• The Reading Centers at HOD and F-C Schools

o Roles of the Reading Specialists

• Assessment and Entry/Exit Criteria for Reading Center support

• Balanced Literacy and Reader's & Writer's Workshops

• Literacy Assessments in Norfolk

Research supporting the work of Reading Specialists in the Norfolk Public Schools

• "Comprehensive Literacy Plan." Milwaukee, WI Public Schools, 2009.o Includes "Response to Intervention" and "Guidelines for Literacy

Specialists."• "Elementary Reading Deficiency: Intensive Reading Instruction." Florida: Flbsi.org.• RTI Action Network:

o "Screening for Reading Problems in Grades I through 3: An Overview ofSelected Measures"

o "Screening for Reading Problems in Grades 4 through 12"o "Using CBM-Reading Assessments to Monitor Progress"o "Validated Forms of Progress Monitoring in Reading and Mathematics"

• "Spotlight 3-Tier Reading Schools." University of Texas: The Meadows Center forPreventing Educational Risk, 2008.

• "Standards for Reading Professionals." International Reading Association website.• "Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making." What

Works Clearinghouse: NCEE 2009-4067. U.S. Department of Educatioll, 2009.

Project completed by Kathleen Maloof and Beth O'Connor, Reading Specialists, 2011

Our first priority is to have every student be a successful reader!

H. Olive Day School

Kindergarten

Reading specialists provide support to the kindergarten teachers by working in their classrooms

with the most needy students during "Power Up", the time devoted to Tier 2 Response to Intervention

small group instruction. At the end of the year, kindergarten teachers identify those students who

would benefit from further reading intervention in first grade.

Grades One and Two

Most instruction for first and second graders takes place in a small group setting in the Reading

Center three to five times a week for 30 minutes per session. Two to four students working at the same

level participate in Guided Reading groups. Reading specialists begin these groups by having students

read one or two books at their independent reading levels to practice fluency.

Next, they conduct a short phonics or word work lesson, based on the Fundations concept

being taught in the classroom that week. Then, they introduce a new book at the students' instructional

level, which students read with teacher support. During this reading, the reading specialists focus their

instruction on decoding, new vocabulary, and comprehension strategy use. Finally, the Guided

Reading groups end with students writing in response to their reading.

Students are assessed at least every other week using running records, which enable the reading

specialists to monitor their reading progress. Participation in Reading Center groups is fluid; if students

are making the necessary progress and begin reading on grade level, they will no longer need this

intervention. Similarly, if classroom teachers feel that students in their classrooms are not making

adequate progress, they will ask the reading specialists to assess them to determine whether or not they

would qualify for Reading Center support.

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Another setting for instruction in is in the classroom during "Power Up" time. Both first and

second grades have this intervention period scheduled for three 3D-minute blocks each week. During

this time reading specialists along with other teaching staff members teach decoding skills,

comprehension strategies, and fluency in small groups, differentiating instruction to meet the needs of

all learners.

Freeman-Centennial School

Grades Three through Five

Reading Center support consists of work on word attack skills using the Wilson Language

Program methods and materials for those students whose testing has shown difficulty with basic sight

vocabulary and phonics skills. Additional work is always included in comprehension, fluency, and

meaning vocabulary.

Students are grouped according to their demonstrated needs based on the individualized testing.

Those whose deficits are still at the word-level of basic phonics skills learn together while those with

other difficulties work in other small groups that target more comprehension and vocabulary. Groups

usually consist of three to five students meeting two to three times each week for 35-40 minutes per

session during times set aside for academic support.

Progress is monitored at each session using curriculum-based measures in reading (CMB-R) for

fluency and comprehension, and "charting" of progress in specific word attack skills using Wilson

progress monitoring charts for decoding. "Dictation" notebooks where shldents show proficiency in

transferring their learning into writing words and sentences are used to morutor encoding. Vocabulary

and comprehension are addressed using a variety of materials including Insights Comprehension

Strategies and both commercial and teacher-designed fluency lessons, games, and activities.

Additional data regarding student learning is gathered through teacher observation during

group activities that reinforce vocabulary, comprehension, and oral reading skills. Data is used to

info1l11 instructions and adjust lessons to address the needs ofthe learners.

3

Grade Six

Grade six classes are leveled by end-of-grade five GRADE scores as well as other assessments

from June of grade five or early September of grade six. The class is divided into thirds so that there

are three groups working with different levels of teacher support. The reading specialist often works to

support the teachers with curriculum suggestions, student units, and materials to best meet the needs of

all levels of learners. When scheduling allows, the reading specialist also works within the classroom

supporting all students in the regular curriculum.

Roles of the Reading Specialists in Norfolk

Reading Intervention Teacher

The reading specialist provides intensive instruction to struggling readers in the Reading Center

or with the regular classroom depending on time and schedule restraints and the needs of the students.

Instructional time in the Reading Center is devoted to accelerating students' learning, helping them

reach grade-level in reading. Materials used during instruction are at the student's instructional level

of95% accuracy in both fluency and comprehension, with ever increasing levels of difficulty as the

student advances in reading competency.

Reading or Literacy Coach

When schedule allows, the reading specialists provide professional development for teachers by

providing them with the additional support needed to implement various instructional progranls and

practices. They provide essential leadership for the school's entire literacy program by helping to

create and support a process that supports development and implementation of the literacy program

over months and years. Reading specialists are often key players in the classroom teachers' PLCs

(Professional Learning Communities) which examine student learning, problem solve, and design units

of study for use in the classroom programs.

Additional Responsibilities

The reading specialist provides support, infonnation, and curriculum consultation to classroom

teachers, administrators, and parents for all levels oflearners. Norfolk's reading specialists encourage

students to read "just right" books during independent reading, both at school and at home. These

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books are often a full grade level below a child's grade placement to encourage tluellt reading with

good comprehension at 99% accuracy when reading independently. Research shows that reading books

Ihal are 100 difficult can aClually have a negative effecl on a child's reading level & progress!

The "Bookroom" is a place where teachers can bon'ow multiple copies of fiction and

nonfiction books at a variety of reading levels to supplement their classroom materials in reading,

social studies, and science. At H. Olive Day the Bookroom is an area of the school library while at

Freeman-Centennial it is a separate room devoted to this use. These Bookrooms enable teachers to

differentiate instruction so that every student is learning at an appropriate reading level in all subject

areas. Bookroom titles also keep "content areas" current, even when some parts of textbooks may be

outdated. Leveling and sorting these books into meaningful literature and content area units, labeling

and maintaining the bookroom is often taken on by the reading specialist.

Hint: To find the reading level of almost any book, we use the Scholastic Book Wizard at

www.scholastic.com.

This online service is available to the public. Enter a title or author and the next page will show the

book. Click on the book title and even more information is displayed. Parents: Remember that it is

fine for your child to read an easier than "grade level" book... it's just enjoyable good practice.

Services provided by the Reading Specialists are regular education (not special education) services of

the Norfolk Public Schools.

Mrs. Kathleen Maloof (F-C), Ms. Beth O'COIillor and Mrs. Faith Tierney (HOD) are

Massachusetts licensed Reading Specialists K-12. In addition, Mrs. Maloof and Ms. O'Connor are

Certified Wilson Reading & Language teachers. All provide direct services to students with specific

difficulties in learning to read as well as consultation to teachers, administrators, and parents.

5

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Kindergarten

In September, all kindergm1en students are screened using assessments from the DRA2's Word

Analysis. The reading specialists assess the kindergm1ners' abilities to blend sounds into words, to

rhyme, and to segment words into initial and end sounds. Students can fall into 4 categories, indicating

their Level of Control of each skill:

• No/Little

• Some

• Gaining

• Control

Results of these assessments are communicated to the classroom teachers to help them identifY

focus areas for small-group instruction. This baseline data will also be used for progress monitoring.

Grades One and Two

First-grade teachers observe and assess their students during the first week(s) of school. They

send names of students whose reading abilities are of concern to the Reading Center. The reading

specialists give the DRA2 to these students, and begin working with those first graders who score at a

level 2 or below. Diagnostic testing using the DRA2's Word Analysis component enables the reading

specialists to uncover the problem areas and focus instruction where the students are experiencing the

most difficulties.

Students not yet reading at a DRA level 16 are automatically picked up by the Reading Center

at the beginning of second grade. Similar to the process used with first bTfaders, they are grouped with

other students demonstrating similar learning needs.

Students are assessed in the Reading Center at least every other week using running records,

which enable the reading specialists to monitor their reading progress. Participation in Reading Center

groups is fluid; if students are making the necessary progress and begin reading on grade level, they

will no longer need this intervention. Similarly, if classroom teachers feel that students in their

classrooms are not making adequate progress, they will ask the reading specialists to assess them to

6

determine whether or not they would qualify for Reading Center support. Entry criteria are scores

below the DRA2 Benclm1ark Levels.

Entrance Criteria Exit Criteria for the ReadingHOD Grade Time of Year for the Reading Center: Center:

DRA2 Benchmark Level DRA2 Benchmark Level

First Grade September 2 or below 3-6May/June 16-18

Second September 14 or below 16-20Grade MaylJune 28

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Common Assessment: All Grades Three through Six

[n September, all students take a common assessment, the GRADE, which is a norm-referenced

reading test that measures word reading, vocabulary, sentence comprehension, and passage

comprehension. A listening comprehension test which does not factor into the total reading score

gives the classroom teacher valuable information about a child's learning style. The GRADE tests are

scanned and scored in-house so that turn-around time is very short. A class summary is obtained for

each teacher who can then see students' strengths and weaknesses in reading. An Individual Score

Summary details exactly which areas are in need of remediation or enrichment for each child.

Individual Progress Reports graph and track each student's progress from third grade to his/her cunent

grade level.

7

Grade Three

All students entering the F-C School from the HOD School enter with a DRA2 score and

accompanying assessment folder. As noted above, the end-of-year benchmark for grade two is a

DRA2 score of28, so students scoring below this level may be at-risk for reading difficulties. Each

student who received reading services in grade two is given a norm-referenced diagnostic test by the

reading specialist to determine if the child still needs services or has reached the benchmark exit

criteria for this regular-education support program.

Classroom teachers give individual assessments and make classroom observations of all

students. Teachers administer the DRA2, and the NAMES test of multi-syllable decoding for students

they believe are achieving below grade level. DRA2 entry criteria for referral to the Reading Center is

24 or below at the beginning of grade three. A GRADE Growth Score Value (GSV) of 420 or below

and/or a stanine score of 4 or below will also trigger a referral to the Reading Center.

Grades Four through Six

In these grades, September common assessments similar to those of grade three are

administered by the classroom teacher: the GRADE, an oral reading assessment, the NAMES test for

those at risk, as well as a writing prompt. Reading Center individualized diagnostic testing scores of

the 40th percentile or below are the main entry criteria for these students. Fluency scores below grade

level with fair to poor comprehension are also taken into consideration in detennining whether a

student requires Reading Center services. Grade six classes are leveled by end-of-grade five GRADE

scores as well as other assessments, with approximately one-third of the students placed in a class with

significantly more in-class support.

In the upper grades, a GRADE Growth Score Value (GSV) of 450 or below at grade four, 460

or below at grade five, and/or a stanine score of 4 or below will trigger a referral to the reading

specialist.

Initial Referral Process and Entrv Criteria for F-C Reading Center Services

The classroom teacher completes a "Reading Referral Forro" that records teacher observations

and test scores and sends that form to the reading specialist. The parent is notified by the classroom

teacher of concerns and, with pern1ission, the student is tested by the reading specialist using nonn­

referenced diagnostic reading assessments that measure word identification (sight words),

phonics/word attack, meaning vocabulary, passage comprehension, and oral reading fluency and

comprehension. Additional scores are obtained for a Basic Skills Cluster and Comprehension Cluster

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as well as a Total Reading score. Clinical observations are recorded directly in the student record

booklet during the test session. Reading Center diagnostic test scores of the 40'h percentile or below are

the main entry criteria for students in grades three through live to receive extra support. Fluency

scores of low to mid grade two with fair to poor comprehension are also taken into consideration in

determining whether a student will receive services.

Exit Criteria for Reading Center Services at F-C

In Fall 2011 Norfolk is piloting Acuity, an online assessment and progress monitoring program,

in grades one through six. The reading specialist at Freeman-Centel1l1ial is piloting the Scholastic

Reading and Phonics Inventories, adaptive online assessments used to monitor student progress

throughout the year. It is assumed that a stanine score of 6 will indicate proficiency and will be used

as part of the exit criteria for the Reading Center.

When students show proficiency in their specific deficit areas, i.e., consistent high scores on

their weekly charting and dictation assessments, have reached Step 6 of the Wilson program, and

consistently score i.n the 6th stanine on the Scholastic Reading Inventory, above the 60'h percentile on

the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test (WRMT) Word Attack subtest and above the 40th percentile on

the other WRMT subtests, they are determined to have met the exit criteria for Reading Center support.

Classroom teachers are consulted regarding data for student achievement in the classroom

before a sUldent is discontinued from the SUpp0l1 program. When time allows, students are monitored

for progress in an inclusion model where the reading specialist works in the regular classroom to

observe student work and provide supp0l1 as needed. At the end of the school year, all Reading Center

students are assessed on the WRMT and oral reading test. These assessments also will determine

whether a student has reached the exit criteria or will be continued in the program the following year.

Progress monitoring reports are sent home three times during the school year.

9

Grade Entrance Criteria Exit CriteriaLevel for the Reading Center for the Reading Center

Third * September DRA2 24 or below * WRMT Total Reading percentile >45Grade * WRMT Total Reading percentile 42 * Word Attack >60

or below * Wilson Step 6 with proficiency of 80%* Word Attack 50 or below * Oral reading fluency and comprehension at* GRADE GSV <420 mid to high gr. 3 with good comprehension

* DRA2 40 or above (at grade level)* Stanine 6 on SRJ

Fourth * WRMT Total Reading percentile 42 * WRMT Total Reading percentile >45Grade or below * Word Attack >60

* Word Attack 50 or below * Wilson Step 6 with proficiency of 80%* DRA2 38 or below * Oral reading fluency and comprehension at* GRADE GSV <450 mid to high gr. 3 with good comprehension* MCAS <242/ eeds Improvement * MCAS Proficient >242

* Stanine 6 on SRI

Fifth * WRMT Total Reading percentile 42 * WRMT Total Reading percentile >45Grade or below * Word Attack >60

* Word Attack 50 or below * Wilson Step 6 with proficiency of 80%* GRADE GSV <460 * Oral reading fluency and comprehension at* MCAS <242/ Needs Improvement mid to high gr. 3 with good comprehension

* MCAS Proficient >242* Stanine 6 on SRJ

Sixth Lowest third of the class on the High in-class achievement above the nonn asGrade GRADE and other assessments judged by classroom assessments and student

administered at the end of grade five work may result in placement in a higher leveland early grade six class.(Inclusion services may be provided)

10

Teachers at both the H. Olive Day School and the Freeman Centennial School use a Ba/(l/1ced

Literacy approach for teaching reading and writing. This framework involves: reading and wriling to

students. reading and writing with students, and reading and writing by students.

Primary teachers build a strong foundation in reading and writing in their classrooms. The

Norfolk Public School system has adopted the Fllndations program (http://www.timdations.com) to

help students in grades K-3 develop the following emergent literacy skills:

• concepts of print (how printed language works and how it represents language)

• phonemic awareness (the ability to hear individual words in sounds and to identify individual

sounds)

• letter identification

• phonological awareness (the awareness of words, rhyming words, syllables, and individual

sounds)

••

••

decoding strategies (how to sound out words)

automatic sight word reading (identifying words that cannot be sounded out using regular

phonics rules)

vocabulary acquisition

spelling

Teachers also teach comprehension skills and strategies and incorporatej7l1ency practice into

reading instruction. Both the H. Olive Day School and the Freeman-Centennial School use the

Reader's Workshop model, which invites students to engage actively with texts. Components of

Reader's Workshop include a focus lesson, in which a teacher models a pal1icular strategy or skill,

followed by small group and/or independent practice. In small groups, students who have similar

learning needs work with the teacher on these targeted areas. In independent reading, students enjoy

self-selected 'just right" books. Reader's Workshop concludes with a short wrap-up, summarizing

student learning.

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Teachers model comprehension strategies and skills during whole-class Interactive Read­

Aloud, using a variety of genres. During this part of literacy instmction, teachers invite discussion

before, during, and aller the reading, continually focusing on the thinking that both the students and the

teacher do as they respond to a text.

Comprehension strategies inelude:

• Monitoring for meaning

• Asking questions

• Making connections

• Visualizing

• Determining importance

• Inferring

• Synthesizing

(See http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/l44.ctin for definitions of each strategy).

Fluent oral reading is a goal for every Norfolk student, as it strongly impacts comprehension.

Fluency includes the integration of proper phrasing, intonation, pausing, stress, and rate. Teachers in

all grade levels promote fluency through various activities such as choral reading, shared reading,

Reader's Theatre, and other types of perfonnance reading.

Writing is a key element ofliteracy instruction, as teachers in all grade levels require students

to respond to their reading in writing. Examples of this type of writing are many, from students in

lower grades writing a sentence about their favorite part of a text, to those in the upper grades writing

several paragraphs about a novel's theme using text evidence to support their thinking.

In addition, both schools use a Writer's Workshop model to teach writing. At the H. Olive Day

School, classroom teachers use Lucy Calkins's Unils ofStudyfor Prill/my Wriling At Freeman­

Centennial, Lucy Calkins's program Unils o/Studyfor Teaching Writing. Grades 3-5 is the foundation

for writing instruction. Students produce personal narratives, how-to books, nontiction informational

texts, literary essays, persuasive essays, and poetry throughout grades K-5. Grade 6 teachers draw upon

Ralph Fletcher's Teaching the Qualities o!,Writing tor writing instruction, teaching many of the same

12

types of writing as the Calkins program. They also guide sixth-grade students step-by-step through the

process of writing a research paper using APA format.

VocabulalJl development is a critical aspect of life-long proficiency in reading, writing, and

speaking. This year, teachers in grades 4-6 will be piloting Vocabulmy ji-om Classical Roots for both

vocabulaly and spelling instruction. This is a thematically organized vocabulary program based on

Greek and Latin roots. This method of teaching vocabulary helps students discern the meanings of

thousands of words and gives them the skills to do so throughout their reading lives.

Technology is incorporated into Norfolk Public School's literacy instruction at all levels. At

HOD, students use Lexia, interactive software that supports students' acquisition of reading skills, both

in their classrooms and in the computer lab. Freeman-Centennial students all have access to Study

Island, a web-based learning tool that enables them to review and practice reading skills and strategies

from any computer, even from home. Norfolk students, primarily in the upper grades, consistently use

technology for word processing, research, presentation design, and other literacy-related projects.

Instruction at this level includes teaching students how to navigate the Internet, read its content

critically, and use a variety of media to communicate new learning.

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I Perhaps the most significant aspect of literacy instruction in the Norfolk Public Schools is the IJ

! passion for reading and writing that teachers and school librarians inspire in their students. Norfolk IJ students know books, love countless authors and poets, gravitate toward a multitude of genres, iI II celebrate words and the craft of a variety of writers, and write with voice, purpose, and clarity. I1 II Thanks to the high quality of literacy instruction in this district, both the H. Olive Day School and II the Freeman-Centennial School are joyful conll11Unities of actively engaged students who take pride I~ ~I in growing as readers and writers. !I ~,, ,_.,,__,",_/'/'/'/,#/1_',/'/'/#/1'/'/1/'/#/#/#/1/1/I/I','I/""_/,I ,I/I 'I/I""/#/#/""'#Ai/r/#AII"/"._""I ,"",','..,',', /l/'_/I/I/I,,,,,!-

13

Formal Assessments

•

•

The DRA2 and DRA2 Word Analysis

The GRADE Standardized Reading Test (includes long-term monitoring of student

progress from year to year)

• Online progress monitoring assessments

o Acuity

o Scholastic Reading Inventory

o Scholastic Phonics Inventory

• MCAS ELA (English Language Arts) in grades 3-6

In addition, both the HOD and F-C schools use in-house Literacy Assessment Plans that

monitor student progress and inform instruction. Included in these plans are phonemic

awareness/phonics, reading, writing, and spelling assessments that are administered and analyzed by

classroom teachers at regular intervals throughout the school year.

Classroom curriculum-based fomlal and informal assessments are ongoing and used by

teachers to inform instruction on a regular basis. Reading specialists and special education teachers

use additional assessment resources that measure or diagnose the needs and achievement levels of their

students.

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