Presented by Laura Beaver, District Title 1 Facilitator, Cleveland County Schools (NC); Pati Montgomery, Founder and President, Schools Cubed; Kevin Hansford, Superintendent, Kingman-Norwich Unified School District 331 (KS); and Stacy Hurst, Chief Academic Advisor at Reading Horizons and Assistant Professor of Reading at Southern Utah University

Sponsored by Reading Horizons

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Watch this edLeader Panel for a robust look at the Science of Reading in action. Our distinguished panel includes district curriculum directors, curriculum developers, and panel leader Stacy Hurst, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University and Chief Academic Advisor at Reading Horizons.

From the implementation of reading science practices in early elementary education to evolving teacher training and professional development approaches, this edLeader Panel helps site and district-level leaders gain valuable perspectives. How and when do you transform early literacy instruction and teacher practice? Can we actually achieve reading proficiency for students by the end of third grade? What kinds of training, resources, and implementation strategies will schools and districts need for success? The session also explores the role of technology-embedded instructional methods for both students and teachers. If you’re curious about what’s new and what’s next in reading science and how to evaluate programs, products, and professional learning, this session gives you insights, affirmation, and practical steps to take now.

This recorded edLeader Panel is of interest to teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, education technology leaders, and curriculum leaders of all grade levels.

About the Presenters

Laura Beaver has a Master of Arts degree in elementary education (K-6) with Academically Gifted (K-12) licensures. Her teaching career spans 25+ years and she has more than 15 years’ experience training educators at the school, district, and state levels in literacy instruction, MTSS implementation, and family engagement. In addition, Laura is a published author, co-writing parent involvement children’s books with embedded reading strategies. She also develops and presents family engagement workshops and events that assist schools in engaging and sharing effective strategies for families to use at home with their children.

Pati Montgomery’s education background includes being a teacher and administrator with underserved populations, special education administrator, author, national educational consultant specializing in principal and school leadership development, and collaborator with state departments of education as well as teacher effectiveness and union-management collaboration teams. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Literacy for the Colorado Department of Education where she was responsible for the implementation of the READ Act. Pati has worked with school principals and superintendents across the country on effective school practices. Her work is steeped in the belief that ALL students can attain high achievement and focuses on school populations comprised of highly diverse learners. She is the lead author of the book entitled A Principal’s Primer for Raising Reading Achievement. The book is a guide for principals and school leaders that highlights efficient systems and structures necessary for schoolwide improvement in performance.

Kevin Hansford is the Superintendent of the Kingman-Norwich Unified School District 331 in Kingman, Kansas. Prior to his appointment as the district’s superintendent, he served as the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning for the Leavenworth USD 453 in Leavenworth, KS. He has served as an elementary school principal and an elementary classroom teacher. Kevin earned his Master of Arts degree in school leadership from Baker University and his undergraduate degree from Pittsburg State University. Kevin’s perspectives on transforming literacy teaching and learning stem from his experiences as a classroom teacher, building leader, and district administrator. His work as a superintendent who is committed to making sure all students can reach at grade level will inspire and motivate educators at all levels to rethink and reenergize literacy instruction at every level.

Stacy Hurst has degrees in sociology and elementary education and reading and has Advanced Reading and ESL Endorsements. In over 20 years as an educator, she has been a first-grade teacher, ELL teacher, literacy coach, reading specialist, and now a university professor. Her extensive experience includes teaching reading, coordinating interventions for struggling readers, coaching teachers, implementing blended learning, and training thousands of teachers on effective literacy instruction. Stacy is the chief academic officer at Reading Horizons, an assistant professor of teacher education at Southern Utah University, and the co-author of Reading Horizons Discovery®.

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Reading Horizons supports educators with powerful tech-enabled foundational reading instruction that helps all students reach reading proficiency by the end of third grade. For nearly 40 years, the Reading Horizons method has aligned to the evolution of the science of reading, empowering more than 50,000 educators with evidence-based teaching strategies to prevent and remediate reading difficulties. Reading momentum begins with Reading Horizons.