Most reading disabilities can be traced to difficulties acquiring oral language during preschool years due to insufficient linguistic stimulation. The present 2-year project aimed to improve the literacy-related oral language skills of 48 low-income, primarily ELL 4-year-old children in local public preschool by providing for individual conversational experiences with trained university students. Their results were compared to 48 peers at two comparable preschools. Children were tested in the fall and spring on multiple measures. Throughout the year, intervention children met with volunteers each week (26 weeks) for 20 minutes to dictate personal narratives. The control group received the regular public school preschool curriculum only. The improvement of intervention children on multiple measures of oral language ability—notably vocabulary and quality of narrative—was significantly greater than that of their peers.

Drawing on the University of Massachusetts experience in developing successful blended local programs, this paper suggests guiding principles that include mission-driven responsiveness to local contexts and partnerships; using low-cost marketing strategies available through local relationships and brand; attending to students’ preferences for blending face-to-face and online services and instruction throughout the college experience; supporting faculty in working with partners to develop local blended programs; and providing activities that anchor students to the campus and program.

Drawing on the University of Massachusetts experience in developing successful blended local programs, this paper suggests guiding principles that include mission-driven responsiveness to local contexts and partnerships; using low-cost marketing strategies available through local relationships and brand; attending to students’ preferences for blending face-to-face and online services and instruction throughout the college experience; supporting faculty in working with partners to develop local blended programs; and providing activities that anchor students to the campus and program.

No abstract

The Lowell Leadership Academy is a 12-year-old partnership between the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the Lowell Public Schools. The university organizes full-day monthly sessions and a week-long summer institute that provide professional development for Lowell's 60 administrators. In addition to providing collegial support, reducing isolation, and strengthening leadership skills and knowledge, the academy has also influenced policy development and curricular and instructional reform in the district. Since the academy's inception in 1985, it continues to serve as an important forum as the city of Lowell experiences major demographic changes, economic downturns, shifting political contexts, and education reform mandates. This article describes the academy's history and growth, its mission and methodology, and its promise as a resource for urban school districts.