Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University (ISU) is hosting the 7th Annual Power of Reading and the 5th Annual Power of Math Summits next week to train hundreds of Indiana educators on best practices and the latest research for teaching these critical subjects.

The Summits, sponsored by Duke Energy and CenterPoint Energy, will take place on the ISU campus in Terre Haute on November 21 and 22, and will offer an option to live stream.

This year, the Summits will be educating hundreds of Indiana teachers, coaches and other educators across the state. More than 300 educators are expected to attend in person, with nearly 900 streaming the event live. While a majority of the participants are from Indiana, the Summits are also reaching educators in 30 other states, Canada and Australia who plan to live stream the program.

“The Power of Reading and Math Summits are among our most important initiatives focused on inspiring and equipping Indiana educators with the tools to teach these foundational subjects,” said Brad Balch, Dean of the Indiana State University Bayh College of Education. “There is no more fundamental skill than reading, and unfortunately this is an area where young Hoosier students are struggling. Our hope is to empower teachers to innovate and reach their students in new and exciting ways, and help all students obtain the skills needed to succeed.”

Indiana’s student literacy rates have fallen, especially following the pandemic. According to the most recent Indiana Department of Education data, almost one in five Hoosier children are finishing third grade unable to read.

The Power of Reading and Math Summits will be led by nationally recognized reading and math experts from across the country, including:

·      --Wiley Blevins, educator and publisher

·      --Mary Dahlgren, Ed.D., President of Tools 4 Reading

·      --Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, researcher, educational consultant and author

·      --Joan Sedita, M.Ed., Founder of Keys to Literacy

·      --Kristen Acosta, math educator

·      --Dr. Kristopher J. Childs, visionary and collaborative leader

·      --Sue O'Connell, author, speaker and education consultant

·      --Greg Smedley-Warren, from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

Bios for each presenter are available here.

The Summits are free and geared toward teachers and reading and math coaches of grades K-2/3. Registration for in person sessions is closed, but educators can still sign up for the live streaming events. Educators interested in registering can do so here.

For more information and details on the Power of Reading and Math Summits, click here.

The Indiana State University Bayh College of Education has been training the next generation of Indiana teachers for more than 150 years. The Bayh College of Education offers three undergraduate degrees and six undergraduate minors, 15+ graduate degree programs, 13 PhD concentrations, five centers and institutes, and nine education-specific student organizations. More than 120 superintendents in Indiana received a degree from ISU.

For more information about the Bayh College of Education, visit www.IndState.edu/education.  For more information about Indiana State University, visit www.IndState.edu.