Advancing language and literacy
CAREIALL stands at the cutting edge of evidence-based literacy instruction
On May 24, 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act into law. Its ambitious goal is to have every child reading at or above grade level every year.
One of the requirements of the new legislation was to identify three professional learning programs that school districts could choose from to train teachers on evidence-based literacy practices. CEHD’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) was named one of the three.
CAREI works with Minnesota schools and other agencies interested in applied educational research. “Because CAREI offers services in the area of literacy and there is a need for more options to provide training to teachers, we decided to build our own program,” says Kim Gibbons, CAREI director.
That program, launched last May, is CAREIALL (Advancing Language and Literacy), a virtual, comprehensive professional development course. Participants in the program learn about the latest evidence-based practices in literacy instruction and the research that supports those practices. Gibbons serves as the principal investigator of the project.
“CAREIALL is designed to give all teachers, K-12, the knowledge they need to implement structured literacy in their classrooms,” says Laura Woolf, the project’s lead developer.
CAREIALL’s largest competitor, LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) involves between 132 to 168 hours for teachers to complete training. “CAREIALL requires around 60 hours,” Gibbons says. “We thought that designing a professional learning program that was less intensive, but intensive enough for classroom teachers would fill a needed gap.”
To create the program, CAREI worked with CEHD’s newly formed Office of Business Professional Development (OBPD), which provides expert guidance and
Advancing language and literacy CAREIALL stands at the cutting edge of evidence-based literacy instruction services for non-credit professional development programs. “Our offerings include processing continuing education units, creating digital badges to recognize learning achievements, and assisting with course design and development,” says
OBPD Director Jessica McLain. “In working with CAREIALL, my team met with subject matter experts to organize their content and ensure knowledge checks and the overall learner experience to create a high-quality, adult learning-focused professional development course inside Canvas. Creating CAREIALL within Canvas allows CAREI to achieve greater access to school districts across Minnesota.”
Wendy Stuttgen, CAREI’s associate director of literacy, was given the task of drafting the CAREIALL course outline and has been involved in the iterative development process and coordination across internal and external teams for CAREIALL since its inception. “It’s been quite the journey, and it has come a long way since then,” she says. “The goals of CAREIALL are to empower educators with evidence-based structured literacy practices that they can apply to their classroom instruction, support ongoing professional development, and ultimately promote improved literacy outcomes for all students.”
The latest in literacy instruction
Participants in CAREIALL learn the latest in literacy instruction through eight asynchronous modules covering topics such as phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, and take part in live, synchronous sessions in small cohorts.
Woolf says CAREIALL is designed to provide all teachers not only the knowledge of structured literacy but also to help them transition into the initial steps of implementation of the science. “It is one thing to know the science, but it is the application of the science that creates transformative change for students, their families, and educators,” she says. “Our unique approach that partners knowledge with practice ensures that educators make the critical step to implementation. While CAREIALL is not a curriculum, it does provide educators scaffolded classroom support throughout the course, mentoring each step of the way, and leadership cultivation and support to yield success.”
So far, there are over 6,000 educators from most Minnesota school districts engaged with CAREIALL and the results have been positive. “Educators have expressed appreciation for the program’s structured, evidence-based approach to literacy, which has helped them strengthen their understanding and application of structured literacy practices in the classroom,” Stuttgen says.
Educators are also pleased with CAREIALL’s willingness to be adaptive.
“We are small enough to be nimble,” Woolf says. “As such, we have been able to customize requests from districts and adjust when necessary. The need for customized data analysis is something that has been a focus.”
Gibbons also notes that CAREIALL has been asked to develop a module specific to school administrators and is continually discussing adding new populations such as early childhood. And as the program grows, she hopes that it can expand outside of Minnesota and have a national impact. Woolf says that CAREIALL is destined to grow in outreach and is always seeking new partnership opportunities.
“The future of CAREIALL is all about growing and adapting to better support educators,” Stuttgen says. “By working closely with state and regional partners, we’ll continue to improve the program based on feedback to ensure it stays relevant and aligned with current research.
CAREIALL will empower educators to apply evidence-based literacy practices aligned with structured literacy in their classrooms, leading to positive impacts on literacy outcomes.”
Stuttgen adds that a heartfelt thanks goes out to those whose hard work and commitment has earned CAREIALL’s positive feedback. “This success is a true reflection of the dedication, creativity, and effort put in by the entire CAREIALL staff, who have invested countless hours in creating and refining this program,” she says.
“It is truly a team effort, and we couldn’t be prouder of all that’s been accomplished by this small, yet mighty team.”
—KEVIN MOE
Learn more: z.umn.edu/CAREIALL
This is why we give: The Mooty family This is why we give: The Mooty family
David Mooty’s family history inspires his commitment to helping Minnesotans outside the metro area have equal access to opportunities. David’s father John was born in Adrian...
