Mentoring All Educators, Supporting Teachers, Raising Outcomes (MAESTRO)

MAESTRO is an all-inclusive approach to improving literacy instruction through a dynamic combination of large group training and one-on-one coaching. The goal of the program is to improve the teachers’ literacy instruction so that the students enter kindergarten ready to learn and achieve long term academic success.

MAESTRO is unique because it improves early literacy instruction through both general and differentiated intervention. All MAESTRO teachers participate in at least 24 hours of training a year. These trainings come alive through differentiated coaching sessions, which help the teacher apply best practices to the unique context of her classroom. The coaching system is designed to ensure that the teacher gets adequate support in the pillars of early literacy and learns strategies that will be sustainable long after the coach leaves.

MAESTRO is supported by numerous data collection tools. The classroom literacy environment is evaluated using the Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO). This gives us information about the strengths and weaknesses of the classroom’s literacy materials, books, and some basic literacy instruction information. To further understand the nature of instruction in these classrooms, each class has been assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), which closely examines teacher-student interactions.

The MAESTRO Program is funded by The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County. – See more here.