Literacies in Education and Health
Our work strengthens the capacity of individuals to adapt to changing environments.We create supportive infrastructures that enable groups and institutions to respond positively to the changing needs of the diverse and evolving communities they serve.
We design and facilitate collaborative and reciprocal partnerships that capitalize on the power of shared information and persist in the mindful use of data to inform decisions.
We have
- created a research-based tool for K–12 schools to conduct a self-assessment on nine components of comprehensive school improvement
- delivered intensive, residential conferences and institutes that brought together teams of parents, teachers, school board members, administrators, and other community leaders to improve student performance by addressing all aspects of school culture, curriculum, and leadership
- trained field-based coaches around the country to use a variety of language and literacy assessment instruments to develop effective and culturally relevant programs that bring research into practice, develop staff capacity, and help all children learn to read
- designed conceptual frameworks and practical tools that promote the professionalization of the emerging field of health care interpreting
Selected Projects
The New England Comprehensive Assistance Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, collaborates with six state Departments of Education to provide services that support student achievement, particularly in high-poverty districts. Professional development builds capacity at the state, local, and school levels to implement comprehensive educational improvement and create social environments that will sustain effective practice.
Medical Interpreter Training developed a college-level certificate program to prepare bilingual adults in the skills and knowledge required to be a competent health care interpreter. A groundbreaking aspect was the development of standards for medical interpreting. The Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice, written in conjunction with the Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association, has become an internationally used resource for health care interpreters and those who work with them, underscoring the critical intersection of language, culture, and health care status.
The Assessing Student Achievement Project highlights the latest research on assessment and accountability to increase teachers’ ability to use rigorous and appropriate data to support student learning and inform instruction. A target content is literacy, the foundation for knowledge acquisition on all subject areas, along with resources for English-language learners.
"Every conference and every institute has given me ideas to implement to improve my school."
—Elementary school principal, Massachusetts
Projects:
New England Comprehensive Center (NECC)
New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC)
Rhode Island Corrective Action Intervention Project
Publications:
Creating a High-Standard, Inclusive and Authentic Certification Process
Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice
Reaching Students in the Gaps: A Study of Assessment Gaps, Students, and Alternatives
Contact:
Maria-Paz B. Avery, Ph.D.
Strategic Director, Literacies in Education and Health
mavery@edc.org
