Curtis Burgins – Region 6 Comprehensive Center

What’s Your Why? How Educators Engage to Create a Dynamic Learning Environment

10/03/2024
Curtis Burgins
News

SERVE’s PK-3 Distinguished Leadership Institute (DLI) provides educators across North Carolina the opportunity to connect and receive specialized leadership development in their field that is designed to lead to positive educational outcomes for early learners. Cohort IV of the DLI kicked off this year at a day and a half meeting on September 20 and 21, 2024. The overall theme of the meeting was “What’s Your Why?”

Relatedness was a key focus for the day and Carla Garrett, Early Childhood Specialist for the RC6 at SERVE, emphasized the importance of thinking about relatedness and what it means. She spoke to Cohort IV participants about how the DLI group functions as a community to make connections and asked them to think about the importance of being able “to cooperate, to collaborate, to learn and grow together.”

Carla Garrett engages with Cohort IV participants.

In advance of the meeting the members of the group built a virtual “Community Wall” using PowerPoint in a shared document where each person added images and words of what is important to them. Eva Phillips, Early Learning Team co-leader, shared these results and said, “One of our most important goals is getting to know each other and building relationships.” Commonalities on the Community Wall were friends, faith, family, adventure, travel, nature, food, music, and children.

Tracy Cole, Principal, East Carolina University (ECU) Community School, and participant in Cohorts I-IV noted, “We know that when we focus on our youngest learners that we are setting them up for success. We know our why, but also are actively involved in the process. We have our own action plans, and we can go back to our settings and make a difference.”

Principal Tracy Cole with Dr. Sharon Ritchie

Cole emphasized relatedness and the importance of having time to process. “What does the learner need to know, how do you learn it? In this case, where we are in the Distinguished Leadership Institute –we are looking to provide equitable learning environments for PK-3 students, and that is our why,” she added.

Kelly Anne Mudd, Principal, Martin Millennium Academy, and member of SERVE’s DLI Cohorts III and IV, shared the ideas that she had implemented in her school to help develop relatedness. “When Carla asked me to speak about relatedness, I immediately thought of our Design Anchors… we have these four design anchors that all of our work is rooted in. Every day we lead with love, we foster safety to succeed, we are committed to doing hard things together, and we believe that YOU MATTER,” Mudd said.

Kelly Anne Mudd speaking — Kelly Anne Mudd

For the Friday afternoon closing activity, the group broke out into teams and played the Brain Architecture Game, which helps players learn about the powerful role of relationships on early brain development. In the game, team members draw random cards, which offer a life experience to build upon. The experiences can be positive or negative. The positive experiences can lead to a stronger foundation as shown by the height of the architecture built using pipe cleaners, while the negative experiences can lead to a weaker foundation, which removed foundational pipe cleaners from the structures.

Cohort IV participants discuss the Brain Architecture Game results and share how they were able to identify with how many of their students face random challenges which can impact their ability to focus and learn.

Akira Hall is a Kindergarten teacher at the ECU Community School. Her principal, Tracy Hall, encouraged her to join Cohort IV DLI. “It’s an amazing opportunity to network and ground yourself. This is a place of peace where you can remind yourself of why you do what you do. I love being a part of this group,” Hall said.

According to Dr. Sharon Ritchie, the bottom line is that it’s more meaningful to participants when they have time to talk so that they are able to take everything in. “That’s our adult learning theory – they have to do the work, and in doing so, they get to know each other. Because we are working with multiple cohorts, we are constantly thinking about our people that have done this before,” said Ritchie.

The SERVE PK-3 Distinguished Leadership Institute was developed by the RC6 Early Learning Team, composed of Carla Garrett, Dr. Sharon Ritchie, and Eva Phillips.

Sharon Ritchie, Eva Phillips, Carla Garrett

Visit our photo album from the day: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pQXBqaJFXdDjF4AE8.

Post and Photos by: Judi Rossabi, Communications Specialist

Three States, One Goal: How Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are Working to Improve Early Reading Achievement

09/24/2024
Curtis Burgins
News

In September 2018, American Public Media’s Emily Hanford published the documentary podcast Hard Words. The documentary described what a large body of research now known as “the science of reading” says about how young children learn to read and how these findings differed from the way reading was being taught in many schools. Many might say this documentary was the catalyst for a wave of changes to state early reading policies that followed. Author’s note: The documentary is a captivating listen/read, as are its 2019 and 2020 follow-ups, At a Loss for Words and What the Words Say.

According to EdWeek, by 2018 eight states had passed laws changing the requirements for teacher certification and training, curriculum, student identification for extra support, and/or the methods used to teach children to read in ways that better aligned with the science of reading (also known now as evidence-based reading instruction). In 2019 that number doubled. By August 2024, 39 states and Washington, D.C. had “passed laws or implemented new policies related to evidence-based reading instruction” (Schwartz, 2024).

“Science of Reading” Laws Passed by Year/State*
2013 – MS
2014 – SC
2015 – NV
2016 – MI, MS
2017 – AR
2018 – MO, NE
2019 – AL, CO, MD, NM, NV, OK, RI, WV
2020 – DC
2021 – AR, CA, CT, DE, FL, LA, MN, NC, ND, OK, PA, TN, TX
2022 – AK, AZ, KS, KY, MD, MO, UT, VA
2023 – CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MN, MO, NC, NM, OH, OR, TX, VA, WI, WV
2024 – IA, MD, NJ, VT
*As reported by Education Week

State dyslexia policies, many of which pre-date new early literacy policies by several years, also played a big role in the development of new state reading policies. States that initially sought to identify and support students with characteristics of dyslexia often found that differentiating between those who might have characteristics of dyslexia and those who struggled for other reasons was extremely difficult in many schools because of the large percentage of children who were not proficient readers. Noted researcher Dr. Julie Washington has said of high-poverty schools, “In the face of a population where eight and a half out of ten are struggling with reading, who has a reading disability? The answer is, we have no idea” (Hanford, 2020).

The high percentage of students who were not reading at grade level by third grade suggested a need for broad changes to reading instruction, along with evidence-based support targeted at the specific skills children needed to strengthen. As it happened, state dyslexia policies ultimately revealed that we could do better for all students, not just those who might have characteristics of dyslexia.

Like other states, the three states supported by the Region 6 Comprehensive Center from 2019 to 2024—Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina—have been on multi-year policy journeys to improve early reading instruction and achievement for all children in their public schools.

North Carolina’s first iteration of the Excellent Public Schools Act, which established the state’s Read to Achieve program in 2013-14, required that schools screen K-3 students for reading difficulties and provide struggling readers with extra support. The law was updated in 2021, with changes including requirements that educator preparation programs (EPPs) include coursework grounded in the science of reading and pre-K-5 teachers complete training grounded in the science of reading. In June 2024, the last cohort from a total of more than 44,000 North Carolina teachers finished the two-year Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS®) science of reading training program. While it will take more time to see the full impact of improved educator knowledge on third grade reading achievement, North Carolina is already noting improvements to its students’ performance on the statewide early literacy assessment students take three times each year.

Changes seeking to improve reading achievement in South Carolina began in 2014 with the Read to Succeed Act (Act 284). Much like in North Carolina, the early Read to Succeed law directed districts to assess students for reading difficulties and address areas of struggle. It also directed the state to strengthen pre-service and in-service teacher training for teaching reading. This was followed in 2018 by Act 213, which required districts to begin implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and screening students for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. In 2024 Act 114 amended the Read to Succeed Act to align it with the science of reading. The new Act requires the state to approve up to five universal reading screeners for districts to screen K-5 students and strengthens requirements for intervention. It also requires that early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher candidates seeking certification pass “a rigorous test of scientifically based reading instruction and intervention and data-based decision making principles.” The state recently appropriated funding to provide LETRS® training to all K-3 teachers, and the last cohort of trainees began the two-year course in August 2024.

Georgia’s policy journey toward higher reading achievement began in 2019 with the passage of S.B. 48, the state’s dyslexia legislation, which established a pilot program for dyslexia screening and intervention and required that all K-3 students be screened for characteristics of dyslexia beginning in August 2024. Over the course of the three-year pilot program it became clear that dyslexia screening was part of a larger need to improve reading instruction and intervention. The Georgia Early Literacy Act (H.B. 538) was passed into law in 2023. Its requirements include universal reading screening for all K-3 students using an approved screening tool (which 2024’s S.B. 464 reduced to a maximum of five options, one of which the state must provide at no cost) and intervention for students identified as having “a significant reading deficiency.” The Georgia Early Literacy Act also included requirements for reading curricula, a strengthened teacher licensure exam, and teacher training for teaching reading.

Now, at the start of the 2024-25 school year, all three states have robust efforts in place intended to improve early reading achievement. Their requirements are similar and feature screening for reading problems, intervention plans, approved reading curricula, teacher training and certification, and changes to course content for preservice teachers. Screening students for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, is important for identifying those who need extra support. But improving the foundational reading instruction students receive is the first and most important part of ensuring that children are able to develop strong reading skills. The states have laid out the requirements to make that happen.

Now it is up to educators to take hold of the opportunity to fill their teaching toolboxes with evidence- based tools and help more students than ever before learn to read proficiently. And it is up to educator preparation programs to take the task of training educators to teach reading well off the shoulders of districts by ensuring that teachers enter the classroom equipped with the knowledge and skills they need. Change is hard. But the children in our schools deserve the literacy skills needed to be prepared for college, careers, and successful lives.

References
Durrance, S., McColskey, W., & Williams, M., (2023). Georgia Dyslexia Pilot Program Implementation Analysis: 2022–2023: Year 3 of Implementation. Greensboro, NC: SERVE at UNC Greensboro.
https://region6cc.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GA-Implementation-Analysis-Brief-
2022-23_23_RC6_0020.pdf

Hanford, E. (2020, August 6). What the words say. American Public Media.
https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2020/08/06/what-the-words-say

Hanford, E. (2019, August 22). At a loss for words. American Public Media.
https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2019/08/22/whats-wrong-how-schools-teach-reading

Hanford, E. (2018, September 10). Hard words. American Public Media.
https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2018/09/10/hard-words-why-american-kids-arent-being-
taught-to-read

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2024, August 1). Once again, NC’s K-3 students outperform national average on reading skills assessment. [Press Release].
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/08/01/once-again-ncs-k-3-students-
outperform-national-average-reading-skills-assessment

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2024, June 4). Over 44,000 elementary educators
master science of reading professional development. [Press Release].
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/06/04/over-44000-elementary-educators-
master-science-reading-professional-development

Schwartz, S. (2022, July 20). Which states have passed ‘science of reading’ laws? What’s in them?
Education Week. Retrieved August 26, 2024 from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-
learning/which-states-have-passed-science-of-reading-laws-whats-in-them/2022/07

Post by: Samantha Durrance

Educators Connect and Learn at the Inaugural “Belonging & Wellbeing in Education: North Carolina Showcase”

09/10/2024
Curtis Burgins
News

Inspired by listening to educators from across the State of North Carolina talk about the importance of connection and belonging in their work led Dr. Beth Rice, Specialist for State Projects, Region 6 Comprehensive Center (RC6) at SERVE, to think about the what if’s. What if the RC6 could convene a centrally located event to foster connection and learning opportunities for educators? What if the event could help inspire and empower educators to look at their own wellbeing to better help students?

Rice got busy and brought her ideas to her colleagues and the leadership team at SERVE. The group collaborated and began planning a day-long event designed just for educators. Rice, along with Megan Orleans, Project Specialist, RC6, led the planning team, which included Anne Nixon, IABS Regional Strategic Support Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and team leaders from RC6.

“This showcase event came about when we realized during our district showcase events [held throughout NC] that the work of creating belonging and wellbeing needed to be expanded. Being connected to other educators would enable us to expand capacity and share how we can implement this important work,” said Rice.

*Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, Megan Orleans, Dr. Beth Rice, Anne Nixon*

The planning team’s efforts culminated in the “Belonging & Wellbeing in Education: North Carolina Showcase” (BWB), which convened on Monday, July 22, 2024, at the GTCC Conference Center in the Piedmont Triad. The in-person event featured a full day offering 12 workshops and related breakout sessions led by North Carolina-based school administrators, educators, and community partners, a keynote speaker, and 14 vendors—who specialize in MTSS and SEL tools for educators. With nearly 200 education professionals in attendance, the BWB Showcase was filled with vibrant conversations and meeting folks from different parts of the state. Several vendors provided prizes to participants and winners were selected through random drawings. Click link for complete information.

As one attendee noted, “Great information from all made me extremely happy to see how much work is being dedicated to adult SEL. I have already shared information with our admin team to review for planning.”

The day kicked off with opening remarks and a warm welcome from Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, Executive Director, SERVE at UNC Greensboro.

*Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin welcomed attendees to a day of learning.*

“We all know that promoting safe and supportive environments in our schools and communities makes us all better. Wellness in schools is an approach that recognizes the many factors and non-academic barriers that can impact a student’s academic performance, and it is defined as the state of being well, especially as an actively sought out goal,” said Pitre-Martin.

Rice and Nixon introduced the sessions and presenters, and then turned to Dr. Nick Yoder, Associate Vice President of Whole Human Education & Research for the Harmony Academy at National University, who provided the keynote address remotely. Yoder’s inspiring message exemplified his commitment to equitable whole child development, underpinned by a strong foundation using research and data to improve educational outcomes.

*Beth Rice and Anne Nixon introduce keynote speaker Dr. Nick Yoder.*

“Educator wellbeing can be defined as an educator’s reactions (positive and negative), functioning and evaluations in response to the conditions in which they work,” noted Yoder in his presentation.

Sponsored by RC6 at SERVE, presenters shared practical strategies and real-world examples for enhancing student academic outcomes by prioritizing educator wellbeing and positive school culture. Sessions enabled both presenters and attendees to experience the magic of wellbeing and belonging. Showcase sessions offered dynamic and engaging presentations. Participants chose which sessions to attend based on their interests.

“The big thing is that people are building connections and coming out of sessions feeling empowered. It is so encouraging to see the perseverance, the dedication, and the work of the people who are presenting. The attendees are here seeking more ideas and connections with other people in the field and connecting with their colleagues across the state. They want to be able to walk away with tools and resources to implement in their districts and charter schools,” said Nixon.

The format of the BWB Showcase utilized the SEL 3-Signature Practices system from Casel. The signature practices include an inclusive welcome, engaging strategies, and an intentional close. A popular strategy utilized was having participants share three key ideas that stood out during the presentations, two things they would like to explore further, and one question they still have or a point to ponder.

“The opportunity to go back for 3.2.1. was innovative. First time I’ve experienced that at a conference,” noted one attendee, and another remarked, “I really liked how the 3-2-1 activity set up for an active, relevant discussion in the afternoon.”

Many of the showcase sessions delved into practical strategies to nurture the wellbeing of educators and students. A popular activity for participants was learning a five-finger breathing technique that can be used to develop calmness and promote wellbeing by tracing one’s hand and focusing the breath.

Dr. Desiree Murray and Dr. Beverly Rudolph led participants in a simple five-finger breath exercise designed to develop mindfulness and achieve a calm natural breath rhythm. — *Dr. Desiree Murray* *and* *Dr. Beverly Rudolph* *led participants in a simple five-finger breath exercise designed to develop mindfulness* and achieve a calm natural breath rhythm.

As one educator noted, “I will use the knowledge to combat some of the seasonal ups and downs,” while another participant mentioned the possibility of using this mindfulness technique to assist students with wellbeing.

*Breakout sessions were held in the afternoon and gave attendees an opportunity to discuss workshop topics and integrate findings.*

Rice and Orleans led an interactive and intentional closing activity in which attendees entered their individual takeaways for the day into Padlet, allowing participants to view shared reflections.

“I loved the presentation/breakouts format, followed by discussion to dig deeper. I plan to share the knowledge gained with my team,” one attendee commented, while another noted that “The format was nice and provided time to process. I am recharged to keep the fight going for what is best for the kids.”

*Attendees used technology via Padlet to enter their comments on screen in an engaging closing activity.*

“We were struck by the feeling of hope expressed by educators as they left the showcase. We heard people express that they were returning to their work in the education field with a new sense of commitment. Doing the work of belonging and wellbeing leads to a collective resilience for educators,” Rice said in conclusion of the day.

Visit our shared photo album on Google Photos.

Visit the Belonging & Wellbeing in Education: North Carolina Showcase agenda, to find links to the session presentations.

Post and Photos by: Judi Rossabi

Region 6 Comprehensive Center at Meeting the Moment

04/15/2024
Curtis Burgins
News

At a recent convening of the Comprehensive Center Network (CCNetwork), the Region 6 Comprehensive Center (RC6) joined State Educational Agency (SEA) teams, technical assistance providers, staff from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as other partners from across the nation, in a gathering designed to explore innovative strategies used by state leaders. Representatives from all 19 Regional Comprehensive Centers attended.

George Hancock, Co-Director, RC6, was on hand for the two-day convening, which was held in Washington, D.C. He shared his take-aways, as well as a bit of the history of the RC6, which is housed at SERVE. The RC6 provides technical assistance to SEAs in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia to help them address key issues, such as supporting low-performing schools, increasing equitable access to quality educators, and documenting state-level policy implementation with the intent to build capacity at multiple levels across states.

“The best part of the Meeting the Moment convening was the opportunity to have two solid days at the table listening to people who are in the trenches. There was synergy on both sides, which helps to reinvigorate our desire to do the work with passion, duty, and obligation,” says Hancock.

Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, Executive Director, SERVE at UNC Greensboro noted, “Seeing what other states have been doing was exciting and it was a great learning experience in working with other states. We had the opportunity to hear from a lot of different Comprehensive Centers.”

Collaboration is Key

According to Hancock, one thing was clear at the convening—”the RC6 team has done a masterful job in collaborating. This is part of the process that listens first for the need and then works collaboratively to respond to the need, rather than just offering a fix. The important question is how can we get to the decision makers to simplify the process?”

“The willingness to work together to move ahead was showcased in the work. It was great to get to see everybody and hear about the terrific work going on throughout the regions. You want to make sure you aren’t missing anything!” says Hancock, whose lens includes time spent as a teacher, a principal, and ten years working for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

“We have a high number of people on staff who had the experience and the knowledge working with schools and districts; and a reputation for doing a lot of work in historically underserved populations,” he added.

The RC6 Team at Meeting the Moment

The work of the RC6 currently encompasses 13 projects across the three states, including support for school improvement programming, Reading initiatives, career accelerator program, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation, Family Engagement, STEM, Early Childhood, Whole Child, and Alternative Learning Programs.

Members of the SERVE and RC6 Team attended the convening to connect with education leaders, lift best practices, and inspire continuous improvement. Representatives from the RC6 and regional states met to share information about two projects.

Presentation team from left to right: Samantha Durrance, RC6, Program Specialist, RC6; Jeannie Morris, GaDOE, Assistant Director, Georgia Tiered System of Supports; Rebecca Wright, GaDOE, Program Specialist, Georgia Tiered System of Supports; Karen Suddeth, GaDOE, Program Manager, State Personnel Development Grant; Jade Tornatore, NCDPI, IABS Regional Consultant; Holly Williamson, NCDPI, IABS Regional Consultant; Abbey Duggins, SCDE, Director, Office of Early Learning and Literacy; Sarah Schumacher Gams, SCDE, Student Learning and Development Program Manager; and Beth Rice, RC6, Specialist for State Projects.

Samantha Durrance and Dr. Beth Rice, along with SEA staff from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, shared highlights from the RC6 MTSS Three-State Collaborative project. The Collaborative addresses the high leverage problem of how schools can best identify students experiencing academic, behavioral, social-emotional, attendance, and other challenges and provide them with evidence-based supports via multi-tiered systems of support. The project engages SEA leaders in a community of practice with the goal of providing space and opportunity to share common strengths and areas for growth in their support of MTSS for districts and schools.

A presentation and panel discussion titled, “Leveraging a Cross-State Collaborative to Examine and Support MTSS Implementation in Secondary Schools” included an overview of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) three-state collaborative project, observations from six high school MTSS stories; including ration to better understand the unique challenges faced by secondary schools implementing MTSS and support schools and districts in overcoming those challenges.

decorative - Early Childhood presentation slide — Presentation team from left to right: Melissa Eddy, NCDPI, Assistant Program Director, Office of Federal Programs; Carla Garret, RC6, Early Childhood Specialist; and Nicole Pait, Richmond County Schools, NC, Pre-K-5 EKA Director.

Carla Garrett, RC6 Early Childhood Specialist, presented along with Melissa Eddy, NCDPI, and Nicole Pait, Richmond County Schools “Equitable Access to High Quality Learning Environments: A Focus on Infant-3^rd Grade in NC”.

The presentation’s overall focus was on how to improve equitable access to high quality learning environments for young learners through knowledge and access to resources.

Visit the RC6 website to learn more: http://region6cc.uncg.edu.

Story by: Judi Rossabi, Communications Specialist, SERVE
Photos by: SERVE staff

Author: Curtis Burgins

What’s Your Why? How Educators Engage to Create a Dynamic Learning Environment

Three States, One Goal: How Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are Working to Improve Early Reading Achievement

Educators Connect and Learn at the Inaugural “Belonging & Wellbeing in Education: North Carolina Showcase”

Region 6 Comprehensive Center at Meeting the Moment

Collaboration is Key

The RC6 Team at Meeting the Moment

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