MANSFIELD, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)— The Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center’s (MOESC) Adolescent Literacy Network is making a significant impact in its second year, with 50 teachers and administrators from eight school districts currently enrolled in the program.
The network brings together teams of administrators and teachers in various disciplines, including math, science, social studies, English Language Arts (ELA), health and physical education, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. The goal is to explore aspects of leadership and evidence-based instructional practices that leverage literacy across content areas.
Catherine Puster, Director of Educational Programs at Crestview Local Schools, praised the program for sparking rich conversations among teachers and administrators regarding district goals. “Our teachers who have already utilized the explicit instruction of academic vocabulary have observed positive results!” Puster said.
The AL Network’s influence is being witnessed at a district level. Kori Beasley, a math teacher at Mansfield City Schools, expressed her strong belief in the program. “I am so glad to be a part of the leadership team to help my colleagues understand ways to better incorporate literacy strategies in their own classrooms,” Beasley said.
Danny Logan, a social studies teacher at Mansfield City Schools, explained how the team is able to help their colleagues use the learned strategies. “Our Adolescent Literacy team has been given the time during building professional development to bring useful and valuable information back to our colleagues so all of our teachers can have the opportunity to help students flourish in reading and writing in the classroom,” Logan said.
Samantha Mowry, a sixth-grade teacher at Highland Local Schools and new AL Network participant, shared her experience as both a learner and a student. “It is a powerful experience to be both a learner and be able to lead and share what I do at the same time. I have already applied what I’ve learned to my own classroom,” Mowry said.
The network has met twice this school year already and will meet again in December, February, and May with three main program outcomes in mind: intentionally raise up teacher leaders in each content area, build capacity in the school system regarding disciplinary literacy in the adolescent grades, and invest in high impact practices rooted in evidence to improve student outcomes.
Danya Davis, Literacy Consultant, explained the impact the AL Network has seen already. “The network is in its second year, and attending teacher leaders are emerging as impactful leaders within their respective districts. We are seeing a framework for peer coaching come to life within the districts,” Davis said.
Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow, and Richland Counties.