Project:

Empowering learners through improved reading literacy and access to knowledge

Fani Nolimal,PhD, project leaderFani Nolimal,PhD, project leader

National Education Institute SloveniaNational Education Institute Sloveniaffani.nolimal@zrss.siani.nolimal@zrss.si

BASIC data of the project

• 2-year project2-year project: school years 2011/12 in 2012/13• 42 PS included ≈ 10 % 42 PS included ≈ 10 % of all primary schools,

selected on the basis of a public call• CRITERIA for selection:CRITERIA for selection:

Performance on NKT in L1 and/or MATHs in 5 years1. Low performance schools, – facing the problems of learning deficiencies of students from destimulating low SES family environment, – interested in improving their performance.

2. High performance schools, 1. with experience in development and research work willing to share experience (e.g. by multiplying ).

Definition of READING LITERACY (RL) (PISA and PIRLS)

To develop the capacities develop the capacities of learners – to acquire information independentlyacquire information independently, – to relaterelate itemsitems of information and interpretinterpret them, – on the basis of information to createcreate comprehensive comprehensive

notions of meanings notions of meanings and explanationsexplanations of phenomena and events,

– to thinkthink about them and evaluateevaluate them, develop develop argumentsarguments for acting in a certain way on the basis of information,

– to orientorient themselves in new situationssituations, compare compare critically, draw conclusionscritically, draw conclusions, etc.

(Project plan, 2011)

PURPOSE and general GOALS of the project:

• Contribute to assuring equal learning assuring equal learning opportunitiesopportunities;

• Improving access to quality educationaccess to quality education:– Integration of efficient didactic strategies to of efficient didactic strategies to

achieve higher levels of reading literacy achieve higher levels of reading literacy in formal education;

• Contribute to the implementation of the implementation of the national strategynational strategy (a set of activities) for the development of RL.

GOALS on school level (schools participating in the project):

• Improve readingeading motivation and interestmotivation and interest;• Improve reading and writing techniquesreading and writing techniques;• Improve reading with understanding reading with understanding;• Introduce reading learning strategies (RLS)reading learning strategies (RLS);• Develop the processes of reflection, reflection,

meatacognition and self-accountabilitymeatacognition and self-accountability; • Improve the language of instruction language of instruction and and learning learning

communicationcommunication;• IMPROVE PERFORMANCIMPROVE PERFORMANCEE on NKT and PISA on NKT and PISA

Goals of schools in project:

Examples of activities

Improving reading MOTIVATION/ INTEREST10/6/16 schools  ACTIVITIES FOR:•parents and broader environment•teachers•pupils

• IN THE CLASSROOM• OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

  

Continued…

Goals of schools in project:

Examples of activities

Development of REFLECTION, METACOGNITIVE PROCESSES and SELF-ACCOUNTABILITY0/1 schools

Use/introducing READING LEARNING STRATEGIES (RLS) 9/15/24 schools

Activities for:•teachers•learners

Continued…

Goals of schools in the project:

Examples of activities

Improving READING WITH UNDERSTANDING 6/6/12 schools

Introducing/using READING LEARNING STRATEGIES (RLS) 9/15/24 schools

Activities for:•Parents and wider community•teachers•learners

STRUCTURE of the project distributed leadership and administration

National levelNational level School levelSchool level

Head of project – Project trustee at MESCS – ESF support services

The role of the school trusteeThe role of the school trustee

• Takes care of information provided to SPT;• The school’s partner in the implementation of the project

in all it’s phases: – baseline studies, support in designing operational plans,

implementation and monitoring of the realisation in school

• planning, performing and monitoring (feed-back) of individual action steps;

• Counselling for the choice (and implementation) of advisory services, procuring professional literature

• Providing professional support and aid to the memebers of SPT in work with the project group in school

• Other: as agreed

HOW do we implement the goals set?MODEL of professional support to schools

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ARMethodology

ACTION STEP (AS) 1SEPTEMBER 2011 – MARCH 2012

AS 2

AS 3

Support by SCHOOL TRUSTEESSCHOOL TRUSTEES

Action STEP (AS) 2APRIL – SEPTEMBER 2012

Action STEP (AS) 3 OCTOBER 2012 – AUGUST 2013

Recorded positive (+) change•Improved awareness, attention, teachers’ , teachers’ responsibility for the development of RL responsibility for the development of RL•New quality of teaching and learning, new methods, RLS …•Increased emphasis on

• eemerging literacy, teaching literacy, acquiring merging literacy, teaching literacy, acquiring reading techniques, reading with understanding, reading techniques, reading with understanding, motivationmotivation

•Revived team work•Improved knowledge, expression, higher Improved knowledge, expression, higher assessment grades, NKT performanceassessment grades, NKT performance•PPositive parents’ attitudes towards the ositive parents’ attitudes towards the project and RLproject and RL

Recorded weaknesses, problems …

(—)

•LLack of relevant professional ack of relevant professional literatureliterature•LLack of knowledgeack of knowledge

o Ineficient work with learners from deprivileged environments, metacognition ...

•The school operational plans too large; •Resistence from co-workers;•Some parents’ doubts;Some parents’ doubts;

—

• Pupils not used to active role;Pupils not used to active role;• Rigidity of school systemRigidity of school system• Criteria for reliable and Criteria for reliable and

objective measuring of resultsobjective measuring of results• ......

What needs to be done in 2012/13 school year?

• Maintaining the existing level of moivation for work;

• Disseminating the project Disseminating the project within school staff and within regions;

• Developing metacognitive processes;• Support to learners Support to learners from deprivileged

environments;• Setting up appropriate levers of monitoring,

intermediate and final evaluation;– METHODOLOGICAL DESIGNMETHODOLOGICAL DESIGN

• FINAL CONFERENCEFINAL CONFERENCE

Expanding knowledge