With the holidays behind us we are officially into the second half of the school year and, if you’re like me, this means taking stock of what’s been accomplished so far this year and where we still have to go. So where are we organizationally? Well, here are the numbers:
CLI trainings are both informative and practical. Teachers gain a deeper understanding of research-based best practices in literacy instruction and leave with numerous classroom applications. Throughout the trainings, teacher are engaged with the content in a collaborative professional learning environment. They are active participants in a multi-media, hands-on learning experience. We specifically design our trainings so that teachers are ready to start implementing what was taught as soon as they get back to their classrooms; in fact of all participants attending CLI events so far, over 93% who provided feedback said that they had begun implementing the practices taught within their classroom shortly after attending.
Having a well-stocked and inviting classroom library is critical to supporting a child’s growth as a reader. CLI provides teacher’s with the materials to create such an environment through our book collections and instructional support materials. One principal reflected on the impact CLI’s materials have made within her building: “The classrooms are print rich with various resources and materials, home lending libraries, classroom libraries, furniture, and techniques and strategies that allow the teachers to infuse with the new curriculum to build a strong ELA curriculum and support.”
During this time, a trained Professional Developer (PD) works with individual teachers in the Content-Focused Coaching Model. Together, the teacher and CLI PD discuss literacy goals, collaborate on lesson plans and discuss implementation strategies. Woven throughout all coaching conversations is a focus on the core issues in lesson design including: lesson goals, the literacy content of the lesson, the context of the lesson, students’ prior knowledge, lesson implementation, evidence of students’ understanding and learning, and collaboration in a learning community. As one of our most impactful practices, CLI coaching gets praise from many of the principals who oversee the schools we work in: “The greatest impact from CLI has been the job embedded coaching. The teachers’ instructional practices are more effective as evidenced by the students’ reading growth and joy in reading fiction and informational text.”
CLI has successfully expanded our work to reach students across more schools than last year. We’ve expanded into new districts and have developed new partnerships with charter schools within our regions.
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