2025 Speaker Presentations and Bios
AIM's 13th Annual Research to Practice Symposium
Implementation Science and Systems Change for Literacy Improvement
Monday, March 10, 2025 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM ET
In-Person and Livestream Attendance Options. Recordings Provided.
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Presentations
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Implementation Science and Systems Change to Improve Educational Outcomes
Implementation Science (IS) offers a framework for bridging the persistent gap between educational research and classroom practice. While high-quality instructional materials and evidence-based practices exist, their implementation often fails to create lasting change in educational outcomes. This disconnect stems from traditional approaches that are overly prescriptive and fail to account for local contexts, lived experiences, and systemic barriers.
Turning Reading Research into Reality: Why is it so hard?
Schools struggle to turn knowledge of the science of reading into improved student achievement, despite abundant research on effective teaching practices. The implementation gap persists not just from a lack of information, but because we underestimate the complexity of change in educational systems. Why is implementation so much harder than we think it should be? How can we methodically improve instruction and create lasting change?
Science of Writing and More Implementation Questions
Writing instruction presents unique challenges in educational settings due to its complexity and the wide range of student abilities typically found within a single classroom. Despite its importance, educators often lack access to evidence-based practices that can effectively address their students' diverse needs.
Leadership Matters to Implementing Evidence-Based Reading and Literacy Practices in Schools
School and district leaders play a pivotal role in student achievement, yet their influence on literacy outcomes remains understudied in reading research. This gap is particularly significant given evidence suggesting leadership’s impact on student achievement may be most pronounced for our most vulnerable learners. Implementation science frameworks, including the Active Implementation Framework, position leaders as crucial agents of change, highlighting the concept of Strategic Leadership as essential for sustainable educational improvement. In this presentation, we will discuss the intersection of leadership and literacy through the lens of research-practice partnerships (RPPs), which facilitate leaders' engagement with and application of evidence-based practices.
Reading for meaning: the component skills, knowledge, and processes that enable success
Successful reading comprehension is the product of word recognition and language comprehension, as illustrated in Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Weaknesses in the components that contribute to each can result in reading difficulties, which has critical implications for instruction and assessment. In this presentation, I focus on the language comprehension strand of the Reading Rope. Beyond decoding, successful reading comprehension draws on a range of language skills, knowledge, and cognitive processes that directly support reading for meaning. I will summarize research that validates a dynamic componential view of reading comprehension.
Enablers and Barriers to Effective Literacy Implementation
Head of AIM Institute Kristen Wynn moderates a discussion on effective literacy implementation featuring nationwide literacy leaders: Dr. Khalek Kirkland, Community Superintendent District 23, New York City Department of Education; Dr. Grant Rivera, Superintendent of Marietta City Schools (GA); and Dr. Carey Wright, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools.
2025 Sponsors
Lead Sponsor
Attendance at this event is eligible for Wilson® Professional Learning Credit toward renewing Wilson Professional Credentials.
Partner Sponsor
Philanthropic Partner
Partner Sponsor
Thank you to our sponsors who help us continue to make this important day of learning free to all of our attendees. Interested in helping partner for impact with AIM as a 2025 Symposium Sponsor? Click below for our Sponsorship Opportunities.