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The Agency of Education created the weekly field memo to keep subscribers up-to-date with current education policy, state-wide education initiatives, and official messages from the AOE. The Weekly Field Memo contains education-related posts from the Agency of Education (AOE), other State of Vermont agencies, federal agencies or Vermont's congressional delegation.
Contents: January 11, 2024
- Application Open: State Afterschool Expansion Grants
- Housing Reform Legislative Priorities Presentation
- Save the Date: the Vermont Kindergarten Conference
- Webinar Recording: Making the Most of Lexile Measures in the Classroom
- Vermont Public: Eclipse Resources
- ABLE Library: Vermont’s Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
- Comprehensive Needs Assessment Virtual Training
- Comprehensive and Equity Support Office Hours
- Third Literacy Professional Learning Module Available Next Week
Application Open: State Afterschool Expansion Grants
Audience: school system administrators, private and on-profit partners and the general public
The Agency of Education seeks applicants for a grant program to expand high-quality afterschool and summer programs in Vermont. $3.5 million is available to Vermont schools, as well as other municipal, private and non-profit applicants. There will be a particular emphasis on scaling and starting programs in communities that currently have limited options. The Agency is pleased to announce that the program is now live in the AOE Grants Management System. A grant summary and application guide are also available on the AOE website. Applications close on March 6, 2024, and AOE will offer a training for interested applicants on January 16, 2024. Potential applicants interested in future communications about this grant program, including how to access the training, should complete this contact form.
Contact: Johannes Haensch at johannes.haensch@vermont.gov
Housing Reform Legislative Priorities Presentation
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Leadership, Administrators, Supervisory Union Employees
This Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 11 a.m. the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), along with the Tax Department, and the Department for Children and Families will hold a virtual presentation to highlight the Scott Administration’s housing reform priorities to revitalize communities and increase housing stock. There will also be an update on current collaborative efforts with the legislature to enact these reforms and proposals. This live event can be accessed through this Microsoft Teams Link.
Contact: Nate Formalarie at nate.formalarie@vermont.gov
Save the Date: the Vermont Kindergarten Conference
Audience: Early Educators and Administrators
The Vermont Kindergarten Conference will take place at the Doubletree in South Burlington on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. The morning keynote speaker, Christine Cunningham, is the founding director of Engineering is Elementary at the Boston Museum of Science. Her keynote, Nurturing Children’s Creativity through Engineering, will explore how hands-on engineering design can spark motivation, deepen scientific thinking, promote agency and collaboration, and encourage young learners to persist through failure. A lunchtime keynote by John Cohn will focus on the importance of a playful culture in the workplace. Additional information about workshops will be available soon.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
Webinar Recording: Making the Most of Lexile Measures in the Classroom
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, Instructional Coaches, and English Language Arts/Literacy Educators
This one-hour recorded webinar, Making the Most of Lexile Measures in the Classroom, will enhance educators' understanding of the Lexile Framework and provide an opportunity to learn how the tools on the Lexile Hub can inform reading instruction and enhance student reading development. This webinar provides practical insights on how to effectively use Lexile measures to guide book selection and differentiate instruction. Educators will gain actionable strategies and a deeper appreciation for how Lexile measures can positively impact student learning outcomes. Educators who plan to attend the Lexile Academy may find this introduction to Lexile measures particularly helpful.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
Vermont Public: Eclipse Resources
Audience: Teachers, Curriculum Directors
The Eclipse will be seen in totality in parts of Vermont on April 8, 2024. There are spectacular cross-content curricular opportunities to share with your classroom from Prekindergarten to Grade 12 leading into this exciting solar event. Go to Vermont Public’s Eclipse page to find community and classroom resources created by the Vermont Agency of Education, Vermont Public Ambassadors, But Why team, and the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium. The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium team will provide a professional development day for teachers in January.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpublic.org
ABLE Library: Vermont’s Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
Audience: K-12 Educators, School Librarians, Curriculum Directors, Literacy Specialists
Vermonters of any age with a visual, physical, or reading disability preventing them from reading standard print can qualify for ABLE Library’s free services. ABLE offers audio books, braille, large print, and e-audio books. ABLE recently added the Accessible Youth Collection, with high contrast picture books, Wonderbooks (picture books with an attached audio player), and decodable books (books focused on phonetics to assist children with reading disabilities). Teachers, literacy specialists, and school librarians can apply for a free ABLE account to provide books in accessible formats for qualifying students. Visit the ABLE Library website, email Lib.AbleLibrary@vermont.gov, or call 802-636-0020 for more information.
Contact: Karen Gravlin, Director, ABLE Library, Vermont Department of Libraries, at Karen.Gravlin@vermont.gov
Comprehensive Needs Assessment Virtual Training
Audience: School Leadership Teams from schools eligible for Comprehensive and Equity Supports
To provide leadership, oversight, and technical support the EQA Division will be hosting a virtual Comprehensive Needs Assessment Training on January 25, 2024 from 9 -11 a.m. for School Leadership Teams from schools eligible for Comprehensive and Equity Supports. If you are interested in joining this session, please request the meeting link by emailing the points of contact below.
Contact: Nicole Whitney at nicole.whitney@vermont.gov, Toni Marra at toni.marra@vermont.gov, or Lori Dolezal at lori.dolezal@vermont.gov.
Comprehensive and Equity Support Office Hours
Audience: Schools Eligible for Comprehensive and Equity Supports
To provide leadership, oversight, and technical support the EQA Division will be hosting an Office Hours Series for schools eligible for Comprehensive and Equity Support beginning January 17, 2024 from 10 - 11 a.m. and continuing every third Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. If you are interested in joining these sessions, please request the meeting link by emailing the points of contact below.
Contact: Nicole Whitney at nicole.whitney@vermont.gov or Toni Marra at toni.marra@vermont.gov
Third Literacy Professional Learning Module Available Next Week
Audience: Educators in all content areas, Administrators
How do you teach phonics and spelling? Module 3 in the AOE literacy course, Building a Strong Foundation for Lifelong Literacy Success, will be available next week. Module 3, Understanding Phonics and Word Study (K-3) and Implementing Advanced Word Study (4-12), launches on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. This module focuses on the necessary reading component of phonics identified by the National Reading Panel. Educators can register today. Module 1, Understanding the Science of Reading, and Module 2, Exploring Language and Phonology (K-3), Exploring Adolescent Literacy (4-12), are currently available.
Contact: Emily Lesh at aoe.literacy@vermont.gov