Alaska Staff Development Network

Working Together To Make Schools Better

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The Reading Playbook Series

Presenters: Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey
Dates: October 11, November 1, 15, 29 (Tuesdays)
All webinars start at 3:45 p.m.
One credit available (Graded)

Every brain needs to be taught to read.  And over the past 100+ years, there have been hundreds of thousands of studies that comprise a science of reading.  During this workshop series, Dr’s Fisher and Frey will unwrap the research around the science of reading, and provide clear and concise plays around strategies that have the highest influence on reading development for young children.

Target Audience: Teachers, Leaders and Coaches- grades K-3 – but anyone  involved in early childhood literacy would  find these sessions beneficial.

Session 1 – What’s New and What’s Enduring in Reading Instruction? (October 11, 2022 with Doug Fisher)

Research in reading dates to 1865 and is the oldest form of educational research. Knowledge of best practices continues to evolve over the last 157 years. In this opening session, we use Hollis Scarborough’s reading rope as the organizer for the playbook as well as the series. We provide an overview and grounding in word recognition and language comprehension and their reciprocal nature. In addition, we focus on newer elements of reading research to build the constrained and unconstrained skills of reading. Doug Fisher, a past president of the International Reading Association, hosts this session.

Session 2 – Word Recognition: The Foundational Skills of Reading (November 1, 2022 with Nancy Frey)

Readers must develop the skills necessary to quickly and accurately recognize words. In this session, we turn our attention to phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition. In addition, we expand on the reading rope by adding specific strands on fluency and alphabetics as essential components of word recognition. Nancy Frey, a member of the Literacy Research Panel of ILA, leads this session.

Session 3 – Language Comprehension: Understanding What is Read (November 15 with Nancy Frey)

At the same time that foundational skills are being built, language comprehension instruction must also occur. This session focuses on vocabulary development as well as morphological awareness. This session includes a focus on language structures, in particular the syntactic and semantic dimensions of sentence- and text-level comprehension

Session 4 – Metacognitive Awareness: Becoming Increasingly Strategic and Fluent Readers (November 29 with Doug Fisher)

Effective readers are active and self-aware readers. In this final session, we examine the metacognitive dimensions of the reading rope, with special attention to verbal reasoning and literacy knowledge. As well, we examine the role and development of background knowledge necessary for comprehension of texts. We end with exciting newer research on the role of a theory of mind in reading, and the ways word recognition and language comprehension are braided together to build strategic and fluent readers. 

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Featured Webinar Series

Use MTSS to Do MTSS

Presenter: Dr. Judy Elliott
Dates: February 14, March 7, April 4, May 2
Time: 3:45-5:15
Registration Fee: No cost for Alaskan Educators
Credit: One optional university credit is available for attending all webinars and participating in online assignments and discussions.
Registration coming in January.

Where are you now? Where do you want to be? By when?
In this series we will explore data-based decision making, and the systems and infrastructures necessary to build the capacity for sustainable Multiple Tiers of Systems of Supports (MTSS) implementation.
Our sessions will encompass:
Session 1 – Ensuring a common language and a common understanding of the six components of MTSS
Session 2 – The role of school-based leadership teams and changing mindsets
Session 3 – Data-based problem solving: moving from admiring data to data-driven decision making
Session 4 – Exploring Early Warning Systems and risk levels

Target Audience: K-12 Educators, School Leaders, MTSS Teams

Dr. Judy Elliott is the former Chief Academic Officer of the Los Angeles Unified School District where she was responsible for curriculum and instruction early childhood through adult education, professional development, innovation, accountability and assessment, and programs for all students including English language learners, students with disabilities, and gifted. Before that she was the Chief of Teaching and Learning in the Portland Oregon Public Schools. Dr. Elliott also was a Senior Researcher at the National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota. She started her career as a classroom teacher and then school psychologist. Judy continues to assist districts, national organizations, state departments of education in their efforts to update and realign curriculum frameworks, instruction, and assessment, and accountability that include all students.

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Thank you to our partners at the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
This program was developed, in part, with the assistance of ESSER federal funds from the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, awarded to the Alaska Council of School Administrators. However, this program does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education & Early Development, nor endorsement by the Federal Government.

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Boosting Social Connections and Belonging to Support Equity and Inclusion

Presenters: Kate Barker
Dates: September 28, October 5, 12 and 19 (Wednesdays)
All webinars start at 3:45 p.m.

Do you have students entering school that struggle with socially appropriate behavior? Are you feeling frustrated because you or your staff can’t get through content due to disruptive or non-social behavior?  Are you committed to creating equitable opportunities for all students to thrive and grow?

Join Kate Barker for four practical and energizing sessions on elevating your skills in the area of equity and inclusion for your students by learning and replicating highly effective strategies to help your learners navigate the world of school.  While most of the examples will be for elementary age students, most strategies are easily replicable for any student.

Target Audience:  K-8 educators. While most of the examples will be for elementary age students, most strategies are easily replicable for any student.

Learning Intentions:

The four 90-minutes sessions will consist of sharing research-based and practical strategies which foster both social and academic achievement. Kate will share strategies that can be implemented across various grade levels and environments that benefit all your students. 

Learn how Kate led her diverse community (75% economically disadvantaged and 28 different languages) to strategically structure environments to provide necessary social skills, routines, and supports so that all students successfully accessed their education.

Success Criteria:

  • Discover why it is important to be the social architect of your school and learning space.
  • Acquire skills on how to create a climate of belonging.
  • Learn how to intentionally set up social, emotional and academic systems and structures to boost positive culture and academic achievement.
  • Glean practical and inclusive strategies that will fit any setting and support all students.

Session 1 – Create Your Climate
Discover why it is important to be the social architect of your school and learning space.  Acquire skills on how to create a climate of belonging and empathy for all students.  Participants will learn how to intentionally and strategically teach and reinforce social skills as well as infuse connection in their daily lessons that ultimately will lead to equity and inclusion.

Session 2 – The Power of Peers
Learn about the “Power of the Peers” and how to incorporate deliberate student to student coaching. These strategies will not only create a connected and empathetic community but also make your job easier all while setting up students up for success both academically and socially. 

Session 3 –  Scheduling to Create Calm
Acquire the skills on how to embed fun and simple strategies to transform your classrooms from chaotic to calm. Learn how to re-think your daily schedule, transitions and supports for a connected community. 

Session 4 – Supporting Your Students
Fine tune your behavior management systems and supports to proactively (not reactively) support your students.  Learn how to use social connection (not isolation) to create a harmonious culture infused with high expectations.

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