Intensifying Instruction Professional Development

First and foremost, I hope this announcement finds all of you healthy and safe during these unprecedented times? I fully realize, and can empathize, that having your schools closed for such an extended period of time has created new found angst and stress as you work so hard to adapt to teaching and supporting your students from home. Nonetheless, despite your best efforts, the following real-world factors suggest an academic slide for many students is inevitable: truancy (21% national estimate, EdWeek), limited or no access to technology, an inability to provide differentiated, small-group instruction, and no funding for summer school programs. With academic regression being forecasted notably for our most vulnerable, diverse learners (B. Tarasawa and M. Kuhfeld, 2020), it is critical that teachers and support staff begin preparing now to develop the knowledge base and instructional tool kits to intensify their instruction in hopes of helping these students to catch up. To help and support you as you contemplate this incredibly important task, I am pleased to announce the availability of an on-line Professional Development Series entitled: Intensifying Instructional Supports for Students with Specific Skill Deficits in the areas of Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. In addition to this exciting, timely workshop opportunity, I am also available to work with grade-level teams to help them develop Recommended Instructional Support (RIS) cards as a means of digitally sharing pertinent academic information about their students with the teachers who will be receiving them in the Fall. If interested in these PD offerings, please have a building or district leader contact me asap. In the meantime, stay strong and stay safe!!!