Kevin Smith

(850) 645-0545

About

Kevin Smith serves as the Partnership Manager of the Florida Panhandle K-5 Literacy Partnership. Dr. Smith is the Task Lead for training, coaching, and technical support activities for the REL Southeast. He is formerly the deputy and acting director of the Just Read, Florida! office at the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) where he provided extensive technical support to schools and districts across the state. Prior to joining the FDOE, Dr. Smith was a middle and high school literacy coach and teacher of English, journalism, technology, and reading intervention. Dr. Smith can be contacted at ksmith@fcrr.org.

Associated IES Content

About REL Southeast

Regional Educational Lab (REL) Southeast partners with key stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina to develop evidence that can inform consequential decisions about policy, programs, and practice.
Blog

Improving Literacy in the Florida Panhandle - Where We Are Now

This blog provides an update on the Florida Panhandle K-5 Literacy Partnership. The mission of this partnership is to improve literacy in north Florida panhandle elementary schools. This blog focuses on an effort to increase the ability of upper grades elementary content area teachers to infuse content area literacy strategies into their instruction.
Date published:
Mar 04, 2024
Blog

Improving Literacy in the Florida Panhandle

This blog describes the current efforts of the REL Southeast Florida Panhandle K-5 Literacy Partnership which is focused on improving literacy in north Florida panhandle elementary schools, one of the most rural areas of the state.
Date published:
Apr 28, 2023
resource Training Material

Self-Study Guide for Evidence-Based Practices in Adult Literacy Education

The goals of this webinar are for participants to leave with the knowledge and ability to utilize the Self-study guide for evidence-based practices in adult literacy education tool in their state and local settings.
Apr 28, 2021
resource Other Resource

Self-Study Guide for Evidence-Based Coaching for Literacy: PreK-Grade 12

The purpose of this self-study guide is to increase the knowledge, skills, and ability of teachers to implement evidence-based instructional practices by improving the effectiveness of literacy coaching. This self-study guide is intended to help administrators, teacher leaders, and coaches determine which components of literacy coaching to prioritize based on the data collected. Sources of evidence for this review include coach schedules, lesson plans, professional development agendas, and si...
Feb 01, 2021
report Descriptive Study

Self-study Guide for Career Readiness in Secondary Schools

This self-study guide provides state and local education agencies and schools with a tool to assess implementation of career readiness practices across a district or secondary school and to plan improvements. It is arranged by implementation areas that have been found to be important to career readiness efforts based on a review of the literature and discussions with stakeholders. Each area includes guiding questions for discussion, potential sources of evidence, and a rating scale for self-a...
Jan 01, 2020
resource Other Resource

Guide and Checklists for a School Leader's Walkthrough during Literacy Instruction in Grades 4-12

This tool was developed to assist school leaders in observing specific research-based practices during literacy instruction in grade 4-12 classrooms and students' independent use or application of those practices. The tool aims to help school leaders conduct brief and frequent walkthroughs throughout the school year. The tool consists of three parts to be used with students in three grade bands: grades 4 and 5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. The first is the Pre-Walkthrough Meeting Guide, for u...
Jan 01, 2020
resource Other Resource

Self-Study Guide for Evidence-Based Practices in Adult Literacy Education

The purpose of this self-study guide is to help adult literacy education providers collect, organize, and analyze evidence that they can use to improve program performance. It was designed to help educators consider which types of evidence to collect and which components of adult education instruction may be important for evaluating implementation. Sources of evidence for this review include records and data such as lesson plans, rosters, and student results confirming that processes are in p...
Jan 01, 2020
report Descriptive Study

Educator outcomes associated with implementation of Mississippi's K-3 early literacy professional development initiative

Substantial research points to the importance of developing strong early literacy skills. However, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, between 2007 and 2013, no more than 55 percent of Mississippi grade 4 students were reading at or above the proficiency level that demonstrates solid academic performance for the grade assessed. This was of serious concern to educators and policymakers in Mississippi. Thus, in April 2013, Mississippi's Literacy-Based Promotion Act was...
Jan 01, 2017
report Descriptive Study

Implementing the extended school day policy in Florida's 300 lowest performing elementary schools

Since the 2012/13 school year Florida law has required the 100 lowest performing elementary schools in reading to extend the school day by one hour to provide supplemental reading instruction. In 2014 the law was broadened to include the 300 elementary schools with the lowest reading performance. A previous study of the state's first two cohorts of 100 lowest performing schools found that observed growth in school reading performance after one to two years of implementing the extended school ...
Jan 01, 2017
resource Other Resource

Rubric for Evaluating Reading/Language Arts Instructional Materials for Kindergarten to Grade 5

The implementation of effective instructional materials, such as a core reading program, by a qualified teacher is an important part of improving students' reading achievement. But selecting those instructional materials can be time-consuming. Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast created this rubric for evaluating reading/language arts instructional materials for kindergarten to grade 5 to help educators assess how consistent instructional materials (including core reading programs...
Jan 01, 2017
resource Other Resource

Self-study guide for implementing literacy interventions in Grades 3-8

While literacy interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on interventions in grades 3-8 is critical because it is often the best chance for students identified with earlier reading deficiencies to become ready for the literacy demands of postsecondary education and careers. States in both the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast region and across the country are implementing large-scale initiatives focused on delivering literacy interventions in grades 3-8. This self-...
Jan 01, 2016
report Descriptive Study

Self-study guide for implementing high school academic interventions

While academic interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on interventions in high school is critical because it is often a student's last chance to become ready for the academic demands of postsecondary education and careers. States across the country are implementing large-scale initiatives focused on delivering academic interventions in the high school grades. This self-study guide provides a template for data collection and guiding questions for discussion that may improve th...
Jan 01, 2016
report Descriptive Study

School reading performance and the extended school day policy in Florida

Florida law requires the 100 lowest performing elementary schools in reading to extend the school day by one hour to provide supplemental reading instruction. This study found that those schools were smaller than other elementary schools and served a higher proportion of racial/ethnic minority students and students eligible for the school lunch program. The lowest performing schools reported increasing the number of minutes of reading instruction provided to students, increasing staff, and pr...
Jan 01, 2016
resource Other Resource

Self-study Guide for Implementing Early Literacy Interventions

While literacy interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on prevention and intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 is optimal because reading difficulties become expensive and challenging to remediate as students become older. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 allows districts to do just this, with 15 percent of special education funds permitted to be used for prevention and early intervention. This Self-study Guide for Implementing Early Literacy Interventions ...
Jan 01, 2016
resource Video

School Leader's Literacy Walkthrough for Kindergarten to Grade 3

The School Leader's Literacy Walkthrough is designed to assist school leaders in observing specific research-based practices during literacy instruction (or students' independent use or application of those practices). This tool is based on rigorous research that indicates the most effective way to teach reading and is aligned to contemporary state standards. This tool is not meant to be used in the evaluation of teachers. Instead, the tool is intended to help school leaders enhance literacy ...
Aug 03, 2015
resource Other Resource

Summer Reading Camp Self-study Guide

This guide is designed to facilitate self-studies of planning and implementation of state-required summer reading camp programs for grade 3 students who scored at the lowest level on the state reading assessment. It provides a template for data collection and guiding questions for discussion that may improve instruction and increase the number of students meeting the grade-level standard by the end of the summer reading camp. The guide is composed of a scoring guide and consensus rating form....
Jan 01, 2015