Last month, AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation announced that it is launching a series of workshops to bring together a diverse group of local practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders in the community to participate in DC LINKS (Leaders Investing in our Nation's Kids). These workshops will introduce members of our community to AppleTree’s comprehensive instructional model called Every Child Ready.

In 2010, Every Child Ready was awarded one of only 49 federal Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) awards (See our blog about it here) and was the only D.C. based organization implementing a program in the nation's capital that was selected for funding. The model has shown extraordinarily strong results in providing those most at risk of educational failure with the language, literacy, math and social-emotional skills they will need to succeed in school and life, to help close the achievement gap before children enter kindergarten.

AppleTree will lead four interactive workshops from 4:00-5:30pm at PNC Place, followed by a networking reception for attendees.

Workshop topics are:

•    Workshop #1 (January 25, 2012): “Teaching That Matters: Core Attributes and Professional Development to Prepare All Children in All Settings for Success in School” – Discusses the observable skills and practices that effective teachers demonstrate consistently.

•    Workshop #2 (March 28, 2012): “Are We There Yet? Continuous Improvement for Practitioners” – Provides a tool that instructional leaders can implement to assess and support teacher effectiveness.

•    Workshop #3 (April 11, 2012): “‘Every Child Ready’ for the Common Core: Aligning Child Outcomes with Elementary Expectations” – Provides a framework for organizing and implementing instruction to prepare children for the Common Core.

•    Workshop #4 (May 16, 2012): “Leading the Way: Catalyzing Systemic Change in Early Care and Education Programs” – Discusses the processes and resources necessary to support change in existing early childhood programs.

If you are interested in attending one or more workshops, please complete this survey to reserve a spot.