November 06, 2024

BY BEN GAGNON
The County Press, 810-452-2661

DRYDEN — During October, Dryden Elementary School had a three-day professional development session from a representative with the University of Delaware.

Dr. Jaime True Daley, associate director of Content- Specific Curriculum Supports for the University of Delaware’s School Success Center, had the opportunity to spend several days with Dryden Elementary teachers, observing in classrooms, meeting with grade level teams and facilitating building-level professional learning.

“Dr. Daley’s visit was inspiring,” said Dryden Elementary literacy coach Karen Roys. “She supported us with further ways to meet student’s needs and accelerate learning. She gave such positive feedback during the observations. She kept using the word ‘impeccable.’”

Daley’s visit was in conjunction with the elementary’s ELA professional learning plan for the 2024-2025 school year, continuing with existing efforts to shore up student’s foundational skills and enhancing the implementation of Bookworms Reading and Writing K-5 curriculum. Dr. Sharon Walpole from the University of Delaware is a reading researcher and the creator of the curriculum.

Dr. Jaime Daley with the University of Delaware held professional learning sessions for teachers at Dryden Elementary last month. Photos provided

Dryden Elementary adopted Bookworms in the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. After an initial training and a year of implementation, feedback from teachers and students was positive. That’s when a partnership with the University of Delaware was made.

“Bookworms is unique. It has an enormous amount of content-rich texts and the instructional practices are strongly based in reading science,” said Kristal White, a literacy coach and early literacy consultant with the Lapeer County Intermediate School District. “We wanted to continue to support our teachers and continue growing in our instructional practices.”

Dryden Elementary has two other opportunities scheduled this school year to continue learning from Daley and the University of Delaware.

“We are definitely looking forward to it. Powerful learning for students requires powerful learning for teachers,” said White.

UD hosts Policy and Practice Institute for nearly 600 Delaware educators with state and local partners

July 12, 2024

In partnership with the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, the University of Delaware’s School Success Center (SSC) and Partnership for Public Education (PPE), housed within the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), welcomed nearly 600 educators to the 22nd annual Policy and Practice Institute in June at Dover High School in Dover, Delaware.

The conference is Delaware’s premier networking and professional learning event for educators, school leaders and policymakers. With practical tools and resources, this year’s event enabled participants to take action toward creating stronger and more equitable learning opportunities for Delaware students. With sessions focused on building school, family and community partnerships, recruiting and retaining educators and more, the conference aligned with CEHD’s commitment to supporting Delaware educators, improving educational outcomes and diversifying the education workforce.

“The increase in attendance this year and the number and variety of sessions demonstrates the importance of this annual event to Delaware educators,” said Faith Muirhead, director of the SSC. “We are honored to collaborate in bringing educators together to learn with and from one another. This was a year to celebrate, moving from intention to impact, and the conference theme clearly resonated with participants.”

I

Nearly 600 educators from across Delaware attended the 22nd annual Policy and Practice Institute at Dover High School in Dover, DE

The event also included remarks from Mark Holodick, DDOE secretary of education and CEHD alumnus, and a keynote address from Jamila Dugan, an educator, coach and author who has spent her career uplifting the experiences of students, families and educators whose voices have historically been marginalized. Dugan’s keynote, titled “The Possible Future of Education: An Invitation to Radically Dream,” invited participants to “radically dream” about a new “future of learning.”

“Even after experiencing time away from schools during the pandemic, we are still clinging to an archaic system,” Dugan said. “Urgency, fear and the pull of the dominant paradigm of schooling have led many educators toward a feverish return to the status quo — reducing schooling experiences to addressing perceived student deficits and learning for the sake of achievement on standardized tests. But what could it look like to make a fundamental mindset shift toward capitalizing on the possibilities of now and the transformative chance to dream?”

The event also featured Delaware TIDE talks, fast-paced and creative presentations meant to trailblaze, innovate, discover and empower. Six educators presented on amplifying student voices, belonging and inclusion, building relationships to address equity gaps, equity in math class and social media use and its impact on schools and families.

“Delaware TIDE talks were designed to elevate the impact of Delaware educators,” said Alison Travers, assistant director of SSC’s Delaware Academy for School Leadership. “Attendees were very responsive to the exciting and engaging presentation style, and we heard several participants commenting on how much they enjoyed the TIDE Talks and how much they learned from the presenters.”

Nancy Ventresca, academic dean at West Park Place Elementary School, shared how valuable she finds the event each year.

“I look forward to the Policy and Practice Institute each year,” Ventresca said. “Coming together with educators and leaders from all over is truly inspiring, and I always come away with fresh ideas and new perspectives to inform and shape my own practice. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues and forge new professional relationships. Each year brings interesting keynotes and a wide array of meaningful breakout sessions led by a variety of educational leaders.”

Delaware educators engage in conversation during a poster session at the Policy and Practice Institute.

Annastasia Purninton, associate director of the PPE, expressed gratitude for the ability to partner with Delaware educators and policymakers throughout the state.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to share some of PPE’s work through the Policy and Practice Institute and to learn more about the exceptional work happening in Delaware from the people who have the greatest impact on students: Delaware’s educators, administrators and policymakers,” Purinton said. “The partnerships that PPE has initiated with DDOE, districts, charters and UD faculty will not only enhance local expertise but also provide innovative solutions informed by the expertise of all our partners to address education needs across the state.”

About the School Success Center

Launched in 2022, the SSC partners with teachers and administrators in public, charter and independent schools and offers a systemic approach to improving student and school outcomes. The SSC is unique in partnering with both teachers and administrators on the same improvement strategies to ensure that teachers, schools and districts grow together.

In addition to providing differentiated coaching services for school and district leaders, the SSC offers expert-facilitated professional learning programs in literacy instruction, math instruction and multi-tiered systems of support, focusing on student screening, diagnostic assessment, intervention design, progress monitoring and more.

To partner with the SSC, visit its website.

About the Partnership for Public Education

Since 2015, PPE has leveraged UD expertise, evaluation, professional development and advocacy resources to support Delaware’s public education system and foster sustainable partnerships with Delaware’s public education stakeholders.

PPE aims to expand UD’s research impact, recognizing that research in education is often underused nationwide. To achieve this goal, PPE aims to identify, mobilize and optimize UD research to directly address critical needs in Delaware’s education system in ways that have measurable impacts on Delaware’s P-12 policy and practice.

To learn more about PPE, visit its website.

Article by Jessica Henderson. Photos by Maria Errico.

Header image caption: The Policy and Practice Institute is Delaware’s premier networking and professional learning event for educators, school leaders and policymakers.

The Empowering Black Secondary Math Educators (EBSME) event on June 4, 2024, featured Dr. Toya Frank and was a remarkable success. Organized by SSC School Success Specialists Nicole Draper, Jonathan Dinkins, and Crystal Collier, this event was designed to spread awareness of the inequities facing Black teachers in Delaware. 

The EBSME event aimed to engage and support teachers of color, particularly Black math educators, who often face unique challenges and feelings of isolation within the educational system. Our ultimate goal is to extend these supportive spaces to other Black teachers and leaders, including those in the state’s elementary, middle, and specialty subject areas.

The team expressed that they strive to create a supportive community that acknowledges and addresses the educational system’s specific struggles and racialized experiences. Research indicates that racial affinity professional development can help sustain Black teachers in the classroom and enhance their capacity to effect systemic change.

Dr. Toya Frank’s expertise and unwavering dedication have furnished us with invaluable insights into the inequities facing Black mathematics teachers. You can learn more about Dr. Frank’s work here.

This event was made possible by a generous Delaware Department of Education grant. 

Here are some actionable ways to support Black math teachers in the classroom:

1. Advocate for Inclusive Policies
2. Foster Mentorship and Networking Opportunities
3. Facilitate Professional Development
4. Cultivate Safe Spaces
5. Engage in Active Listening and Learning
6. Support access to professional development 
7. Provide Accessible Resources
8. Recognize and Celebrate Contributions
9. Champion Student Support Initiatives

Through the collective pursuit of these initiatives, we can foster a more supportive and equitable environment for Black math teachers, enriching their capacity to educate and inspire future generations.

UD SSC hosts professional learning conference for nearly 300 Delaware educators on Newark campus

The University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)’s School Success Center (SSC) hosted the sixth annual Women Leading Delaware Education Conference on UD’s Newark campus. On Wednesday, March 13, the SSC welcomed nearly 300 Delaware educators to Clayton Hall Conference Center for an engaging and inspiring day of professional learning.

The Women Leading Delaware Education Conference is a networking and professional learning event for teachers and administrators in elementary, secondary and higher education settings. The event addresses issues specific to women and education leadership and provides a powerful opportunity for current and aspiring leaders to convene for an impactful day of connection, reflection and inspiration. The conference aligns with CEHD’s commitment to diversifying the education workforce, supporting educational leaders throughout their careers and helping Delaware schools address the regional school leader shortages.

“Delaware schools have many strong women leaders who use this annual event as an opportunity to rejuvenate, make connections and learn from one another,” said Faith Muirhead, director of the SSC. “This year’s conference brought almost 300 participants together to support their individual leadership development and work together to find answers to the problems that confront our schools and to develop solutions.”

The theme of this year’s event was “Celebrating Our Resilience,” and the keynote speaker, sponsored by the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), was Jane Kise, founder of Differentiated Coaching Associates. Kise’s address focused on the concepts of brain energy and bandwidth, moving beyond self care to help women leaders and their colleagues stay energized and passionate about their work.

J

“The resounding message from social media is that burnout is the price of leadership, especially for women,” Kise said. “Yet it isn’t inevitable. I love sharing our research that highlights all the areas that go beyond selfcare that let us reclaim our time, our focus, our purpose and our passion. And facilitating these discussions with a group of motivated leaders means they’ll take this information back to their staff and improve everyone’s wellbeing.”

The event also featured whole-group and breakout sessions facilitated by national and local leaders who led thoughtful discussion on topics such as personal and organizational resilience, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, school and district leadership, education policy and overcoming barriers specific to women.

“Intentionally including networking time and opportunities for connection within the conference agenda were priorities for our team,” said Alison Travers, assistant director of SSC’s Delaware Academy for School Leadership (DASL). “We have received feedback from multiple participants of the March 13 conference stating that they appreciated time to connect with colleagues, to network and make new connections and to feel celebrated for their role in education.”

Angela Socorso, education associate in the DDOE, also emphasized the importance of the event and expressed gratitude for the opportunities it offered.

“The conference serves as an invaluable platform for fostering connections, networking and deepening our understanding of leadership dynamics,” Socorso said. “It not only provides an opportunity to reflect on our personal journeys but also encourages us to critically examine our leadership styles and approaches, empowering us to make meaningful impacts for those we lead and support. This conference is a testament to the collective strength and potential of women in leadership, and I’m grateful for the enriching experience it offers.”

About the School Success Center

Launched in 2022, the SSC partners with teachers and administrators in public, charter and independent schools and offers a systemic approach to improving student and school outcomes. The SSC is unique in partnering with both teachers and administrators on the same improvement strategies to ensure that teachers, schools and districts grow together.

In addition to providing differentiated coaching services for school and district leaders, the SSC offers expert-facilitated professional learning programs in literacy instruction, math instruction and multi-tiered systems of support, focusing on student screening, diagnostic assessment, intervention design, progress monitoring and more.

To partner with the SSC, visit its website.

Read this story on UDaily.

Article by Jessica Henderson. Photos by Maria Errico.

Jake Rutz, Delaware Live

March 14, 2022

Caesar Rodney, Brandywine, and Appoquinimink school districts will welcome a national tour this month that celebrates the high level of mathematics learning in Delaware.

The Knowledge Matters Campaign chose Delaware as the first stop, and it’s the first time the First State has been the subject of a math-focused tour. It previously has been included in English language arts and literacy.

The tour will highlight shifts in classrooms that include new materials and allow more student-led classes, presentations and discussions.

Barbara Davidson, the executive director for the Knowledge Matters Campaign, said Delaware has implemented high-quality improvements to their curricula and instruction in an effort to restore wonder and excitement in the classroom.

The campaign’s mantra is “find the good and praise it.” 

Michelle Hawley, supervisor of mathematics at Brandywine School District, said that the most prominent improvement to Delaware math has come at the middle school level, where they have been teaching “Kendall Hunt’s Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math,” published in 2019.

The math book received a perfect score on EdReports, an organization that grades materials that schools use in their curriculum. 

In addition, Hawley said the unique quality of Delaware’s mathematics education comes from enlightening and elevating students in the classroom.

“The curriculum requires students to be an active participant in their learning,” Hawley said. “Students have really taken ownership of the classroom, and teachers have become facilitators that connect the dots.”

This curriculum was provided by Illustrative Mathematics. 

This Delaware ownership comes in the form of students making connections to each other, connections between different mathematical areas, and being more outspoken in the classroom.

“Students are realizing that math makes sense,” said Hawley. “They are seeing how fractions and ratios function similarly, for example, and their ability to be at the forefront of a lesson’s discussion allows them to foster these math connections much quicker.” 

Hawley said that Delaware is unique in that it does not just provide new materials, but it also assists heavily in making sure the instructors know how to effectively work with such materials. 

Mathematics teachers are required to go through hundreds of hours of training to understand the curriculum, review instructional strategies, and figure out how students will comprehend their lessons. 

Part of this professional development requires teachers to present their curriculum in a way that is culturally responsive and inclusive to special needs students and students who speak languages other than English.  

Hawley said that the state’s math curricula “helps the students gain efficacy.” 

By Tamara Grimes Stewart

July 21, 2021
The views expressed here are those of the author.

This is the final of three pieces from a Knowledge Matters tour of school districts in Delaware, in recognition of the state’s new initiative – called DE Delivers – to encourage adoption of high quality instructional materials in its 19 districts. In this piece, Claymont Elementary School Principal Tamara Grimes Stewart describes the Wilmington school’s journey since its 2017 rollout of the Bookworms Reading & Writing curriculum. Part of the Brandywine School District, Claymont saw English Language Arts proficiency scores rise 21 percent in just three years after the new curriculum was implemented. Follow the rest of our series and previous curriculum case studies here.

Claymont Elementary School was constructed in 1969 as a high school. It played a pivotal role in our nation’s fight to create fair and equitable schools for all students, being one of two northern Delaware schools named in the landmark Brown v. The Board of Education court order that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

Today, Claymont is a diverse, 800-student K-5 school serving a predominately low-income population. We house Spanish Immersion, the Brandywine Specialized Autism Program, and a gifted and talented program for grades four through eight, in addition to serving a large multilingual learner population.

Claymont’s journey of transformation through the implementation of high-quality instructional materials occurred just as we were being identified by the Delaware Department of Education as an underperforming school. In 2015, just 41 percent of our students were proficient in English Language Arts and only 39 percent were proficient in math. Based on these scores, we became a state “Focus School,” which required developing a plan together with the state for academic improvement.

Claymont was fortunate that, as this was going on in the background, our district office introduced Bookworms as our response to intervention curriculum for reading. Using Bookworms, we were able to see our students who receive small-group and intensive interventions make progress much more quickly than they had in the past. We attribute this to the systematic focus on foundational skills contained in the program.

“By targeting decoding skills, we can get to fluency much faster,” says Kristen Cook, Brandywine School District’s reading specialist.

We had heard about Seaford’s success using Bookworms with all students in the class. We visited several other districts and asked our teachers to pilot the materials for one week — and everyone became excited to move forward with the curriculum. Rather than implementing at certain grade levels with certain teachers, we chose to dive all-in and bring the curriculum on across the board. We knew there would be growing pains, and we wanted to go through those together as a team. Everyone knew a change was needed — and everyone wanted to be part of the solution.

Our first priority was to map out our professional development plan, and it was extensive. We received support from our district office and coaches at the University of Delaware. We targeted professional development for specific grade levels and specific content. We differentiated our faculty meetings to address areas of concern revealed by the data, which was gathered both from walkthroughs and benchmark assessments. Coaches supported individual teacher needs. And for educators to share resources and strategies that were working, we devoted staff meeting time and made it the crux of our professional learning communities, in which our teachers regularly gather in small groups to collaborate and learn from each other.

What we’ve learned is that despite Bookworms being a relatively structured (some even say “scripted”) curriculum, it actually provides a framework that enables teachers to deliver powerful, student-centered instruction in their classrooms. One structure, for example, is a focus on a high volume of reading for all students. This is supported by a curated library of 275 whole-length, content-rich texts that students read and study across their K-5 experience. What is not to like about scripting that looks like that? What I find interesting is that our teachers don’t “feel the script.” Instead, they talk about how kids love the books.

“One of the parts that I love is hearing kids walking around talking about books,” fifth-grade teacher Brian Horne told us. “I have been teaching for over 20 years and I never remember [that].”

And it’s not just the students. Kindergarten teacher Meredith Allen said that she, herself, gets excited by every book she reads with her students. It might sound to some ears like an oxymoron: that a very structured curriculum is actually driving a much greater love of reading. But that’s our truth.

Just one year later, during the 2018 and 2019 school year, based on the Department of Education criteria, Claymont Elementary was identified as an “Exceptional School.” English Language Arts proficiency scores after implementing Bookworms increased over three years to 62 percent from 41 percent. Proficiency scores in math (we adopted Eureka Math around the same time) rose to 60 percent from 39 percent over the same period.

“It’s been an amazing transformation,” fourth-grade teacher Jodi Engleman told our school tour visitors.

Whether with Bookworms or Eureka Math, we attribute our success to the following:

• Implementing the curriculum with full fidelity, monitored via walkthroughs and observations
• Buy-in by staff and teacher commitment to implementing the curriculum, all of which came as a result of staff seeing positive changes early on
• Staff professional development focused on areas of need that are data-driven and teacher-directed
• Coaches and district office staff providing professional development and individual support to staff as needed
• Professional learning community meetings focused on the curriculum including instruction, data, and strengths/weaknesses
• Ensuring we stayed student-focused. From our data to student’s reactions to the curriculum, we wanted to ensure our students were engaged

Change does not happen overnight. The work we do as educators is not easy, but it is necessary. In each student there is greatness, and it is the job of the educator to find it. As we continue this journey, we are excited about the future for our students — and we remain committed to the process of change so that we can help students achieve their greatness.

“If you, as a district leader, are looking at the data and it’s not producing results, change it,” says Lavina Jones-Davis, Brandywine School District’s director of elementary education.

We invite our fellow educators to embrace the change that high-quality curriculum and curriculum-based professional learning can produce. You’ll be glad you did.

Tamara Grimes Stewart is the principal of Claymont Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware.