Each year during the 2000-2005 contract cycle, the The Education Alliance, a program of the Education Alliance, sponsors a conference on teaching diverse learners. The 2002 Invitational Conference on Literacy, Diversity and Equity in the Context of Reform was held at Brown University in April, 2002, and addressed issues of literacy learning in the developmental period beyond emergent reading and writing—the years in which students develop and solidify the skills they need for success in high school and beyond. The conference focused on ways to provide equitable opportunities for the literacy development of students from diverse backgrounds.

The Spring 2003 conference will be co-sponsored with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and will address comprehensive school reform and English language learners with a focus on the secondary level. For more information, please contact Julie Nora at 401-274-9548 (or 800-521-9550), extension 317.

For highlights of the 2001 Conference, please visit http://www.lab.brown.edu/tdl/conf2001/.

• investigated the topics of literacy, diverse learners, equity, and school reform
• discussed the relationship of research and policy to the realities of classroom life
• engaged in substantial professional exchange among educators with a range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives

The following questions guided the conference activities:

• What should educators know about the many and different students they teach in order to teach them effectively and equitably? In what ways can educators best learn about their students?
• What are the literacies students bring to school?
• How are these literacies the same as or different from those they are presented with in school?
• In what ways can we more equitably and effectively provide literacy instruction to students from underserved populations?
• How does the work of school reform enable or inhibit effective, equitable literacy instruction for all students?

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in talks, hands-on workshops, presentations, and small and large group discussions with the goal of establishing conversations that will continue after the conference.

For further information contact:
Julie Nora
The Education Alliance at Brown University (401) 274-9548
Julie_Nora@brown.edu