Feb. 4, Wednesday -- Education experts will address approaches to improving students' academic literacy at a one-day summit from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, in the ballroom of the Activities and Recreation Center on the UC Davis campus. Academic literacy refers to the level of fluency in written and spoken English that students need to succeed in academic coursework in U.S. classrooms. Educators are encouraged to attend, and media are welcome to cover the meeting.

The keynote speaker will be Olga Vasquez, associate professor of communication at UC San Diego. For two decades, Vásquez has created and studied learning environments known as La Clase Mágica, in which community institutions partner with higher education institutions to address the under-achievement of minority youth and their under-representation in higher education.

The summit is sponsored by the UC Davis School of Education, Institute for Academic and Adolescent Literacies, the Cooperative Research and Extension Services for Schools (CRESS) Center, Woodland and Yuba community colleges, and the Yolo County Office of Education. For more information or to register online, visit: http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=667422.