ER&D Courses for Fall 2023 & Winter 2024

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School, Family and Community

Saturday Classes (four classes) February 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 2024

Instructor: William (Bill) Kostomiris

The primary function of this course is to help school staff understand how they can assist parents to better support their children as learners. Topics explored include: (1) using effective communication strategies to develop learning partnerships with families; (2) designing more productive homework assignments to involve families; (3) explaining classroom work and grading systems to parents; (4) developing school-wide parent involvement plans and (5) examining the role of school absenteeism on student learning.

English Language Learners 101

September 26 - October 10, 2023

Instructors: Kathie Waigand and Maria Gentole

This course is designed for K-12 mainstream or general education teachers and paraprofessionals of English language learners who have little to no information or preparation to work with this rapidly growing population of students. There are four sections (modules) that will include research-based information on second-language acquisition; information about the cultural, academic, and linguistic diversity of ELLs, and a range of strategies and skills to differentiate instruction for ELLs while maintaining academic rigor.

English Language Arts with Common Core

October 12 - October 26, 2023

Instructors: Kathie Waigand and Maria Gentoleo

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for ELA/Literacy were developed to provide clear and rigorous expectations, which progress across the grades, of what all students should know and be able to do to graduate with the literacy skills necessary to be college and career ready. Implementing the CCSS for ELA/Literacy will require major changes in teaching and learning: The text will be at the center of student learning, and students will be expected to delve deeply into comple texts and to demonstrate facility in reading, writing about and discussing that text. Teachers will need to understand well what the standards are, what instructional shifts are aligned to the standards, how to support students’ progress toward mastery of the standards, and how to determine and use CCSS-aligned resources. Participants will: Learn about the development and implementation of the CCSS. Learn about the standards and the major instructional shifts inherent in instruction designed to help students meet the standards. Discuss CCSS-aligned resources that can help build knowledge and support implementation of the ELA standards.

Reading Comprehension Instruction

Saturday Classes (four classes) September 30th October 7th, 14th and 21st, 2023

Instructor: Melinda Garcia

This course focuses on how children learn to read and the best ways to teach reading from kindergarten to the end of the primary grades.

Reclaiming Assessments 

November 2 - December 7, 2023

Instructor: Jeff Lowy

This class supports educators in elevating culturally responsive assessment practices that support high-quality instructional practices, providing classroom-based, day-to-day learning feedback to students and educators.

Thinking Math K-2

April 2 - May 2, 2024

Instructor: Denise Dunlop

Foundations 1

Saturdays (four classes) January 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th, 2024

Instructor: William (Bill) Kostomiris

The anti-social actions of a small but powerful number of students in school not only put their own academic success at risk but threaten the learning environment for everyone. This course presents research on emotional and behavioral problems of students who consistently act out. Participants will learn strategies to reduce and/or prevent the occurrence of disruptive or dangerous outbreaks.