Improving national literacy won’t take a village; it will take an entire ecosystem
The bookworm is on the verge of becoming an endangered species in America. More than 60% of students in our nation's K-12 schools can’t proficiently read at their grade levels, and pandemic-related remote learning and a teacher shortage in the past few years have...
Addressing Florida’s critical shortage area with Math Matrix
One in every 17 math courses in Florida is taught by an educator who entered the profession from a non-traditional route¹. The UF Lastinger Center for Learning’s Math Matrix is providing online, on-demand, discipline-specific mathematics professional development to...
Hillsborough Early Learning Network Convenes Spanish Community of Practice
For the first time in four years, the Hillsborough Early Learning Network (HELN) hosted an in-person community of practice (CoP) session on March 4 with an attendance of 41 teachers and both English and Spanish sessions offered.Participants and leaders recognized the...
Free Florida Reading Program Partners with Local Fifth Grader and Inspiring Professionals to Boost State Literacy Rates
The New Worlds Reading Initiative is encouraging families to embrace the power of reading this National Reading Month and beyond—and more than 500,000 FL K-5 students are eligible to receive free books!Parents and guardians can apply for their child to participate in...
Lastinger Center Director, Phil Poekert, Named 2023 Pahara Fellow
UF Lastinger Center for Learning Director Phil Poekert and 23 other exceptional leaders in education from across the nation have been named members of the 2023 cohort of the highly selective Pahara Fellowship.Dr. Poekert and the 2023 Pahara Fellows represent urban and...
‘The Cookie’: a recipe for effective collaboration through communities of practice
Lastinger Center Senior Manager of Leadership and Early Learning Partnerships Raquel Diaz, Ed.D, Director Phil Poekert, Ph.D., and collaborator Pedro R. Bermudez share a research-based framework for communities of practice (CoP) that consists of four key elements:...
UF Lastinger Center launches statewide micro-credential program
While Florida saw no significant changes in reading scores according to the 2022 NAEP scores¹, it still has a Grade 3 passing rate of 53% for the Florida Standards Assessment². This is a critical milestone for students. The chances of students falling behind are...
Meta-analysis and research synthesis of reading fluency interventions
Lastinger Center affiliate faculty member Kathrin Maki, Ph. D., and research coordinator Stephanie Snidarich, Ph. D., conducted a meta-analysis of reading fluency intervention and found that fluency interventions are generally effective for improving students' oral...
Lastinger Center’s Raquel Diaz named first Latina FLAEYC President
Lastinger Center for Learning Senior Partnerships Manager Raquel Diaz, Ed.D., is on her way to take her 2023 presidential role head-on as the first Latina president of the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC). Diaz has been an active member...
Florida K–12 Mathematics Teachers’ Credentials and Preparation
A report published by Lastinger Center Chief Equity Officer and Mathematics Principal Zandra de Araujo and collaborators at the Pardee RAND Graduate School shares the findings from the 2022 Learn Together Surveys to understand the composition and preparation of...
2023-24 Impact Highlights
Read the 2023-24 Annual Impact Highlights to learn more about the Center’s recent efforts to advance the quality of education in early learning, literacy, mathematics and data science.