The Carnegie Summit, hosted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, was held in March 2024.  Kelli Perrin and Janis Bellon, members of the Department of English Learners at Princeton City Schools, were invited to present their work resulting from the Reaching All Students Through Language and Literacy Grant.  The focus of the grant was to engage districts working to improve students’ literacy, especially those student populations hardest hit by the pandemic-related school closures.  

Princeton was able to present its work around improving literacy of SLIFE (students with limited or interrupted formal education) students at Princeton Innovation Center, who are also English Learners.  The process involved regular coaching and professional development provided by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the American Institutes of Research (AIR).  The Princeton grant team was trained in improvement science, culminating in a two-year project in which teachers received tailored coaching and new curriculum resources.  Students were also given opportunities to respond to their teachers’ practices and new curriculum resources through anonymous student surveys, collecting data on students’ attitudes toward American schooling and learning.  

Perrin and Bellon, along with AIR researchers Mary Bridget Burns and Angelica Herrera, presented their findings and next steps at the Carnegie Summit, which brought together schools, districts, and universities from 46 other states. The conference connects educators working in schools, researchers, and professors from the education field.