The Center has been engaged in over 30 years of innovative, research-based, system-wide educational improvement efforts. We have partnered with thousands of schools to improve literacy outcomes for children.
The Center offers a variety of professional learning opportunities appropriate for individuals and school cohorts. Some offerings include courses that earn graduate credit from Lesley University.
Mission & Goals
The mission of the Center for Reading Recovery & Literacy Collaborative at Lesley University is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to live a literate life. For the past 30 years, we have successfully adapted to the ever-changing educational landscape and fulfilled our mission by:
- Partnering with schools to improve literacy outcomes for children, especially those in marginalized subgroups and children who struggle to read and write
- Developing innovative, research-based, system-wide educational improvement efforts
- Promoting the trademarked, evidenced-based models, Reading Recovery & Literacy Collaborative
- Offering a variety of professional learning opportunities for individuals and school cohorts
Our Expertise & Impact
The Center’s faculty is composed of a select group of highly experienced scholar practitioners trained in Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. As former classroom teachers, literacy coaches, and school-based interventionists, they spend time in our partner schools and are able to speak to the needs of practicing educators in accessible, realistic and effective ways. Our faculty trainers and leadership are supported by a project management team.
Research & Development
Throughout the Center’s 30 year history, we have developed and tested innovative approaches to school improvement and continue to do so. As a national leader in high quality literacy education, we have demonstrated success in changing the trajectory for students and schools across the country. Our track record of intensive, research-based offerings are responsive to school needs and the latest scholarship related to literacy learning. The Center’s work has been independently evaluated and found to have positive effects for students and teachers.
The Center’s in-house doctoral level researcher who provides ongoing feedback about improvement for students, teachers, and schools and is responsible for building capacity of educators to use data to inform decision-making.
The Center has a history of high-profile partnership grants and contracts such as the U.S. Department of Education, Spencer Foundation, and the Tennessee Department of Education. We have won federal, state, local grants and contracts, as well as attracted private funders to support research and development of a number of our programs.
Services & Offerings
We provide ongoing learning opportunities for teachers, literacy coaches and school administrators with an ultimate goal of continuous school improvement. These offerings are delivered on-campus at Lesley, on-line and on-site at a school or district.
Our offerings are specifically designed to meet the needs of district and school leadership, literacy coaches, classroom teachers, and interventionists. Training ranges in emphasis from fundamentals to in-depth learning in the areas of literacy teaching, leadership and coaching, and literacy intervention.
Noncredit and graduate credit options are available for select offerings.
For a full list of upcoming professional learning opportunities, click here.
