2007-08 Secondary Literacy Model Report The Journey to an Intensive Writing Curriculum

1. 2007-08 Secondary Literacy Model Report The Journey to an Intensive Writing Curriculum School District U-46 Literacy Model February 2008 Dr. Susan Ali Suzanne Sack – Bartlett High School Michele Albano – Elgin High School Mary Ellen DeRicco – Larkin High School Lori Lopez – South Elgin High School Debby Fralick – Streamwood High School Elisa Biancalana – Streamwood High School

2. A Global Perspective National Research Context Illinois State Board Graduation Requirements U-46 Literacy Continuum of Services ELL Special Education Gifted Education, Honors and Advanced Placement Secondary Literacy Model Plan Process Outcomes Teacher Implementation Presentation Objectives:

3. Video Clip Did You Know?

4. National Literacy Facts • Approximately 2/3 of eighth-and twelfth-grade-students read at less than the “proficient” level as described by NAEP (National Institute for literacy, 2008) • Approximately 32% of high school graduates are not ready for college-level English composition courses (ACT, 2005) • Approximately 40% of high school graduates lack the literacy skills employers seek (Achieve, INC.,2005)

5. ISBE Language Arts Graduation Requirements: Ninth grade students entering high school 2007-08 and thereafter: 4 Years of language arts 2 Years of writing-intensive courses • One must be an English language arts course • The other may be provided as part of any other subject

6. U-46 Continuum of Literacy Services

7. Secondary Continuum of Literacy Services

8. The U-46 Curriculum Plan to Address the ISBE Writing Intensive Graduation Requirements

9. Language Arts Grades 7-12 2006-07 School District U-46 began to design a new Language Arts curriculum for grades 7-12 in response to the new Illinois State Board of Education graduation requirements.

10. U-46 Language Arts Curriculum Plan Grades 7-12 • Address intensive writing state requirements • Provide professional development • Revise current curriculum • Upgrade instruction to address intensive writing state requirements

11. 2006-07 Sophomore Teachers 2007-08 Middle School Teachers 2007-08 Junior Teachers 2008-09 Freshman Teachers 2008-09 Senior Teachers U-46 Language Arts Curriculum Timeline Grades 7-12

12. Research Base Biancarosa, G.& Snow, C.E. (2004). Reading Next: A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy: A Report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education Graham, S. & Perin., D. (2007) Writing Next: effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high school- A Report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education

13. Reading Next 2004 Recommendations • Direct explicit comprehension instruction • Effective instruction principle embedded in content • Motivation and self directed learning • Text-based collaborative learning • Strategic tutoring • Diverse text • Intensive writing • Technology component • Ongoing formative assessment • Extended time for literacy • Professional development • Ongoing summative assessment • Teacher teams • Leadership • A comprehensive and coordinated literacy program

14. Writing Next 2007 Recommendations • Process Writing Approach, which interweaves a number of writing instructional activities in a workshop environment that stresses extended writing opportunities, writing for authentic audiences, personalized instruction, and cycles of writing

15. Writing Next 2007 Recommendations • Writing Strategies planning, revising, and editing compositions • Summarization explicitly and systematically teaching students how to summarize texts • Collaborative Writing adolescents work together to plan, draft, revise, and edit their compositions • Specific Product Goals specific, reachable goals for the writing they are to complete • Word Processing for writing assignments • Sentence Combining students construct more complex, sophisticated sentences • Prewriting activities designed to help them generate or organize ideas for their composition • Inquiry Activities students analyze immediate, concrete data to help them develop ideas and content for a particular writing task • Study of Models students read, analyze, and emulate models of good writing • Writing for Content Learning students use writing as a tool for learning content

16. Process

17. The Journey to an Intensive Writing Curriculum Hired Consultant Dr. Ken Stamatis from Harding University to provide professional development

18. The Journeyto an Intensive Writing Curriculum Professional Development Focus: • Current research on adolescent literacy • Engagement and motivation of adolescent learner • The importance of access to books • Improvement of curriculum and instructional practice • Focus on ACT writing standards

19. Literacy Model Practice Cycle Engagement Keys to Reading Improvement More proficient More practice • Practice • Comprehension Strategy Instruction • Writing • Word Study/Vocabulary • Fluency Access More pleasure in reading

20. The Journey to an Intensive Writing Curriculum • October 2006-Review of existing curriculum • February-Professional Development at Harding University • March-Core Group Presentation • March–May • Release time for curriculum review • Development of literacy model • Ken Stamatis school visits • June-One week of curriculum writing at the School District U-46 Educational Service Center

21. The Journey to an Intensive Writing Curriculum Summer 2007 • June-July Focus groups worked on glossary, aligning concept map, finding samples for scoring rubrics, curriculum writing • Mini lessons with summer school ELL students at South Elgin High School

22. Photos of teachers at work Focus group worked on anchor text at the ESC

23. Photos of teachers at work Focus group worked on anchor text and glossary at the ESC

24. Outcomes

25. The Journeyto an Intensive Writing Curriculum • Rubrics • Concept maps • Sophomore binder (teachers received on Institute Day) • Recommended list • Ken Stamatis teaching video • Literacy Lab Binder

26. Sophomore Writing Rubrics Narrative Focus Organization Sentence Fluency and Word Choice Conventions Style

27. Sophomore Writing Rubrics Expository Focus Organization Sentence Fluency and Word Choice Conventions Style

28. Sophomore Writing Rubrics Persuasive Analysis Position and Elaboration Organization Sentence Fluency and Word Choice Conventions Style

29. History Curriculum

30. High School Library Circulation10th Grade 2006 and 2007 August September October November Year to Date 2006 459 1483 1137 1065 4144 2007 958 2486 2337 1866 7647 Percent Increase 109% 68% 106% 75% 85% Materials

31. Video Clip Teacher Implementation

32. The Journey to an Intensive Writing Curriculum • 100% of all sophomore teachers are trained • $500 for classroom libraries per each 10th grade section of English, Reading, Special Ed, and ELL for the five high schools • Writing rubrics to assess student writing transition and training (getting teachers on board) • Sophomore English curriculum binders • One set of books will be provided for each high school from Ken’s recommended list for their library • 10th grade high school library circulation

33. What Work Remains? • Professional development to support and sustain initiative • New curriculum for all grades 7-12 • Full implementation in grades 7-12 • Vertical articulation • Common assessments • Additional offerings at 12th grade level • Choice based on student requirement for graduation • Continue alignment of curriculum (anchor/mentor texts at appropriate levels) • Binders ongoing revision • Cross-curricular articulation • Application of literacy model all in content areas

34. A Special Thank-you to: Luke Azinger - South Elgin High School Christina Basich - South Elgin High School Kelly Halterman - Larkin High School George Kalousek - Larkin High School Pat Karner - Streamwood High School Marilyn Mattei – Streamwood High School Nelida Palacious - Larkin High School Effie Rouse - Elgin High School Lisa Whitmer - Larkin High School Anthony Zoubek -Bartlett High School