Moving the Needle on Adolescent Moving the Needle on Adolescent LiteracyLiteracy
Secondary School ReadingSecondary School ReadingNetwork Meeting for Grant RecipientsNetwork Meeting for Grant Recipients
Marlborough, MAMarlborough, MA
The University of Kansas Center The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learningfor Research on Learning
• Founded in 1978 • Mission: Improve outcomes for
struggling adolescent learners
• $165 million R & D
• Curriculum materials
• Support classroom use and school change (1200 person PD network)
RoadmapRoadmap• A new priority• Why (students)• Why (context)• Possible Solutions
– Element #1 (Leverage points)
– Element #2 (School-wide literacy framework)
– Element #3 (Infrastructure Supports)
– Element #4 (Capacity building)
• Change at the secondary level
A New Priority
The Missing MiddleThe Missing Middle• Head Start = $6.7B
• Title I (K-8) = $11.1B
• Title I (9-12) = $1.8B
• Pell Grants = $11.4B
Rapid Acceleration in Rapid Acceleration in Adolescent Literacy Adolescent Literacy
• 2000 - National Reading Panel
• 2001 - Partnership for Reading
• 2002 - Adolescent Literacy Workshop
• 2002 - NIH Adolescent Literacy Network
• 2003 - Carnegie Corporation of NY Adolescent Literacy Advisory Council
• 2003 - Alliance for Excellent Education
• 2005 - Striving Readers
Check these out!Check these out!
• www.all4ed.org
• www.carnegie.org/literacy/initiative
Why?(Students)
The Performance Gap
Years in School
DemandsSkills and
The “Gap”
2013-2014
5 th
9 th
9 th1Yr
2Yrs
1 1/2Yrs
2 1/2Yrs
Do Extended Day Tutoring Do Extended Day Tutoring Programs Work?Programs Work?
(Chicago Study 2004-05)(Chicago Study 2004-05)
• Tutored 1.09 yrs.
• Eligible 1.03 yrs.
• 64% receive 40 hrs+
The price tag……The price tag……
$22 $22 million!million!
Reading Component Profile
ALPHABETICS FLUENCY VOCABULARY COMPREHENSION
Word ID-Word Att Rate-Accuracy-SWE-PDE PPVT-WLPB Rd-Vocab-List Comp Pass Comp-Rdg Comp
Scores from the WLPB-R, GORT, TOWRE, PPVT, Sub tests
115
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
Mean
Sta
nd
ard
S
core
s ◊
∆
∆ ∆
∆
∆ ∆
◊
◊◊
◊
∆ Proficient◊ ASRS
◊
◊◊ ◊ ◊
◊
∆
∆
∆
∆
∆
*Statistically Different
NAEP ReadingNAEP Reading
• Below the proficiency level
–68% of 8th graders
• Below the basic level
–26% of 8th graders
On GraduatingOn Graduating
• Rates vary: 53% -- 89%
• About 70% graduate (50% students of color)
• Lowest 25% achievers in 9th grade -- 20 times more likely to drop out
Why?(The context)
Did you know….Did you know….
• 25 % of population in China with highest IQs …..is greater than the total population of North
America
• China will soon become the #1 English speaking country …….in the world.in the world
Did you know….Did you know….
• We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t exist….Using technologies that haven’t been invented
• Nintendo invests more than $140M in R&D annually….The U. S. Department of Education invests 1/2
that much in educational R&D
Shifts Causing ConcernShifts Causing Concern….….
• In 2007, the most capable high energy particle accelerator on Earth will, for the first time, reside outside the U. S.
• In 2005, only four U. S. companies ranked among the top 10 recipients of U.S. patents.
• Undergraduate degrees in natural sciences or engineering: South Korea-38%; France-47%; China-50%; Singapore-67%; U.S.-15%
Intel Corporation says….Intel Corporation says….
“We go where the smart people are. Now our business operations are 2/3 in the
U. S. and 1/3 overseas. But that ratio will flip over the next 10 years.”
The Next Job MarketThe Next Job Market
• The workers who will be most successful in an economy heavily influenced by computerization are those who can engage in
–Expert thinking–Complex communications
Levy & Murnane (2004)
•Low reading performance•Lots of students•$ alone doesn’t guarantee results•This must become everyone’s problem!!
Summary
SolutionElements
1. Leverage Points 2. School-wide Literacy Framework
3. Infrastructure Supports 4. Capacity Building and Coaching
Element #1 Leverage Points
–3.5 times as likely to graduate
– One F decreases likelihood of graduating from 83% to 60%
– 2 Fs decreases likelihood to 44%
– 3 Fs decreases likelihood to 31%31%
““On-track Indicator”On-track Indicator”
The Big Four*The Big Four* #1#1Are strategies in place to manage behavior
effectively?– Expectations clearly explained?– Ratio of interactions at least 3+ for each - ?– Acceptable time on task?
Jim Knight (2007). The Instructional Coach. Corwin Press
The Big FourThe Big Four #2#2 Do we understand the content?
– Know what is/is not standards for the course?– A year-long plan in place?– 10 essential questions & concepts identified?– Can we give a simple, correct, easy to understand
answer to each question and definition for each concept?
The Big 4The Big 4 #3#3Do we use effective teaching practices?
– Model thinking & text strategies?– Ask effective questions at different cognitive levels?– Give constructive feedback effectively?– Organize instruction well?– Scaffold instruction effectively?
MEMORIZE THIS!MEMORIZE THIS!PROPORTION OF VARIANCE IN STUDENT GAIN SCORES--
READING, MATH-- EXPLAINED BY LEVEL
CLASS
60% READING
52-72%
MATH
STUDENTS
28% R
19% M SCHOOLS
12% R
10-30 M
ROWAN, ET AL., “. . .PROSPECTS. . .” TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD( 2005).
Prediction time!Prediction time!• In 9th grade core classes (science, history, etc.)
…– What percentage of time do teachers spend in active instruction?– How frequently are “high impact” strategies used that research has shown to work with
students who struggle in learning?
• In 9th grade “supplemental” classes…– What percentage of time do teachers spend in active instruction?– How frequently are “high impact” strategies used that research has shown to work with
students who struggle in learning?
1. Lecture/read2. Give directions3. Listening4. Ask question5. Monitor6. Model7. Verbal rehearsal8. Simple enhancer9. Advance organizer10. Role Play11. Content Enhancement (complex)12. Elaborated Feedback13. Write on board14. Describe skill/strategy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1. Lecture/read2. Give directions3. Listening4. Ask question5. Monitor6. Model7. Verbal rehearsal8. Simple enhancer9. Advance organizer10. Role Play11. Content Enhancement (complex)12. Elaborated Feedback13. Write on board14. Describe skill/strategy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1. Lecture/read2. Give directions3. Listening4. Ask question5. Monitor6. Model7. Verbal rehearsal8. Simple enhancer9. Advance organizer10. Role Play11. Content Enhancement (complex)12. Elaborated Feedback13. Write on board14. Describe skill/strategy
The Big FourThe Big Four #4#4Do we use formative assessment?
– Understand the teaching targets?
– Developed formal and informal measures to see if students are hitting the targets?
– Know how well all students are performing?
Element #2
School-wide Literacy Framework
A review of adolescent literacy A review of adolescent literacy programs and curriculaprograms and curricula
• List is by no means exhaustive• Steps:
– Made list of programs with which we were familiar – Combed several databases– Did online searches– Consulted researchers and policy-makers – Wrote draft descriptive summaries– Sent summaries for review– Revised summaries– Created descriptive and evaluative grids
LANGUAGE
SKILLS
STRATEGIES
SUBJECT MATTER
Building Blocks for Content Literacy
HIGHER ORDER
Begin by….
Getting a profile of the literacy performance of students in your school
Screen for…..Screen for…..
• Word analysis skills
• Fluency
• Comprehension
• (Progress monitoring throughout year)
Then ask….Five questions about literacy supports currently in place.
5 Questions5 Questions1. What’s in place in core classes to ensure that students
will get the “critical” content in spite of their literacy skills?
2. Are procedures for teaching powerful learning strategies embedded in courses across the curriculum?
3. What happens for students who know how to decode but can’t comprehend well?
4. What happens for those students who are reading below the 4th grade level?
5. What happens for students who have language problems?
Content Literacy “Synergy”
Improved Literacy
CONTENT CLASSES
Level 1. Enhanced Content Instruction
CONTENT CLASSES
Level 2. Embedded Strategy
InstructionLevel 3. Intensive
Strategy Instruction
• strategy classes
• strategic tutoring
Level 4. Intensive Basic Skill Instruction
KU-CRL CLC- Lenz, Ehren, &Deshler, 2005
Level 5. Therapeutic Intervention
Foundational language competencies
Sample tools for teaching:
•Higher orderthinking
• Subject matter
LANGUAGE
SKILLS
STRATEGIES
SUBJECT MATTER
Building Blocks for Content Literacy
HIGHER ORDER
• Reading • Listening
Learning thru…Learning thru…
• Reading • Listening
Learning thru…Learning thru…
Text difficulty
Building Prior KnowledgeWithout Texts
Expanding Prior KnowledgeWith Reading
Week 1 2 3 4 5
Lee & Spratley, 2007
Teachers in Teachers in “literacy rich” “literacy rich” classes……..classes……..
• Understand the literacy demands of their texts• Use a broad range of reading materials• Provide guidance to students before, during, after
reading• Provide multiple teacher models of how to process
discipline specific text• Build and activate prior knowledge• Focus classroom talk on how to make sense of text
• Reading • Listening
Learning thru…Learning thru…
SMARTER Planning around critical content is essential!
Selecting the critical questions.
Mapping content structures.
Analyzing learning difficulty based on:
Reaching enhancement decisions by selecting powerful...
Teaching strategically through explicit...
Evaluating enhancementsRevaluate outcomes
Quantity ComplexityInterest BackgroundRelevance OrganizationAbstractness
Teaching Devices
Teaching Routines
SMARTER Planning
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present
TIE DOWN A DEFINITION
Key Words
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE
CONVEY CONCEPT
NOTE KEY WORDS
OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT
CLASSIFYCHARACTERISTICS
Examples: Nonexamples:EXPLORE EXAMPLES
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present
TIE DOWN A DEFINITION
Key Words
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE
CONVEY CONCEPT
NOTE KEY WORDS
OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT
CLASSIFYCHARACTERISTICS
Examples: Nonexamples:EXPLORE EXAMPLES
Civil War
armed conflict
United States war between the States
Northern Ireland
1990’s crisis in the Balkans
American Revolutionary War
World War I
World War II
“Desert Storm” in Kuwait
A civil war is a type of armed conflict among groups of citizens of a single nation that is caused by concerns about the distribution of power.
U.S. Civil War
Northern Ireland
citizens
one nation
ethnic
many nations
social rights
Desert Storm in Kuwait
• Groups of citizens•Within a single nationAbout distribution of power
economic
religious
ethnic
War between nations
social
political
PRIORKNOWLEDGE
Hierarchical
CATEGORIZATION ANALYSIS
of characteristicsDISCRIMINATING
EVALUATION
Sample tools for Sample tools for teaching: teaching:
• Learning strategies• Skills
LANGUAGE
SKILLS
STRATEGIES
SUBJECT MATTER
Building Blocks for Content Literacy
HIGHER ORDER
Self-Questioning StrategySelf-Questioning Strategy
• Attend to clues as you read
• Say some questions
• Keep predictions in mind
• Identify the answer
• Talk about the answers
WORD IDENTIFICATIONWORD IDENTIFICATION
Discover the Sounds and Context
Isolate the Beginning Separate the Ending
Say the Stem
Examine the Stem
Check with someone
Try the Dictionary
mentde
part al
Isolate the
Beginning
Separate the
Endings
Say the StemOr
Examine it
DDIISSSSEECTCT
Finally…. Use a “content
literacy” framework to determine an action
plan
SUBJECT MATTER
STRATEGIES
SKILLS
LANGUAGE
A Continuum of Literacy Instruction (Content Literacy Continuum -- CLC)
HIGHER ORDER
Level 1: Enhance content instruction (mastery of critical content for all regardless of literacy levels)
Level 2: Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave strategies within and across classes using large group instructional methods)
Level 3: Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific strategies using intensive-explicit instructional sequences)
Level 4: Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry level literacy skills at the 4th grade level)
Level 5: Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language underpinnings of curriculum content and learning strategies)
Intense-Explicit Instruction (RTI)Intense-Explicit Instruction (RTI)
LEVEL 1
• Cue
• Do
• Review
LEVEL 2• “I do it!” (Learn by watching)• “We do it!” (Learn by sharing)• “Ya’ll do it!” (Learn by
sharing)• “You do it! (Learn by
practicing)
LEVEL 3/4/5• PretestPretest• Describe Describe
– Commitment (student & Commitment (student & teacher)teacher)
– GoalsGoals– High expectationsHigh expectations
• ModelModel• Practice and quality Practice and quality
feedbackfeedback– Controlled and advancedControlled and advanced
• Posttest & reflectPosttest & reflect• Generalize, transfer, applyGeneralize, transfer, apply
The CLC says…The CLC says…• There are unique (but very important) roles for each member
of a secondary staff relative to literacy instruction– While every content teacher is not a reading teacher, every teacher
needs to teach students in how to read content.
– Literacy coaches may be necessary but aren’t sufficient
• Some students require more intensive, systematic, explicit instruction of content, strategies, and skills
Additionally, the CLC .…..Additionally, the CLC .…..• Is a framework for guiding
– Staff dialogue around literacy– Professional development– Resource allocation– Decision making
• Integrates instructional programs– From silos to synergy
Element #3
Infrastructure Supports
The Performance Gap
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3Years in School
Grade Level • Expectations
• Demands• Skills
The Performance Gap
Years in School
Infrastructure Supports
ExistingSupport
INFRASTRUCTURE
SUPPORTSSUPPORTS
•Flexible Scheduling
•Time for Teacher Learning and Planning
•Behavioral Supports
Grade Level • Expectations
• Demands• Skills
The Performance Gap
/
Grade Level • Expectations
• Demands• Skills
System Learning Supports
Infrastructure Supports
Current Supports
• Progress Monitoring
• Collaborative Problem-Solving
• Instructional Coaching
SYSTEM LEARNING SUPPORTS
Years in School
The Performance Gap
/
Grade Level • Expectations
• Demands• Skills
Instructional Core
System Learning Supports
Infrastructure Supports
Current Supports
Years in School
INSTRUCTION
• Standards-Informed Curriculum Planning
• Coherence
• Continuum of Continuum of Literacy Literacy InstructionInstruction
• Motivation Strategies
• Engaging Instructional Materials & Activities
• Student-Informed Teaching
Element #4
Capacity Building and Coaching
Build Ownership & CapacityBuild Ownership & Capacity
Literacy Leadership TeamsLiteracy Leadership Teams Driver of literacy work in school Distributed leadership
Work on Leadership PracticeWork on Leadership Practice Organize/supervise work around key instructional
activities Observe, describe, analyze instructional practice Create internal accountability mechanisms Build common language and expectations
Build Ownership & CapacityBuild Ownership & Capacity (cont.) (cont.)
Work on instructional practiceWork on instructional practice Observe models of practice Develop protocols for observing practice Rotation of observations in teams Focus on observing, describing, analyzing
instructional practice Build common language and expectations
Necessary ConditionsNecessary Conditions
• Sustained investments in professional development programs.
• Engaged administrators who set expectations for adoption and proper implementation
• District level support to hire teachers who embrace CLC principles and possess the skills
Necessary ConditionsNecessary Conditions
• A willingness to redefine roles
• Staff given sufficient time to “make sense of” and accommodate CLC into their instructional framework, and have their questions and concerns addressed
• The degree to which decisions regarding the adoption of CLC is perceived as being one in which their voice has been heard
Is Making Changes a Big
Deal?
Attempt, Attack, Abandon Cycle
AttackAbandon
Attempt
• “as the number of changes multiplies, and as the time demands increase, people
approach a dysfunction threshold, a point where they lose the capacity to implement changes”
--Darryl Conner, Managing at the speed of change
IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES
Growth
Time
“The single most common…
source of leadership failure we’ve been able to identify… is that people, especially those in positions of authority,
treat adaptive challenges like technical problems”
R. Heifetz, Leadership on the line
Allow time for….Allow time for….
• Human “sense-making”Human “sense-making”» Spilane, Reiser, & Reimer (2002)
• Reformulation and reintegrationReformulation and reintegration» Marris (1975)
““Sharpen the Saw”Sharpen the Saw” (Covey)
• Physically• Mentally• Socially• Spiritually
So…. It is a big deal to get people to change!
But…. ….it becomes doable if we do it with them rather than to them!
Don Deshler
University of Kansas
Center for Research on Learning