Barnes Elementary SchoolLiteracy Improvement Plan

by Christa Dern

& Jocelyn Kluth

School Demographics

40% enrollment change per year 732 students in K-5

– American Indian 1.8%– Asian or Pacific Islander 5.7%– Black 5%– Hispanic 52.5%– White 35%

Program Enrollments

Special Education 7.6% ESL 45.2% Free/Reduced Lunch 70.6% TAG 0.4%

School Report Card

Overall

strong Academic Achievement Student Performance

satisfactory Attendance/Dropout Student Behavior

strong Improvement

improved School Characteristics

exceptional

Teacher Statistics

Job Satisfaction (A or B)

90% Teachers with Masters Degree or Higher

66.7% Highly Qualified Teachers

100%

Current Test Scores(standardized tests for reading and literature)

Grade 3– does not meet 15%

– meets 45%

– exceeds40%

Grade 5– does not meet 34%

– meets 53%

– exceeds12%

Instructional Programs

Kindergarten– Phonics Lessons by Fountas and Pinnell– Harcourt Brace

• phonics

• phonemic awareness

• vocabulary

• comprehension

– Estrellitas• phonics for Spanish speakers

Grades 1-5– Harcourt Brace (including all 5 components)

Native Language Literacy

Two Way Immersion Program– reading and writing instruction in native language

(English or Spanish) until 2nd grade level of proficiency

– next the reading and writing instruction is introduced in the student’s 2nd language

– Spanish and English are maintained through 5th grade

– equal opportunity for all students to become bilingual

Staff Responsibilities

Classroom Teachers – follow the curriculum and supplement as

needed

ESL Teachers– K&1: push-in/small group instruction– grades 2-5: daily pull-out

Title 1– push-in/small group instruction

Literacy Coach

Attends trimester collaboration meetings tied to the school improvement plan for literacy

available to teachers upon request– model lessons– write lesson plans– team teach– conduct research and gather resources– help assess

Literacy Materials and Resources

DRA kits for assessment leveled books for instruction buddy reading book sets of 6 at all levels class sets of novels big books professional library after school classes for the struggling readers

Community Outreach

Family Nights– K: Clifford Reading Night, Writing Night– grades 1-5: Literacy Night once a year

SMART Guest Author/Storyteller Read Across America Day w/guest readers book contest with the school librarian promote summer reading programs during spring

conferences

Needs Assessment

Testing (time and resources) classroom libraries staff development multicultural and authentic materials GLAD strategies primary level books

How a Reading Coach Should Be Used... Assist with beginning of the year testing acquire more testing resources acquire more leveled books for primary facilitate better use of classroom libraries staff development (mini-workshops based on

teacher needs) research more relevant materials for student

interest and cultural backgrounds

and used some more

Write a grant for GLAD training funds organize literacy events (for students and

families) familiarize teachers with new curriculum suggest and implement school-wide reading

incentives help interpret data for parents

Recommendations

mentoring for new teachers professional development in literacy increasing parent involvement

– English classes for interested parent– reading and writing “how to” w/your child

continue tracking through the grades re-organize literacy resources some scheduled times for lit. coach and teams

More Recommendations

mini workshops– facilitated by the literacy coach– offered throughout the year– highlight topics that teachers request

more school-wide literacy events– read-in/DEAR time– author visits to individual classrooms– genre day

incorporating more technology

Benefits of the Literacy Improvement Plan teachers would be more informed and

supported students would have relevant, motivating, and

appropriate materials materials would be more user friendly community support of literacy teachers would receive tailored literacy

strategies

Additional Benefits

literacy coach and teachers would work in conjunction cooperatively, closely, and consistently

united effort to actively promote literacy in a purposeful way for life

“Literacy arouses hopes not only in society as a whole, but also in the

individual who is striving for fulfillment, happiness, and personal benefit by

learning how to read and write. Literacy…means far more than learning

how to read and write. The aim is to transmit…knowledge and promote social

participation.”

UNESCO Institute for Education