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2008-07-28T08:09:14Z

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School Turnaround: Bridging Event

2011-11-15T14:20:08Z

On November 2, 2011, CTL, the Regional Education Laboratory (REL)-Appalachia, and the Kentucky Department of Education Office of District 180, invited leadership teams that attended the REL bridging event in October 2010, as well as leadership teams new to the process, to attend Achieving School Turnaround: Reconvening Kentucky Bridging Event. Participants re-engaged with school turnaround research and with colleagues who are applying the research to school improvement. Dr. Dewey Hensley, KDE Office of District 180, was the featured speaker. Leadership teams re-visited 2010-11 targeted actions to promote school turnaround, shared action plan progress achieved to date, completed a 2011-12 school turnaround action plan, and committed to engage with participating school leaders in an online turnaround network.

For more information:
Dr. Deborah Walker
(502) 895-9500 x328

CTL to Partner in Federal College Readiness Grants

2011-11-10T16:48:46Z

October 2011

CTL is a partner in two major multi-year projects aimed at promoting and supporting success in post-secondary education for disadvantaged students in eastern Kentucky. Led by Berea College, the two grants are expected to provide nearly $10.7 million annually for seven years, and were recently announced by the United States Department of Education as part of its Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program. They are among only 47 such GEAR UP partnership grants awarded nationwide and the only two in Kentucky.

The goal of the work is to prepare at-risk students for post-secondary education by increasing academic performance and promoting a college-going culture in schools and communities. Key components of the grants include implementation of college- and career-readiness standards, increased student participation in academically rigorous courses, financial aid and the development of financial literacy, and mentoring and support through the college admissions process. Together, GEAR UP Appalachia! and Promise Neighborhood GEAR UP will serve students in 17 central and southeastern Kentucky counties, many of which are among the poorest in the nation.

CTL's work in the first year will include assessment of instructional rigor in participating schools to inform school wide planning. In subsequent years, CTL will measure and analyze students' knowledge of college preparation, and will provide opportunities for leadership development and professional development in reading, English/language arts and mathematics in participating schools. Other partners in the grants include Eastern Kentucky University, Hazard Community and Technical College, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, and the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation.

CTL has extensive experience helping schools to boost college and career readiness, having worked with several hundred GEAR UP sites throughout Kentucky during two previous grant cycles. CTL's work included providing professional development, and analyzing school culture and classroom practice data related to the ACT College Readiness Standards to promote college going. CTL has also worked with the Washington-based National Council on Community Education Partnerships (NCCEP) on developing a college-going culture in schools and the community for underserved populations, and offering professional development and tools to GEAR UP projects across the country.

Read an overview of CTL's prior work with GEAR UP >

Read about CTL's GEAR UP Kentucky Math Mentoring and Coaching Project >

Read about the fourth annual GEAR UP Alliance Institute for a College-Going Culture, coordinated by CTL >

For more information on CTL's work with GEAR UP and in college readiness contact:
Dr. Deborah Walker
502.895.9500 x328

CTL, IRA, Nokia, Pearson Form Global Literacy PD Network

2011-11-29T10:58:08Z

August 2, 2011

CTL (Collaborative for Teaching and Learning) is pleased to announce a three-year partnership with the International Reading Association (IRA); Nokia, the global mobile communications corporation; and the Pearson Foundation to train teachers in Bangladesh and Indonesia to use the IRA Diagnostic Teaching Model to promote primary literacy development through mobile technology and on-site training. DTM provides classroom teachers with core knowledge, skills, and tools to teach reading and writing at the primary level, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading comprehension, writing, and speaking.

With technical and financial support from Nokia and Pearson, including provision of mobile hand-held devices and online video streaming, CTL and IRA will implement a comprehensive literacy teacher professional development network supported by both face-to-face and virtual training and mentoring. CTL will provide project management and facilitate local planning, local literacy leadership team development, development of content for the Nokia Education Development (NED) system, and virtual mentoring for trainers and leaders. Experienced IRA volunteers will conduct all program training and participate in online mentoring. NED will include self-study videos, compilations of student work with audio voice-overs, samples of teacher practice and related discussion boards, and other field-based information.

IRA affiliates in Bangladesh and Indonesia have already participated in training and mentoring guided by CTL to support development of country-specific planning. In the next phase of work, these plans will be implemented, supported by on-site professional development in DTM and literacy leadership development. Implementation will also be supported through virtual networking and coaching, through Nokia’s NED system and online social networking structures. All support will be interactive and customized to each country’s implementation plan.

The Global Literacy Professional Development Network addresses United Nations Education for All (EFA) Goals, including expanding and improving early childhood care and education for disadvantaged children; improving adult literacy, and equitable access to basic education for all adults by 2015; and improving the quality of education so that recognized levels of literacy and essential life skills are achieved by all.

Click here to see IRA's announcement about the Global Literacy PD Network.

For more information:
Dr. Deborah Walker
502.895.9500 x328

CTL Partner in Promise Neighborhoods Grant

2011-08-02T15:57:59Z

May 2011

CTL is a major partner in a $500,000 federal Promise Neighborhoods grant to be led by Berea College and announced last week by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. One of only 21 such grants of more than 300 that applied from 48 states and the District of Columbia, the project is one of only two in the nation to focus on rural communities and the only Promise Neighborhoods grant to be awarded in Kentucky. $500,000 was the maximum award possible.

The work supported by the one-year planning grant will take place in Jackson, Owsley and Clay Counties and will address the challenges faced by students living in communities of concentrated poverty through services designed to improve the health, safety and stability of neighborhoods, improve teaching and learning, and boost family engagement in student learning. Winning applications reflected deep partnerships among community-based organizations, service providers, schools and districts, colleges and universities, and local leaders.

CTL’s work in the grant will include collecting data on school readiness, classroom rigor and the college-going culture within Jackson, Owsley and Clay County schools; piloting a professional development model that boosts knowledge of foundational literacy instruction among English and language arts teachers; piloting Artful Reading, an original CTL model that uses children’s literature about the arts to develop early literacy; and working with folklorists and community scholars to research and document local arts traditions that can support student learning.

In addition to Berea College and the Jackson, Owsley and Clay County Public Schools, partners in the Kentucky Promise Neighborhoods grant includes the Cumberland Valley District Health Department and the Kentucky Folklife Program. The management board of the grant also includes area residents and parents of students who attend the schools to be served. The consortium of partners intends to use the information gathered through the planning grant period to develop a long term implementation plan.

In a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Arne Duncan stated, "Communities across the country recognize that education is the one true path out of poverty. These Promise Neighborhoods applicants are committed to putting schools at the center of their work to provide comprehensive services for young children and students."

The planning grants are designed to support the work in a diverse set of communities in major metropolitan areas, small and medium-size cities, rural areas, and one Indian reservation. President Barack Obama has requested $210 million in his fiscal 2011 budget, including $200 million to support implementation of Promise Neighborhood projects and $10 million for planning grants for new communities.

For more information:
Dr. Deborah Walker
v: 502.895.9500 x328

CTL Coordinates Fourth Annual GEAR UP Alliance Institute for a College-Going Culture

2011-10-31T16:34:22Z

March 11, 2011

This past February 28 and March 1, the GEAR UP Alliance sponsored the fourth annual Institute for a College-Going Culture: Drive the Dream. More than 600 students, parents, teachers and administrative staff, and school and district leaders from throughout Kentucky participated in the event held at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The focus of the Institute was on the Commonwealth Commitment, Kentucky’s promise to raise standards and ensure that all students are college-ready. Institute activities were designed to help educators and parents understand how GEAR UP can help them realize that commitment through the four unified strategies: Accelerated learning opportunities, secondary intervention programs, college and career readiness advising, and postsecondary persistence and degree completion.

In the student strand, high school juniors and seniors used poetry and visual arts to articulate their aspirations for college and career, and prepared vignettes using their poetry to present during Tuesday’s luncheon to all Institute participants. They were assisted in this work by CTL and GEAR UP staff, and by keynote speaker and renowned Kentucky poet, Frank X Walker, founder of the Affrilachia poetry movement and professor at the University of Kentucky. Walker also addressed all Institute participants with a personal account of his own experiences as a young college student, and he urged students to pursue their dreams. Students also attended an ACT preparation session conducted by the Princeton Review.

Parent sessions were organized around the Unified Strategy for College and Career Readiness, providing them opportunities to discuss their dreams for their children, and to learn how to help make those dreams a reality with tools such as the Individual Learning Plan (ILP), EPAS test data to identify career interests, and financial aid resources. Presenters included Dr. Bob King, President and Dr. Aaron Thompson, Vice President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE); Jim Tackett, Director of Forward in the Fifth; GEAR UP staff; and representatives of the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, and schools districts throughout Kentucky.

In the educator strand, teachers, assistant principals, counselors, family resource center directors and school level instructional staff attended sessions built around the three goals of Kentucky’s Senate Bill 1, the Unified Strategy for College and Career Readiness: Accelerating learning opportunities for students through advanced coursework and dual credit, offering ways to help students to catch up so they can succeed in a pre-college curriculum, and increasing student advisement. Sessions included Using Technology to Level the Playing Field, Teaching College Readiness Skills in Advanced Courses, Content Literacy Integration, and sessions on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Presenters included CTL educational programs staff, and educators from school districts throughout Kentucky.

In the leadership strand, facilitated by CTL President and CEO Dr. Deborah Walker and CTL founder Dr. Linda Hargan, principals, superintendents and other district leaders focused on research related to student college readiness and on accelerated learning opportunities such as Advanced Placement and dual credit courses, STEM, and International Baccalaureate programs. Participants discussed the extent to which their own schools and districts address the research recommendations, ensured that students are supported in meeting ACT benchmarks, and align their efforts with the Unified Strategy for College and Career Readiness. Alex Chough of ACT, Inc. and Dr. Aaron Thompson of CPE also presented to district leaders, along with Casey Jaynes, principal of Logan County HS, Bill Grein, district assessment coordinator for Covington Independent Schools, and Amy Patterson, of the Kentucky Department of Education.

Materials and information from all strands of the Institute are available online at http://gearupallianceinstitute2011.pbworks.com.

CTL Makes "Top-Rated Education Nonprofits List"

2011-05-13T16:13:30Z

October 7, 2010

Supporters around the country have spoken up about great education nonprofits! In the 2010 Power of Education Campaign, sponsored by GreatNonprofits, more than 2,000 reviews were posted about 281 organizations working on educational initiatives across the world. CTL received 19 highly rated reviews, making it eligible to be included on this prestigious list.

90 nonprofits, including CTL (which can be found on page 5 of the complete list) qualified for the Top-Rated Education Nonprofits List! The full list is available at http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/issues/education/; CTL's listing can be found at http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/collaborative-for-teaching-and-learning1.

“We are excited to have learned about the many wonderful nonprofit organizations that are working from all perspectives on education,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits. “We hope our campaign helps bring deserved attention to their efforts.”

Fro more information:
Barbara Myerson Katz
v: 502.895.9500 x319

ASCD Publishes CTL

2011-08-02T10:23:01Z

August 10, 2009

ASCD Express has published two articles by CTL CEO Dr. Deborah Walker and Educational Programs Specialist Catherine Rubin. Below are excerpts with links to both articles on the ASCD website.

Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner.

Fostering Creativity in Chinese and American Students

Deborah Walker, Ed.D.
CTL Chief Executive Officer

Last fall I was invited to deliver the keynote address at the 2008 Chinese Top High Schools International Education Forum in Beijing, which brought together principals from 400 high schools throughout China. My topic was on how to foster student creativity, critical thinking, leadership, and moral development. While I thought this was a tall order, my Chinese colleagues assured me that educators in their country believed they could learn a lot from the United States about how to transform their education system to produce more innovative thinkers.

I knew that Chinese educators did a very good job of teaching advanced mathematics and science to their high school students, and that they granted college degrees in these two fields along with engineering to a staggering number of students. But what I found out during the conference from talking to principals, listening to speeches by government officials, and visiting a high-performing high school is that the Chinese are not content with the foundational education they provide their secondary students. Instead, they want to develop students’ ability to think creatively, to invent new products and solutions, and to become leaders rather than followers. Read More...

The Curious Classroom: Answers About Questions

Catherine Rubin
CTL Educational Programs Consultant
Visual Arts Specialist

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it seems to be the key to keeping learners engaged and intellectually agile in the classroom. In the "curious classroom," carefully crafted questions, generated by both teachers and students, enhance student learning. My own curiosity has made me aware of the critical role of questions in the classroom.

Some years ago, I was working with a group of 6th grade teachers looking at student work. A science teacher in the group shared an end-of-unit test from the class's study of the laws of motion. On the front side of the test was a multiple-choice section, and on the back were several open-ended questions. We noticed in particular that one student who received an A on the test had aced the multiple-choice questions but given minimal responses to the open-ended questions. It was clear that while this student apparently had excellent recall of the facts, she lacked understanding of the underlying concepts, which greatly concerned the science teacher. This led to a discussion of the possibility that rote memorization can stifle real learning, while intentional questioning can help students reflect; connect to content; and experience deep, transferable learning. Read More...

Federal Striving Readers Adolescent Literacy Work Helps Kentucky Teachers Address Student Skills

2011-05-13T16:06:52Z

Photo at top: Teachers in Kentucky's Striving Readers project gather in Louisville in December 2008 to hear about program results and to discuss plans for further implementation.

March 24, 2009

CTL, a major partner in a $17+ million, multi-year Striving Readers grant from the United States Department of Education, reports progress at the close of the third of four years of professional training for more than 800 Kentucky teachers, school administrators and literacy coaches learning how to boost student literacy in all subject areas. The goal is to guide schools toward independent implementation of the school-wide adolescent literacy model over time.

The adolescent literacy model at the heart of the work is based on CTL’s prior work in content literacy, including research sponsored by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, and takes a school-wide approach to teaching literacy, based on the developmental needs of adolescents. Progress at the end of Year 3 includes the following:

Implementation of the school-wide adolescent literacy model in project schools continues to increase.
Project school teachers’ perception of their own success is measurably higher than that at comparable non-project schools.
Leadership team development and systematic planning continues to expand at all project schools.
Project school literacy coaches are reaching the end of their required coursework at U of L to prepare them for independent implementation of literacy coaching and student intervention beyond the life of the federal grant.

This summer, all Kentucky Striving Readers schools will participate in a series of trainings, beginning with a one-day statewide Adolescent Literacy Conference, to be held in Lexington in June. At this conference school literacy coaches, CTL mentor coaches, and teachers will present and participate in learning sessions designed to share lessons learned through grant implementation, and to enhance one another’s learning. In addition, school coaches will collaborate with CTL mentors to design customized training for all teachers at their own schools.

One of only eight such grants awarded nationwide, and the only one to focus on a consortium of rural schools, the Striving Readers initiative is enabling the Kentucky Content Literacy Consortium (KCLC) to increase student achievement by improving the literacy skills of middle and high school students, including English language learners. KCLC also includes Danville Independent Schools as fiscal agent for the grant, and both the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. The Kentucky Department of Education is a supporting partner, helping to build connections between this project and other work statewide.

KCLC includes six Kentucky school districts in addition to Danville that are also partners in the Striving Readers grant: Eminence Independent, and Bullitt, Pike, Washington, Jessamine and Rowan County Schools. Twenty-one middle and high schools are participating in KCLC activities. Each is implementing two programs: A previously tested school-wide initiative to boost literacy in all subject areas for all students, and a research-based intervention for struggling sixth and ninth grade readers.

CTL has developed and is leading all professional development for the consortium, and mentoring of participating teachers throughout the course of the project. In addition, in partnership with the University of Louisville College of Education and Human Development, CTL staff is training literacy coaches to work with teachers to implement the CTL-developed Collaborative Model for Content Literacy in each of the 21 KCLC Striving Readers schools. Under the grant, coaches who complete 100 hours of training annually will be eligible to receive a Master’s degree in secondary literacy and leadership from U of L.

For more information, contact
Dr. Deborah Walker
V: 502.895.9500 x328

Kentucky’s work in adolescent literacy cited in IES report

2011-08-07T13:08:53Z

Five States' Efforts to Improve Adolescent Literacy

April 7, 2009

Kentucky’s work in adolescent literacy is cited in a report released by the Regional Educational Labs Northeast and Islands. This report, titled Five States' Efforts to Improve Adolescent Literacy (April 2009) and funded by the US Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES), describes efforts by Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, to improve adolescent literacy.

Highlighting common challenges and lessons, the report examines how each state has made progress with five strategies to support their adolescent literacy policies and procedures. These strategies include:

The engagement of key stakeholders to make adolescent literacy a priority;
Setting rigorous state literacy goals and standards;
Aligning resources to support adolescent literacy goals;
Building educator capacity to support adolescent literacy goals; and
Using data to measure progress, make decisions, and provide oversight.

Both the full report and a summary can be found here. (NOTE: Information about Kentucky's Striving Readers project, and CTL's role in this project, can be found on pages 9, 10 and 11 of the full report.)

Also see other articles about Kentucky's Striving Readers project:

Rejuvenating the Classroom: The Community College Content Literacy Program has some serious fans

2011-08-07T13:05:27Z

May 21, 2007

Andy Guess
Inside Higher Ed

Click on the following link to view the article in the May 21, 2007 edition of Inside Higher Ed.

Rejuvenating the Classroom: The Community College Content Literacy Program Has Some Serious Fans.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Deborah Walker
502.895.9500 x328

CTL provides leadership training and teacher coaching for GEAR UP Kentucky

2011-10-31T11:48:02Z

June 1, 2007

CTL will provide leadership training and teacher coaching for GEAR UP Kentucky, part of a national initiative administered in Kentucky by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) to prepare underserved students for college.

CTL has worked with GEAR UP Kentucky since 2003, partnering with GEAR UP Kentucky staff to provide professional development and technical assistance to nearly 80 middle and high schools statewide, enabling them to create the conditions necessary to prepare more students for postsecondary education. CTL has designed and led institutes throughout Kentucky, giving schools a common language and deeper understanding of how GEAR UP works to build on existing school improvement efforts. Through on-site observations and professional development sessions, CTL has also helped teachers assess alignment with ACT College Readiness Standards, making it possible for schools to ensure that their students are on track for college.

CTL’s current work with GEAR UP Kentucky includes leadership and team-building training for teachers and school administrators in GEAR UP regions, emphasizing achievement, equity and high expectations; coaching in the use of standardized test data to develop effective school improvement plans; development of teaching strategies to meet learning goals for all students; site-based assistance with teaching techniques, including use of the arts, to engage all learners and deepen instruction in core subjects; and coaching to ensure rigorous instruction and boost student readiness in math.

GEAR UP Kentucky work at CTL is directed by Dr. Deborah Walker, President and COO, and involves CTL’s staff of expert teacher coaches. Walker notes, “GEAR UP has a clear mission of increasing the number of students prepared for college. It reflects Kentucky’s goals of increasing student learning and college going for all. We regard the work as significant because of its mission, and because our organization can have a significant impact on the foundation of college preparation: school culture and classroom practice.”

For more information, contact:
Dr. Deborah Walker
v: 502.895.9500 x328

Community College's New View

2011-08-07T13:14:03Z

May 7, 2007

It used to be that students were guaranteed two things would happen if they enrolled in a course taught by fine arts professor Amy Stewart.

She'd walk into the classroom, and she'd lecture.

"I always thought, 'You either learn to get into it, or you don't and you take another class,' " said Stewart, who has taught art history, appreciation and administration at Jefferson Community and Technical College for seven years.

But community colleges in Kentucky and around the nation know that too many of their students aren't "getting it," because they lack the reading, writing and critical-thinking skills they need to succeed, officials say.

It's a big reason why community colleges struggle with low retention rates, and it's prompting educators to rethink how they teach students.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System has a 56 percent retention rate compared to an average of 78 percent at the state's four-year public universities.

"The data really does shed light on the fact that we need to be doing things differently," said Jan Muto, assistant to the chancellor for teaching and learning at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

To that end, KCTCS started an initiative last year that targets college instructors like Stewart and teaches them how to simultaneously improve their students' thinking and literacy skills, while also covering the course material.

Instructors are trained to use a combination of strategies -- from group activities involving writing and drawing to note-taking tips that help students focus on main ideas.

The initial feedback looks promising, with college instructors reporting increased attendance, higher exam scores and more engaged students.

State officials say they will expand the initiative to more instructors at Jefferson Community and Technical College and Hazard Community and Technical College next year.

The two campuses were the first to start the training last year, with about 17 instructors taking part. A second group from Big Sandy Community and Technical College and Madisonville Community College were trained last summer.

This fall, KCTCS will offer a pilot course at Jefferson and Hazard for students interested in developing their critical-thinking skills. The course will eventually be offered systemwide. More than 84,000 students attend KCTCS; the number includes students working on associate's degrees as well as those in certificate and professional development programs.

Stewart said the training has radically changed her teaching style, showing her how to combine lecturing and slides with group activities and discussion. It also provided ongoing coaching that helped her implement what she learned.

As she used what she learned, Stewart noticed her students becoming more engaged and performing better on tests. The students also increased their ability to handle complex material.

"For me it has given me much more of an overview of where the students are," she said. "I just get to know them in ways I didn't before … and I think they are more engaged in their education."

And her students say they like the nontraditional approach.

"It gives you a reason to actually read the book and to actually care what you're reading because you have to write it down," said Ryan Smith, 23, who is working on earning an associate's degree at the college before transferring to a four-year university.

Daniele Drexler, 21, who also is working on associate's degree, said the techniques Stewart uses made her courses more fun.

"It's easier than just sitting and looking at slides all day. She's able to encompass writing techniques and she handed out a lot of handouts on more information than the book," said Drexler.

The techniques and training are provided by the Louisville-based Collaborative for Teaching and Learning. It's paid for with a $237,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based private foundation dedicated to expanding access and success in education beyond high school.

Amy Awbrey, program design and research coordinator with the collaborative, said students come to the community colleges "unprepared for any kind of independent learning, and really accustomed to being spoon-fed information."

"They come struggling with how to answer critical questions or to think critically in the classroom, and without the independent study, independent research and independent learning skills they need to have," she said.

The problem is complicated by the fact that while community college instructors are qualified in their subject areas, they often do not have the training that is common for elementary and secondary teachers.

Stewart, for example has a doctorate in art and theater history. She had a bachelor's degree in education, but she earned it back in the 1970s before the focus was on engaging students and finding ways for all students to learn.

Pat Herald, a nursing instructor at Hazard Community and Technical College, said she and her colleagues would often talk about how lecturing was failing to reach students.

"We couldn't figure out how to do other things. We didn't have the training to do other things," Herald said.

Now her students do more writing, talking and problem solving in groups, which helps them retain information, be more creative and score better on tests and projects, she said.

"They're really taking a lot of responsibility for their own learning, and they're doing very, very well," Herald said. "It really has revolutionized my teaching."

Nancy C. Rodriguez
The Courier-Journal, Louisville KY
(Reprinted here with permission—The Courier-Journal)

For more information, contact:
Dr. Deborah Walker
502.895.9500 x328