Assessment from Afar: Strategies for Assessing Readers, Writers, and Speakers Remotely
In this 1-hour complimentary webinar, examine authentic ways to assess students’ reading, writing, and speaking strengths and needs in a remote setting or in a socially-distanced classroom.
- Classroom Teachers, Interventionists, & Specialists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- District & School Leaders
NOTE: There is a maximum capacity for this webinar.
We will be allowing access on a first come, first serve basis starting at 2:45pm.
Struggling with how to assess your students when working remotely or in the socially-distanced classroom?
Join us for this complimentary webinar that will examine authentic ways to assess students’ reading, writing, and speaking strengths and needs.
Center faculty members, Cindy Downend, Wendy Vaulton, and Courtney Varner will facilitate this interactive session in which they will discuss:
- Foundational principles of authentic and meaningful assessment
- Important considerations for remote assessment
- Practical guidance for optimizing efficient administration and record-keeping
- Use of the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum to support the observation of reading, writing, and speaking behaviors in any context
Cynthia Downend, Assistant Director, Literacy Programs

Cynthia Downend has worked at the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative for over 10 years, serving in the roles of primary level literacy trainer and currently as the assistant director for primary literacy programs.
Cynthia has worked with many school districts across the United States to train and develop district level literacy staff developers, literacy coaches, classroom teachers, literacy interventionists and school administrators on a variety of topics related to improving literacy instruction.
Prior to her work at Lesley University, Cynthia held positions as a literacy coach, Reading Recovery teacher, and classroom teacher for over 20 years working in a variety of school settings including urban, suburban, and international schools.
Cynthia holds licenses in both elementary education and school administration, and achieved National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Wendy Vaulton, Assistant Director of Research

Dr. Vaulton has more than fifteen years of experience designing and implementing multi-site training, technical assistance, and evaluation projects at the state, local, and federal levels. At the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative, Wendy is responsible for ensuring that educators have the skills and tools they need to monitor implementation and measure outcomes in authentic and meaningful ways. Wendy creates training tools and materials to help educators engage in ongoing quality improvement and has been with the CRRLC since 2012.
Courtney Varner, Literacy Trainer
Courtney has a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and earned a Masters in Elementary Education from George Mason University. Her educational career started in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA where she had 8 years of experience working in Title 1 schools. She taught in 1st and 2nd grade and served as a Reading Recovery teacher. In addition, Courtney was a Literacy Collaborative trained literacy coach for the intermediate grades.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers.
Featured Blogs
Reaching All Learners Matters More Than Ever
Classrooms are full of potential, bursting with students who each bring their own strengths, ideas, and perspectives. This year’s Reaching All Learners Speaker Series, kicking off in January 2026, is designed to equip you with the tools you need to make the most of every student’s potential—celebrating diversity, sparking engagement, and discovering ways to make learning meaningful for every student.
Timing is Everything: Moving from the Writer’s Notebook to Draft Paper
How do you know when to move from the writer’s notebook to draft paper? The writer’s notebook is the heart of a writer’s daily life. Just like gardeners plant seeds without knowing which ones will flourish, writers collect ideas.
Igniting a Year of Learning: Building Momentum as a Literacy Coach
For literacy coaches, this is a powerful moment – the chance to move from introductions and early connections into purposeful collaboration that will carry the year forward.