“Literacy is not for the fortunate few. It is the right of EVERY child. Teaching children to read is not the responsibility of a chosen few. It is the responsibility of every teacher, every administrator and every parent.” — David Bouchard, 2001
Literacy is foundational to navigating complex text in all subject areas from Kindergarten to grade 12 and beyond. Consequently, principals and school leaders need to be well-versed as literacy instructional leaders in order to assess, evaluate and influence instructional practice to positively impact student achievement and to support teachers with effective literacy programming. Developing efficacy in literacy leadership will enable principals and school leaders to communicate more effectively with parents and other educational stakeholders in articulating an understanding of literacy programming within their school. As a result, this will enhance school leaders’ ability to facilitate and support teachers in their ability to improve student achievement through literacy best practices.
This series is intended for principals, assistant principals, and other school leaders to further an understanding of important considerations that support literacy programming and instruction. This professional cohort will provide opportunities to discuss, analyze, reflect and strategize to meet the literacy needs of diverse school contexts.
Key features of the series will include:
- Direct connections between literacy instructional leadership to the -Leadership Quality Standard, Alberta Education competencies and K to 12 literacy progressions and curriculum
- Assessment of current literacy programs and practices
- Research-based foundational literacy principles that span K-12
- Data collection to inform classroom practice
- Alignment of literacy instruction to critical thinking and metacognitive skills
- Navigation of instructional coaching
- Processes for solving problems of practice and collaboration
- Practical applications for job-embedded practice with accountability
- Creation of a school-based vision for literacy specific to participants’ context
- Opportunities for optional after school sessions to address problems of practice as a cohort
Target Audience
School-based Administrators; Principals/Assistant Principals
Also Recommended For
Instructional/ Learning Coaches; District Leaders/Consultant; Department Heads; Lead teachers
Susan Woo has been a teacher for over 20 years. She has her Masters in Educational Leadership and is passionate about literacy and student engagement in the classroom. She served as a curriculum coordinator in Edmonton Public Schools for six years where she supported teachers in all four divisions in the areas of literacy intervention, professional development, and assessment. Susan has taught all subjects in grades 7 to 9, high school English Language Arts, and literacy intervention classes from K-12. She is currently on secondment with the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium and is proud to support teachers in the areas of K-12 Literacy.
Irene Heffel is a literacy consultant and educator with over 35 years of experience at all levels. She has worked with both elementary and secondary teachers to implement best practices in literacy, assessment and backward design.