AIM Pathways for Delaware Educators

AIM Pathways coursework is designed for educators who are committed to learning about the connection between reading research, theoretical models such as the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and best practices for language and literacy instruction in the classroom. Participants will learn effective instructional practices that will benefit all students, including those with or at risk for language-based learning disabilities.

AIM Pathways courses support professional learning around the Science of Reading and provide an excellent opportunity to build background knowledge in literacy. Educators in the state of Delaware will receive clock hours in PDMS for successful completion of the courses. While educators may enroll in these professional development courses, they are not graduate level courses and cannot be used for certification nor for graduate salary increments.

Please note: DDOE will not accept these courses for use toward certification or graduate salary increments. Prior to investing in any coursework toward salary or graduate credit increments, we ask that you consult with your Human Resources Department and with DDOE’s Licensure and Certification Department.

Questions? Please Contact Samantha Lougheed at Samantha.Lougheed@doe.k12.de.us.

The Pathways to Literacy Leadership course was highly impactful for me as an education leader! Not only did it debunk several myths about literacy that I'd been carrying around for years thinking they were solid practice, but it set into place new information about the reading process of which I had not yet learned. The course has been and will continue to be unbelievably useful as I join our building and district leaders on DTGSS walkthroughs that aim to support our educators improve student learning, but also in working directly with teacher leaders to guide instructional decisions for our district. The course was the perfect combination of interactive asynchronous work and virtual learning discussions among other leader colleagues throughout the state. I recommend this course to any leader in the state of Delaware who has the opportunity to impact literacy learning and improvement in their district!

Lisa Lawson, Assistant Superintendent, Brandywine School District, DE

Pathways to Proficient Reading

This course is appropriate for all teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, English Language teachers, and literacy coaches.

Course includes:

Asynchronous Orientation and Pre-Course Knowledge Inventory
17 Section Pathways to Proficient Reading Course (See Detailed Syllabus)
6 Synchronous Virtual Community of Practice Coaching Sessions
Pacing Guide/Schedule for Coursework
12 Month Access to the AIM Pathways platform so materials can be reviewed, applied, and accessed in the classroom when needed
55 hours available for CEUs
Aligned to the IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading

Pathways to Structured Literacy

This course is Orton-Gillingham based and is appropriate for all teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, English Language teachers, and literacy coaches. Assistant Superintendents, Principals, Directors of Curriculum and Instruction, and ESU Leaders are also welcome to take this course.

Course includes:

Prerequisite: Completion of Pathways to Proficient Reading
Asynchronous Orientation and Pre-Course Knowledge Inventory
Course participants can sit for the KPEERI exam and have two options to receive certification from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction: Course Completion—Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher Certificate; 60-Hour Practicum—Certified Structured Literacy Interventionist.
Book Required: Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills (4th Edition). Purchase Here

Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills

Continues to strengthen educators’ knowledge and understanding of the science of reading by providing multiple opportunities to apply this knowledge to classroom instruction.
3 graduate credits available for course as well as practicum.
An experience of roughly 30 hours completed in one year or less. (Optional Practicum—60 hours)
Contains a vast resource library of videos, articles and exercises for educators to use in their practice. Read Course Syllabus Here
Includes 9-Sections
3 1-hour synchronous implementation meetings to ensure fidelity of implementation
3 successful formal observations with feedback with your supervisor
Comprehensive exam
30 hours available for CEUs
IDA-Accredited following the IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (KPS)

Pathways to Proficient Writing

This course is appropriate for all teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, English Language teachers, and literacy coaches.

Course Includes:

Online Orientation and optional Pre- and Post- Course Knowledge Inventory
10-Section Pathways to Proficient Writing Course (See Detailed Syllabus)
4 Virtual Community of Practice Sessions with an AIM facilitator
Pacing Guide/Schedule for Course Work
Course time - approximately 20 hours
12 Months Access to the AIM Pathways platform so materials can be reviewed, applied and accessed in the classroom when needed
Aligned to the IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading
30 hours available for CEUs

Pathways to Literacy Leadership

This course is appropriate for Assistant Superintendents, Principals, Directors of Curriculum and Instruction, and ESU Leaders.

Course includes:

Asynchronous Orientation and Pre-Course Knowledge Inventory
10 Section Pathways to Literacy Leadership Course (See Detailed Syllabus)
4 Virtual Community of Practice Coaching Sessions
Pacing Guide/Schedule for Course Work
Course time - approximately 30 hours
12 Months Access to the AIM Pathways platform so materials can be reviewed, applied, and accessed in the classroom when needed.
Aligned to the IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading
30 hours available for CEUs.

Specialized Reading Knowledge: English Learners

Develop the specialized knowledge required to accelerate language and literacy proficiency for English Learners in any program model with immediate instructional applications with AIM's newest course created in collaboration with literacy researcher Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan.

Each module in the Specialized Reading Knowledge Bundle: English Learners includes asynchronous online course instruction with exclusive content recorded by Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan, and a wealth of assessment resources, implementation tools, and printables to support immediate use in the classroom. Each module is paired with a 1-hour synchronous community of practice session (VCoP) with an expert AIM facilitator.

Modules include:

Introduction to English Learners: Language & Literacy Development (2 Hours, 1 hour VCOP)
Word Recognition Among English Learners (4 hours, 1 hour VCOP)
Language Comprehension Among English Learners (4 hours, 1 hour VCOP)

Read Course Syllabus Here

Early Childhood Bundle

The Early Childhood Education bundle, which includes a Credentials Unlimited micro-credential opportunity, provides instruction, resources and tools in three of AIM's asynchronous learning modules including our new Growing Proficient Readers course.

Overview of the Science of Reading - Contains content specific to the “Science of Reading.” 9 Hours
Growing Proficient Readers: Dr. Ehri's Phases of Development - Features reading researcher Dr. Linnea Ehri narrating the observable reading characteristics of learners from emerging readers in the pre-alphabetic phase through proficient readers in the consolidated phase. A deck of vibrant, printed AIM Animated Alphabet Cards, including instructional scripts to use with each card, is included with this course. 4 Hours
Phonological Awareness - A highly specialized module exploring the research and instructional practices related to Phonological Awareness, the first of five core components of reading instruction as identified by the National Reading Panel. 7 Hours

AIM PATHWAYS INTRODUCTION

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AIM Pathways FAQs

What is AIM Pathways?

AIM Pathways^TM is:

An interactive, digital teacher professional development platform designed to deliver research and evidence-based courses in literacy to improve teacher instructional practice resulting in improved student outcomes.
A scalable, affordable solution for schools seeking to improve student literacy.
A unique tool that provides downloadable teacher resources and real-time intervention tools for use in the classroom.
Designed for sustainability by training internal coaches and school-based literacy leaders trained to maintain the fidelity of instructional practices.
An important program to onboard new teachers and to sustain the school’s investment in developing a cohesive, comprehensive literacy program through all grades.
Accessible to teachers via a variety of devices (iPads and mobile phones) to use as a tool when working with children.

Certificate awarded upon successful completion of AIM Pathways courses. Pathways to Proficient Reading and Pathways to Structured Literacy are IDA-accredited and all courses are eligible for 3 graduate credits from Arcadia University.

What is the Learn, Practice, Apply Cycle?

Research shows that traditional stand and deliver workshops are ineffective at changing instructional practices. Teachers find it difficult to translate theoretical models into classroom practice. For that reason, AIM Pathways courses are designed to follow a Learn, Practice and Apply cycle.

Learn: Participants acquire knowledge during the course in a variety of ways: video lectures, articles, readings and animated videos.
Practice: Participants and then have the opportunity to practice that knowledge by completed specially designed activities such as card sorting exercises, quizzes and surveys that will help them begin that translation.
Apply: Participants demonstrate their understanding of the content by applying their knowledge to real life scenarios via classroom simulations and case studies. These in-depth, multi-step classroom simulations replicate real-life scenarios, giving teachers a chance to hone their diagnostic and prescriptive instructional skills.

What are Virtual Communities of Practice?

It is well researched that a Community of Practice (CoP) is a powerful tool for extending the coaching function that helps educators actually apply the skills learned through professional training opportunities in their classrooms. When facilitated and designed well, a CoP serves as an effective coaching tool deepening evidence-based knowledge and practice through readings, real-time scenarios including case studies and discussions, problem solving, coaching and sharing experiences across membership.

The Pathways to Proficient Reading course includes 6, one-hour virtual community of practice sessions, and the Pathways to Literacy Leadership, Pathways to Proficient Writing, and Pathways to Structured Literacy courses include 4, one-hour virtual community of practice sessions. These sessions are facilitated by AIM Institute staff and use using online resources and an online meeting platform. Read more about AIM Pathways Virtual Community of Practice here.

Please contact Samantha Lougheed at Samantha.Lougheed@doe.k12.de.us with any questions