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Adolescent Literacy: Key to Raising Student Achievement in the Content Areas

Adolescent Literacy: Key to Raising Student Achievement in the Content Areas. WELCOME!. IF YOU CAN HEAR MUSIC NOW, your audio is working. Please respond to the two questions on the right (“Where are you located?” and “What is your role?”) and wait for the webinar to begin.

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Adolescent Literacy: Key to Raising Student Achievement in the Content Areas

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  1. Adolescent Literacy: Key to Raising Student Achievement in the Content Areas WELCOME! IF YOU CAN HEAR MUSIC NOW, your audio is working. Please respond to the two questions on the right (“Where are you located?” and “What is your role?”) and wait for the webinar to begin. IF YOU CAN’T HEAR MUSIC NOW, please check the volume on your computer. If you still can’t hear music & are in the Continental U.S. or Canada, you can use your phone for audio. Turn your computer volume OFF. Then dial 866-866-2244, passcode: 7845414#. Phone lines will not be open until 12:25.

  2. Adolescent Literacy: Key to Raising Student Achievement in the Content Areas Briefings for Education Leaders: A Webinar Series

  3. Your hosts From The Education Alliance at Brown University, Providence, RI: • Alli Brettschneider, Senior Research Associate / Technology • Mary Anne Mather, Program Planning Specialist / Technology From Blackstone Academy Charter School, Pawtucket, RI: • Bill Clarke, Literacy and Instructional Coordinator

  4. Protocol for questions Please type your questions or comments in the Q & A pod (right margin) at any point during the webinar.

  5. Agenda • The adolescent literacy crisis • Improving adolescent literacy • Recommended classroom & intervention practices • Examples from one high school • Supporting teacher learning about adolescent literacy • Recommended professional development practices • Examples from one professional development program • Additional resources

  6. The Adolescent Literacy Crisis • 29% national high school drop-out rate; 45% for African-American,Hispanic, and Native American students (Swanson, 2009; data from 2005) caused in part by. . . • poor student engagement & performance in the content areas because of literacy needs (Heller & Greenleaf, 2007; NASSP, 2005) caused in part by . . . • limited teacher training in adolescent literacy (Biancarosa & Snow, 2004; NASSP, 2005)

  7. Please type your response in the “Greatest Challenge” box: What is your greatest challenge related to addressing adolescent literacy needs?

  8. Improving Adolescent Literacy Latest recommendations from the What Works Clearinghouse in Kamil et al, Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices • Released August 2008 • Five recommended practices • Concrete implementation advice: • “How to Carry Out the Recommendation” and • “Potential Roadblocks and Solutions” • Based on synthesis of research that meets stringent criteria

  9. Recommended Classroom & Intervention Practices (Kamil et al, 2008) • Provide explicit vocabulary instruction. • Provide direct and explicit comprehension instruction. • Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning and interpretation. • Increase student motivation and engagement in literacy learning. • Make available intensive and individualized interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialists.

  10. How one school implements these practices . . .

  11. Blackstone Academy Charter School • 150 students, Grades 9-12 • 65% Latino, 25% African-American, 10% white • Pawtucket, RI: urban, high-poverty • Literacy challenges of incoming students: • Low reading levels • Low desire to read

  12. Blackstone Academy Charter School Evidence of success: • From 40% proficiency on state assessment in 2003 to 72% proficiency in 2008 • 90% who graduate • 90% who go to college

  13. 1. Provide explicit vocabulary instruction. At Blackstone Academy. . . • Vocabulary instruction is based on Marzano’s process (Marzano, 2005) • Selection and “frontloading” of critical vocabulary before reading • Regular opportunities to use new vocabulary in discussion & writing • Graphic organizers like “Frayer Model” to support student learning of vocabulary

  14. Example: Frayer Model

  15. 2. Provide direct and explicit comprehension instruction. At Blackstone Academy. . . • All teachers require students to use a few common comprehension strategies across content areas (eg., “Directed Notes”). • Teachers may also introduce strategies most useful in their own content area. • Teachers model use of strategies using “read alouds” & provide feedback to students on use.

  16. Example: Directed Notes

  17. Example: Directed Notes

  18. 3. Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning and interpretation. At Blackstone Academy. . . • Seminar-style discussions • Jigsaw discussions • Shared inquiry protocol

  19. Example: Shared Inquiry Protocol Shared Inquiry Protocol (SIP) 1. Only those who have read the selection may take part in the discussion. 2. Discussion is restricted to the selection everyone has read. 3. All opinions must be supported by evidence from the text. 4. Leaders may only ask questions, not answer them. 5. All questions and ideas are respected.

  20. 4. Increase student motivation and engagement in literacy learning. At Blackstone Academy. . . Student choice & teacher modeling are routes to increased engagement. • Silent Sustained Reading, for students and teachers • Field trips to bookstores • Teachers as reading mentors / book recommenders: • Get to know individual tastes and connect like-minded readers to one another

  21. 5. Make available intensive and individualized interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialists. At Blackstone Academy. . . • Dynamic roster for identifying students in need • Targeted Literacy Instruction (Tier 2) • Option One: • For students reading 2 years below grade level • Semester-long, 3.5 hours per week, 15 students • Focus on reading habits/strategies, writing, speaking, listening, & comprehension •  Option Two: • For students who need more support: reading two years below grade level AND struggling with specific content area reading and writing. • Small-group instruction/guidance, up to 3 hours a week. • Focus on reading and writing in combination with content-related writing and building word-attack skills, fluency, decoding skills, vocabulary, and comprehension.

  22. 5. Make available intensive and individualized interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialists. At Blackstone Academy. . . • Intensive Intervention (Tier 3): • For English language learners and others reading more than two years below grade level • Intensive one-on-one support • Focus on decoding and reading fundamentals

  23. From student learning to teacher learning . . . How do we support teacher learning about adolescent literacy?

  24. “Teachers will need time and help to develop a repertoire of strategies for supporting literacy within their discipline and time for redesigning instruction with this goal in mind.” Applebee in Torgesen et al (2007) No quick fix. . .

  25. Supporting Teacher Learning Latest recommendations from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality in the following: • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Opportunities and Strategies to Advance Teacher Effectiveness. (March 2009) • Overview of stimulus funding related to teacher quality, including description of recommended PD practices • Teaching as a Clinical Practice Profession: Implications for Teacher Preparation and State Policy. (March 2009) • Focus on teacher preparation programs, but some recommendations for PD • Leading Gen Y Teachers: Emerging Strategies for School Leaders. (Feb. 2009) • Guidelines on reducing attrition of new teacher, with some recommendations for PD

  26. Recommended Professional Development Practices Professional development should be • intensive and ongoing (ARRA) • job embedded (ARRA) • linked to school vision and mission (ARRA) • collaborative, with opportunities to learn from peers in communities of practice (TCPP, GenY) • supported by appropriate learning technologies (GenY)

  27. How one professional learning program implements these practices . . .

  28. The Adolescent Literacy Collaboratory Not a traditional professional development course or workshop . . .

  29. …but an on-going conversation to support job-embedded professional learning.

  30. The Adolescent Literacy Collaboratory • Goal: develop school literacy leaders in each content area • One full school year • Blend of face-to-face and online activities • Content-specific literacy coaching for science, math, social studies, ELA • 20-35 teachers in 5-person interdisciplinary school teams

  31. 1. PD should be intensive and ongoing. The Collaboratory . . . • Year-long • 2-3 hours of learning activities per week

  32. 2. PD should be job embedded. Collaboratory activities include • analysis of student assessment data • selection and implementation of appropriate literacy development strategies • adaptation & development of content-area lessons

  33. 3. PD should be linked to school vision and mission. In the Collaboratory, • participating schools focus on content-area literacy for the year • each team plans and implements additional school-wide PD to support school literacy plan

  34. 4. PD should be collaborative, with opportunities to learn from peers in communities of practice. Three PLCs of the Collaboratory

  35. Two PLCs: Content Group & Interdisciplinary Team • Content-area Interactions Online • Interdisciplinary Interactions On-Site School Team Meeting M.S. Science Teacher, AZ H.S. Science Teacher, RI Science Literacy Coach, ME M.S. Science Teacher, USVI M.S. Science Teacher, MO H.S. Science Teacher, PR H.S. Science Teacher, TX

  36. 5. PD should be supported by appropriate learning technologies. The Collaboratory uses • An online learning environment • A Web-based text: The Knowledge Loom (http://knowledgeloom.org/adlit) • Lesson videotapes

  37. Additional Resources: Adolescent Literacy Collaboratory • Research brief in Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse: http://www.literacycoachingonline.org/briefs.html • Collaboratory Website: http://www.alliance.brown.edu/Collaboratory • Lessons from past participants: http://knowledgeloom.org/adlit

  38. Additional Resources: Striving Readers • Striving Readers Program: • Report on first 8 grants released in June: http://www.ed.gov/programs/strivingreaders/performance.html • Major funding increase in proposed federal budget

  39. Additional Resources: Guides • Torgesen, J.K., Houston, D., & Rissman, L. (2007) Improving literacy instruction in middle and high schools: A guide for principals. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. • Torgesen, J.K., & Miller, D.H. (2009). Assessments to guide adolescent literacy instruction. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

  40. Source of Literacy Practice Recommendations Kamil, M.L., Borman, G.D., Dole, J., Kral, C.C., Salinger, T., and Torgesen, J. (2008) Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices: A Practice Guide (NCEE #2008-4027). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc

  41. Sources of Professional Development Recommendations • Alter, J. & Coggshall, J.G. (2009). Teaching as a Clinical Practice Profession: Implications for Teacher Preparation and State Policy. Available at http://www.tqsource.org/publications/clinicalPractice.php • Behrstock, E., & Clifford, M. (2009). Leading Gen Y Teachers: Emerging Strategies for School Leaders. Available at http://www.tqsource.org/tqbrief.php • National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (2009). Research & Policy Update. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Opportunities and Strategies to Advance Teacher Effectiveness. Available at http://www.tqsource.org/tqnews.php

  42. Other References • Biancarosa, G., and Snow, C. (2004). Reading Next: A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. • Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, eds. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. • Heller, R. and Greenleaf, C. (2007). Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. • Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (2005). Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher’s Manual. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. • Phillips, M. Author (2005). Creating a Culture of Literacy: A Guide for Middle and High School Principals. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals. • Swanson, C. Cities in Crisis: Closing the Graduation Gap. (2009). Bethesda, MD: Editorial Projects in Education.

  43. Have questions or want further information? Allison_Brettschneider@brown.edu 800-521-9550, x318 Mary_Anne_Mather@brown.edu 800-521-9550, x315 Bill Clarke: Bill@literacyguy.com (401) 316-9893

  44. General Contact Information The Education Alliance at Brown University 222 Richmond Street, Suite 300 Providence, RI 02903-4226 Phone: 401-274-9548 Fax: 401-421-7650 Web: www.alliance.brown.edu

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