800.632.0094
The CLSD Grant is provided and monitored by the California Department of Education as a way to improve literacy for 6th-12th graders in our region and state.
The California Department of Education (CDE) was awarded $37.5 million in CLSD grant funds to leverage and expand existing statewide infrastructure, guidance, and expertise to bring coherence to the system of literacy supports to improve student outcomes over a period of five years.
The CLSD Priority 6 Readership Project seeks to build school capacity for effective literacy and comprehensive English Language Development (ELD) for English Learners (ELs), including opportunities to develop biliteracy and primary language instruction whenever possible as well as to strengthen family support and involvement in literacy. The grant provides teachers in 6 counties a community of practice where school teams learn together and individually about these topics, try new ideas in their classrooms and examine the effectiveness of the changes.
7-course Comprehensive Literacy State Development program
Please Note: Registration for all seven courses is currently closed as they have reached full capacity.
Basic Tools For Continuous Improvement in Literacy
In this course, you will learn about the basics of continuous improvement as you investigate your classroom or school literacy system. You will also determine a problem of practice and work to develop a system to improve one aspect of the system through a PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) cycle. In addition, you will learn to utilize one data measure during the course to enhance improvement efforts.
Using Culturally Diverse Texts
Broaden social consciousness by building an understanding for the inclusion of culturally diverse texts in classroom reading and discussions. Through various activities, you will recognize the need for providing opportunities for learners to see themselves in books they read independently and with others. Topics covered in this course describe the value of creating classroom libraries that welcome all learners’ voices in order to build awareness and connections.
Developing Community Literacy Access
To improve literacy, students need access to books. One way to achieve this is through schools partnering with families and the community. Through this course, you will learn how to engage families in literacy activities outside the classroom. Avenues to reading opportunities in the home and community book access, such as Little Libraries, will be identified. The absence of books in the home means students and families are not reading outside of school. Building a relationship between school, family, and community can shift the future of students living in a book desert to living a readerly life.
Parent and Family Partnerships
In this course, you will look closely at the potential impact of connections between parents (and families) with schools on student outcomes. You will learn about how a welcoming environment, positive communication, and strategic approaches can aid in forming these connections as you ultimately create a plan for a family literacy event at your school.
Language Development to Support Literacy
In middle grades and high school, the language demands become exponentially more difficult. English learners face additional challenges, especially with context and background knowledge. Literacy becomes dependent upon higher levels of language proficiency as background information and knowledge of the world are increasingly important. In this course, you will take a granular view of the language demands in order to understand why reading fluency is key to comprehension.
Setting Up and Implementing Effective Book Clubs for Grades 6–12
To enhance literacy, students need meaningful reading discussions. This course explores the advantages of classroom book clubs and offers strategies for forming them. Students will discover how to foster a community of book clubs, encouraging collaborative goal-setting and improving reading skills. By promoting literary discourse, we not only boost reading achievement but also cultivate a nurturing environment for diverse perspectives and a love of reading.
Standards Aligned Conferring With Readers in Grades 6-12
In this course, you will examine the potential impact of parent and family connections with schools on student outcomes. You will gain insights into creating a welcoming environment, fostering positive communication, and implementing strategic approaches to strengthen these connections. By the end of the course, you will develop a comprehensive plan for organizing a family literacy event at your school.
FAQ
The tuition for these courses are funded by the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant and payment is not required.
Yes, upon completion of the course, you will earn graduate-level professional development credit and can request a transcript. Graduate-level professional development credits are not part of a degree program but instead are primarily used for professional advancement such as salary increment steps and recertification. Students should seek approval from appropriate district officials before enrolling in these courses.
Yes, courses are fully online and self-paced (perfect for working professionals).
The courses are intended for 6-12th grade teachers, teacher candidates, school administrators, and para-educators.
All University of Massachusetts Global programs are accredited by WSCUC, assuring that the University meets quality standards established by the U.S. Department of Education. Explore the additional program and professional accreditations UMass Global holds. Read More: www.umassglobal.edu/about-umassglobal/accreditations
Please email the School of Extended Education at exed@umassglobal.edu or call (800) 632-0094.