TRL Louisiana

Louisiana K-3 Literacy State Standards Study: A 5-Part Series; Session 1: Kindergarten
2022-11-15 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
A Standards Study: K-12 Student Standards for English Language Arts
Louisiana has made great strides to support the literacy foundation necessary to ensure students’ success. In the development of the K-12 ELA Student Standards, “educators envisioned what proficient students should know and be able to do to compete in our society and focused their efforts on creating standards that would allow them to do so. The goal of the Louisiana Student Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) is to produce a literate person in the twenty-first century.”

This 5-part series will review and revisit the standards for ELA content for Kindergarten through Third Grade to ensure parents, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders are aware of the connection and logic across grade bands in an effort to support literacy instruction based on the science of reading. Join The Reading League Louisiana for a discussion as we explore the Louisiana K-3 ELA Student Standards and continue to be fully aware of the literacy learning continuum and expectations of our students.

To join the session, please become a member of The Reading League Louisiana and a Zoom registration link will be emailed to you. Please note this will be an open discussion, please review the standards document ahead of the session.

Webinar: Navigating Dyslexia Policy and Ensuring Effective Implementation
2022-07-15 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Missed the live webinar? Click here to view the recording
This presentation will guide attendees through recent updates to Bulletin 1903: Louisiana’s Handbook for Students with Dyslexia. Presenters will review the background information about how these updates to the dyslexia policy came about, share some of the major issues that were addressed by a workgroup of diverse stakeholders, and take a deep dive into the criteria outlined in the policy regarding screening processes. They also go through the steps to effectively implement the policy including the referral process, how students qualify for additional support and services, and effective ways to track progress. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to identify and best support students who may be at risk for dyslexia.
Click here to Register for the Webinar.
Presenters include:

Meredith Jordan, Executive Director of Diverse Learners Louisiana Department of Education
Meredith Jordan currently serves as the Executive Director of Diverse Learners at the Louisiana Department of Education. Her role includes advancing statewide strategy to improve outcomes for diverse learners, including students with disabilities and English Learners. She is passionate about inclusive, equitable education that provides all students the individual supports needed to achieve success and reach their goals, and she values partnerships and input from educators and professionals across the state as well as Louisiana communities and families.
She has over seventeen years of experience in education including teacher, school and district administration, curriculum and instruction, and school improvement roles. Prior to serving in this role, Meredith served as a School Improvement Support Specialist for the Department where she worked alongside our local school systems to implement school improvement best practices and improve outcomes for all students, including diverse learners. She has also served in Chief Academic Officer roles and Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator roles in Louisiana traditional systems.
Meredith earned her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and her Bachelors in Secondary Education from Louisiana State University.

Lisa Holliday LeBoeuf, Ed.D., Supervisor of Literacy Professional Development Louisiana Department of Education.
Dr. Lisa Holliday LeBoeuf currently serves as the Supervisor of Literacy Professional Development for the Louisiana Department of Education where she leads the work on family literacy engagement and professional development for teachers and leaders. Through her work at the LDOE Division of Literacy, she strives to support teachers, leaders, and families around children’s literacy development at all ages and stages. Her passion lies in building positive relationships, ensuring access and opportunities for all, and building the capacity of teachers and leaders to support not only their students, but also each other.
With over 14 years of experience in education, she previously served as an instructional literacy coach at a PreK-Grade 3 school in a rural, economically-disadvantaged district in Louisiana where she coached teachers, reading interventionists, and district leaders on literacy best practices, data analysis, and individualized learning approaches. She also has experience as a first, second, and fifth grade classroom teacher.
Dr. LeBoeuf earned her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Louisiana at Monroe, Master of Educational Leadership and Technology from Southeastern Louisiana University, and Bachelor of Business Administration and Organizational Psychology from AIU Online.

Designing an Invitational Classroom!
2021-07-22 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Join The Reading League Louisiana, in collaboration with the Center for Development and Learning, as we host our presenter, Chelonnda Seroyer for this live webinar on Thursday, July 22, 2021 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM CST.
This session will help attendees design a welcoming classroom with intentionality and purpose. They will learn how to identify their level of Invitational Teaching and identify ways to move up the ladder so that students experience an intense feeling of belonging each and every day. Attendees will also learn how to use the 3 Phase Management Process to analyze, prepare, and respond to challenging stakeholder interactions.
Chelonnda Seroyer, M.Ed., began her educational career as a high school English teacher from Madison, Alabama, where she used Dr. Harry Wong’s book, The First Days of School, as an “instruction manual” to set up her highly effective classroom. She has presented with Dr. Wong for organizations such as, the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the Texas Teachers Alternative Certification Program, the North Carolina Model Teacher Education Consortium, Louisiana State University, and has done keynote presentations for the International Center for Leadership in Education’s Model Schools Conferences. She is featured in Dr. Wong’s online classroom management course; on the DVD in the 4th edition of The First Days of School; she is a contributing author of the Wong’s brand new book, THE Classroom Management Book, and she is the only teacher that shares the stage with Dr. Wong. In 2007, she received the Toyota International Teacher Award, and she is also an Education News 2016 Upton-Sinclair Award recipient. Other 2016 recipients include Stephen Colbert, and (posthumously) Elie Wiesel. This award is “given each year to pay homage and respect to individuals who have contributed much to education and society.”
Register today!

10 Success Factors to Leading Literacy Improvement
2021-06-30 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago)
Susan Hall
Are you seeking ideas on how to move the needle on reading achievement scores? Although most schools differentiate instruction, many are not experiencing the gains in scores they expected. Come hear about the 10 most important factors present in schools that are improving literacy student outcomes. Leaders in these schools have systematized the way they identify and address the needs of struggling readers. This presentation will be based on Dr. Hall’s book 10 Success Factors for Literacy Interventions (ASCD).
$15 Non-Members
Free for Members
Click here to register.

Teaching Comprehension with a Culturally Responsive Lens
2021-05-13 18:00 - 19:15 (America/Chicago)
Mitchell Brookins
Engagement, relevance, and rigor are critical elements of creating academic success in today’s classrooms. Teachers are tasked with how to hone students’ literacy skills while also making them critically aware of the world-at-large. In this session, participants will learn the importance of providing explicit comprehension instruction in syntax and text structure and how that deepens students’ understanding of grade-level, complex texts. Also, participants will learn the tenants of culturally relevant pedagogy. In this session, the intersection between culturally relevant pedagogy and explicit comprehension instruction will be used as lens for instructional planning and the creation of learning tasks. It is through this intersection that we will explore how to create literacy experiences that collectively empower and equip our students to navigate and transform an increasingly, complex world.

Mitchell Brookins has taught on the Southside of Chicago, been a district leader of RtI and literacy in Chicago Public Schools and served as a school administrator in Chicago Public Schools and New Orleans for the past seven years.
Mitchell’s instructional leadership as a school administrator has yielded the following results: 19-point growth in the School Performance Score, which moved ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy from a “D” to a “C” in one year, an average of 16% growth in Reading over two years at ARISE Academy, and finally, Dwight Eisenhower’s School Performance Score increased by 12 points which resulted in the school’s letter grade moving from a “D” to a “C” in one year.
Mitchell has a B.A. in Elementary Education, a M.A. in Teacher Leadership, and is currently working on his dissertation to attain a Ph.D. in Educational Administration at the University of New Orleans.

The Mission "IS" Possible: Leading the Shift to the Science of Reading
2021-04-17 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago)
Ernesto Ortiz, Jr. will lead a session detailing how school leaders can lead the shift to align their buildings and districts with the science of reading and evidence-based practices.
Ernesto Ortiz, Jr. is the proud principal of McDonald Elementary School in the Centennial School District (Warminster, PA). He is in year two of his doctoral program with his research focusing on K-2 literacy. During his 20 years in education, Ernesto taught in K-5 classrooms for thirteen years and served as an elementary assistant principal for three years in the Allentown School District. He is currently in his fourth year as principal of McDonald Elementary. Ernesto has a passion for literacy and believes if educators learn about and rely on reading research, they can better support their children’s path to reading proficiency.
$15 Non-Members
Free for Members

HELP! Why Do My Students Spell Words That Way?
2021-03-25 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
Attention all elementary education writing teachers. It’s time to scrub in and diagnose writing errors in your youngest learners. Spelling is a developmental process (Gentry, 1982) and once you understand a student’s inventive spelling, we can use that information to get a glimpse into how the brain is thinking and better guide our instruction.
Alana Mangham, The Reading League Louisiana’s Vice President, will explore research, student samples, and techniques that educators can use when diagnosing spelling errors and creating the next steps in writing support.

The Science of Reading and Teacher Daily Practices - Susan Connick
2021-02-27 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago)
This presentation will define the Science of Reading and dig a bit into how the reading brain works. In understanding how the brain reacts to the process of reading, we will discuss the critical components of reading instruction. Evidence-based practices and instructional methods will be discussed. As an educator, I am constantly seeking out best-practices in reading instruction. However, I constantly find researchers and theorists that offer incredible concepts; yet, do not explain how those ideas manifest in the classroom. While the subject is broad, I hope to share real examples that I have seen work with students. Real classroom resources will be shared that connect to each of the pillars of reading instruction.

Plain Talk Meet and Greet
2021-02-09 14:30 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler
Let’s let the good times continue to roll, Louisiana! The science of reading is starting to pop up everywhere, and we all need to become mission partners to take our great state to new heights. We invite our friends from every parish in our state to join us on February 9th at 2:30 p.m. (CST) for a virtual meet-and-greet with the Reading League Louisiana team. Stop in and stick around to learn about some exciting news and updates!

Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning® Institute
2021-02-09 - 2021-02-10
Now Virtual!
Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning® is heralded as the nation’s premier literacy Institute. The Institute gained its reputation because of its clear focus on providing evidence-based reading research and strategies for those who teach all ages and grade levels.
From the nation’s leading researchers, you will learn the current findings on literacy reading instruction, reading difficulties and reading intervention.
From seasoned practitioners, learn classroom strategies that put this knowledge to work.

The Reading League Cafe: Coffee and Tea with the NRP
2020-12-12 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Chicago)
The Reading League is gearing up for its first comprehensive book study!
And it’s a PAIRED book study!
We will be studying a chapter from the National Reading Panel Report, published in 2000, alongside a corresponding 20-year update in the September/October issue of The Reading League Journal. Unresolved questions will be answered!
What was the National Reading Panel? Why did it convene? Who sat on it? Were teachers involved? What kind of research did it include & why? How did they analyze research? What did they learn? Are the findings still valid? What have we learned since? What myths circulate since its publication that we can address when we discuss the Science of Reading with others?
Join The Reading League Café: Coffee and Tea with the NRP on Facebook, specially created for this study. It will have all the info you need to participate:

Weekly Zoom links
Reading/discussion guides
Sneak-peek video shorts featuring author chats about their chapters!

PDFs of NRP chapters available to download now.

VOCABULARY AND COMPREHENSION

NRP Chapter 4, Part I: Vocabulary Instruction, pp. TBA, and Part II: Text Comprehension Instruction, pp. TBA.
The Reading League Journal: “Reading Comprehension: From Research to Practice” pp. 32-38.

The Reading League Cafe: Coffee and Tea with the NRP
2020-12-05 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Chicago)
The Reading League is gearing up for its first comprehensive book study!
And it’s a PAIRED book study!
We will be studying a chapter from the National Reading Panel Report, published in 2000, alongside a corresponding 20-year update in the September/October issue of The Reading League Journal. Unresolved questions will be answered!
What was the National Reading Panel? Why did it convene? Who sat on it? Were teachers involved? What kind of research did it include & why? How did they analyze research? What did they learn? Are the findings still valid? What have we learned since? What myths circulate since its publication that we can address when we discuss the Science of Reading with others?
Join The Reading League Café: Coffee and Tea with the NRP on Facebook, specially created for this study. It will have all the info you need to participate:

Weekly Zoom links
Reading/discussion guides
Sneak-peek video shorts featuring author chats about their chapters!

PDFs of NRP chapters available to download now.

FLUENCY

NRP Chapter 3: Fluency Instruction, pp. TBA.
The Reading League Journal: “An Update to the national Reading Panel Report: What We Know About Fluency in 2020,” pp. 29-31.

Dyslexia Amidst the Science of Reading
2020-10-29 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Join The Reading League Louisiana, in collaboration with the Center for Development and Learning and Decoding Dyslexia Louisiana, for this live webinar.
Based on the 2019 NAEP scores, only 26% of Louisiana’s fourth-graders were considered proficient readers. The evidence is clear that everyone can learn to read through a structured literacy approach based in the science of reading.
DeJunne’ Clark Jackson and Alana Mangham will lead the discussion about the science of reading with evidence-based reading instruction, structured literacy, and the importance of these foundational practices in dyslexia identification with struggling readers.

4th Annual Conference
2020-10-27
The Science of Reading: Now More Than EverREGISTER TODAY$99/person – Unlimited Access
Two Live Keynotes*
Eighteen Sessions
And you have access to EVERYTHING!
Also included:
“Meet and Greet” sessions with sponsors
Exclusive paid Individual Subscribing Member benefits
Keynotes
*Keynotes will be live on October 27, 2020. Video recordings of both keynotes will be available for later viewing for no additional fee.

9:30 AM EST: Dyslexia is No Easy Foe by Clark Janell Setty
3:30 PM EST: From Little Things, Big Things Grow: The Public Health Imperative Driving Effective Early Reading Instruction by Dr. Pamela Snow

Sessions
Sessions are pre-recorded and will also be available to view starting October 27, 2020. You will have unlimited access to all of these sessions with no time restrictions for viewing. Resources for each session will be available in the “resources” tab located below the video player.

Anita Archer: Improving Written Compositions – One Sentence at a Time
Wiley Blevins: Decodable Readers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Suzanne Carreker: Why It’s Worth It to Teach Grammar
Susan Chambre: Show Me the Spellings: Promoting Vocabulary Growth Through Attention to Spelling and Decoding
Steve Dykstra: The Dirty Dozen (or so): Myths, Mistakes, and Misunderstandings that Plague Our Efforts
Esther Geva: Assessing Reading and Language Skills of Struggling ELs: From Research to Practice
Deb Glaser: The Five Components of Reading: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and For You!
Margaret Goldberg: Escaping Old Ideas: Why It’s Difficult and How to Coach Through It
Lucy Hart Paulson: “But Teacher, I Don’t Know How to Write:” Helping Young Students Develop Foundational Writing Skills
Nancy Hennessy: The Inference Knowledgeable Educator: Implementing an Informed Instructional Framework
David Kilpatrick: How to Improve Word-Level Reading Skills in Struggling Readers
Gail Lovette: Instructional Leadership Counts: Why Administrators Need to Know the Science of Reading
Mandy Nayton: Reducing the Impact of Poor Reading on Mental Health
William Van Cleave: Morphology Matters: Using Bases & Affixes to Build Vocabulary & Spelling
William Van Cleave: Handwriting in the 21st Century: Why It Matters & What to Do About It!
Amy Vanden Boogart and Julie Sealine: 5 Keys to Helping Adolescents with Decoding Issues: Best Practices and Resources
Julie Washington: Culturally Relevant Texts: What is Their Place in Improving Reading Outcomes for Minority Students?
Natalie Wexler: The Knowledge Gap: What It Is and How to Narrow It

Click here for presenter information and full session descriptions.
Continuing Education Credit: Participants will be provided a certificate with date and hours of each session. The Reading League is an approved sponsor for IMSLEC and the NYS Department of Education (CTLE).
Refund Policy: All sales are final. No refunds will be provided for this event.
W-9 Form: Download a PDF of The Reading League’s W-9 form here.
Purchase Orders: Access to conference sessions is provided once payment is received. The Reading League strongly encourages payment via credit card. Purchase orders are available for school districts/organizations paying for five (5) or more registrations only. We highly recommend registering at least 6 weeks prior to ensure you can view the live portions. To request a purchase order, please contact Madeline Chilbert at 315-362-2631 or email your order to finance@thereadingleague.org. Include names and email addresses of those who should receive access to this event.
Questions? Email events@thereadingleague.org

An Invitation to Meet The Reading League Louisiana
2020-09-10 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
On September 10, 2020, Laura Stewart, National Director of The Reading League, presented on the science of reading during a virtual webinar, An Invitation to Meet The Reading League. The Center for Development and Learning announced the formation of a Louisiana chapter of The Reading League.
An abundance of reading research has converged over the past four decades to help us align our instruction with the evidence about how students best learn to read. Unfortunately, it has not found its way into many classrooms. The Reading League’s mission is to advance the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction.
This was The Reading League’s first Louisiana event.
