WEBCAST 5/14 @ 2PM ET
Dyslexia and Instructional Equity: A Conversation for School Administrators
Sponsored by
This conversation will explore schools' systemic challenges that include an outmoded understanding of dyslexia and lack of alignment with evidence-based instructional strategies. Our ultimate goal is to illustrate the interconnectedness of dyslexia-inclusive teaching and instructional equity, and to provide audience members with actionable strategies to implement in their schools and simultaneously advance goals of literacy and equity.
Attendees will leave this discussion with:
- A clear sense of the system-level challenges that schools and their leaders face in providing effective, inclusive instruction for students with dyslexia
- A fuller understanding of the intersections of dyslexia-inclusive teaching and instructional equity
- Effective and evidence-supported strategies that have systemic, long-term impact to improve learning outcomes and foster instructional equity
Octavia Gray-Essex
Senior Education Advisor, Lexia
Bio
Octavia Gray-Essex is a literacy advocate skilled in educational leadership, curriculum development, professional learning design, and instructional support around the shifts, principles, and fundamentals of the Science of Reading. She joined Lexia Learning in June of 2023 with 17 years of Texas public school education experience where she served as a Kindergarten and 1st Grade teacher, Data Analyst/Testing Coordinator, Elementary Literacy Specialist, Assistant Principal, Principal, and K-12 District Literacy Coordinator. In her role as Senior Education Advisor, she continues to employ her passion for ensuring effective and equitable instructional practices to improve outcomes for all students. Her subject matter expertise and thought partnership are often used to bridge theory to practice for large-scale implementation of structured literacy practices. Octavia is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Kansas State University where she also serves as a K-State College of Education Graduate Teaching Fellow. She is a member of the Literacy Research Association (LRA), Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER), International Literacy Association (ILA), and Texas Association of Literacy Educators (TALE).
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Dr. David Hurford
Executive Director, Center for Research, Evaluation and Awareness of Dyslexia, Pittsburg State University
Bio
David P. Hurford, Ph.D. is the executive director of the Center for Reading and the founder and manager of CARRD, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals with dyslexia to become competent readers. He is the executive editor of Perspectives on Language and Literacy, a journal of the International Dyslexia Association. He has presented at many regional, national, and international conferences and has published articles in the area of dyslexia, reading difficulties, the prevention of reading failure, and other educational issues. Early in his career, he was the recipient of a Spencer Fellowship from the National Academy of Education which allowed him to dedicate his efforts toward the prevention, identification, and intervention of reading difficulties which resulted in a reading curriculum designed to prevent reading difficulties in kindergarten (Secret Codes) and first grade (Advanced Codes). The Center for Reading and CARRD, Inc. uses his identification and remediation strategies to provide high-quality and accurate assessments and successful interventions for children and adults who have dyslexia and reading difficulties.
Moderator – Kevin Hogan
eSchool News, Content Director
Bio
Kevin is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially education technology.