Regional networks offer the opportunity for schools within and across a district to learn together and think carefully about implementing change strategically. In 2020, Reading Ways was contracted to produce a series of professional learning experiences centered on Literacy education for school and district leaders. Now awarded our second contract, Reading Ways is extending the network to school leaders, developing a second webinar series, and moving towards using a school readiness rubric to tailor “next steps” for school in each region.
Regional networks offer the opportunity for schools within and across a district to learn together and think carefully about implementing change strategically.
Our approach to design and implementation is straightforward:
- We meet to discuss a design for the collaboration. Our preliminary checklist helps us understand live production, video production, secure hosting, copyright issues, and the relationship between this work and strategic goals.
- We build a scope and sequence for our work and get feedback from a range of stakeholders. We then revise and repeat. We are good at listening.
- We carefully select presenters who understand research, policy, and practice and ask the hard questions.
- We help our presenter understand the context and goals for this work and their place in it. We review all materials and meet with all the presenters before the live events.
Exemplar: Ohio Adolescent Literacy Network (Y1)
In 2020, Reading Ways was contracted to produce a series of professional learning experiences centered on Literacy education for school and district leaders.
As part of this contract, Reading Ways provided the following services:
- It created a scope and sequence aligned with CLSD grant needs, Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement, and Ohio’s peer coaching model.
- Developed a website to share resources and information (https://ohioaln.org/), contracted with all participants, handled webinar registration and logistics.
- Hosted 6 live webinars with national experts including presentations from Jacy Ippolito (Salem State University), Catherine Snow (Harvard University), Dan Reynolds (John Carroll University), Emily Galloway (Vanderbilt University) and Dianna Townsend (University of Nevada).
- Reading Ways Recorded and produced videos based on webinars ensure compliance with state requirements for student and school anonymity.
- Reading Ways Hosted all videos and other resources at our password-protected learning platforms. Maintained strict adherence to copyright laws in sharing and linking media and readings.
Exemplar: Ohio Adolescent Literacy Network (Y2)
Based on positive feedback from year one, we were awarded a second contract. This second contract includes extending the network to school leaders, a second webinar series, and a move towards using a school readiness rubric to tailor “next steps” for school in each region.
- We are asking each regional member to invite one district or school leader to the webinar series to raise awareness of the challenges at the school level in implementing literacy initiatives
- We have designed a scope and sequence that brings back about half of our webinar presenters who will build on the presentations from last time with a more precise focus on differentiating resources for school based on their readiness.
- All participants will have access to videos and other resources on our learning platform, as well as hundreds of related resources that have been carefully tagged and categorized
- Network members are grouped by PLCs in actively managed online communities based on sub topics they want to explore
- All members will participate in a book launch event (new offering by Guilford by Jade Wexler on MTSS) hosted by the author.
- All members will also get a copy of the RW book Designing Literacy Strategies to Support Skilled Reading