1. What is CDL?
CDL is a nonprofit organization that teaches
the educators classroom techniques that are critical, necessary
and available to making all of our kids successful. These
techniques are excellent for all students, but are life-saving
for high-risk kids.
Unfortunately, many of our educators are not introduced
to these techniques before they enter their classrooms.
The situation is further compounded because the scientific
knowledge-base on teaching and learning has expanded over
the last 10 years, and education has a hard time keeping up
with it.
2. What does CDL do?
CDL teaches teachers how to reach and teach every student,
and especially high-risk students.
CDL has a central purpose: we save high-risk children by teaching educators how to save them. CDL combines this purity of purpose with the requisite professionalism.
CDL teaches educators to (1) identify the core problem,
(2) match the student's specific problem with specific techniques/interventions to remediate the challenge, (3) implement the technique in the classroom and (4) refine the remedy by going back to the toolbox of
techniques and (5) repeat the remedy until the student
reaches the desired success. This is similar to the medical
model used by doctors.
CDL works with individual teachers, with entire school faculties, and, occasionally, with district-wide capacity-building initiatives.
When funding allows CDL to provide sustained, systematic support to a school over multiple years, external evaluation data show significant gains in student achievement scores when compared to other schools with similar demographics.
On an annual basis, CDL convenes educators and experts
from across Louisiana and the nation to share the most
current evidence-based techniques and strategies. This
new information is then looped back into the classrooms
in schools where CDL works, adding new tools to the educators' toolboxes.
3. Where does CDL provide services?
CDL is Louisiana born and bred. Post-Katrina, CDL
is focused on schools in the Greater New Orleans area,
and we are laser-intent on our role there.
We also provide services to educators and students
across Louisiana and occasionally to educators and
students in other states. Once a year, we disseminate
information nationally through our Plain Talk About
Reading Institute. In the future, as was our practice
Pre-Katrina, CDL's annual institute will include additional
disciplines such as math and science.
4.
Who makes up CDL's staff and how/why are they qualified
to train educators?
CDL's staff includes teaching and learning experts
from the fields of education, psychology and school
administration. CDL is BY educators, OF educators and
FOR education in New Orleans.
5. How is CDL funded?
- Private - Individual contributions, foundation
and corporation grants, and individual fee for
service provide CDL with funding.
- Public - Schools use their state, federal, and discretionary funds to employ CDL’s
services.
All members of CDL's Board of Trustees and staff contribute
to CDL.
6. How does CDL fit in with other organizations working in education in
New Orleans?
No education organization can be all things to all people.
We know and understand our specific role and expertise.
Over the last two decades, we have developed a package
of services that fills a gap. We synchronize with other
organizations and provide our services and serve a sector
that other organizations do not.
CDL is sole-source for many of our services in Louisiana.
Thus, we work in conjunction with local education organizations in a non-duplicative, complimentary way. Together, the services provided by CDL and other nonprofit organizations create a tout ensemble.
