The Secondary Literacy Institute (SLI) at Teachers College, Columbia University promotes a whole-school approach to professional development. Initial professional development sessions are used to assess needs, co-develop a whole-school Work Plan, and to design and establish rituals and routines that mutually enhance whole-school literacy practices and facilitate consensus-building. SLI-led programs are co-created and we work one-on-one with teachers and administrators to support students' understanding of literacies specific to each discipline.
PD activities include, but are not limited to: School-based Consultation; Study & Focus Groups for Teachers and School Leaders; Workshops, Institutes, and Seminars; the development of Classroom Labsites; and Ongoing Assessment of PD Programs and Literacy programs. Consultants facilitate the planning and implementation of classroom literacy instruction, providing classroom support through demonstration and co-teaching, observation and feedback cycles, and the development of several classroom lab sites within each school. To augment the school-based work, our program offers Network and Region-level workshops, seminars, and coursework on request throughout the Academic Year.
Founding Director: Professor Ruth Vinz
Associate Director: Britta Van Dun
Administrative Assistant: Jaime Lynn Quackenbush