7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 1 A Model for Secondary Literacy Improvement Including Putting Literacy Coaches to Work Districtwide

7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006

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A Model for Secondary Literacy Improvement

Including Putting Literacy Coaches to Work Districtwide

A Presentation to the Alliance for Excellent Education

Lauren Greenberg, COREDiane Innes, Pasadena USD


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CORE: Consortium on Reading Excellence

Collaborates with schools and districts nationwide to improve literacy instruction

Provides professional development and support for teachers, coaches, and administrators

Provides training and support to over ten state Departments of Education

Committed to a full implementation model for literacy achievement

Supports a wide variety of research-based programs as opposed to any specific curriculum


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Challenges for Secondary Literacy

"Most large, urban comprehensive high schools have never graduated more than half of their students or prepared more than a third of students for postsecondary education. Today, many students do not have the basic skills to pass required courses and advance to the next grade. Often, more than half the ninth-grade students in large urban high schools are not able to read their more demanding textbooks, but few if any of these high schools teach literacy."

Carnegie Challenge 2001: Creating a New Vision of the Urban High School


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Crucial Components of Secondary School Reform

Structural changes enabling students to receive personalized attention

Increased levels of academic rigor Differentiated instruction providing sustained

support for students lacking basic literacy and math skills

Improvements in instructional content and delivery resulting in instruction that is explicit, active, and engaging


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Specialized and small group

Added reteaching and supplement/

small group

Added time

Three-tier Model

Added time

© 2005 Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc.


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The Big Question:

How many students really are in need of intensive intervention?


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Reading Next says:

“In considering how to improve the academic achievement of our nation’s struggling readers and writers, it is critical to remember that only 10 percent of students struggle with decoding (reading words accurately), and thirty years of research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have provided solutions for these decoding problems. Thus this report focuses on the question of which elements of interventions are most promising for the large population of struggling students who already decode accurately but still struggle with reading and writing after third grade.” (p. 11)


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What is the Source of the 10% Estimate?

Most likely source of statistic is Curtis and Longo’s When Adolescents Can’t Read

Very specific sample of students- at Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska

Authors employ Chall’s 6 stages of reading development


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Chall’s Stages of Reading Development

Stage 0: Prereading Stage 1: Decoding Stage 2: Confirmation Stage 3: Reading to Learn Stage 4: Multiple Viewpoints Stage 5: Construction and Reconstruction


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How Many are Stuck at Each Stage?

(0) Prereading: almost none (1) Decoding: one in ten (most basic level) (2) Confirmation: one in eight (3) Reading to Learn: one in two (4) Multiple Viewpoints: all need assistance (5) Construction and Reconstruction: almost

none reach this stageSource: When Adolescents Can’t Read


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An Alternate Estimate:

“Nationally, 25% of all adults are functionally illiterate. . . .At any age, poor readers as a group are distinguished by weakness in phonological processing and word recognition speed and accuracy.”

Louisa Moats, “Why Older Kids Can’t Read – And What Can Be Done About It,” 2001.


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% of 8th Graders Scoring Below Basic NAEP 2005 Reading Assessment

Overall Females Males White

29 24 34 19Black Hispanic Eligible for

Free/Reduced Lunch

Not Eligible for Free/ Reduced

Lunch

49 45 43 19


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The Need for Intensive Intervention

Students with severe reading difficulty are not evenly distributed in our nation’s schools

Exclusive focus on comprehension strategies is not adequate

Large numbers of disfluent students need help with fluency and multisyllabic word decoding

For EL’s and most strategic students the big issue is vocabulary


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Some Suggested Additions to Reading Next’s Fifteen Key Elements

Necessity of meeting student needs at three levels Inclusion of a comprehensive, intensive intervention

program for students needing extra help Specific focus on increased role of explicit

vocabulary instruction A call for secondary literacy coaches to support

implementation and coach teachers through the change process


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CORE’s model

Training for reading leaders, literacy coaches, and teachers

Full implementation of a research-based intensive intervention program (2-3 periods per day)

Strategic instruction classes to support students within 2 years of grade level

Increased use of explicit vocabulary instruction and text comprehension strategies across all content classes

Data collection and analysis A comprehensive literacy support system


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The Task of High School Text

“In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, European imperialism reached its peak as stronger nations colonized and domi-nated weaker nations. Economic, nation-alistic, military, and humanitarian factors led to the growth of imperial-ism. The growth of economic industries created an increased need for natural resources. The European spirit of national-ism, the belief that one nation’s goals are superior to those of other nations, caused nations to want to protect their interests.”

America: Pathways to the Present, Prentice Hall 2003


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Strategic Instruction

Direct, explicit instruction in a double period Uses standards-based grade-level materials plus program-

specific ancillary materials targeted for struggling readers Pre-teaching of reading and comprehension strategies Increased attention to building vocabulary and background

knowledge Multiple readings of text Adjusted pacing Interactive strategies for increased student participation Specific attention to fluency Explicit instruction in writing and spelling


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Horizontal and Vertical Supports

Horizontal: School level Adequate program-specific

teacher training Site based literacy coach Involved, supportive

principal and instructional VP who support appropriate scheduling and teacher assignment

Knowledgeable counselors who support appropriate placement

Vertical: District level Provide adequate materials Increased FTE’s District-wide agreements

about credits, grades, promotion policies

Support data collection District-level literacy coach Provide ongoing

professional development Ongoing and frequent

walkthroughs


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Case Study: Pasadena, CA

CORE began working with the Pasadena Unified School District late in 2003 through financial support of the Stupski Foundation.


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Pasadena Unified School District

Urban school district within a very prosperous, diverse city

22,336 Students K-12 67.7% Free and Reduced lunch 23.4% English Learners

(Based on 2004-2005 data)


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PUSD: Ethnically diverse

54% Hispanic 25.7% African-American 15.4% White 2.5% Asian 1.2% Filipino 1.2% Other

(Based on 2004-2005 data)


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Secondary Sites

Three K-8 schools Three large middle schools (6-8)

One 6-12 school One 7-12 school Two large comprehensive high schools (9-12) One alternative high school (9-12)

Approximately 10,350 total students 6-12


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Common Implementation Problems

Holt Literature was used in all English classes. High Point, Language! and Corrective Reading were being used in some schools, BUT . . .

– Programs not given enough time– Students not properly placed– Students placed in two curriculums at once (e.g. 1 period of

Corrective Reading and 1 period of Holt)– English classes not differentiated according to student

performance (no Strategic support) – Teachers received little or no ongoing coaching


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Quality of Implementation Matters

Typically, improper student placement, combined with inadequate time to fully teach the program, results in poor outcomes.

In such situations, teachers often blame the program rather than the quality of implementation.


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Fiscal Realities

Due to budgetary concerns, it was not feasible to serve all students in grades 6-12.

The decision was made to require all schools to serve their students in grades 7 and 9 with intensive intervention and strategic classes.

Grades 8 and 10 would be added in the next year of implementation.

Literacy coaches were funded for each site.


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Research Based Materials

A variety of research-based materials are in use:– REACH (Corrective Reading) at most middle

schools– Read 180 at one middle school– Language! at all high schools

Holt Literature for Benchmark and Strategic classes

High Point for EL students


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A Three-Year Implementation Process

Year One Year Two Year Three

Leadership training

Choose & order materials

Scheduling

Assessment

Placement

Board support

The challenge: high quality implementation of five separate programs at eleven schools.

Intensive coach training

Instructional delivery

Fully integrate special education into three-tier system

Strategic instruction

Vocabulary instruction

Step Up to Writing added


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Structures to Support Implementation

District Coordinator for Literacy Intervention District Language Development Resource Teacher (LDRT)

to support EL instruction Literacy coach at each site plus CORE coach training LDRT at each site Adequate program-specific training Ongoing CORE support and training Ongoing system of walkthroughs at each site Careful oversight by Director of Secondary Curriculum

and Coordinator of Language Development


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Role of the Site Literacy Coaches

Support literacy instruction in intervention, strategic, and benchmark classes

Support content teachers Coaching: Focused observations and constructive

feedback Professional development Data collection and analysis Model lessons Co-planning, co-teaching


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Coaching: An Evolving Role

Year One Year Two Year Three

Technical assistance to teachers learning new intervention program; materials and placement

Expanded focus on strategic instruction; refining instruction in intervention classes; pacing and data analysis

Expanded focus on supporting the content-area teachers; continued support for strategic instruction; school-wide professional

development


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Ongoing CORE support and training

Program specific support Coaching support Walkthroughs Strategic instruction training Site specific visits Demonstration lessons Reading leadership training for administrators


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So……….

After all this focused effort………

What happened?

………………………………. let’s take a look!


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California Standards Test English Language Arts 2005

% of Students Scoring At or Above Proficient

PUSD 2004 2005 Change

7th Grade 26 33 +7

9th Grade 25 37 +12


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California Standards Test English Language Arts 2005 % of Students Scoring Below Basic

or Far Below Basic

PUSD 2004 2005 Change

7th Grade

40 34 -6

9th Grade

44 32 -12


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Schoolwide Improvement on California’s Academic Performance Index (API)

Year 2000 to 2001

2001 to 2002

2002 to 2003

2003 to 2004

2004 to 2005

Total API

Growth

35 167 61 109 282

Unprecedented total API growth for the 7 middle and high schools serving students in grades 6-12:


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Districtwide Changes

Focus, Focus, Focus! New literacy vocabulary ALL secondary principals involved Coaches are integral to school program Commitment to success for ALL students Walkthroughs are a fact of life District Literacy Team FROM ISOLATION TO COLLABORATION!


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Other Whole District Implementations

Yakima, Washington Pasadena, CA Buffalo, NY Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho


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Growth in Yakima, WA 2005, 2004, 2003 WASL Comparisons

State & CORE Middle Schools % 7th Grade Students Meeting Standards

State of Washington 2005, 2004, 2003 WASL Comparisons State & CORE Middle Schools % 7th Grade Students Meeting Standards

(Yakima District using High Point)

49%

26%

12%

16%

35%

61%

41%

35%

30%

52%

69%

57%

45% 46%

69%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

State and Middle Schools

% 7

th G

rad

e S

tud

en

ts M

ee

tin

g S

tan

dard

2003-02 Yr 1

2004-03 Yr 2

2004-05 Yr 3

2003-02 Yr 1 49% 26% 12% 16% 35%

2004-03 Yr 2 61% 41% 35% 30% 52%

2004-05 Yr 3 69% 57% 45% 46% 69%

Washington State Franklin Lewis & Clark Washington Wilson

2003-04 Target = 30% (yellow line)

2004-05 Target 48% ( red line)


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Major Challenges and Roadblocks

Structural Financial Instructional Varied and complex student population


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Structural Challenges

Traditional high school schedule A-G course requirements Credits, grades Some structures, such as SLC’s, may make it

difficult to place all students correctly Smaller schools face unique challenges Balkanization of various departments (English, EL,

Special Ed) who must now work together Requirement of highly qualified teachers under

NCLB


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Financial Strains

Cost of materials- an ongoing cost Teacher training and professional development Number one cost: additional FTE’s to support

additional literacy sections with smaller class size Literacy coaches (district and site level) Additional data collection support staff High costs of technology-based programs (both

hardware and ongoing support)


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Continuing Challenges in Pasadena

Budgetary crisis has led to– Decreased FTE’s resulting in an inability to offer

double-period intervention classes– Difficulty in sustaining reduced class size– Teacher turnover

Ongoing training for new teachers, or those newly assigned to strategic or intervention classes


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Instructional Challenges

Traditional model of secondary instruction is well-entrenched

The vast majority of secondary teachers have no understanding of or training in providing explicit instruction

Culture of isolation; resistance to coaching and concept of program fidelity

Profoundly difficult to change instructional practices- requires multiple opportunities for exposure and guided practice


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In•er•tia

1. apathyinability or unwillingness to move or act

2. resistance to changeThe property of a body by which it remains at rest or

continues moving in a straight line unless acted upon by a directional force

(Encarta Dictionary of North American English)


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The Challenge of a Varied and Complex Student Population

Students with profound vocabulary deficits Redesignated EL students who continue to

struggle Students with a variety of learning issues Students with severe behavioral issues Students with serious attendance issues Many also need intensive math intervention


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Key Lessons

The reality of struggling districts includes large numbers of students in need of intensive intervention

The key to improved outcomes is a high quality implementation of a strong program

The literacy coach is crucial in ensuring strong implementation

A system of multiple supports is necessary All of the above cost real dollars; districts cannot

accomplish this merely by reshuffling funding


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Thank You!For more information about our

K-12 services see: www.corelearn.com


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Additional slides for Q/A


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How is the Intervention Class Different from “Remedial Reading” Class?

Placement based on multiple measures with specific needs identified

Grouping for like needs Comprehensive research-based curriculum

delivered by a highly trained teacher Goal is accelerated instruction and growth Provided with sufficient intensity and duration Ongoing teacher support and accountability


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Placement in Intervention Should be Flexible

Accountability for student mastery through data analysis

Periodic check-in for correct student placement

Upon completion and mastery of specified curricula, students move on and up

Intervention should NOT be a life sentence!


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Intensive Intervention Programs

A wide variety of research-based programs are available, including:

Language! Read 180 REACH (Corrective Reading) High Point Reading is FAME Fast Track Reading (Wright Group) Wilson Reading System

Documents

7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 1 A Model for Secondary Literacy Improvement Including Putting Literacy Coaches to Work Districtwide