ELA at ESU 10

Welcome back, ELA Educators! Summer is getting closer, and we are excited to bring you new opportunities for professional development and supports for your schools. Questions? Email Sarah Essay (sessay@esu10.org), Dallas Lewandowski (dalewand@esu10.org), Claudine Kennicutt (ckennicutt@esu10.org), Heather Stukey (hstukey@esu10.org), or Shanna Gannon (sgannon@esu10.org).

Please email us so we can update our mailing list for this Smore!

Want to submit your information to be a part of the directory and receive the directory after you submit your info? Check out the form here: https://s.esu10.org/ELADIRECTORYFORM

ESU 10's CLSD grant will pay for registration for the Nebraska State Literacy Association (NSLA) Summer Institute 2026 for any K-12 teachers or leaders in ESU 10's CLSD consortium (Amherst, Ansley, Cozad, Gothenburg, Kearney, Loup City, Ord, Pleasanton, Riverside, SEM, Shelton) and will pay for contracted service pay ($200) for teachers who attend the full workshop.

See more about the NSLA Conference, visit their website. To see a conference schedule, click visit the Speakers page.

Confirmed interest in this registration opportunity/contracted service pay for eligible ESU 10 CLSD District teachers and administrators must be expressed by submitting this Google Form prior to May 1. Submitting the Google Form indicates teachers WILL attend the NSLA Summer Institute.

ESU 10's CLSD grant will pay for registration for an online AP Summer Institute for English 10: AP Seminar, AP Literature, or AP Language for 9-12 English teachers in ESU 10's CLSD consortium (Amherst, Ansley, Cozad, Gothenburg, Kearney, Loup City, Ord, Pleasanton, Riverside, SEM, Shelton).

Teachers must coordinate with their schools to communicate their intention to request grant funding for this opportunity, learn and communicate any requirements for offering an AP Course (if applicable) find an online Summer Institute that works for their schedule, commit to completing the Summer Institute coursework, and register with the assistance of ESU 10. Interested? Complete the form here before June 1. The form is open until capacity is reached or by June 1.

The Google form may be opened and started prior to submission. It contains additional information and links that may be useful for teachers in making a decision about whether to take part in this opportunity.

Teachers MAY take the AP Summer Institute whether or not they will offer the associated AP Course.

Please communicate your intent to apply for the registration funding opportunity with your administration prior to submitting the Google Form.

Districts and teachers must work with CollegeBoard, their school boards, colleges/universities (if needed) and NDE to complete any other requirements in offering an AP course if the districts choose to offer an AP course following the AP Summer Institute Training.

Use the table above to understand what is required as part of involvement in the ESU 10 CLSD Consortium, what is required by NDE, and what is optional as part of your continuing literacy journey.

During TNTP’s Secondary Science of Reading 2-day Capstone Experience, teachers get an immersive, hands-on space to reinforce Science of Reading concepts, collaborate with peers, and learn directly from expert literacy facilitators. Participants leave each session with a stronger grasp of research-based skills and the confidence to implement effective reading strategies in their classrooms.

Teachers in ESU 10's CLSD Consortium who completed Cohort 1 or 2 of TNTP’s Secondary Science of Reading course will take this capstone two-day training as the final part of their course and can earn $650 in contracted service pay upon completion of the course and two-day training.

Teachers who have not taken the online TNTP Secondary Science of Reading modules are still welcome to attend this training as an introduction to the concepts and high-quality practices that align with implementing the Science of Reading for secondary teachers. Teachers in ESU 10's CLSD districts receive this course for free and can earn a stipend for the completion of the modules; another cohort will begin in fall 2026. Non-ESU 10 CLSD Consortium Districts can pay the $450 cost to register their teachers in this Fall 2026 cohort.

While this training is designed primarily for ELA educators, staff from all content areas are welcome to attend. Those whose content areas are outside of 4-12 English and Language Arts classrooms are invited to reflect on how the strategies presented might be adapted to meet the needs of their specific discipline.

If you require partial attendance and/or can only attend one day, please email sgannon@esu10.org.

AI is changing the landscape of education, but meaningful use goes beyond just learning new tools. This workshop is being delivered by author, former teacher, consultant, and current Solution Tree representative, Adam Garry.

This session is designed for both teachers and administrators to build practical skills while creating real, usable products for their specific roles. Participants will explore simple, research-based frameworks to help guide decision-making and consider how AI can support strong teaching, learning, and assessment practices. The focus will be on how students can learn with AI in ways that deepen thinking and understanding. This workshop will equip educators with the skills to think critically, be curious, and use the tools that enable innovative practices.

Objectives:

• Establish a shared understanding of how AI and Generative AI work, including an exploration of the associated risks and possibilities.
• Apply research-based frameworks to real classroom and system-level situations.
• Reflect on how AI is impacting current instruction and assessment practices.
• Build a personal understanding of AI and identify what students need to know to be successful moving forward.
• Provide time for participants to work and develop within their specific professional lens (e.g., teacher, administrator, media specialist).

Outcomes:

• Skill-building and Product Creation: Participants will engage in hands-on development to create role-specific products.
• Practical Deliverables: Attendees will leave with draft materials such as lesson redesigns, assessment ideas, or draft guidelines and policies.
• Actionable Next Steps: Participants will gain practical tools and clear next steps to implement within their classroom, building, or district.

Guideline Development: Teachers will determine "Green, Yellow, and Red" use cases for their classrooms, while administrators will identify areas of flexibility versus firm policy.

ESU 10 has developed a Science of Reading Community of Practice series designed to support K–3 educators in strengthening literacy instruction through research-based practices.

This learning series will include:

• Aligning High-impact skills and strategies learned through Science of Reading training
• Guided practice and real classroom examples that correspond to your literacy curriculum
• Opportunities to explore how the Science of Reading supports effective literacy instruction
• A collaborative space for educators to learn and grow together

Zoom Session Dates (9:00–3:00):

• June 11, 2026
• July 31, 2026

Zoom Check-In Dates (4-5:30):

• August 27, 2026
• September 23, 2026
• October 21, 2026

📌 Important: Participants must have completed:

• LETRS (Volumes 1 and 2) or
• AIM Pathway or other Science of Reading training

Note for Administrators and District Leaders: The Science of Reading Community of Practice series does not count as "adequately trained" per Nebraska Revised Statute 79-2607 (2)(b). However, this series is designed to support teachers who are adequately trained in implementing their science of reading knowledge into classroom practice and planning.

Note for ESU 10 CLSD Grant Consortium Districts: Seats and contracted service pay for the Science of Reading Community of Practice series will be fully paid for by CLSD funds, and teachers at ESU 10 CLSD districts will also receive a $100 stipend in addition to their contracted service pay if they attend both June 11 and July 31; additionally, if they attend the August 27, 2026 Zoom Check-In, they will receive another $50 stipend for a total value of $550 ($200/per day for contracted service pay; $100 stipend; $50 stipend).

This workshop, based on Nancy Motley's Small Moves, Big Gains, focuses on practical teacher habits that promote multilingual learning by encouraging student talk, deeper thinking, and higher achievement. Designed to support English learners in mainstream classrooms, this workshop provides language-focused strategies that benefit all students, fostering an inclusive and engaging learning environment.

When the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act (NRIA) was enacted in 2018, more than 20 screeners were placed on the state’s approved list. Since then, the list has been gradually narrowed as the NDE has worked with partners to establish quality criteria. To reach Nebraska’s goal of at least 75% proficiency on Grade 3 NSCAS-ELA, it has become clear that wide variability in K-3 screening tools does not produce consistent outcomes for students.

Over time, inconsistencies have emerged in how students are identified for reading support. Screeners do not all measure the same foundational skills, nor apply comparable criteria, yet educators rely on these results for important instructional decisions. This has also created confusion for families when identification differs across districts.

In response, the Nebraska Department of Education conducted a comprehensive review of the 11 approved screeners in partnership with the National Center for Intensive Interventions (NCII) and the Buros Center for Testing at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. These analyses confirmed that early literacy screening must be grounded in strong technical evidence, aligned to essential reading skills, and administered consistently statewide.

Based on this review, DIBELS 8th Edition has been identified as Nebraska’s single statewide screener. It offers brief administration, dyslexia-specific subtests, built-in progress monitoring, and is already used by more than 60 districts. Districts are encouraged to implement in 2026-2027, with a “hold harmless” period that year and full implementation required in 2027-2028. NDE will support districts through implementation and pursue a statewide contract if funding becomes available.

This approach prioritizes coherence, new professional learning opportunities, and effective use of data to improve early literacy outcomes.

See more from the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act DIBELS 8th Edition Frequently Asked Questions.

While not a new resource, NDE's Structured Literacy Early Reading Skills Toolkit continues to be a valuable resource acting as a one-stop shop to understand the components of early literacy. Check out this collection of relevant and practical resources to support a student’s development of important reading skills.

NDE's Dyslexia Guide provides technical assistance for providing support for students, including guidanec on the definition, identification, intervention, accomodations, and assistive technology for students with dyslexia. More dyslexia information includes brain-based sources of dyslexia as well as recommended readings for caregivers.

Find resources to support early literacy and system-wide supports, including dyslexia and family literacy connections, on NDE's NebraskaREADS website.

Find resources to support adolescent literacy and system-wide supports for literacy on NDE's Adolescent Literacy website.

Literacy coaches serve a critical role in supporting teachers by providing job-embedded professional development. Join us for this five-day training series based on literacy coaching modules that have been adapted by The Florida Center for Reading Research.

Whether you are a literacy coach, principal, or teacher leader, you will learn the necessary components, along with the essential knowledge and skills, to become successful literacy leaders and contribute to the improvement of reading instruction and student achievement.

Participants Will:

• Apply principles and practices that foster a positive school culture
• Apply effective methods and practices for coaching both students and adult learners
• Collect data on instructional practices to inform professional learning
• Plan, implement, and analyze literacy instruction based on the science of reading
• Reflect, plan, and implement literacy coaching

Click each image to see tools released in the last year that review popular ELA materials.