Practice The Impact of Partnership

the impact of partnership

IN 2018, COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY (CML) AND MARBURN ACADEMY engaged in a year-long collaborative partnership to enhance CML’s Reading Buddies program. Here, Kathy Shahbodaghi, Public Services Director at Columbus Metropolitan Library, reflects on the impact of the program over the 2019-2020 school year.

What is Reading Buddies?

Since 2014, Columbus Metropolitan Library’s (CML) Reading Buddies program has offered 15-minute, one-on-one reading time with a CML staff member or volunteer for children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. The program was developed in response to Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee, which showed that an alarming number of central Ohio students were not proficient in reading.

How did Marburn enhance the program?

Throughout the 2018-2019 school year, Marburn worked closely with library staff, volunteers, and administration to hone a skill and strength-based approach to empower staff and volunteers with tools that reinforce essential reading skills. This new iteration of Reading Buddies was deployed at all 23 branches of the library starting in August of 2019.

Why did a partnership with Marburn Academy appeal to the library?

Marburn Academy is a leader in research-based educational best practices and is a recognized expert in helping students of all ability levels learn to read. At CML, we are focused on using developmentally appropriate practices in our Young Minds’ work. Like Marburn, we are relationship focused, data-driven, and recognized the value a partnership with Marburn could bring to our work with students. Specifically, staff and leadership recognized the varied learning differences with the students we serve and looked to Marburn as an expert resource for direction on best practices for helping all students learn to read.

dents, families, library staff, and volunteers?

Students now receive instruction targeted to their reading level and skills while also having their reading strengths highlighted. This skill and strength-based approach has given many new readers positive experiences.

Families receive updates on their

Stephanie Royal, Marburn’s Director of Outreach, instructs CML’s Branch Managers on implementing new tools in the Reading Buddies program.

child’s progress via in-person conversations with the staff or volunteer that worked with their child. This reading update is a new connection between caregivers and library staff since, in the past, CML did not consistently follow-up with caregivers.

Library staff now have a structured approach to Reading Buddies.

With this, there are additional expectations. Additional resources and training were created to support staff development. These opportunities have built staff knowledge of the reading acquisition process.

How has this work impacted other library initiatives?

This work has reinforced the importance of working with experts in the community, like Marburn, to bring industry best practices and developmentally appropriate methodology to our work with Young Minds.

This was obviously a very different year with a shut-down in March, and this likely had an impact on the program. How many sessions were accessed through the Reading Buddies program this school year?

While Columbus Metropolitan Library had initial concern that usage would drop, attendance actually increased over the open months of the 2019-2020 school year. From August 1, 2018 to March 1, 2019, 19,381 students signed up. In that same time frame in 2020, nearly 19,600 students signed up.

Due to the shutdown, CML was unable to complete a follow-up parent/caregiver survey; however, we do know anecdotally that parents, volunteers, and students felt that the new approach to Reading Buddies provided a value-added component.

The world has changed this year through the pandemic. How has Reading Buddies adapted?

For the safety of customers and staff, CML has been unable to offer in-person programming since mid-March. However, we are looking at ways we can offer Reading Buddies virtually along with virtual homework help. In addition, CML is planning to develop online Reading Buddies training for parents to help caregivers navigate the new blended learning approach to education.

Learn more about all of Columbus Metropolitan Library’s School Help programs at columbuslibrary.org/ school-help.

STRENGTHENING OURcommunity

MARBURN ACADEMY IS COMMITTED to serving as a catalyst for improving the quality of education available to people with learning differences throughout Central Ohio and the nation. In this role, Marburn Academy acts as a resource for parents and community partners and a training center for educators and other professionals.

Central Ohio College Fair for Students with Learning Differences

In support of students in our community, Marburn Academy hosts an annual college fair for students with learning differences. The event offers students and their families the chance to speak with representatives from colleges and universities about programmatic options and opportunities for academic support.

Held on February 27, 2020, the third annual Central Ohio College Fair for Students with Learning Differences featured 25 post-secondary institutions from five states. This collection of colleges, universities, and technical schools engaged 160 attendees from 17 school districts about their institution’s specific opportunities for students with learning differences.

MarburnCon19

MarburnCon is a national conference that brings together innovative ideas, amazing minds, and dedicated educators to explore best practices for teaching and supporting students who learn differently.

On October 3 and 4, 2019, Marburn hosted its annual conference, #MarburnCon19 - Writing: From Research to Results. The conference featured seven speakers and industry experts in the field of writing, including keynote speakers Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed. and Stephen Hooper, Ph.D.

Eight states were represented with 108 attendees from 18 schools/organizations. Attendees were presented with tools and strategies related to writing instruction to support students who learn differently, collectively impacting more than 2,100 students nationwide.

Free Early Reading Screening Program

Marburn Academy offers free early reading screenings for children in kindergarten, first, and second grades whose parents want to know if their child is likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read. The screening is developmentally appropriate and based on meta-analysis of research in foundational early literacy that is predictive of later literacy skills.

Between July 2019 and March 2020, 52 students from 17 school districts were screened onsite by our team of experts. In May and June of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 13 additional families were served through a free virtual reading consultation.

Marburn On-Demand (MOD)

In December 2019, Marburn Academy began its collaboration with local custom learning solutions company Xcelerate Media to develop Marburn On-Demand, an eLearning platform that furthers Marburn’s commitment to impacting the Central Ohio community and beyond. The platform is a one-stop digital portal that offers education, research-based practices, resources, and support to parents, guardians, and educators of students who learn differently.

MOD launched in a testing phase in October 2020. We’re excited to have the capability to share webinars, articles, and other resources that will continue to support families in our community.