Effective Program for Improving Your School’s Literacy Education

Effective, continuing, and supportive staff development for teachers, school administrators, and key district-level personnel is critical for success and the key players in the change process are literacy coaches – master teachers who provide leadership for the schools overall literacy program. Their major role is to work with teachers, or in some cases students, across the curriculum to support, implement and utilize strategies designed to improve the abilities to read, write and succeed in content courses.

The Literacy Coaching role is highly collaborative. Successful coaches are certified teachers viewed by other teachers as advisors/mentors who understand their goals, frustrations and visions, and who facilitate their ability to help students achieve at high levels.

The Literacy Coaching Institute is a professional development program. Prerequisites include Certification in Reading or Literacy; teacher of reading or literacy; knowledgeable about reading processes, acquisition, assessment, and instruction.

Literacy Coaching Institute, combining best practices in the fields of literacy, staff development, and coaching along with strategies for acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for the position of literacy coach.

Course Objectives:

The International Reading Association identifies criteria that literacy coaching must meet to achieve its potential, we will focus on three aspects:

• Ability to observe, model in classrooms, and provide feedback to teachers; 
• Working with teachers to improve instructional practices;
• Ability to present and lead teacher groups to facilitate reflection and change. 

This Institute will focus on introducing participants to best practices for literacy coaches, and as a result of attending the Institute, participants will be able to:

• List characteristics of successful mentors and duties of a literacy coach.
• Compare and contrast the role of a reading\literacy specialists and literacy coaches.
• Demonstrate accessing materials and information on current research to share with content area teachers who are infusing literacy instruction into discipline-specific courses.
• Describe ways a literacy coach could mentor content area teachers.
• Organize research-based professional development for teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, and others.
• Develop an effective coaching organizational and record-keeping system.
• Describe and demonstrate effective coaching practices

Prerequisites:

Certification in Reading or Literacy; teacher of reading or literacy; knowledgeable about reading processes, acquisition, assessment, and instruction.

Instructor:

Jill Parker, Altmar Elementary School: Tier 2 Literacy Coach

Costs:

$579 tuition. This includes Three (3) Continuing Education Units.
Price includes lunch.

Participants will need to discuss with their districts as to whether this will meet requirements for NYS Professional Development.

Registration:

Simply download the Literacy Coaching Institute Registration form (100K PDF), fill out, and mail with payment to:
Oswego State Education Center
70 County Route 59
Phoenix, NY 13135

Or fax to 315.312.6420.

You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (or other PDF reader application). To download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader visit www.adobe.com.

Questions? Call 315.312.6430 or email phoenix@oswego.edu

PLEASE NOTE: Persons with disabilities needing assistance or special accommodations to attend this event contact the office of Disability Services at 315-312-3358.