We provide:
-
A comprehensive framework for creating lasting and meaningful high-quality learning, school and family engagement environments
-
Research-based practical strategies and tools for strengthening and transforming policies and practices using a systems-based strengths-based approach
Most Frequently Requested Services:
Keynote Addresses & Professional Development Institutes. A sampling of topics include:
Teaching to Empower: Taking action to foster student agency, reflection and collaboration. As educators, we want students to be successful in school and to be confident, adaptive and socially responsible. Drawing from evidence based strategies, we will examine the following question: What’s the urgency for student empowerment, now? We will look at practices that support a ‘mistake-safe’ learning culture in our increasingly diverse schools that incorporates self-reflection, collaboration and advocacy to fuel deeper, more autonomous learning.
Teaching to Strengths: supporting students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress According to the National Survey of Children’s Health (2011-12), ‘almost half of the nation’s student population are experiencing one or more types of serious trauma’. Learn research-based ways to create a comprehensive and collaborative approach for building an instructional environment and approach that supports students’ assets, resiliency, and academic achievement.
Harness the power of partnerships for student engagement and achievement Teaching effectively in diverse classrooms and building strong family-school partnerships has become more complex than ever–particularly when our student and family communities represent changing cultural, linguistic, racial, and economic experiences that are distinct from our own. Explore scientifically proven methods for tapping into the rich resources of students, families, teachers, the school community, and the community-at-large to systematically: build coalitions of support around learning and engagement; develop positive relationships with students and their families and communities; foster positive, reciprocal partnerships; promote peer-to-peer relationship building; and support inclusive practices for the entire community of students and families.
Unleashing the Power of Academic Language Whether we measure achievement by test scores or graduation rates, the outcomes for some groups of students have not changed significantly. An important means for understanding the achievement gap is to understand it as an academic language gap between students who carry academic language to, in, and from school and the growing number of students who are learning academic language while simultaneously attending school. This professional development draws from extensive research to provide a four-pronged asset-based model for addressing the needs of academic language learners and to promote family engagement.
Promoting Student Achievement Using Research-Based Tools Many evaluation systems do not provide professional growth models that intentionally guide educators in their work with culturally, economically and linguistically diverse populations. Discover how research-based evaluation tools that are based on students’ and educators’ strengths can be used to support teachers, coaches, and supervisors to meet the needs of dynamically changing student and family populations.
Transforming Leadership and Supervision Practices for Educators of English learners Create, implement, and strengthen school policies and decisions as well as classroom practices for the benefit of this growing population within a whole-school context using research-based solutions and strategies.
Supporting Success for Beginning English Language Learners Discover how observation, interview, and reflection tools and activities can be used to build positive learning, school and parent engagement environments for a diverse population of beginning English Learners [ELs]. Understand the diverse learning needs among ELs who carry academic language to, in, and from school; who are learning academic language while simultaneously learning English; and the growing number who experience violence, trauma, and chronic stress.
Technical Assistance & Activities
-
- Strengthening Instructional Practices (PreK-college)
- Leadership & Instructional Coaching
- Enhancing Family-School Engagement
- Assistance and development of customized online, hybrid and blended courses
- Strategic Planning, Policy Analysis and Writing
- Grant Writing