School districts are under enormous pressure to boost students’ reading skills, from early grades through high school. Many states and school systems are trying to invest in research-based strategies to make that happen. But beyond the work of teaching key skills, schools face a broader problem: How can teachers and school district leaders ensure students are reading enough?
School districts and individual educators are taking creative steps to build students’ reading stamina and grow their reading volume, from classroom strategies to public campaigns.
Join us to:
- Examine efforts to address the literacy challenges facing school districts around the country
- Explore the implications of various strategies for students, schools, and overall reading achievement
- See exclusive survey data on school districts’ experiences trying to encourage students to read
- Get research-backed strategies and ideas to bring back to your schools and districts
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Event Agenda
2:00pm ET
Welcome & Introduction
We’ll highlight key insights from Education Week reporting on reading, and give you a preview of the content to come in this event.
Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of teaching, learning, and curriculum.
2:10pm ET
Interactive Session | What Kinds of Public Campaigns Are School Districts Using to Get Student to Read?
What kinds of public campaigns to encourage students to read have proved effective, or are missing the mark? In this interactive session, you’ll learn from your peers as we hear from district and school leaders and educators in the audience.
Olina Banerji is a reporter for Education Week who covers school leadership.
2:20pm ET
Industry Perspective | Building Self-Efficacy: Fostering Academic Success
Sponsor content provided by McGraw Hill
While evidence-based practices and effective systems are key to improving literacy results, students must also be motivated to apply effort, persist through challenges, and achieve learning outcomes. Self-efficacy is a motivational theory backed by decades of research demonstrating significant achievement gains for students. Self-efficacy unlocks key behaviors, such as self-regulation, self-advocacy, and setting stretch goals. Identified as having a significant impact, learn how self-efficacy can support your students in their literacy journeys, no matter your curriculum or context.
While evidence-based practices and effective systems are key to improving literacy results, students must also be motivated to apply effort, persist through challenges, and achieve learning outcomes. Self-efficacy is a motivational theory backed by decades of research demonstrating significant achievement gains for students. Self-efficacy unlocks key behaviors, such as self-regulation, self-advocacy, and setting stretch goals. Identified as having a significant impact, learn how self-efficacy can support your students in their literacy journeys, no matter your curriculum or context.
Matt Strader
Senior Director of Academic Design,
McGraw Hill
Matt Strader, Ed.D. has served as a teacher, building administrator, and district leader for schools in Kansas City and New York City. In addition to his extensive work in academics and curriculum, Strader has coached teachers internationally and is a thought leader on effective motivational processes in digital instruction that support student achievement. Strader holds a Doctor of Education in curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M University. His research interests center on self-efficacy in digital learning.
2:30pm ET
Panel Discussion | Creating Classroom Routines to Boost Reading
Many educators and researchers see value in assigning whole-class novels, but with that choice comes an age-old problem: How can teachers get students to do the reading? Encouraging kids to persist through a book at home is only harder now, some teachers say, with a myriad of tech distractions at children’s fingertips. In this panel, we’ll talk with classroom educators about efforts to lead students toward reading whole books in succession, how to create a communal reading of books, and how these efforts can be nurtured at scale across school systems.
Sarah Schwartz is a reporter for Education Week who covers curriculum and instruction.
Jaime Johnson
7th Grade English & Language Arts Teacher,
Dr. Mary Kay Murphy Middle School, Gwinnett County Schools (GA)
Margaret Troyer
Director of Literacy Research & Development,
SERP Institute
3:15pm ET
Industry Perspective | Give Students Something Worth Figuring Out: Building a Culture of Reading
Sponsor content provided by Curriculum Associates
Students don’t build a love of reading because they’re told to read more. They build it when reading gives them something to figure out. This session explores how a compelling question can organize reading, discussion, and writing around ideas students want to understand. Drawing on research on knowledge building and conceptually connected texts, we’ll look at how inquiry gives students a reason to read closely, wrestle with complex ideas, and form interpretations of their own. Attendees will leave with practical ways to bring this approach to classrooms and districts.
Students don’t build a love of reading because they’re told to read more. They build it when reading gives them something to figure out. This session explores how a compelling question can organize reading, discussion, and writing around ideas students want to understand. Drawing on research on knowledge building and conceptually connected texts, we’ll look at how inquiry gives students a reason to read closely, wrestle with complex ideas, and form interpretations of their own. Attendees will leave with practical ways to bring this approach to classrooms and districts.
Sarah McClurg
Associate Vice President of Literacy Product Strategy,
Curriculum Associates
Sarah McClurg is Associate Vice President of Literacy Product Strategy at Curriculum Associates, working on K–12 literacy solutions used in classrooms nationwide. A former classroom teacher and literacy specialist with 20+ years in education, she is passionate about helping every student become a confident, engaged reader.
3:25pm ET
Q&A | Insider Tips From a School Librarian on How To Reach Even Reluctant Readers
Want to get students reading for pleasure? The resource may be hiding in plain sight. An enthusiastic, creative school librarian uses several strategies to hook students of all reading abilities and interests on pleasure reading. Meet Tom Bober, an elementary school librarian who’s doing just that, and his tips for you.
Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of teaching, learning, and curriculum.
Tom Bober
School Librarian & Former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress
Tom Bober is a school librarian, former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, Library Journal Mover and Shaker, speaker, and author. He promotes the love of reading and information and historical literacies.
3:55pm ET
Interactive Session | Building Students' Interest in Reading: What Our Surveys of Educators Show
We’ll take a deep dive into original surveys conducted by the EdWeek Research Center on school districts’ experiences trying to encourage students to read, and efforts to build their reading stamina.
Olina Banerji is a reporter for Education Week who covers school leadership.
4:05pm ET
Closing Thoughts & Key Takeaways
We’ll recap the big ideas and key insights from the event.
Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of teaching, learning, and curriculum.
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