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Comprehensive Literacy Plan: Creating the Future from our Past
Rita M. BeanProfessor Emerita
University of PittsburghMay 5 2015
Changes in Expectations
• High level, rigorous standards for all
• Reading and writing are now required skills in most blue- and white-collar jobs
Cultural Changes: Technology
• If they miss The Daily Show, they can always get their news on YouTube.
• While still fans of music on radio, they often listen to it on their laptops or replace it with music downloaded onto their MP3s and iPods.
• Their folks have never gazed with pride on a new set of bound encyclopedias on the bookshelf.
• They watch television everywhere but on a television.
Culture Changes: Diversity
• Chance the next person you meet randomly will be different from you….–1960– 20 out of 100–2010 - 55 out of 100–2060 - 71 out of 100
Are We Meeting These Challenges?
• 36% of 4th graders in U.S. read below basic (NAEP)
• “The majority of American students do not read or write well enough to meet grade-level standards” (Writing to Read, 2010)
• “8th Graders Flat Line on NAEP in U.S. History, Civics, and Geography (Fewer than 1/3 scored at proficient or better)”
PSSA Reading and Keystone Literature*(Per Cent Proficient/Advanced 2013)
Grade 3 Grade 5 Grade 8 Grade 11*0
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PSSA Writing 2013(Percent Proficient or Advanced)
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Evidence is Clear!
Need to move from “good to great” to meet the needs of all students
Goals of This Presentation
1. PA efforts to develop a state comprehensive literacy plan (Keystones to Opportunity Grant)
2. Important considerations for developing a local comprehensive literacy plan
3. Process for development and implementation: Lessons Learned
Goal 1 Creating the Future from the Past: Share PA efforts to Develop a State Comprehensive Literacy
Plan
Have You Seen This Document?
3 – Using it in our school district
2– Read it thoroughly
1 – Heard of it (sort of)
0 - Never heard of it
Comprehensive Literacy: Did You Know?
• Funds available to all states to develop state comprehensive literacy plans (2010)
• PA competed for and was one of 6 states to receive Striving Readers funding (Keystones to Opportunity – KtO)
–50 + districts received funding – Focused on “scaling up” their work
F.Y.I.
• Plan and other tools are available on www.pdesas.org
• Access the PA Comprehensive Literacy Plan Learning Path on Eduplanet21 (www.eduplanet21.com)
• Attend workshops at this conference to hear about the exciting work of districts
Why Comprehensive Literacy Plan? • Blueprint:
consistency and articulation (PreK-Grade 12
• Basis for curriculum development
• Professional development tool
Goal 2
Important Considerations for Developing a Local Comprehensive
Literacy Plan
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Mission. The Pennsylvania Comprehensive Literacy Plan (PaCLP) will provide guidance to stakeholders about their roles in developing an integrated, aligned, and comprehensive set of literacy experiences for students.
Pennsylvania Comprehensive Literacy Plan:
Literacy is the foundation for all learning
Multiple perspectives: linguistic, cultural and personal
High expectations for all learners Evidence-based decision making
21st Century teaching
and learning
Guiding Principles that support the PaCLP
Vision. All students in Pennsylvania from birth through Grade 12 will become well-educated citizens with a command of literacy that prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century and enables them to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Keystones to Opportunity
Goals Based on Standards
Oral Language
Engagement and Resiliency
Effective Assessment
Disciplinary Literacy
Birth-Grade 12
Essential Elements
Part
ners
hips
Leadership
Differentiation of Instruction
Four Big Ideas From Business as Usual – to Unusual Business …..important considerations
Guiding Principle 1: Literacy is the Foundation of All Learning
1. More than Reading
• Reading: A Balancing Act – Complex texts and those at instructional level– Narrative and informational texts– Foundational skills are important
• Writing –for its own value AND as a means of improving reading comprehension – Respond to texts read or heard– Teach students how to write (write summary) – Write, write, write
More than Reading (con’t)
• Speaking and Listening: Communication and Collaboration
–Ask students to respond to texts they read or hear with peers and in small groups–Teach students how to participate in a
discussion–Opportunities to talk with others (active
engagement)
2. More Than Reading Teachers
• Disciplinary Literacy – vocabulary, strategies, and knowledge base for
understanding discipline specific texts• History – who wrote the piece? Author’s
perspectives?• Science –technical vocabulary; reading graphics
and charts• Elementary also - Read alouds of informational text • Literacy as a buddy not a bully
3. Address Needs of All Learners
Agree or disagree?–Most challenging task for teachers is
planning and implementing instruction that meets differing needs of students.
–RTII for differentiating instruction based on data (scheduling, grouping)–Alignment –Effective use of specialists and coaches
An Opportunity Gap
Too often, students of color, English Language Learners, and those who come from high-poverty backgrounds do not have access to quality teaching, well-resourced classrooms, and effective literacy programs—in other words, the opportunity to learn is limited.Darling-Hammond, L. 2010). The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity will Determine our Future. New York: Teachers College Press.
4. Technology as a Tool for 21st Century Literacy Learning
• Using technology is the norm! – For communicating – For learning (teacher and student)
• Useful:– For working “smarter” – For project or research-based learning –Providing “scaffolding” (Text pairs; quad
text sets)
Challenges1.Students must be taught how to use internet effectively
2. “Dark Side” – should not be the driver of learning
3. Can’t do everything!
Goal 3
Process for Development and Implementation: Lessons
Learned
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(1) Importance of the Leadership Team: Eliminate the Silos!
The Leadership Team
• Early childhood • Teachers from different levels • Teachers of reading and subject area teachers.• Specialized professionals: the school librarian,
special educator, literacy coach, and so on• Families• Community members (organizations)• Teacher educators
Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the
world. It is the only thing that ever has.• Margaret Meade
(2) A Needs Assessment
• Conducting the needs assessment made the greatest difference in developing the plan– Standards, Instruction, Assessment,
Professional Learning, Leadership, Transitions, Partnerships
• Available on www.pdesas.org
An Action Plan: What we Learned
Involvement - more than “buy-in”—produces ownership
Support Time and resourcesprofessional learning opportunities (e.g.,
professional learning communities, “coaching” )
Pressure (deadlines, monitoring)
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Development to Implementation to Sustainability is a Journey
(4) Many ways to get to your destination!– Mutual Adaptation
versus adoption (fit for the context)
(5) Some schools may take longer than others!– The Tipping Point
(6) Leadership is critical—district and school!
Literacy in a KtO District
• Many thanks to the administrators, teachers, students, and families in Curwensville Area School District for making literacy come alive!
• Thank you also for permitting me to share the following excerpt from the video they produced.
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The Road to Sustainability
• We are not where we want to be; we are not where we are going to be, but we are not where we were!
– Rosa Parks
