Last month, ILA unveiled Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 (Standards 2017), the first-ever set of national standards guiding the preparation of literacy professionals. Developed by literacy experts across the United States, Standards 2017 establishes criteria for literacy professional preparation programs across the country anddescribes what candidates for the literacy profession should know and be able to do in professional settings.

Several sessions at the ILA 2018 Conference, taking place in Austin, TX, July 20–23, tie to Standards 2017 in terms of its topics or roles. In this three-part blog series, Standards 2017 project cochairs Rita M. Bean, University of Pittsburgh, PA, and Diane E. Kern, University of Rhode Island, identify sessions you don’t want to miss:

Add these Friday offerings to your schedule*:

• Institute 01: ILA 2018 Research Institute: Best Practices in the Teaching of Reading: Led by researchers in the field, this all-keynote course will address foundational knowledge (a Standards 2017 topic), or theoretical, historical, and evidence-based underpinnings of literacy and how that translates into best practice.
• Institute 02: Principals’ Leadership for Literacy Instruction: It Matters: This course is designed to provide elementary school principals (a Standards 2017 role) with the knowledge and skills for enhancing the literacy capacity of their programs and faculty to raise both student achievement and student involvement in reading and writing.
• Institute 03: Coaching for Comprehensive Literacy Improvement: A District-Wide Approach: Geared toward literacy coaches (also a Standards 2017 role), this course is focused on developing schools’ capacity for literacy instruction. Attendees will engage in a series of activities to learn about the Middle School Quality Initiative’s coaching log system, program-wide fidelity assessment measure, and strategies for successful coaching models.

Don’t miss Bean and Kern’s workshop, ILA/CAEP Reading/Literacy Specialist Program Writers and Reviewers. Alongside researchers, teacher educators, and CAEP representatives, they’ll provide an overview of standards and the key changes; review model assessments, rubrics, and scoring guides; and share the most recent developments from CAEP. Attendees are encouraged to bring sample assessments and questions. Individual 30-minute consultations will be available.

*Please note: Both Institute Day and the ILA/CAEP Workshop require an additional fee and are not included in the cost of registration for Core Conference.

Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 is available here.

Alina O'Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.