By department, the High School will continue to collect and implement discipline-specific literacy (or numeracy) strategies across the curriculum. Evidence and evaluation of the initiative will focus, primarily, on the collection of exemplar lesson plans that support the specific literacy or numeracy objectives identified by each department in an electronic database readily accessible to teachers. Teachers will participate in professional dialogue around literacy or numeracy at department meetings and post comments and discuss content area literacy through an electronic forum (Word Press) that will be part of the department’s literacy/numeracy resources. Each department should assemble a collection of Common Formative Assessments (CFA’s), with some specifically aligned to Reading for Information (CAPT) and/or Critical Reading/Writing (SAT). Faculty will receive release time to participate in quarterly Roundtable discussions will be scheduled by department, class, and/or grade level. Roundtables will be coordinated and facilitated by the reading faculty, literacy liaisons, and department heads. Reading and special education teachers will co-teach select Level 3/Level 2 classes in English, math, science, and social studies. Finally, members of the high school literacy committee will meet quarterly, throughout the school year, to determine evolving needs of faculty and students.
Teachers:
- Continue to effectively embed literacy or numeracy strategies in the content areas. Teachers are encouraged to work with department literacy liaisons and reading consultants to develop and assess the use of literacy strategies.
- Develop a measurable 2010-2011 literacy goal with administrators and department heads.
- Develop common formative assessments that focus on literacy (RFI – CAPT and Critical Reading/Writing – SAT).
- Participate in ‘Roundtables’ to examine student work in literacy as it pertains to a specific discipline.
- Submit four lesson plans/strategies and related student work that show evidence of embedded literacy strategies and objectives as identified by department. At least two of these lessons should reflect instruction where students are asked to access, create, navigate, and/or evaluate digital materials. Literacy strategies will be uploaded onto the department’s literacy E-Folio (Word Press). Department literacy liaisons will train teachers on how to submit literacy strategies to Word Press E-Folio and will oversee/ support teachers in the process of submitting literacy strategies throughout the year.
- Use rubrics for reading/writing/numeracy that align with department and school-wide rubrics.
- Retain samples of student work for literacy strategies submitted. Samples of student work will be used during Roundtable discussions and goal setting/review of goals. Posting of student work on the literacy E-Folio (Word Press) is optional, but if posted should be done by keeping student names anonymous.
Department Literacy Liaisons:
- Collect and manage submitted lessons.
- Continue to work with reading faculty to gather resources to support content specific literacy strategies, including materials appropriate for CAPT, SAT, PSAT, NOCTI, and AP.
- Engage department colleagues in dialogue around literacy, strategic reading/response skills, and common formative assessments.
- Maintain department site on Word Press (includes blog or other discussion board)
Reading Consultants:
- Analyze 8th grade CMT results to identify students who should be enrolled in Content Literacy.
- Conduct comprehensive reading testing per 504/SST/parent referrals and for triennial evaluations.
- Co-teach in English and Social Studies classes. (Special Education Teachers will co-teach in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies).
- Continue collaboration with content area teachers on lesson planning, review of student work, and formative assessments as necessary through roundtables and other venues.
- Coordinate all aspects of the CAPT alternate assessment in reading for juniors not meeting the high school graduation requirement (>228 standard score).
- Continue to teach regular and special education students in the reading classrooms.
- Facilitate New Faculty Training: Review goals of district literacy initiative and support teachers in developing lesson plans/assessments that embed literacy strategies as they apply to respective content areas.
- Participate in scoring the practice CAPT Reading for Information subtest and create practice CAPT Reading Across the Curriculum database for analysis by principal and referral of students to CAPT Prep class.
- Provide DI/SRBI teams and L2/L3 teachers with literacy resources and professional development.
- Support administration in the review of student work based on areas emphasized in the literacy plan.
- Work with content area faculty to provide support in modifying materials and assessments for English Language Learners.
- Work with ninth and tenth grade teachers as well as the department literacy reps to create a department library of model Reading for Information* assessments (texts and questions) that align with the state test and reflect the curriculum of individual classes.
* Reading for Information question stems provide good examples of phrasing in each category/strand (e.g. Using evidence from the text to draw/support conclusions; Evaluating explicit and implicit information and themes within the text; drawing conclusions about author’s purpose; etc.). Teachers should model using this language. Although what is considered a “text” can be broadly defined to include print, on-line materials, digital recordings, images, film, maps, and schematics to fit the instruction and purpose of any particular class throughout the year, students should also be assessed using articles that are similar in length, style, and vocabulary to those that they will actually see on the CAPT. Student responses must include specific and concise references to the text to receive full credit.
Administrator/Department Head Responsibilities:
- Dialogue with teachers about effective implementation of literacy strategies across the curriculum.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of embedded literacy across the curriculum through the following means:
- Analyze CMT data and identify areas of strength/weakness for ninth grade students. Share results with ninth grade faculty.
- Analyze results of CFA and embedded literacy strategies. Share results with faculty including exemplary CFAs.
- Analyze results of practice CAPT in reading and share results with sophomore teachers.
- Conduct walk-through observations.
- Review lesson plans and related student work collected by department data bases for literacy.
- Monitor literacy goal by observing lessons that embed literacy strategies.
- Work with teachers to develop a literacy goal.
