to provide families with many of their basic needs. They agreed that out-of-school-time offerings\, such as before- and after-school programs\, provide students with opportunities to connect with caring adults and to participate inacademic enrichment activities\, character and leadership development programs\, and initiatives that teach healthy lifestyles. Such programming can help bring back the joy in learning and draw upon the power of family storytelling. Community-based programs can be housed on school grounds\, which can facilitate school-program communication about students and make it easier for students and families to participate. Summer programs that focus on literacy can provide students with much needed routine as well as fun activities that benefit students and can prepare them to return to school in the fall. 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/showing-up-matters-for-r-e-a-l-routines-engagement-access-to-resources-and-learning/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220505T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220505T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120636
CREATED:20231027T205926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231027T211949Z
UID:244462-1651762800-1651768200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:ParentChild+: Engaging Families in Early Math Through Home Visiting
DESCRIPTION:“Math is innately in us” \nWith the above quote\, Jermell Witherspoon of Zeno reminded participants of the math brilliance that lives within each and every child during the inaugural session of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading’s Early Math + Early Literacy series hosted on May 5\, 2022. Zeno’s mission is to spark joy and inspire a love of math in young children and families through racial equity\, family engagement and play\, all centered in the experiences of communities of color. One of the ways they are spreading this “joy” is through their work in partnership with ParentChild+. \nWitherspoon was joined by Pamela Williams of ParentChild+ Start Early WA and Erin Kinsella of ParentChild+ Encompass. Each shared highlights of the partnership between ParentChild+ and Zeno. In a conversation moderated by Malkia Singleton Ofori-Agyekum of ParentChild+\, the presenters noted that Zeno’s work with ParentChild+ home visitors and families has had a significant impact on the work of lifting up early mathematics. \nAfter each presenter shared their experiences with Zeno and ParentChild+\, Singleton shared a  video depicting a family using Zeno math and bringing to life the work that Zeno and ParentChild+ are doing in the homes of the families they serve. The panelists also discussed how Zeno and ParentChild+ address barriers to this work and support the development of a positive math identity.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/244462/
CATEGORIES:Past Event,Special Webinar
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220503T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220503T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120636
CREATED:20231216T192345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231216T193351Z
UID:245520-1651590000-1651595400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Seizing the Moment: Closing the Digital Equity Gap
DESCRIPTION:In this May 3\, 2022 GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, Amina Fazlullah\, Senior Director of Equity Policy at Common Sense\, opened the conversation with a description of the historical inequities in internet connectivity and access to devices for students in the United States. She also shared Common Sense’s work to map the impact of emergency funding streams as the pandemic unfolded. \nJi Soo Song\, Broadband Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education\, explained how the department has been working to ensure that the voices of education leaders\, parents and nonprofits are included into the broadband development efforts that are expanding within states as a result of increased federal investments through various funding streams. Song shared information about the Digital Equity Education Roundtable (DEER) Initiative and issued a call to action for state and local education leaders to get involved in the development of broadband plans that are required in each state. \nFazlullah returned to introduce more resources that have been developed by Common Sense for communities to share with individuals and households about the American Connectivity Program\, which helps reduce internet costs for qualifying families and provides financial supports for devices. She also discussed the Emergency Connectivity Fund\, which allows schools and libraries to provide devices such as tablets\, computers and home internet services to students and families. \nShawn Gross\, Digital Equity Program Management Consultant at Baltimore City Schools\, brought a local perspective to the session. Gross shared Baltimore’s journey to meet the needs of students and families during the pandemic. Baltimore has taken a strategic approach to measuring and monitoring its success and has been working with local partners such as the city\, library and others to envision a municipal network where all families would have access to high-quality affordable or free internet acesss. \nSoon after this session\, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced changes to the Affordable Connectivity Program that will further reduce the cost and increase the speed of internet service to tens of millions of families. Information on eligibility and sign-up can be found at GetInternet.gov.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/seizing-the-moment-closing-the-digital-equity-gap/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220419T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220419T140000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120636
CREATED:20231031T200305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T211900Z
UID:244592-1650371400-1650376800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Building Hope & Opportunity: Philanthropy’s Role in Catalyzing Children’s Savings Accounts
DESCRIPTION:Imagine a philanthropic investment so powerful that it changes how children think — something that embeds the conviction\, “I have a future. Education is for me\, not for somebody else.” According to Patty Grant\, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Wabash County\, Indiana\, that ability to transform how children see themselves is part of what makes children’s savings accounts (CSAs) “a meaningful way\, beyond just the financial impact of helping our families and our students\, to…align with our mission to address the quality of life and incomes and educational attainment.” \nGrant was joined by Carl Rist\, a CSA expert and independent consultant and former Senior Fellow at Prosperity Now; Rebecca Loya\, Ph.D.\, a research scientist at Brandeis University Institute for Economic and Racial Equity; and Benita Melton\, Program Director-Education for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation\, in a conversation moderated by Sterling Speirn\, Interim President and CEO of the Maine Community Foundation. \nDrawing on research and experience\, the presenters explored the history of CSAs\, dating back to the original demonstration project funded by national philanthropies\, and the recent growth in the number of CSAs today. Foundations donated $11.3 million to the 77 CSA programs surveyed by panelist Rebecca Loya in 2019\, of which $9 million came from family foundations. \nPanelists discussed the value of CSAs for private funders\, including the chance to help children and families prepare early for the future; the opportunity to partner with public funders on a scalable intervention; and the chance to address root causes of income inequality. “So many of the things philanthropy deals with are the symptoms and results of poverty\, but we rarely get to go right to the heart of it\, which is a lack of financial assets and underdeveloped human capital\,” observed Speirn. \nPresenters encouraged funders of CSAs to: \n\nStart small\, demonstrate success\, and then grow;\nCommunicate frequently with children and families about their CSAs so they can see how their accounts are growing; and\nCombine CSAs with other asset-building and financial literacy programs.\n\n“Children’s savings accounts are not a silver bullet. They don’t solve these problems by themselves. They are most impactful when embedded into or layered onto other initiatives\,” Benita Melton said.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/building-hope-opportunity-philanthropys-role-in-catalyzing-childrens-savings-accounts/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Parents,Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220412T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220412T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120636
CREATED:20251030T155515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T154945Z
UID:252987-1649775600-1649781000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Join the Movement: Activating Your Parent Village
DESCRIPTION:“The most important part for us was having the parent voice be heard. We are all about making sure that parents have a seat at the table\, nothing about us without us.” \n\nSarita Sashington of Be Strong Families offered this reflection on her experience organizing a Parent Village in this GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar Join the Movement: Activating Your Parent Village. \nSashington was joined by Dr. Dana Suskind and Yolie Flores\, both with the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health\, and Rosa Guzman Snyder and Kendra Smiley of the National Center for Families Learning. Together\, they discussed the Building a Parent Nation Campaign\, which builds on Dr. Suskind’s recently-released book\, Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential\, Fulfilling Society’s Promise\, and seeks to mobilize parents\, caregivers and allies to fight for a society that better supports parents. \nUsing neuroscience as a framework\, Parent Nation urges parents\, caregivers and allies to advocate for a society that puts children and families at the center. In support of this call to action\, Flores shared the innovative tools and resources that are now available at no cost to groups and organizations aligned with this mission and who wish to host Parent Villages to activate parents. Alberta Longone-Messer\, a participant\, shared their enthusiasm and agreement with this mission: “So important to share this program with community partners to help us launch and sustain\,” because as Flores said\, “all children should have the opportunity to reach their dreams\, to reach their potential.” \nGuzman Snyder\, Smiley and Sashington shared their experiences in hosting Parent Villages during the beta test phase this past winter\, including what inspired them to host a Village (“strong mission alignment” and “model driven by parents”); how parents responded (validated their strengths in ways that they could see themselves as changemakers); and what they saw as the potential for activating parent leadership and power (based on this experience\, one parent made her own PowerPoint to share Parent Nation with other parents). Panelists shared that a key feature of the curriculum was the adaptability and flexibility to make it your own. And what was most powerful was the sense of solidarity of a community of parents to fight for change. \nThe resources and experiences shared by the presenters generated optimism and excitement for participants. Dr. Phillip G. Bevans commented\, “Your commitment to providing parents and caregivers with the opportunity and support needed to learn and apply the skills that are known to build babies’ brains is\, of course\, quite revolutionary and much to be admired. Congratulations on making the effort to ‘create a population-level shift in the knowledge and behavior of parents and caregivers’ in this regard.” \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/activating-your-parent-village/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220405T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220405T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20240107T212742Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T212742Z
UID:245778-1649170800-1649176200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Centering Equity in Home-School Relationships: Lessons From Research and Innovative Districts
DESCRIPTION:“We call our report Unlocking the ‘How’ because we keep hearing from schools and systems across the country that the pandemic has elevated the awareness of need for family engagement\, but a lot of folks are asking for the best strategies for how to do that work.” \nThis was author Eyal Bergman’s introduction of Learning Heroes’ new report\, Unlocking the “How”: Designing Family Engagement Strategies That Lead to School Success\, which was released in early April and was the basis of the April 5 GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, “Centering Equity in Home-School Relationships: Lessons From Research and Innovative Districts.” \nThe recommendations in Unlocking the “How” are based on three primary sources: \n\nSix years of Learning Heroes surveys with parents\, teachers and principals on the nature of family engagement.\nThe Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2)\, which synthesizes the research on what works in family engagement.\nAnd a recent report by Dr. Karen Mapp and Dr. Bergman\, called Embracing a New Normal: Toward a More Liberatory Approach to Family Engagement\, which takes stock of this era of dual pandemics and offers high-level policy recommendations for K–12 leaders.\n\nThrough specific examples from schools and districts across the country\, the report brings to life the three pillars of effective family engagement strategies: 1) place trust and teamwork at the center of the home-school relationship; 2) anchor family engagement strategies in student learning; and 3) invest in building systems and structures that enable this work. \nIn the webinar\, Dr. Bergman was joined by Dr. Sonja Santelises\, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools\, and Dr. Lori James-Gross\, Superintendent of Unity Point Consolidated School District 140 in rural southern Illinois. Though vastly different\, both districts believe the schools that focused on family engagement pre-pandemic were better prepared to endure the impact of the pandemic. Dr. Santelises discussed how BCPS has led the way in elevating family engagement as an equity imperative and gave the example of one school in particular where trust and teamwork with families was prioritized. She also highlighted a new BCPS board policy on family engagement and the development of student learning plans co-designed by teachers\, parents and students. Dr. James-Gross spoke about individual student success planning\, where every student\, their teacher and family meet to build a relationship\, set goals and determine needs based on a holistic view of the child. \nThe webinar concluded with Kelsey Nelson\, senior manager of external relations at Learning Heroes\, highlighting several creative assets that highlight Learning Heroes research and effective family engagement in action\, including social media toolkits with video clips and more. “For our research\, we partner with a lot of national organizations such as National PTA\, National Urban League\, UnidosUS and Univision\, and also work with community partners on the ground telling their stories and bringing the research to life as to why a strong family engagement practice is so important.”
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/centering-equity-in-home-school-relationships-lessons-from-research-and-innovative-districts/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220322T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220322T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20260210T160557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T211055Z
UID:254803-1647961200-1647966600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Children’s Savings Accounts: Building Wealth\, Aspirations and Prosperity for Children and Families
DESCRIPTION:When Christina McLean of Durham\, North Carolina\, realized her 9-year-old daughter\, Lauren\, was eligible for a program that will contribute $500 into a savings and investment account they can tap for education or career needs when Lauren turns 18\, she was thrilled. “I did not see just the $500\,” McLean said. “I saw $5\,000… $50\,000… $500\,000… even $5 million! I saw a seed that\, if I watered and nurtured it\, would grow into a harvest that will help me fund my daughter’s future education.” \nDuring this March 22\, 2022 GLR Learning Tuesdays session\, McLean joined a panel of program developers\, funders\, researchers and partners in exploring the ways that children’s savings accounts (CSAs) improve educational expectations\, opportunities and outcomes for children and families from low- and moderate-income households.  \nIn addition to McLean\, the panel included William Elliott\, Director of the Center on Assets\, Education and Inclusion at the University of Michigan; Carl Rist\, a CSA expert and independent consultant; Patty Grant\, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Wabash County\, Indiana; Muneer Karcher-Ramos\, Director of the Office of Financial Empowerment for the City of St. Paul\, Minnesota; and Colleen Quint\, President and CEO of the Alfond Scholarship Foundation. The conversation was moderated by Ginger Young\, CEO of Book Harvest\, a Durham-based children’s literacy nonprofit that started a CSA program for graduates of its Book Babies program in 2021.  \nDrawing on research and practice\, the presenters described several CSA models and noted that they all have a positive impact on children’s social-emotional development\, parents’ perception of economic safety\, maternal depression\, parenting practices\, parent-child communication\, and college enrollment and persistence. CSAs also serve as a two-generation tool for helping households get ahead and stay ahead by promoting financial literacy\, building wealth and cultivating a college-going culture and identity.  \nPresenters emphasized that long-term assets such as CSAs should not be seen as something that replaces income assistance for immediate needs; both are important. They urged listeners to connect children to CSAs early in life — at birth\, if possible — to maximize the positive effects. They described creative ways to increase and incentivize savings. And they noted the way that CSAs create “tangible hope” for children and families. \n\n“Poor kids dream\, poor kids have aspirations. They just don’t have a strategy for achieving them that’s realistic for them\,” Elliott explained. “Tangible hope means having a true pathway to achieving that dream.” 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/childrens-savings-accounts-building-wealth-aspirations-and-prosperity-for-children-and-families/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Blog-2-Kindergarten-Image-1-1-e1688670161775.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220315T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220315T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20260202T234538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T123505Z
UID:254720-1647356400-1647361800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:One State’s Big Bet on Community Schools: A Follow-on Conversation
DESCRIPTION:The things that we do to address the physical\, emotional and social needs of our children\, ultimately\, will support their achievement. \n\nCalifornia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond made the above statement at the start of his discussion with CGLR Executive Fellow John Gomperts during the March 15\, 2022 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, capturing the essence of why California is investing $3 billion dollars into the Community Schools model. This learning and engagement opportunity picked up on the February 1\, 2022 session that featured José Muñoz of the Coalition for Community Schools and other leaders and explored Community Schools as a “big bet worthy” strategy that holds the potential for large-scale and sustainable changes for children and their families\, especially as we emerge from the pandemic. This March session further explored how and why Thurmond and the State Board of Education decided to invest so heavily in the Community Schools model and what implementation will look like in a place as large and diverse as California. \nGomperts focused his discussion with Superintendent Thurmond on elements that informed the decision to expand the Community Schools model throughout the state of California. Gomperts then moderated a panel discussion among Community Schools experts about the significance of California’s investment\, what other communities can learn from California’s big bet\, and the potential for deploying the Community Schools model to create learning environments that provide transformational opportunities for whole-child education. Araceli Chavez of the California Association for Bilingual Education\, Abe Fernández of the National Center for Community Schools\, Hayin Kimner\, Ph.D.\, of the California Community Schools Learning Exchange and Jeannie Oakes\, Ph.D.\, of the Learning Policy Institute discussed the importance of learning from districts that have been successfully implementing the model while building buy-in among school leaders at all levels as well as community leaders. They dove into the standards for development\, the extensive training available and the data demonstrating the model’s effectiveness\, acknowledging that this big bet will take a big lift. Thankfully\, there is a wealth of resources available to support communities’ work to make it successful.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/one-states-big-bet-on-community-schools-a-follow-on-conversation/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220308T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220308T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20240107T215342Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T215342Z
UID:245790-1646751600-1646757000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:How Education Decision-Makers are Maximizing Summer to Accelerate Learning Recovery
DESCRIPTION:“We’re encouraging states to start thinking about relegating this work of summer learning into the structure of the State Education Agency (SEA) because\, rather than having this be something that we work on for the short term\, we want it to become a natural conversation among SEA members building state strategic plans as they think about the long-term importance of this work.” \nThis point made by Kathleen Airhart\, Ed.D.\, of the Council of Chief State School Officers in this week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays panel captures the heart of the discussion among state-level leaders about How Education Decision-Makers Are Maximizing Summer to Accelerate Learning Recovery. Moderated by Polly Singh of the Wallace Foundation\, the discussion explored how SEAs are using billions of federal recovery dollars to fund local education agencies\, build community partnerships and provide professional development to prioritize summer learning – especially in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. In case you missed this opportunity to learn and engage\, links to the recording and other materials can be accessed here on CLIP\, with links to additional resources included below. \nSingh began the discussion by sharing an overview of the Wallace Foundation’s extensive support for summer learning and their backing of up-to-date research and resources\, including the National Summer Learning Project and Toolkit\, along with the foundation’s investment in state-level work to expand summer learning. She then engaged Airhart and Aaron Dworkin of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) in an exploration of their new partnership\, the State Summer Learning Network\, which is designed to inform state-level efforts by providing NSLA’s expert training and technical assistance to SEA leaders in “building state strategic plans” for summer learning\, as quoted by Airhart above. Melissa Castillo\, Ed.D.\, and Dawn Fitzhugh of the Arizona Department of Education and Brian Doran of the Texas Education Agency\, two states at the forefront of prioritizing summer learning\, joined the discussion and reviewed what a major state investment in summer learning looks like on the ground in districts and communities across their states. Through in-depth professional development for teachers\, directed outreach to families and high-quality instructional materials\, they ensure equitable access to summer learning activities that bolster academic and social-emotional development.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/how-education-decision-makers-are-maximizing-summer-to-accelerate-learning-recovery/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220301T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220301T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20231212T215504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231213T205650Z
UID:245287-1646146800-1646152200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Innovations in In-School Tutoring: Updates From Research and On-the-Ground Efforts
DESCRIPTION:Co-sponsored by the Overdeck Family Foundation\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				“Kids must become code breakers in order to ultimately become meaning makers. In other words\, reading is the operating system of education\, and if our kids can’t read\, they can’t learn.”  \nJessica Reid Sliwerski made the above statement as she explained why she founded Ignite! Reading and described how this online tutoring program is enabling high-quality tutoring at scale. \nThis session examined the potential of high-dosage\, small-group tutoring as a proven-effective strategy for accelerating equitable learning recovery with presentations rooted in research and practice. Melanie Dukes of Overdeck Family Foundation moderated the conversation\, beginning by sharing the increasing degree to which our country’s education leaders are turning to tutoring to help with learning acceleration and to address the learning loss experienced during the pandemic. With the federal government’s infusion of more than $24 billion in ESSER funds for districts to spend on evidence-based interventions such as tutoring\, Dukes noted that this a critical time for school and district decision-makers to gain a deeper understanding of what makes tutoring programs effective and how to select a program that’s best positioned to meet their needs. \nDukes began by inviting Susanna Loeb\, Ph.D.\, of Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform to set the stage by sharing research underscoring the benefits of tutoring and the seven critical elements of high-impact tutoring. Among these are a foundation of safety\, equity and cohesion; a high priority on developing strong tutor-student relationships; special attention to the amount of instruction and the instructional materials used; and the use of data to understand students’ learning needs and to track their progress. Loeb shared\, “Start small and [implement a high-quality tutoring program] really well for the students who really need it\, then expand it out\, once you have it down.”  \nJanice Jackson\, Ed.D.\, of America Achieves then described her experiences implementing high-dosage\, small-group tutoring while leading Chicago Public Schools and her plans to launch a national tutoring initiative that will ensure equitable access to high-quality academic supports. Jackson reflected\, “It’s no secret that there are deep inequities in our education system that have long existed prior to the pandemic. All of us have witnessed those gaps widen over the past two years….We don’t want to just focus on recovery from the pandemic. This is also an opportunity to achieve greater equity and make sure that all students have access to high-quality\, high-dosage tutoring post-pandemic. It should be free\, it should be affordable and it should be accessible and ubiquitous in all of our school systems\, and that’s just simply not the case largely due to cost and limited understanding of how to scale most effectively.” \nThey were joined by representatives of three innovative tutoring programs that either emerged or evolved during the pandemic.  \n\nA.J. Gutierrez introduced the research behind Saga Education and the impact of the program on children’s academic growth\, explaining how Saga’s intensive tutor training and ongoing professional development is part of its secret sauce. Said Gutierrez\, “We’re seeking to make sure that high-impact in-school tutoring is a central part of school design.”\nChanda Johnson of Zearn Math first shared her experiences utilizing high-quality programs like Zearn in tutoring programs while serving in the Louisiana Department of Education. She explained how the research-backed curriculum and digital lessons in Zearn are now being deployed as part of tutoring programs and the impact of the platform on student growth. She commented\, “Tutoring is everywhere now in a way I haven’t seen before.” \nJessica Reid Sliwerski explained how she helped launch Ignite! Reading in response to the pandemic\, partnering with schools to embed daily 15-minute one-on-one\, data-driven reading skills instruction with a highly trained tutor\, delivered via Zoom\, as part of the schools’ literacy programming. She also announced that this fall Ignite! is launching 1st Grade Promise\, a 1\,000-student pilot designed to ensure all participants leave first grade as fluent\, independent readers ready to begin second grade. \n\nQuestions and discussion among panelists and in response to participant questions covered a variety of topics\, including characteristics of high-quality hybrid or virtual tutoring models\, the difference between high-impact tutoring and Response to Intervention (RTI); and approaches to researching different components of high-quality tutoring interventions when considering scale and cost effectiveness.  \nPanelists closed by lifting up the opportunity to expand and scale high-dosage tutoring. Johnson said\, “Let’s build this together. Let’s get this right. Let’s learn from each other.” Said Jackson: “Think about how to be part of this moment and this movement.”
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/innovations-in-in-school-tutoring-updates-from-research-and-on-the-ground-efforts/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220208T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220208T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20260131T143305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260215T224516Z
UID:254679-1644332400-1644337800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Accelerating Literacy Through Same Language Subtitling
DESCRIPTION:The topic of this February 8\, 2022 webinar recognizes that we are at a critical juncture: we need to leverage every possible strategy to advance learning for children recovering from the enormous learning disruption that was caused by the pandemic. And to do so\, we need to examine innovations from all over the world. \nBrij Kothari\, Ph.D.\, the founder of PlanetRead\, conceived of Same Language Subtitling (SLS) as a way to advance literacy at scale using television. In India\, an estimated 850 million people cannot read simple texts at a second-grade level. However\, there are an estimated 1 billion TV viewers\, watching an average of four hours of television per day\, and expected to do so for 70 years. Through studies and pilot initiatives\, SLS has been shown to have an enormous impact on literacy in India. Regular SLS exposure on TV at home more than doubled the number of good readers among primary school children\, from 24 percent to 56 percent. \nDeborah Nichols\, Ph.D.\, Associate Professor at Purdue University and one of the top education researchers\, shared research results conducted in the United States\, suggesting that repeated exposure to onscreen print can lead to increased attention and enhanced learning. For children growing up in poverty\, who have less access to traditional learning support\, research shows that educational screen-based media interventions can be particularly valuable and effective. \nIn conversation moderated by Kyle Zimmer\, the President and CEO of First Book\, three leading experts — Kelly Butler\, the CEO of the Barksdale Reading Institute\, Kristal Moore Clemons\, Ph.D.\, National Director of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools\, and Michael H. Levine\, Ph.D.\, SVP of Learning and Impact\, Noggin/Nickelodeon — shared their perspective on the potential for using SLS to advance literacy in the United States. \nThe discussion included some inspiring ideas and hopeful next steps on the value of harnessing the power and presence of television in children’s homes to be a more valuable tool of learning — from the opportunity for intergenerational learning and family engagement to the possibility of heightening the impact of educational media for millions of kids and families.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/accelerating-literacy-through-same-language-subtitling/
CATEGORIES:Learning Tuesdays,Partner Webinar,Past Event
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220111T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220111T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120637
CREATED:20231214T211442Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231218T214830Z
UID:245476-1641913200-1641918600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Advancing Digital Equity for Powerful Learning
DESCRIPTION:In the January 11\, 2022 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\,  Jean Claude Brizard\, CEO of Digital Promise\, served as moderator and shared some data that demonstrated the impact the COVID-19 pandemic on learning loss. The pandemic exposed the reality of the digital inequities in communities — inequities that had already been in place but were exacerbated by the pandemic. \nNext\, attendees heard a robust discussion with a panel of experts. Nathan L Fisher Ed.D and Kristine Gilmore Ed.D.\, both district superintendents who have addressed digital equity in their respective districts\, provided “on the ground” perspective of the challenge. Chris Rush shared the federal policy perspective based on his work at the U.S. Department of Education.  Michael Calabrese discussed some unique financing opportunities for sustaining EdTech system reform. D’Andre J. Weaver Ph.D.\, Chief Equity Officer at Digital Promise offered his perspective as a recent Superintendent of a large school district while also sharing how he will be leading efforts to address digital equity at Digital Promise. \nDuring the webinar\, panelists stressed how EdTech is necessary to support classroom learning and that teachers must have access to up-to-date technology for use both in the classroom and at home when schools may need to move into hybrid or fully virtual environments. They panel fielded a number of thoughtful questions from the audience throughout the conversation.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/advancing-digital-equity-for-powerful-learning/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Casey-2016-BAL_1513.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220111T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220111T140000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20231216T215958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231216T220218Z
UID:245538-1641904200-1641909600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Accelerating Reading Through High-Dosage Tutoring in Mississippi Communities
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, moderator Ashley Parker Sheils\, Ph.D.\, Program Director at MiSsion Acceleration\, talked about how and why MiSsion Acceleration started\, described their funding proposal\, discussed their definition of what high-dosage tutoring is and outlined how they have made decisions about program structure\, content and staffing. \nNext\, Kari Lynn Somers\, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Southeast Mississippi\, focused on the role UWSEMS serves as the community lead\, the importance of involving community partners in every aspect of the program and the ways partners have all played critical roles that led to the success MiSsion Acceleration is seeing in Hattiesburg. Kimberly Price\, Intervention Coordinator with the Oxford School District\, talked about how MiSsion Acceleration decided to operate during the school day in Oxford to ensure access for the children who need the support the most and were not able to participate after school. She also talked about creative problem-solving to ensure the school-day program is successful. Samantha Cox\, Site Coordinator with the Tupelo and Lee County Early Childhood Coalition\, provided an overview of the program at an afterschool community site in Tupelo and described how children\, parents\, partners and stakeholders are benefiting from the program. Andrea Milton\, with MiSsion Acceleration\, discussed her experience as an academic guide\, her role with the young people she works with and why she is so committed to this work. Rachel Scott\, Evaluation Associate with the Center for Research Evaluation at the University of Mississippi\, talked about the MiSsion Acceleration program evaluation\, details of their evidence-based design\, key metrics and some of the exciting results they are seeing. \n 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/accelerating-reading-through-high-dosage-tutoring-in-mississippi-communities/
CATEGORIES:Reading & Math
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211221T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211221T140000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20230913T222954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250929T190447Z
UID:243573-1640089800-1640095200@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Community Investments in Parent-Child Relationships Drive School Readiness
DESCRIPTION:“By focusing on the safe\, stable\, and nurturing relationships (SSNRs) that buffer adversity and build resilience\, pediatric care is on the cusp of a paradigm shift that could reprioritize clinical activities\, rewrite research agendas\, and realign our collective advocacy.”  \nDr. David Willis\, a pediatrician and senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy\, shared this quote from a policy statement released in 2021 by the American Academy of Pediatrics during his comments in this Dec. 21\, 2021 Funder-to-Funder Conversation. He noted how this policy statement reflected a growing awareness of the importance of early relational health\, setting the stage for a panel of funders to share philanthropic opportunities for advancing policies and practices that support strong parent-child relationships beginning at birth. \nAfter explaining how Einhorn Collaborative is engaging other funders and programs to promote parent-child connections\, Ira Hillman of Einhorn Collaborative moderated the conversation. Dr. Willis shared insights from his 30 years as a clinician focused on early child development and family therapy\, defining early relational health as the positive\, nurturing relationships between young children and their parents and caregivers. He also described the growing body of science on the impact of these relationships on physical health\, development\, social well-being and resilience. \nBrenda Blasingame described how the Pritzker Children’s Initiative is advancing early relational health through program and policy strategies in 20 states and 10 communities across the country. She explained how this work focuses on addressing the issues that bring stress into the lives of parents and families while strengthening parents’ abilities to create a supportive caregiving environment. Blasingame also shared how Pritzker is working to embed early relational health into existing systems and promoting a community-based approach\, including community health workers\, community-based doulas and community-based perinatal services. \nRenée Nogales shared how The Burke Foundation is working at the state level to support upstream prevention programs designed to ensure New Jersey children have positive childhood experiences and early relational health. She explained how this has led to partnerships with other funders and state leaders as they pilot and scale research-based efforts\, including Reach Out and Read\, HealthySteps\, universal home visiting\, the Keystones of Development curriculum for medical residents. \nMel Brennan of United Way of Southern Maryland offered insights rooted in his previous work at the YMCA of Central Maryland and Thread in addition to his current work at United Way. He stressed the importance of paying attention to the context around young people to support their development\, including healthy relationships in families and communities and the chronic stress caused by persistent poverty. He shared how his United Way partners with 76 agencies that are supporting family security and stability and strengthening relationships between parents and children.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/community-investments-in-parent-child-relationships-drive-school-readiness/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211214T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211214T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20231110T182416Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231110T182416Z
UID:244810-1639494000-1639499400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Promotion Policies in 2021: Ensuring Students Are Ready\, Not Retained
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, moderator\, Kelly Butler\, Chief Executive Officer of Barksdale Reading Institute\, provided us with some historical context of the debate around retention and promotion in the U.S. education system and in particular the negative impact on children of color. She offered some examples of alternatives to retention that address supports for children who are not meeting benchmarks. Butler challenged us to think about intervening far earlier than third grade and to view retention policies as adult-focused rather than as child-focused. These policies and legislative efforts have raised the accountability bar for the education systems in numerous states. \nNext\, Kymyona Burk\, Ed.D.\, Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd\, discussed the policy landscape of retention legislation across the United States and shared some specific examples from a number of states. Burk also discussed the current research into retention\, highlighting some of the positive impacts in states where retention policies have been implemented. Burk also brought specific insights into the state of Mississippi where she has worked and has insight into the educational landscape. \nWe then had a robust discussion with a panel of state experts\, including Todd Collins with the Reading Coalition of California; Shavonne Gibson Ed.D.\, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning\, Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)\, Washington\, DC; and Cari Miller\, Vice Chancellor for Literacy Achievement\, Florida Department of Education. Each of our panelists provided an overview of the current policy and practice landscape in their state and the District of Columbia. The panelists addressed how COVID-19 specifically has impacted learning loss and if there has been any change in retention or promotion policies because of the pandemic. Of particular interest has been the role of parents in decision-making around promotion\, there was considerable discussion around parent decision-making\, and Burk noted in her remarks how parents are informed and included in decisions in specific states. The panel fielded a number of questions from the audience throughout the conversation.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/promotion-policies-in-2021-ensuring-students-are-ready-not-retained/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211208
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20240229T215537Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240229T215537Z
UID:246805-1638835200-1638921599@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Inspiring Young Minds Through Out-of-School STEM
DESCRIPTION:“Out-of-school time\, which makes up close to 80 percent of a child’s life\, can build the academic and social-emotional skills that help students succeed. Specifically for Science\, Technology\, Engineering\, and Math — or STEM ― skills\, out-of-school time allows students to approach knowledge and content in innovative and personalized ways\, providing a freedom of choice and agency that is often missing during the school day.” \nGemma Lenowitz of Overdeck Family Foundation shared this important reminder during last week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, Inspiring Young Minds Through Out-of-School STEM\, as she moderated a conversation with leaders from four innovative STEM organizations. \nLenowitz was joined by Nav Deol-Johnson\, MSW\, of Imagine Science; Britt Magneson of National Inventors Hall of Fame®; Nick Monzi of Learn Fresh; and Chris San Antonio-Tunis\, M.Ed.\, of Museum of Science\, Boston/EiE\, each of whom provided an overview of their programs. \n\nImagine Science is a collaboration of four leading national youth organizations ― Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Girls\, Inc.; National 4-H Council; and Y-USA ― formed to bridge the STEM gap by bringing STEM programming to underserved and under-represented children. Imagine Science provides sites with curricula\, training\, data and other assets\, enabling them to integrate high-quality STEM activities into their programs.\nNational Inventors Hall of Fame® provides STEM programming for ages ranging from preschool to adult\, working in both the out-of-school and classroom spaces. It partners with community organizations\, school districts and schools to deliver problem-solving learning opportunities for students in addition to professional development for educators and resources for families.\nLearn Fresh serves as home to the NBA Math Hoops Program\, a program that builds users’ math skills by engaging them around their interests in sports. Launched as a board game focused on basketball\, Learn Fresh has grown to include a suite of experiences\, including a mobile app and activities related to baseball\, music and the performing arts.\nEiE is the curricula division of the Museum of Science\, Boston\, providing research-based engineering and computer science PreK–8 curricula for families\, out-of-school time providers\, and classroom educators.\n\nThe presenters explained why STEM skills are important for all children whether or not they plan to pursue a career in a STEM field\, noting how these programs can also tap into children’s innate curiosity\, interests and passions; strengthen connections between school\, family and afterschool; and promote problem-solving skills and collaboration. They described how the out-of-school context is particularly well-suited for STEM learning\, explaining how their hands-on\, collaborative programming offers benefits to classroom educators as well as students. They also shared the ways in which their programs shifted as a result of the pandemic\, including innovations that they will incorporate into post-pandemic programming and unexpected benefits like increased access to rural communities.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/inspiring-young-minds-through-out-of-school-stem/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211102T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211102T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20251218T165623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T190557Z
UID:254249-1635865200-1635870600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Building A Parent Nation
DESCRIPTION:Spurred by Dr. Dana Suskind’s forthcoming book\, Dr. Suskind\, co-director at the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health and Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at the University of Chicago\, joined us as the lead presenter to share what inspired her to write Parent Nation and why this message is urgent and timely. Joining her as co-presenter was Yolie Flores\, also at the TMW Center\, as well as commentators Beth Duda of Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading\, Liletta Jenkins of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education\, and Jane Park of Too Small to Fail.  \nOur moderator\, Ginger Young of Book Harvest\, opened up the session by sharing her own experience: “In this work\, we have learned that for so many parents\, at every turn\, when parents are trying so hard to do right by their kids\, just as they develop bold goals and begin to envision success for their children\, road block after road block gets in the way.” \nIn her remarks\, Dr. Suskind discussed her journey from pediatric cochlear implant surgeon to social scientist focused on the importance of brain development and the critical role parents and caregivers play in that process. Along the way\, she met countless parents who want what every parent wants — to help their children get off to the best possible start — and who are committed to playing their part. And yet\, life would intrude on their efforts\, time and time again\, limiting opportunities for the brain-building power of talk to occur. Society\, Dr. Suskind explained\, has completely abrogated its responsibility to children and families in this country\, leaving families to fully shoulder the awesome responsibility for raising the next generation on their own. Through powerful data\, Dr. Suskind illustrated the stark disparities between the United States and other developed nations when it comes to investments in family supports.  \nIn writing Parent Nation\, Dr. Suskind interviewed dozens of parents from all walks of life. “Their circumstances differed wildly\,” she shared. “Yet their thoughts\, their fears and their concerns were incredibly similar to one another. They all struggled to parent the way they wanted to…in the way they knew was best for their children.” These committed parents faced varying challenges\, from economic instability to a racialized justice system\, inflexibile hours or work conditions\, or unavailable and unaffordable child care. Each of these issues stifled parents’ freedom to choose to parent how they wished\, especially in the earliest years when children’s brains are developing at a particularly rapid rate. With this as the backdrop for writing Parent Nation\, our three commentators engaged Dr. Suskind in a lively discussion on how this bold book could have powerful implications for the work they each do in their respective communities\, and how\, together\, we can foster community\, forge collective identity and fight for change. \nFollowing the discussion\, Yolie Flores\, National Campaign Director for Building a Parent Nation\, provided an overview of the campaign that will launch alongside the book in April 2022 and will include a digital communications effort to reach a broad audience as well as a ground game to engage parents and allies more deeply. She then offered a deep dive on the various ground-game elements\, including a suite of free\, interactive\, and highly engaging resources and tools\, such as a four-session curriculum to engage parents and allies at the local level through Parent Villages. Resources— all informed by parents—have been designed to be flexible and modular (you can pick and choose elements you prefer)\, will be available in English and Spanish via the forthcoming Parent Nation website\, and white-labeled\, meaning that organizational partners can add their logos as part of their organization’s social change efforts on behalf of parents. Yolie closed with a call to action\, listing “5 Things You Can Do Now” to help build momentum toward the launch of Parent Nation in April 2022\, including registering for a free copy of the book\, generously provided by Hearing First\, an educational endeavor of the Oberkotter Foundation.  \n\n\n\n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n			\n				Share Feedback
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/building-a-parent-nation/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211102T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211102T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20240109T031831Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240109T031831Z
UID:245865-1635865200-1635870600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Learning at Home and in the Classroom: Innovation in Curricula and Professional Learning
DESCRIPTION:“Education is a human endeavor. It’s all about student relationships and we really need to see caregivers\, parents and family members as partners in the critical work of ensuring that every single student in our nation learned on grade level and achieves their dreams.” \nSarah Johnson of Teaching Lab shared this important reminder during last week’s GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, Learning at Home and in the Classroom: Innovation in Curricula and Professional Learning\, as she discussed the ways in which high-quality curricula and professional learning can support teachers in building strong relationships with students and their families. \nThank you for registering for this engaging and informative session\, co-sponsored by Overdeck Family Foundation. If you missed this conversation or would like to review what was shared\, links to the recording and other related materials can be accessed here on CLIP\, with links to specific resources listed below. \nJohnson was joined by four other leaders in the field of education ― Elizabeth Chu\, Ph.D.\, of Columbia University Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL); Bryan Hassel\, Ph.D.\, of Public Impact; David Rosenberg of Education Resource Strategies; and Lauren Weisskirk of EdReports. Laurie Sztejnberg of Overdeck Family Foundation moderated the conversation as panelists explored innovation in professional learning\, staffing and curricula as a result of the pandemic. \nRosenberg described the shifts that he had seen in teacher staffing as schools and districts began rethinking time and rethinking roles to make the job of teaching more rewarding\, collaborative and sustainable. These shifts included adjustments to school schedules\, the tapping of community partners\, and non-traditional sources of talent like teaching aides and high school students — a strategy that has the added benefit of fueling a diverse pipeline of future teachers. \nHassel provided an overview of Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Initiative\, explaining how it engages teachers with high-growth student learning and leadership competencies\, such as Multi-Classroom Leaders who continue teaching part-time while also leading small collaborative teams of teachers\, paraprofessionals and teacher residents to help them meet standards of excellence. Research has shown that this approach enables significant additional student learning and boosts teacher quality. \nChu shared findings from a recent CPRL report that noted a shift in the understanding of the instructional core among some school districts from the three-pronged notion of teacher\, student and instructional materials to include families as a fourth prong. She noted that when families had access to high-quality instructional materials\, they broadened the observational and supportive capacity available to each child\, co-producing learning\, growth and well-being and enabling students in remote learning to learn as much as they would in a “typical” school year. \nWeisskirk explained how the pandemic provided a window for families to see how few teachers have consistent access to high-quality instructional materials\, lighting a fire under many schools\, districts and states to reconsider options and policies to ensure access to good content for all students. When teachers have access to high-quality materials that are standards-aligned and allow for differentiation\, they are better able to address students’ social-emotional health and collaborate with families. \nJohnson shared how Teaching Lab had pivoted from an all in-person\, job-embedded coaching and professional learning model to offer virtual teacher training during the pandemic ― with many teachers now sharing a preference for this new approach. While supporting teachers in making the shift to teaching remotely\, they identified several principles that can improve remote learning. These include aligned curriculum and technology\, strong relationships with students and families\, consistent instructional routines and a focus on equity in all decision-making.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/learning-at-home-and-in-the-classroom-innovation-in-curricula-and-professional-learning/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211019T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211019T143000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20231212T215552Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231213T133435Z
UID:245286-1634644800-1634653800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:New Jersey Tutoring Corps: Lessons in Accelerating Learning Recovery
DESCRIPTION:“I love math\,” said a pre-K scholar in one New Jersey Tutoring Corps site\, while another shared\, “I’m going to be a math teacher when I grow up.”  \nThese two student quotes were shared during the October 19\, 2021 GLR Learning Tuesdays Funder-to-Funder Conversation\, New Jersey Tutoring Corps: Lessons in Accelerating Learning Recovery. In this session\, which was co-sponsored by Overdeck Family Foundation — a lead investor in New Jersey Tutoring Corps\, the partners behind this statewide tutoring effort shared how they came together to support equitable learning recovery in response to the pandemic\, what they are learning and what is next for their partnership. The New Jersey panelists were joined by philanthropic leaders from across the country who offered insights from their efforts to launch\, scale and sustain research-informed\, high-dosage\, small-group tutoring programs. \nLaura Overdeck of Bedtime Math and Overdeck Family Foundation\, Katherine Bassett of New Jersey Tutoring Corps/The College of New Jersey and Cari Tarica of Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey shared how they worked together to embed a math-focused tutoring program in 23 summer program sites during the summer of 2021\, reaching approximately 2\,000 scholars in pre-K through grade 4. They described the process for tutor training and recruitment\, the support provided by coaching staff\, and the hands-on\, project-based curriculum before explaining the academic and non-academic benefits of the program. Having seen significant gains in pre- and post-assessments\, they shared plans to expand the program into more communities during the 2021-2022 school year\, adding literacy as an additional subject area. They were joined by Melissa Litwin of The Henry & Marilyn Taub Foundation in Paterson\, New Jersey\, who described how she had partnered with a local Boys & Girls Club pre-COVID to create a tutoring program as a part of the Paterson Reads Campaign and how that program is now linking up with the larger statewide network. \nPhilanthropic leaders from three other states joined the conversation to describe the tutoring efforts in their states. Jayme Simmons of The Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation described how she helped to launch the Tennessee Tutoring Corps in the summer of 2020\, using a similar model that integrates tutoring into Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA programs. Building on the success of this effort\, the state legislature acted to invest in statewide high-dosage tutoring this spring. \nEmily Baron described the entrepreneurial approach that Gary Community Ventures is taking to launch its own tutoring program and embed that into existing afterschool programs at partner schools in Colorado. With a focus on continuous improvement\, they are testing strategies to bridge the information gap between tutors\, families and teachers to ensure their efforts to support students are aligned and effective. \nWhile not a funder of high-dosage tutoring programs\, the Barksdale Reading Institute has invested heavily in literacy-focused teacher training and coaching in Mississippi\, leading the state to adopt this approach. Kelly Butler from Barksdale described MiSsion Acceleration\, the new state-funded tutoring program being piloted by the Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction at the University of Mississippi to support learning recovery. \nEven before the pandemic\, a large body of research affirmed the benefits of high-dosage\, small-group tutoring as a strategy for closing gaps and boosting early school success. The panelists agreed that the programs described in this session must play a role in accelerating equitable learning recovery post-pandemic and for years to come. \n 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/new-jersey-tutoring-corps-lessons-in-accelerating-learning-recovery/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Learning Loss,Past Event,Reading & Math,Summer Slide
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210928T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210928T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20240229T225647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240530T180444Z
UID:246835-1632841200-1632846600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:The Kindergarten Exodus: Why\, Where and What We Can Do Now
DESCRIPTION:This GLR Learning Tuesdays discussion\, titled The Kindergarten Exodus: Why\, Where and What We Can Do Now\, featured the voices of committed district superintendents from across the country sharing their insights about what it takes to reengage families and reenroll young students — even as the chaos and confusion of the pandemic ensues. Co-sponsored with New America\, its Director of Early and Elementary Education Policy Laura Bornfreund framed the issue by sharing data from a recent New York Times article\, also titled The Kindergarten Exodus\, and other reports indicating that the average school district saw a shocking and unfortunate 16% decline in kindergarten enrollment in the 2020–2021 school year. In case you missed this timely and stimulating session\, links to the recording and other materials can be accessed here on CLIP\, with links to specific resources below. \nAfter reviewing the data and New America’s work highlighting how policy can help meet the needs of young learners\, Bornfreund moderated a lively discussion among Superintendents Kyla Johnson-Trammell\, Ed.D.\, of Oakland Unified School District\, Mike Kuhrt of Wichita Falls Independent School District\, Cheryl Logan\, Ed.D.\, of Omaha Public Schools and Alena Zachery-Ross\, Ed.D.\, of Ypsilanti Community Schools as they reviewed the community partnerships\, staffing strategies and clear messaging that help them reach parents and ensure they are transitioning young children into K–12 settings. The inspiring ideas exchanged by this panel created a hopeful atmosphere of encouragement\, including “real tangible insight into how we might be more ‘innovative’ through engaging the community for support\,” as noted by a captivated participant in the chat.
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/the-kindergarten-exodus-why-where-and-what-we-can-do-now/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210921T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210921T163000
DTSTAMP:20260409T120638
CREATED:20260202T231313Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T232845Z
UID:254706-1632236400-1632241800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:The Centrality of Relationships: Tutors\, Mentors\, Coaches and Parents
DESCRIPTION:I never do anything bad enough or good enough to get an adult’s attention. \n– Keontai\, 11 \n\nMany years ago\, the above words were said to David Shapiro of MENTOR\, one of the panelists in this September 21\, 2021 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar. Keontai’s statement encapsulates the fundamental need for the positive adult-child relationships enabled by mentoring\, coaching\, and tutoring programs. Shapiro was joined by Janet Carter of Coaching Corps\, Gina Martinez-Keddy of Parent Teacher Home Visits and Adeola Whitney of Reading Partners in a conversation exploring the transformative power and potential of relationships.  \nIn a conversation moderated by John Gomperts\, Executive Fellow with CGLR\, these leaders shared their insights\, advice\, and impactful stories illustrating their shared goal of making strong\, supportive and lasting relationships with young people an end and not just a means. They described how the caring adults involved in their respective programs help to ensure that every child gets the attention they want and need ― without needing to do anything good or bad\, as Keontai expressed so starkly. Panelists also highlighted how tutors\, mentors and coaches prioritize parent perspectives and engagement to both strengthen the parent-teacher dyad and create an expanded triad of support to accelerate learning and development. \nThe incredible stories shared and ideas exchanged by this panel conversation created a vibrant atmosphere of co-learning as each speaker built off the others’ remarks and responded to questions and comments from participants. If you missed this engaging and dynamic special rebroadcast\, we encourage you to watch the recording to see what you missed. 
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/the-centrality-of-relationships-tutors-mentors-coaches-and-parents/
CATEGORIES:Big Bets Working,Learning Loss Recovery Challenge,Learning Tuesdays,Past Event
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END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR