Colorado ELG Links

Our expertise lies in effectively supporting Colorado’s Unified Improvement Planning through specialized training and job-embedded professional development. Our methods are grounded in scientifically based reading research and instruction, systems alignment, multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and effective leadership.

From the outset of any project, we focus on building capacity and sustainability by promoting site-based ownership of the change process, ultimately aiming to improve literacy outcomes for students in your school or district.

Our Approach:

Positive relationships are at the core of everything we do. With trust as our foundation, our consultants effectively partner with administrators, leadership teams, and teachers to create systems that reduce reading achievement gaps across all student groups. We help schools and districts build site-based capacity and sustainability throughout the improvement process.

What sets us apart is our unique approach and vision for school improvement. We focus on two critical factors: knowledgeable, skillful teachers who deliver exemplary instruction grounded in the science of reading and educational leaders who provide meaningful, instructional-centered feedback to staff around evidence-based literacy practices (Wallace Foundation, 2013). We believe that increasing educators’ knowledge of the latest literacy research and supporting leaders and teachers in implementing MTSS at classroom, school, and district levels, are vital to improving literacy outcomes for all children, especially the most vulnerable. This is the driving force behind our work and a crucial part of achieving greater equity for all students.

What We Provide You:

• Training and Implementation Support in Evidence-Based Literacy Practices: We customize our professional development to meet the needs of each school site, providing educators with essential knowledge for teaching reading at any age. Our training connects educators to the latest research and evidence-based practices informed by the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy, and IES Practice Guides. We then work side-by-side with educators translating this research into classroom practice.
• Knowledge of Publisher Programs Aligned to Research: We have specialized expertise in many of the publisher programs on the Colorado approved list for core, intervention, and supplemental programs. We are able to support teachers in the delivery of explicit instruction and differentiation practices within these programs in order to ensure success for all students.
• Administrator Support: We assist principals in creating a visible presence around instruction in order to foster a positive school climate marked by teamwork, trust, efficacy, and engagement with data in continuous improvement cycles. We partner with leaders to conduct instructional walkthroughs in ways to provide meaningful feedback for teachers and use of that data for next steps.
• Coach Support: We support literacy coaches in their work, including data review with targeted next-step actions, facilitating meaningful classroom visits with feedback, and implementing coaching cycles that support teachers to better meet the needs of the students they serve.
• Shared Leadership Structures: We believe School Leadership Teams (SLTs) are pivotal for building sustainability. We work with leadership teams to build structures for continuous improvement that monitor instruction and intervention efforts and support professional development for literacy.
• Data-Based Decision Making: Our consultants understand that equity is not achieved through a one-size-fits-all approach. We guide schools in shifting from being “data-rich but information-poor” to using data to tell a meaningful story for improving instruction and to build MTSS pathways that ensure success for all students.

We look forward to partnering with you to create a successful ELG implementation!

For more information or to see how Side-by-Side can assist your school or district with your ELG implementation, please contact Carrie Cole at 208.680.5586 or carrie@sidebysideconsulting.com.