Social-Emotional Health is Key in Student Success

by Rafael Otto | Apr 13, 2022 | Podcast, Successful Students, Early School Success

In the latest Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto speaks with Rosalie Sumsion.
Sumsion is a reading specialist at McBride Elementary in the St. Helens school district, working with small groups of readers throughout the day. She is also part of the Early School Success Team, a group of teachers working in collaboration the the Children’s Institute to address challenges within their school and district. Sumsion focuses on students’ social-emotional learning and works on finding ways to ensure every student is successful and feels great about coming to school.

Guest

Rosalie Sumsion works half-time as a Title 1 Reading teacher and half-time as a RTI (Response to Intervention) Coach. As a Title 1 teacher, Sumsion works with small groups of students to advance their reading skills. As McBride’s RTI coach, she works alongside teachers to model good instruction, provides training on the delivery of interventions, and leads staff in the growth of effective instructional practices. She is instrumental in the organization of McBride’s school-wide assessment by training assessors, preparing materials, providing data to teachers and assisting with data analysis. In addition to her teaching duties, Sumsion gives presentations at staff meetings, facilitates MD-PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) meetings, and guides discussions on academic interventions and growth factors.

Summary

Rosalie Sumsion kicks off the podcast with a story about how she got into teaching and discusses the McBride school community. She also shares inspiration about the children she works with and talks about her work as a reading specialist, and her involvement working with Children’s Institute’s Early School Success initiative. Rafael asks why she became a teacher, the state of the McBride school community, and an inspirational story about the kids she has worked with. She also discusses the important of social-emotional learning in the classroom.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Rafael Otto: This is the Early Link Podcast. I’m Rafael Otto. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Rosalie Sumsion,a teacher at McBride Elementary in the St. Helens school district. She is a reading specialist working with small groups of readers throughout her day, and she is also part of the early school success team. This is a team of teachers working in collaboration with staff at Children’s Institute to wrestle with big problems or big challenges within their school and within their districts. Some of those are focused on social-emotional learning and working on ways to make sure that every student feels great when they come to school, and is successful. Rosalie, welcome to the podcast.

[00:00:41] Rosalie Sumsion: Thank you so much. It’s a pleasure to be here.

[00:00:43] Rafael Otto: Yeah. It’s great to have you here. I love talking with teachers and I wonder if you could just start by telling me the story of why you became a teacher.

[00:00:51] Rosalie Sumsion: Okay. So honestly, I didn’t. That was not my plan. I did not want to become a teacher.

[00:00:56] Rafael Otto: That… that happens, sometimes…

[00:00:59] Rosalie Sumsion: So, my mother was a teacher and she taught second grade. She was a lovely, amazing teacher. She’d come home every day around 4:30 or 5, and she would just lie on the couch. She’d watch M*A*S*H-

[00:01:13] Rafael Otto: She was like, I’m done. I’m done, I need a break.

[00:01:15] Rosalie Sumsion: She’s done. But then she’d kind of get her second wind and, you know, do her
thing and… she loved her job. She just was always doing fun things with her kids. So, she was totally into it. But I was a musician, and I played the piano and I wanted to become a piano teacher. And I actually did two or three years in piano pedagogy.

But then I just had a big change of focus or whatever. I realized that my heart was in school. I love school. I love what it stands for, and I still have a few piano students on the side. I love that too. But I just love the idea of, school is community and it’s an amazing place for kids to grow and learn and I’m really happy to be a part of that.

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ESS Early Learning Academy: Supporting Transitions through an Anti-Bias Lens

by Ashley Walker | Jul 2, 2021 | Professional Learning, Videos, Early School Success, Equity

“I think we need to change our view of parents from being ‘extra work for teachers’ to ‘assets to the classroom community’,” said one attendee of last week’s Early Learning Academy, which brought together district teams from around the state to examine their back-to-school transition processes through the lenses of anti-bias and culturally responsive practice.

Another participant added, “Family engagement is not about what information the school can effectively deliver to families. It is about eliminating barriers so that schools can receive authentic information from families,” as a basis for co-constructing the best learning environment for every child.

The session opened with an introduction from Brian Berry, superintendent of Yoncalla School District, and Erin Helgren, the CI site liaison for Yoncalla Early Works, who spoke about the ways anti-bias practices have shaped the work they’ve done even in a rural, mostly white community. Truly, an anti-bias approach creates collaboration and partnership with families that leads to improved outcomes for every student and a stronger community for all, while also addressing systemic inequities head-on.

The session was keynoted by Dr. Tonia Durden and Dr. Iheoma Iruka, two of the authors of the book, Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms. They shared a wealth of information about the historical and systemic factors that have shaped schools’ interactions with racially and economically marginalized students and families, and highlighted meaningful shifts in classroom and school culture that allow students and parents to engage fully, so that every student is able to reach their potential.

Following the keynote, district teams participated in facilitated planning sessions, working together to apply their learning from the morning to back-to-school transition plans for the coming school year. This work will be ongoing, with districts receiving coaching from the Early School Success (ESS) team throughout the year.

Additional Resources

Professional Development Resource List Developed by Drs. Durden & Iruka

Links to Related Content

Podcast: Anti-Bias Education in Action

Podcast: Anti-Bias Education in Early Childhood

Podcast: Foregrounding Racial Equity in Early Childhood

A Glimpse of How Yoncalla’s Youngest Learners Spend Their Day

ESS Early Learning Academy: School Transitions with an Anti-Bias Lens

by Ashley Walker | Jun 9, 2021 | Professional Learning, Early School Success, Announcements, COVID-19, Equity

As Oregon schools prepare to move into the fall of 2021, the Early School Success team at CI is planning its first ever Early Learning Academy, inviting district teams from around the state to examine educational transitions through an anti-bias lens, with a focus on the love and care that teachers, students, families, and entire school communities need as they continue to move through the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Academy will begin with a kick-off event on Wednesday, June 23, featuring keynotes from Dr. Iheoma Iruka and Dr. Tonia Durden, two authors of the book Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms. This event has recently been opened to the public! If you are interested in attending, you can register here by 4pm on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

We’re incredibly honored to welcome our keynote speakers.

Tonia Durden, Ph.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor and Birth-5 Program Coordinator within the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University. Dr. Durden’s primary scholarship and research trajectory focuses on support of African American children’s socio-cultural development. Her goal is to create racially equitable learning experiences for children of color. As a teacher educator and researcher, the focus of her work includes preparing pre-service and in-service teachers to become culturally competent master teachers. Dr. Durden’s professional work and scholarship can be categorized into three core areas of focus: Early Childhood Education (curriculum and program development); racial educational equity (research to professional practice); and Early Childhood Systems Engagement (strategic partnerships and equitable systems building). Dr. Durden is committed to using teacher education and research as an informative vehicle towards helping develop educators and leaders who become culturally responsive change agents and advocates in their classrooms and communities.

Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy, a Fellow at the Frank Porter Graham, Child Development Institute (FPG), and Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at FPG (the Coalition) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Through the Coalition, Dr. Iruka is leading projects and initiatives focused on how evidence-informed policies, systems, and practices in the early years can support the optimal development and experiences of minoritized children and children from low-income households and communities. Her work focuses on ensuring that children start off well, through family engagement and support, quality rating and improvement systems, and early care and education systems and programs. Dr. Iruka focuses on ensuring excellence for young diverse learners, especially Black children and their families, through the intersection of anti-bias, anti-racist, culturally grounded research, program, and policy. Dr. Iruka serves and has served on numerous national and local boards and committees, including the Brady Education Foundation, Trust for Learning, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees, the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, and the Nation Advisory Committee for the U.S. Census Bureau.

She has a B.A. in Psychology from Temple University, an M.A. in Psychology from Boston University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from the University of Miami, FL.

Guests are able to register for the June 23 kick-off session. District teams who have committed to a deeper, long-term engagement with the material will receive coaching throughout the 2021-22 school year.

Children’s Institute would like to thank the Ford Family Foundation and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation for making this event possible.

More From Dr. Iruka and Dr. Durden

Iheoma Iruka Strives to Make Racial Equity ‘the Air We Breathe’ at FPG

A Shield of Armor

Be Aware: Confronting My -isms

Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Culture

Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Beliefs

Be Intentional: Culturally Relevant Teaching — My Teaching

Dear CRT: Creating Culturally Relevant Classroom Environments

Dear CRT: Responsive Interactions

Scappoose, St. Helens, and Lincoln County School Districts Join Early School Success Partnership

by Ashley Walker | Apr 28, 2021 | News, Early School Success, Announcements

What is ESS?

The Early School Success initiative (ESS) is Children’s Institute’s response to research which finds that children have the best outcomes when they receive developmentally appropriate, aligned instruction from preschool through the elementary grades. Developed out of the lessons we’ve learned through Early Works, ESS is a partnership. ESS partner districts are provided with consultation, professional development, and coaching to help them strengthen and align preschool and elementary learning experiences and develop deeper, more effective partnerships with families.

Though most education reform efforts and professional learning opportunities for educators focus on grades 3–12, we know that changing student outcomes and closing opportunity gaps requires a transformational shift in how we think about and approach education in the early years. The state of Oregon recognizes that “the greatest gains are achieved when the services and instruction children receive are well aligned and structured to build on one another.” ESS exists to support educators and communities to make this valuable alignment possible.

ESS Expands to Include Rural Districts

ESS launched in 2019 with Beaverton and Forest Grove School Districts as its first partners. As these two districts enter their third year, CI has sought to expand the program. We’re pleased to announce that we will be working with Lincoln County, St. Helens, and Scappoose School Districts to bring ESS work into Oregon’s rural context.

Through a rigorous application process that included input from district leadership, teachers, parents, and other members of the school communities, these district partners were chosen based on demonstrated commitment to early learning, the value of partnership, and existing work toward racial equity.

“With the vision that all young children and their families will thrive, the Scappoose and St. Helens School Districts are thrilled to be able to build upon the early childhood landscapes within our communities,” says Jen Stearns, director of student achievement for Scappoose SD. “Our partnership with Children’s Institute and the Early School Success Grant will empower us to serve more students effectively, encourage parent engagement, and support the alignment of dynamic instruction from preschool through 2nd grade. This is an exciting time to be serving the students and families in Columbia County.”

Dr. Katie Barrett, director of elementary education at Lincoln County SD said, “Our district is immensely pleased to have the opportunity to work with Children’s Institute on the Early School Success project. We recognize the need and importance of aligning our early learning program with our elementary program, and this grant will allow us to continue to strengthen this alignment as we build sustainable systems and structures that can be replicated in all four areas of our district. We are grateful for the recognition of the work we have begun here in Lincoln County School District, and look forward to our partnership with Children’s Institute.”

Beyond Fadeout: Why Preschool to Elementary School Alignment Matters

by TES_CIWebmaster | Feb 8, 2021 | Benefits of Preschool, Featured Programs, Instructional Alignment, Preschool, Research and Evaluation, Early School Success

The news about the long-term benefits of preschool in recent years has been somewhat contradictory. Widely reported studies have suggested that gains in language, literacy, and math skills from preschool programs like Head Start appear to “fadeout” by third grade. This led some to question the worth of public preschool programs: if the skills young children gain in preschool aren’t sustained in elementary school, then why keep investing and expanding them?

The reality is more complex. Recent research conducted by MDRC and the University of Michigan in Boston shows that preschool (or prekindergarten) programs boost literacy and math skills for young children. It also shows that most children who do not participate in preschool tend to “catch up” to their peers in elementary school. Kindergarten, it turns out, is a pivotal year. It is the year when most fadeout occurs, and the year when skills among students with or without preschool tend to converge. That’s why the issue of preschool fadeout is directly connected to the learning experience children have in kindergarten, and why there is a growing movement to use known strategies to ensure that the academic, social, and health benefits of preschool last.

Beyond Fadeout To do that, the transition between preschool and elementary school needs to be stronger, more intentional, and more closely aligned. This approach, known as P-3 alignment, has emerged as an effective strategy for strengthening the transition and learning experiences for young children. When done well, this can boost academic achievement for all students. In order to sustain the advantages of preschool, which have long-term benefits that include positive effects on health and life outcomes, the approach to instruction and learning in the early grades needs to be aligned with the approaches used in high-quality preschool settings.

This is particularly important in kindergarten — if students repeat what they learned in preschool then the benefits of preschool tend to fade. When teachers can differentiate instruction and build on a student’s knowledge and skills, then the preschool experience remains a powerful building block.

This understanding is based on many years of research focused on how a young child’s brain develops, and the formal and informal settings in which children learn. The conversation has moved away from whether preschool is worthwhile, to a broader and more complex discussion about how children learn best. That has included a growing understanding of their physical and behavioral health needs, the role of parents and families, professional learning for early educators, and how to incorporate techniques like intentional play and self-directed learning that can strengthen preschool and elementary school instruction.

Researchers have also found key differences in how preschoolers spent their time in the classroom compared to their peers in early elementary grades. Beginning in kindergarten, children are far more likely to spend time sitting, listening, and getting direct instruction, and far less time engaging in peer-to-peer interactions, hands on learning, and intentional play.

Moving Toward a P-3 Model

The work of creating an aligned approach to early learning that connects preschool and elementary school experiences is just beginning, nationally and in Oregon, and faces multiple challenges.

The first is that the preschool experience is not available to most children. And when it is, it’s optional. In Oregon, only 15-20 percent of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds attend public preschool programs.

Knowing that children come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences prior to kindergarten also underscores the need for strong family engagement to support them effectively. The years before kindergarten are crucial for nurturing relationships between families and educators, between communities and schools, to build trust and understanding as children begin to learn in more formal settings.

Ideally, high-quality, culturally responsive early learning settings effectively connect to high-quality elementary school experiences. The experience should be seamless, centered on the needs of students and deeply informed by families, teachers, and the greater learning community around them. It includes consideration of the local and cultural context in those communities as well as broader system-wide goals and strategies.

In Oregon, several strategies are in place to begin building an aligned education system that connects the early years and the early grades. As part of Oregon’s Kindergarten Readiness Partnership & Innovation Program (KPI), some of the state’s Early Learning Hubs regularly convene preschool and elementary educators to collaborate and learn from one another. Several of Oregon’s Preschool Promise sites are also co-located at elementary schools which helps connect the preschool and elementary school experience.

Children’s Institute (CI) launched Early School Success (ESS) in 2019 to work directly with school district communities and their early learning partners to strengthen the connections between preschool and K-5 settings. A distinct feature of the program includes using human-centered design approaches that embed parent and teacher voice into improving the learning experiences of students from preschool through elementary school. Recent work includes applying anti-bias education approaches that help educators and students explore their cultural identities. Early in 2021, CI will add rural school districts to the ESS community and will support the unique needs of those districts.

One thing is certain: if we want to sustain the benefits of high-quality preschool beyond kindergarten, P-3 programs that support young children’s development from birth to age 8 must become the norm, not isolated exemplars. Doing so will improve the experiences for children and strengthen our school communities to ensure children reach their full developmental potential.