Workshop Description and Presenter Bios_2011

Aligning Efforts to Ensure Proficiency for All Learners rd Annual Bridging the Gap Conference WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Workshop Session #1 (9:45am – 11:15am) “MathGAINS: Growing Academically in Number Sense,” Dr Cathy L Livingston with Erin Doherty and Laurie Speranzo This session will provide context for understanding the achievement gap in mathematics and will offer strategies that can be implemented within in-school as well as out-of-school time activities that help students fill in the gaps in their knowledge Math competency is essential for pursuing postsecondary education – WE need to balance this equation! “Understanding and Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners,” Antonieta Bolomey This workshop will share what you need to know when you have an ELL student including: what the process is to assess student’s needs, what the ELD level means, and where to find resources and additional information Strategies to address student needs will be shared including ways to help students develop oral language “Writing: The Universal Language,” Ric Kahn with Kara Courtemanche Ric and Kara will show attendees how to encourage their students to use writing as a vehicle to give voice to their fears and futures, passions and pitfalls Attendees will be introduced to Boston Teens in Print – the citywide youth newspaper – as a vehicle to allow their students to feel the power of being published on topics that truly move them “How External Partners Can Align their Work within the AAF,” Mary C Dillman This session will enable external partners to effectively message and frame their service provision within the Academic Achievement Framework (AAF) Partners will: (1) understand the basic AAF conceptual model and what domains and tiers their organization serves; (2) learn what data are readily available to school-based personnel seeking to match students and services; (3) develop a profile of the specific student needs their organization addresses and what data indicate those needs; (4) translate their services into the AAF language and model in order to appropriately message their organization to schools By positioning their services within AAF, partners are better prepared to assist schools as they strategically direct services to meet student needs “Why Can’t He Talk? Why Does She Look Different Than Me? Disclosure Techniques to Maximize Learning from Diversity,” Jennifer Harber In our diverse society where teamwork skills are one of the most important skill sets for success, students must respect (and therefore understand) differences Yet, often we find it hard to talk about difference or we ignore issues of difference This workshop presents strategies that help For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us learners respond effectively to diversity (and therefore also provides greater respect for those “diverse” learners who can be disenfranchised in programs when not well understood) “Environmental Literacy: Using the Natural World to Engage Youth in Literacy,” Sarah E Farbo with Anna Adler Boston youth spend most of their time indoors and feel disconnected from the natural world This exciting workshop will begin to discuss what is environmental literacy, why is it important and how to incorporate it into afterschool programs This interactive workshop will showcase proven techniques and tools to selecting age-appropriate books, exposing youth to important facts, connecting youth to the larger world, and much more! “Maximizing Data Use to Inform Targeted Instruction During Extended Learning Time,” Sarah Cherry Rice with Laura Callis This session will engage participants in a thoughtful strategic discussion around the use of data to drive targeted instruction during extended learning time During this session, participants will hear two case studies from BPS schools that have recently started using data to inform their extended learning time “Afterschool STEM Programming,” Allison Cox Drawing from the experience of the Upward Bound Math Science Program at Boston University, participants will learn about: the importance of serious and demanding STEM programming, how to create and sustain partnerships with STEM “experts”, and how to address common challenges in STEM programming in the afterschool environment “Beyond Academics: High School Readiness through Life Skills Development,” Stephanie Gendron Tenacity staff will lead this discussion meant to address the need to prepare middle school students for high school in ways that are supplementary to academics Tenacity’s experience with students who have graduated from their middle school program and continued on to high school has shown that those youth are often unprepared for the realities of life that they begin to encounter in high school years – navigating systems, safe use of technology, dealing with peer pressure, effective time management, self-advocacy, etc This year, Tenacity piloted an 8th grade high school readiness curriculum to address some of their concerns Tenacity will share their experiences with attendees with similar concerns and discuss and share best practices Roundtable Dialogue (11:30am – 12:15pm) “Global Citizenship and College Readiness through Model UN in the Classroom,” Jennifer Irizarry Model UN is a prestigious activity that builds college resumes and readiness, incorporates multiple learning styles, and is downright fun for students In this session, participants will discuss how to adapt Model UN for classroom/program use in order to expand student access to this rigorous experiential learning tool “Building the Foundation for Literacy in Early Childhood: What the Pediatric Health Care System Contributes,” Jean Ciborowski Fahey, Ph.D Early life experiences are potent elements that form the foundation for literacy and school success Indeed, healthy relationships and language-rich environments go a long way to promote For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us the efficient wiring of the young learning-to-read, brain In Massachusetts alone, 190,000 children a year visit Reach Out & Read pediatric practices where daily reading aloud is doctor recommended This session will discuss the crucial early literacy messages for parents who are getting their children ready for school “Critical Reflection: Debate for Students and Service Providers,” Matt Grimes This session will help service providers adapt basic debate techniques to a variety of programming settings Participants will discuss possible debate activities to help students tackle complex topics “Using the BPS Family Guides to Learning to Engage Families in Student Learning,” Alberto Pina and Brett Walker This interactive session will introduce administrators, teachers, and community partners to the BPS Family Guides to Learning, a new resource for facilitating partnerships around student learning between school and home Participants will explore the Guides, and how they can be used to promote family engagement in student learning “Success Boston ‘Getting BPS Students Ready for College’ Initiative,” Marsha InnissMitchell with John Zinkowski and Jibril Solomon Come hear how partners under the Success Boston College Completion Initiative are working with Boston Public Schools to increase the college readiness skills of BPS students Topics of discussion to include: Accuplacer Diagnostic Pilot; FAFSA Completion Efforts; College and Career Resources and Supports for Students and Families “Roundtable Discussion with BPS Guidance Services,” Catherine Chiu Do you have suggestions for BPS Guidance Counselors? Do you have questions for BPS Guidance Counselors? This informal discussion amongst educators will focus on how we can more effectively serve our students and parents Please bring your questions and ideas “Connecting with Health and Wellness at the Boston Public Schools,” Caitlin Westfall Want to get involved in health and wellness activities at your school? Join the BPS Health and Wellness Department as we discuss your school’s wellness council, healthful snacks available to your program, and opportunities to connect with BPS health and wellness initiative “Coaching Strategies and Tools that Support Differentiated Instruction,” Lesley Ryan Miller Instructional coaching provides an opportunity for teachers to receive job-embedded professional development Coaching strategies that support differentiated instruction are those that encourage teachers to: identify their students learning needs, plan instruction to address those needs, collect data on teaching practices, and reflect and then apply new learning Roundtable participants will review tools that can assist coaches in tracking this data in regards to teacher and student progress These carefully designed tools are used to structure the Coach and Teacher conversations that support the teacher as they develop and refine their skills to provide differentiated instruction in their classroom “Reading Between the Line: A Newspaper Theatre Workshop for Teens,” Dr Christina Marin Participants will be introduced to several interactive theatre exercises, based on the techniques known as Newspaper Theatre, in order to gain a deeper understanding of current events Sometimes we take for granted that there is a ripple affect when something happens in another For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us city, state, or even country This session will highlight innovative ways for young people to explore the world beyond their own neighborhood “The Morning After,” Cindy Diggs with Queen Vivian Young people are expected to become “adults” during this short transition High School Seniors become College Freshmen almost overnight Although they are being prepared academically to “face the big world” are we giving them the proper life skills so that they can grasp the concept of becoming a responsible adult? This session is for educators as well as parents who may have forgotten the reality of what happens the morning after high school graduation What were the expectations of your parents? What did the high school guidance counselor prepare you for? Did you go to college and pay room and board? Do you know how to fill out an application for a job, balance a checkbook, cook or pay utility bills? What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you have the same dream the “mourning” after high school graduation? Or did reality suddenly hit you? “Building the Future Healthcare Workforce with BPS Students,” Amy Belyea, Gabby Velásquez, Porsha Eden, and Taija Martin This session will provide an overview of an award winning youth internship program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) that provides a pathway of career opportunities for BPS youth while supporting workforce diversity in the healthcare field The innovative Student Success Jobs Program (SSJP) is delivered in close collaboration with the Boston Private Industry Council and eight Boston Public High Schools SSJP is a comprehensive after-school employment and mentoring program that also provides academic support and assistance with college application preparation for its seventy-five student participants who are interested in pursing health and science careers Outcome data show that 97% of SSJP participants matriculate to college and 84% of those students major in a health, science or medical field This interactive session will incorporate both current and former SSJP participants “An Introduction to Mind in the Making Workshops,” Marta Gredler and Rita Spinola An introduction to a training designed to communicate the science of early learning to families, teachers, and the general public Through observing current research on early learning, participating in hands-on activities, working with partners and groups (in training), then practicing what was learned in your learning environment, participants will learn ways to create the optimum learning environment for infants and children In addition, understand the importance of their roles as Educators/Caregivers in a child’s learning process Please note, this Dialogue session is not available through the online registry If you are interested in this session please contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us Workshop Session #2 (1:30pm – 3:00pm) “The Paper Picker Press,” Kimberly Dawson with Marcela Mahecha Participants will begin this session by creating book covers with recycled materials as the presenter reads a literary text aloud Next, participants will have a chance to question the text and invent fresh details in their answers to reclaim the text Ms Dawson and Ms Mahecha will then introduce interactive exercises that stimulate reflection on reading, interpretation, differences, and social justice based on what participants experienced “Infusing Hands-On Project Based Learning into Out-of-School Time Programming,” Harry Gilliam and Jonna Casey For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us This workshop will demonstrate the importance of adding hands-on project based learning to out-of-school time programming, as well as provide concrete examples of how a program can implement this type of programming with minimal cost It will provide a history of how the Murphy afterschool program developed this strand within their existing programming and what additions were needed to support change in practice Harry and Jonna will describe some of their existing partnerships and their plans for expansion in the coming year “Project GPS: Teaching Goal Management Skills to Promote Positive Youth Development (PYD),” Dr Edmond Bowers with Mimi Arbeit and Chris Napolitano Goal management skills lead to PYD, which includes success in academics, college and career Project GPS helps OST programs teach Goal Selection (G), Pursuit of Strategies (P), and Shifting Gears (S), skills youth can use to work towards their goals Presenters will show how Project GPS can be integrated into a variety of OST programs “Academic Achievement Framework Addressing the Social, Emotional and Behavioral Domain,” Claudia Rinaldi with Martha Starr, Lynn F Stuart, and Orla Higgins Averill This workshop will introduce the social-emotional-behavioral domain of the Academic Achievement Framework (AAF) A particular focus will be on universal school-wide supports, screening and progress monitoring procedures, and the identification of evidenced-based interventions and supports across tiers Participants will receive examples of screening tools and suggested steps for implementation “Including Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in After School Programming,” Melissa Partridge This workshop will provide an understanding of autism spectrum disorders and how to support students for optimal participation in a variety of out of school and recreational programs Participants will: acquire a baseline understanding of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), gain an understanding of how ASD can impact a student’s participation in recreational settings, develop an understanding of behaviors and triggers, and finally learn strategies for providing a safe and engaging environment for all students “Building a College-Bound Culture: A Student Perspective,” Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) Members with Marisa Ricci and Maria I Ortiz A panel of current BPS high school students and alumni will share their perspectives on how school, family and community helped shape their preparedness for college The students will reflect on what resources and support were made available to them and what challenges they faced as they navigated the college admissions process and beyond “Creating a Transformative Learning Environment for Youth: It’s All in Your Mind,” Muadi Dibinga Whether you are a teacher, youth worker or probation officer, working with young people in any capacity can be an extremely rewarding and exciting experience It can also be a very challenging one Teaching youth new behaviors or guiding them away from behaviors that not serve them is hard work that can test the patience and confidence of even the most seasoned professionals In an attempt to form connections with the young people in their care some adults find themselves taking on roles - acting in ways that not reflect who they are at their core, but instead who they THINK they need to be in order to connect with the youth with whom they work (e.g acting ‘cool or down’ to appear that they are on the same ‘level’ as the young people, taking on the role of the ‘no-nonsense’ disciplinarian or using intimidation to influence behavior, etc.) For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us In this workshop participants will examine the impact that role playing has on adults’ ability to form productive relationships with young people and the effectiveness of bringing one’s authentic self and voice into one’s work Utilizing individual and groups exercises and guided discussion we will: 1) Explore how unexamined thoughts and perceptions about ourselves and the youth we serve can shape our relationships with them and the learning environment; 2) Conduct a personal inventory to determine the extent to which participants are expressing their true selves in their work; and 3) Identify steps to take to break free of those roles and bring more of who they truly are to their work (and other aspects of their lives) thereby improving their ability to connect with and positively influence the youth with whom they work Participants will receive a list of resources (e.g reading materials, websites etc.) with additional information to support their continued learning and growth in this area of their personal development “A Seamless Approach to Supporting Student Success through Expanded Learning Opportunities,” Alexandra Montes McNeil, Jane Manning, and Erica Herman with Lauren Fogarty Participants will learn from two BPS principals and a BPS teacher about the innovative strategies they have employed to assess and address the academic and social/emotional needs of their students during the school day and in out-of-school time Looking at the Mario Umana Middle School Academy, Ms Montes McNeil and Mrs Manning will showcase how, over the past two years, they have worked to close the achievement gap for English language learners and students with special needs Ms Herman will then highlight her work at the Gardner Pilot Academy “Going Deep: Developing Surrogate Social Capital and Successful Scholarship with First Generation Students through After School Programs,” David Lemmel, Ph.D and Arnold Chamanlal, M.Ed with Akunna Rosser Using the UMass Urban Scholars Program as a case, Lemmel and Chamanlal will discuss ways that afterschool academic enrichment programs provide surrogate social capital and resources for first generation students, which boost secondary and postsecondary retention and success The presenters provide tangible examples from their program and facilitate a discussion on how to create more intentional partnerships between schools and programs BRIDGING THE GAP CONFERENCE PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES (in alphabetical order) Antonieta Bolomey is the Program Specialist/Data Analyst in the Boston Public School Office of English Language Learners Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) is a body of student leaders representing their respective high schools, which serves as the voice of students to the Boston School Committee Participating members offer their perspectives on education reform and inform their respective schools about relevant citywide school issues BSAC is the primary vehicle for student voice and youth engagement across the Boston Public Schools In recent years, BSAC has played a key role in advising the School Committee and the Superintendent on district policy, working with the Headmasters on student climate issues, and informing students of their rights and For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us responsibilities under district rules Over the last 10 years BSAC has worked on issues and informed policy changes such as: Punctuality Policy, Homework Policy, Cell Phone Policy, Teacher Evaluation & Hiring, Student Government, School Safety, BPS Budget and School Quality Dr Edmond Bowers is a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development Currently he is Project Director for a grant funded by the Thrive Foundation for Youth of Menlo Park, CA, the purpose of which is to develop and test a toolkit of strategies, rubrics, and videos that will increase the capacity of mentors in youth-serving organizations to assist young people in the growth of goal-management behaviors Ed received both B.S and M.Ed degrees from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!) and a Ph.D in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College Ed has experience teaching and working with students from the preschool to the graduate level, both in the U.S and abroad His research focuses on the influence of non-parental caregivers on the life skills development of adolescents In prior work, he has studied the relationship between the caregiving behaviors of youth workers in a residential treatment facility and the changes in social skills of delinquent youth in their care Presently, he is examining the role of mentors in engendering positive youth development through their impact on adolescent intentional self regulation Jonna Casey is currently the site coordinator for the Primetime Afterschool Program at the Richard J Murphy School Arnold Chamanlal, M.Ed is the High School Coordinator for the Urban Scholars Program He is a graduate of UMass Boston where he earned his B.A in English and History, and his M.Ed Arnold is the only member of the staff to graduate from an Urban Scholars target school (Dorchester High) and he is also an alumni of the Urban Scholars Program He is a committed member in the fight against violence and improvement of education in the Boston area Sarah Cherry Rice was a Teach For America corps member in Philadelphia, where she taught middle school Math and served as a Learning Team Leader for secondary math teachers After leaving the classroom, Sarah worked at Eduventures consulting higher education institutions on how to use data-driven insight to make decisions Currently, Sarah serves as a Director of School Support where she coaches BPS schools and charter schools in how to use effective data-driven strategies to identify and close gaps in student learning Sarah received her M.S.Ed in Secondary Mathematics with a focus on Urban Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Sarah holds a BA in Political Science and BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia Allison Cox is the Project Manager of the Upward Bound Math Science Program at Boston University and the President Elect of the Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association Previously, she was a Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellow at the Washington Irving Middle School as well as a Peace Corps Volunteer and Volunteer Leader in Zambia Allison holds a M.S in civil engineering with a focus in environmental engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a M.Ed with a specialization in curriculum and instruction and a focus in out-of-school time and leadership from Lesley University Kimberly Dawson is an artist, teaching artist, writer, and producer She has also participated in and facilitated workshops in Theater of the Oppressed and Paper Picker Press Currently, Kim works as the Director of Programs for ZUMIX, an organization in East Boston were Paper Picker Press was successfully implemented during the Summer of 2010 For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us Muadi Dibinga is an author, motivational speakers, life strategist and organizational consultant for nonprofit organizations She is the founder and CEO of Muadi B Dibinga Unlimited, a consulting firm which provides a range of services to nonprofit organizations, with a particular focus on those concerned with social justice and/or youth issues Her firm’s current and past clients include: Alternatives for Community and Environment, New Sector Alliance, Project HIP-HOP, the Young People’s Project, South End Lower/Roxbury Youthworkers’ Alliance and the Green Guerillas Prior to founding her company, Dibinga was Development Manager of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc.; the first Associate Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights (Atlanta, GA); the first Associate Director of Citizens for Safety (Boston, MA); and an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising where she taught a course on Fundraising Concepts and Practices She is also the creator of Live by Design! an intensive coaching program for individuals seeking to take control of their lives and the author of Put Your Shoes On! A Step-by-step Guide for Young People Entering the Workforce Mary C Dillman is the Program Director of Data Analysis for School Improvement and Accountability in the Boston Public Schools Office of Accountability Mary also serves as the project manager for implementation of the BPS Academic Achievement Framework She taught English, history, English Language Development, and college readiness skills to middle and high school students in Oakland, California She has served as an instructional coach, assessment editor, and educational consultant for districts in CA, RI, CT, and MA Mary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Policy Studies from Rice University and a Master’s degree in Urban Education Policy from Brown University Sarah E Farbo is Senior Literacy Advisor with ReadBoston’s After School Reading Initiative She has worked with ReadBoston since October, 2000 launching her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Sarah received a Masters degree in Elementary Education and Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University She is a graduate of Susquehanna University with a bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre Arts Sarah provides professional development for outof-school time directors, staff and leaders throughout the Greater Boston area She enjoys working with the diverse and vibrant community in Boston and believes literacy can be a pathway for empowerment Sarah enjoys directing, photography, biking, and baking Stephanie Gendron joined Tenacity as the Director of Alumni Services in 2007, but has been working with high-risk youth for over a decade, and her experiences include teaching summer school in Newark, NJ, working with voluntary and mandated adolescents at the Harlem Community Justice Center in East Harlem, New York, and leading a cross-sector coalition in Harlem with the mission of reducing substance abuse among local youth Stephanie graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A in Psychology and later received her MSW from Columbia University with a concentration in program management and development She is currently licensed to practice social work in Massachusetts Harry Gilliam is a 15 year veteran of the Boston Public School system Mr Gilliam is currently a teacher of 7th and 8th Grade Science and Technology at the Richard J Murphy School Jennifer Harber is the Associate Director of Learning Solutions, LLC, which supports students’ social success through Social Skills Groups, Professional Development and Educational Consultation Previously, Jenn supported therapeutic camp, afterschool and vacation programs for children and teens with disabilities at The Bridge Center and YouthCare MGH Jenn earned For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us her undergraduate degree from Cornell University with majors in Psychology and Math, her Master’s in Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, a postgraduate certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders and completed her MBA from Babson College Erica Herman has been Principal of the Gardner Pilot Academy for the past six years Prior to assuming the Principalship, Ms Herman graduated from the Boston Principal Fellowship Program Prior to that, she served as the Director of Extended Services under Dr Catalina Montes, the esteemed leader of the Gardner and founder of extended services programming in the district Ms Herman earned her BA in Inclusive Education from Syracuse University and M.Ed in Reading Education and CAGS in Education Administration from Boston College Ric Kahn spent 16 years as a staff writer at The Boston Globe before joining WriteBoston in March 2009, and is also an adjunct faculty member at Emerson College He is presenting with Kara Courtemanche who is currently WriteBoston's Project Coordinator/AmeriCorps VISTA She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education and English Literature at Lesley University, and has taught English at Watertown High School David Lemmel, Ph D is the Director of the Urban Scholars Program His areas of expertise include alternative education policy, urban education reform, minority achievement gap issues, and small high school development and replication His publications and presentations reflect an interest in minority student achievement and in elevating youth perspectives in discussions of school reform David earned his B.A in American Studies at Bard College, and Ph.D in Sociology at UCLA He was a Post-Doctoral in Race, Culture and Education, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Previously David worked at The Big Picture Company where he served as National Director to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Alternative High School Initiative Dr Cathy L Livingston is the current Executive Director of MathPOWER Dr Livinsgton and the MathPOWER staff have backgrounds in how students learn, and specifically, how they acquire both mathematical and literacy concepts They pay particular attention to the sequencing of math curriculum, as well as the learning environments that enhance students’ ability to learn They also incorporate youth development research that focuses on the need to build resiliency and persistence to goals Jane Manning has worked in the Boston Public Schools for over 30 years Currently, she is an ELA Lead Teacher and ESL teacher at the Mario Umana Middle School Academy She has taught English Language Arts at the Umana and the Edison K-8 for over 25 years She has also been a Literacy Coach at the Umana for over years Mrs Manning received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Masters Degree in Reading and Language from Boston University She is also a graduate of Girls’ Latin School in the Boston Public Schools Alexandra Montes McNeil has worked in the Boston Public Schools for 17 years Currently, Ms Montes McNeil is a second year principal at the Mario Umana Middle School Academy Ms Montes McNeil has a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from M.I.T., a Master in Education from Boston College and a CAGS in administration from Cambridge College Ms Montes McNeil worked at Boston Latin School for 12 years as a Science teacher, Science Program Director and an Assistant Headmaster Prior to her work at For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us Boston Latin School, Ms Montes McNeil spent a year at the Gavin Middle School and at the Timilty Middle School Melissa Partridge has experience working with students with ASD, in both clinical and instructional settings She has worked at MGH YouthCare and taught in public and private settings, focusing on supporting students with ASD Currently, Melissa is an Assistant Director of Special Education for Boston Public Schools, overseeing the autism programming for the district and is a member of the Mayor’s Autism Task Force Claudia Rinaldi Ph.D is a senior associate for the Urban Special Educational Leadership Collaborative part of Education Development Center and Lead External Consultant for BPS One of her areas of expertise is applied research and technical assistance of Multi-tiered System of Academic and Behavioral Support (MTSS,) and RtI For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us 10 ... authentic self and voice into one’s work Utilizing individual and groups exercises and guided discussion we will: 1) Explore how unexamined thoughts and perceptions about ourselves and the youth... curriculum and instruction and a focus in out-of-school time and leadership from Lesley University Kimberly Dawson is an artist, teaching artist, writer, and producer She has also participated in and. .. expertise is applied research and technical assistance of Multi-tiered System of Academic and Behavioral Support (MTSS,) and RtI For more information contact Morgan Randall at mrandall@boston.k12.ma.us