Participants at the DCMO BOCES Harrold Campus site listen as Dr. Betty A. Rosa, New York State Commissioner of Education, opens the NYS Literacy Initiative event. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH – Local school administrators and school literacy leaders attended a New York State Literacy Initiative event at locations across the state on Wednesday, January 10.

Meeting sites included both the DCMO BOCES Harrold Campus in Sidney Center and the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center in Norwich.

The event, organized by the New York State Education Department, was a hybrid webinar with in-person discussion and presentations, intended to provide school administrators and literacy leaders in the state with an opportunity to strengthen knowledge of evidence-based literacy practices in PK-12 education. There were 29 participants at the Harrold Campus, and 37 in attendance at the Norwich site.

At this event, the education department released a new series of literacy briefs via webinar that focus on the science of reading. The full-day event included an overview of the science of reading and each of the seven literacy briefs, with time to reflect and discuss with colleagues at each of the local sites. Attendees were welcomed by Dr. Betty A. Rosa, New York State Commissioner of Education.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Nonie K. Lesaux, Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Lesaux previously partnered with the Department on the series of Advanced Literacy Briefs published in 2017.

Staff from DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services facilitated the event and discussions at each site, and shared information about upcoming literacy-related professional learning workshops for area teachers to continue building their skills and knowledge in this important area.

To find out more about DCMO BOCES and its programs, visit www.dcmoboces.com.

– Information from DCMO BOCES