Literacy

The New England Comprehensive Center (NECC) is one of 16 regional comprehensive centers that are federally funded to implement the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The NECC engages state education leaders in using research and best practice to meet the goals of NCLB. Our purpose is to design and deliver technical assistance services that meet education leaders’ priority needs, further the key initiatives of the U.S. Department of Education, and have the greatest potential for building states’ capacities to help districts and schools improve.

The Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction (SSIRI) project is a program of the Southern Sudan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST). It is funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and administered by Education Development Center (EDC). Four SSIRI activities provide learning opportunities for children, adults, and teachers in Southern Sudan.

The New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC) is one of 16 regional comprehensive centers that are federally funded to implement the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In doing so, NYCC engages the New York State Education Department in using research-based findings and rigorous evidence. The Center provides technical assistance services to meet the Department’s priority needs and further the key initiatives of the US Department of Education. Additionally, the NYCC works with the State on emerging needs based on new statutes and policy mandates.

The ERP/EQUIP1 program encourages systemwide reforms by experimenting at lower levels of the educational system (i.e., schools, community, and local government authorities) to test and demonstrate effective strategies for educational improvement. Egypt’s newly developed educational standards provide the framework for the reform overall and the project activities in particular.

IDEJEN is an EQUIP3 Associate Award which was launched in 2003 to provide education and job training for youth ages 15–24 with little to no formal education. IDEJEN provides program participants support in the areas of employability and skills training, basic and vocational education, job placement and small business development. In addition to working directly with youth, IDEJEN provides technical support to different government ministries and is assisting in the development of the National Youth Policy and the Policy on Nonformal Basic Education.

CSE, along with literacy consultants from the Tufts University Center for Applied Child Development, are nearing completion of a set of professional development materials to be published by Heinemann Press in the summer of 2009. The Connecting Science and Literacy Program (CSLP) is designed to enhance the understanding of this connection and its relationship to the development of scientific reasoning skills and conceptual understanding.

Malawi primary schools face issues of large classes, high repetition rates, and teachers who resort to lectures and other marginally effective rote learning techniques to teach crowded classrooms. The Malawi Tikwere! (Let’s go up!) program uses interactive radio instruction (IRI) broadcasts to address these issues and bring student-centered instruction to primary schools countrywide.

CCT is evaluating New Mexico’s statewide implementation of the Reading First program, the literacy component of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The primary goal of the New Mexico Reading First (NMRF) initiative is to improve students’ literacy skills by changing how teachers address literacy in grades K–3. New Mexico hopes to improve student achievement in literacy by providing intensive professional development to teachers, helping districts select quality reading programs and materials, engaging in ongoing assessment, and ensuring curriculum coherence across grade levels.

The Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program is designed to increase opportunities for students and teachers to learn about and use information technologies within the contexts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The program supports both youth-based projects with strong emphases on career and educational paths, and comprehensive projects for students and teachers.