A Model for Secondary Literacy Improvement Including Putting Literacy Coaches to Work Districtwide

1. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 1 A Model for Secondary Literacy ImprovementIncluding Putting Literacy Coaches to Work Districtwide A Presentation to the Alliance for Excellent Education

2. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 2 CORE: Consortium on Reading Excellence Collaborates with schools and districts nationwide to improve literacy instruction Provides professional development and support for teachers, coaches, and administrators Provides training and support to over ten state Departments of Education Committed to a full implementation model for literacy achievement Supports a wide variety of research-based programs as opposed to any specific curriculum Over 22 states State Departments of Education include Hawaii, Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Virginia CORE does not publish its own student materials. Rather we have extensive experience supporting many different research-based programs such as Open Court and Houghton Mifflin for K-6, and at secondary we support High Point, Language!, REACH, Read 180, SIPPS and REWARDS as interventions, as well as Holt and Prentice Hall for both benchmark and strategic students.Over 22 states State Departments of Education include Hawaii, Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Virginia CORE does not publish its own student materials. Rather we have extensive experience supporting many different research-based programs such as Open Court and Houghton Mifflin for K-6, and at secondary we support High Point, Language!, REACH, Read 180, SIPPS and REWARDS as interventions, as well as Holt and Prentice Hall for both benchmark and strategic students.

3. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 3 Challenges for Secondary Literacy "Most large, urban comprehensive high schools have never graduated more than half of their students or prepared more than a third of students for postsecondary  education. Today, many students do not have the basic skills to pass required courses and advance to the next grade. Often, more than half the ninth-grade students in large urban high schools are not able to read their more demanding textbooks, but few if any of these high schools teach literacy." Carnegie Challenge 2001: Creating a New Vision of the Urban High School

4. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 4 Crucial Components of Secondary School Reform Structural changes enabling students to receive personalized attention Increased levels of academic rigor Differentiated instruction providing sustained support for students lacking basic literacy and math skills Improvements in instructional content and delivery resulting in instruction that is explicit, active, and engaging

5. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 5

6. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 6 The Big Question: How many students really are in need of intensive intervention?

7. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 7 Reading Next says: “In considering how to improve the academic achievement of our nation’s struggling readers and writers, it is critical to remember that only 10 percent of students struggle with decoding (reading words accurately), and thirty years of research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have provided solutions for these decoding problems. Thus this report focuses on the question of which elements of interventions are most promising for the large population of struggling students who already decode accurately but still struggle with reading and writing after third grade.” (p. 11)

8. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 8 What is the Source of the 10% Estimate? Most likely source of statistic is Curtis and Longo’s When Adolescents Can’t Read Very specific sample of students- at Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska Authors employ Chall’s 6 stages of reading development

9. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 9 Chall’s Stages of Reading Development Stage 0: Prereading Stage 1: Decoding Stage 2: Confirmation Stage 3: Reading to Learn Stage 4: Multiple Viewpoints Stage 5: Construction and Reconstruction

10. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 10 How Many are Stuck at Each Stage? (0) Prereading: almost none (1) Decoding: one in ten (most basic level) (2) Confirmation: one in eight (3) Reading to Learn: one in two (4) Multiple Viewpoints: all need assistance (5) Construction and Reconstruction: almost none reach this stage Source: When Adolescents Can’t Read

11. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 11 An Alternate Estimate: “Nationally, 25% of all adults are functionally illiterate. . . .At any age, poor readers as a group are distinguished by weakness in phonological processing and word recognition speed and accuracy.” Louisa Moats, “Why Older Kids Can’t Read – And What Can Be Done About It,” 2001.

12. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 12 % of 8th Graders Scoring Below Basic NAEP 2005 Reading Assessment

13. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 13 The Need for Intensive Intervention Students with severe reading difficulty are not evenly distributed in our nation’s schools Exclusive focus on comprehension strategies is not adequate Large numbers of disfluent students need help with fluency and multisyllabic word decoding For EL’s and most strategic students the big issue is vocabulary

14. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 14 Some Suggested Additions to Reading Next’s Fifteen Key Elements Necessity of meeting student needs at three levels Inclusion of a comprehensive, intensive intervention program for students needing extra help Specific focus on increased role of explicit vocabulary instruction A call for secondary literacy coaches to support implementation and coach teachers through the change process

15. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 15 CORE’s model Training for reading leaders, literacy coaches, and teachers Full implementation of a research-based intensive intervention program (2-3 periods per day) Strategic instruction classes to support students within 2 years of grade level Increased use of explicit vocabulary instruction and text comprehension strategies across all content classes Data collection and analysis A comprehensive literacy support system

16. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 16 The Task of High School Text “In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, European imperialism reached its peak as stronger nations colonized and domi- nated weaker nations. Economic, nation- alistic, military, and humanitarian factors led to the growth of imperial- ism. The growth of economic industries created an increased need for natural resources. The European spirit of national- ism, the belief that one nation’s goals are superior to those of other nations, caused nations to want to protect their interests.” America: Pathways to the Present, Prentice Hall 2003

17. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 17 Strategic Instruction Direct, explicit instruction in a double period Uses standards-based grade-level materials plus program-specific ancillary materials targeted for struggling readers Pre-teaching of reading and comprehension strategies Increased attention to building vocabulary and background knowledge Multiple readings of text Adjusted pacing Interactive strategies for increased student participation Specific attention to fluency Explicit instruction in writing and spelling

18. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 18 Horizontal and Vertical Supports Horizontal: School level Adequate program-specific teacher training Site based literacy coach Involved, supportive principal and instructional VP who support appropriate scheduling and teacher assignment Knowledgeable counselors who support appropriate placement Vertical: District level Provide adequate materials Increased FTE’s District-wide agreements about credits, grades, promotion policies Support data collection District-level literacy coach Provide ongoing professional development Ongoing and frequent walkthroughs

19. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 19 Case Study: Pasadena, CA CORE began working with the Pasadena Unified School District late in 2003 through financial support of the Stupski Foundation.

20. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 20 Pasadena Unified School District Urban school district within a very prosperous, diverse city 22,336 Students K-12 67.7% Free and Reduced lunch 23.4% English Learners (Based on 2004-2005 data)

21. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 21 PUSD: Ethnically diverse 54% Hispanic 25.7% African-American 15.4% White 2.5% Asian 1.2% Filipino 1.2% Other (Based on 2004-2005 data)

22. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 22 Secondary Sites Three K-8 schools Three large middle schools (6-8) One 6-12 school One 7-12 school Two large comprehensive high schools (9-12) One alternative high school (9-12) Approximately 10,350 total students 6-12

23. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 23 Common Implementation Problems Holt Literature was used in all English classes. High Point, Language! and Corrective Reading were being used in some schools, BUT . . . Programs not given enough time Students not properly placed Students placed in two curriculums at once (e.g. 1 period of Corrective Reading and 1 period of Holt) English classes not differentiated according to student performance (no Strategic support) Teachers received little or no ongoing coaching

24. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 24 Quality of Implementation Matters Typically, improper student placement, combined with inadequate time to fully teach the program, results in poor outcomes. In such situations, teachers often blame the program rather than the quality of implementation.

25. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 25 Fiscal Realities Due to budgetary concerns, it was not feasible to serve all students in grades 6-12. The decision was made to require all schools to serve their students in grades 7 and 9 with intensive intervention and strategic classes. Grades 8 and 10 would be added in the next year of implementation. Literacy coaches were funded for each site.

26. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 26 Research Based Materials A variety of research-based materials are in use: REACH (Corrective Reading) at most middle schools Read 180 at one middle school Language! at all high schools Holt Literature for Benchmark and Strategic classes High Point for EL students

27. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 27 A Three-Year Implementation Process

28. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 28 Structures to Support Implementation District Coordinator for Literacy Intervention District Language Development Resource Teacher (LDRT) to support EL instruction Literacy coach at each site plus CORE coach training LDRT at each site Adequate program-specific training Ongoing CORE support and training Ongoing system of walkthroughs at each site Careful oversight by Director of Secondary Curriculum and Coordinator of Language Development

29. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 29 Role of the Site Literacy Coaches Support literacy instruction in intervention, strategic, and benchmark classes Support content teachers Coaching: Focused observations and constructive feedback Professional development Data collection and analysis Model lessons Co-planning, co-teaching

30. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 30 Coaching: An Evolving Role

31. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 31 Ongoing CORE support and training Program specific support Coaching support Walkthroughs Strategic instruction training Site specific visits Demonstration lessons Reading leadership training for administrators

32. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 32 So………. After all this focused effort……… What happened? ………………………………. let’s take a look!

33. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 33 California Standards Test  English Language Arts 2005 % of Students Scoring At or Above Proficient

34. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 34 California Standards Test  English Language Arts 2005 % of Students Scoring Below Basic or Far Below Basic

35. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 35 Schoolwide Improvement on California’s Academic Performance Index (API)

36. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 36 Districtwide Changes Focus, Focus, Focus! New literacy vocabulary ALL secondary principals involved Coaches are integral to school program Commitment to success for ALL students Walkthroughs are a fact of life District Literacy Team FROM ISOLATION TO COLLABORATION!

37. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 37 Other Whole District Implementations Yakima, Washington Pasadena, CA Buffalo, NY Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

38. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 38 Growth in Yakima, WA 2005, 2004, 2003 WASL Comparisons State & CORE Middle Schools % 7th Grade Students Meeting Standards

39. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 39 Major Challenges and Roadblocks Structural Financial Instructional Varied and complex student population

40. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 40 Structural Challenges Traditional high school schedule A-G course requirements Credits, grades Some structures, such as SLC’s, may make it difficult to place all students correctly Smaller schools face unique challenges Balkanization of various departments (English, EL, Special Ed) who must now work together Requirement of highly qualified teachers under NCLB

41. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 41 Financial Strains Cost of materials- an ongoing cost Teacher training and professional development Number one cost: additional FTE’s to support additional literacy sections with smaller class size Literacy coaches (district and site level) Additional data collection support staff High costs of technology-based programs (both hardware and ongoing support)

42. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 42 Continuing Challenges in Pasadena Budgetary crisis has led to Decreased FTE’s resulting in an inability to offer double-period intervention classes Difficulty in sustaining reduced class size Teacher turnover Ongoing training for new teachers, or those newly assigned to strategic or intervention classes

43. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 43 Instructional Challenges Traditional model of secondary instruction is well-entrenched The vast majority of secondary teachers have no understanding of or training in providing explicit instruction Culture of isolation; resistance to coaching and concept of program fidelity Profoundly difficult to change instructional practices- requires multiple opportunities for exposure and guided practice

44. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 44 In•er•tia apathy inability or unwillingness to move or act resistance to change The property of a body by which it remains at rest or continues moving in a straight line unless acted upon by a directional force (Encarta Dictionary of North American English)

45. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 45 The Challenge of a Varied and Complex Student Population Students with profound vocabulary deficits Redesignated EL students who continue to struggle Students with a variety of learning issues Students with severe behavioral issues Students with serious attendance issues Many also need intensive math intervention

46. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 46 Key Lessons The reality of struggling districts includes large numbers of students in need of intensive intervention The key to improved outcomes is a high quality implementation of a strong program The literacy coach is crucial in ensuring strong implementation A system of multiple supports is necessary All of the above cost real dollars; districts cannot accomplish this merely by reshuffling funding

47. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 47 Thank You!For more information about our K-12 services see: www.corelearn.com

48. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 48 Additional slides for Q/A

49. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 49 How is the Intervention Class Different from “Remedial Reading” Class? Placement based on multiple measures with specific needs identified Grouping for like needs Comprehensive research-based curriculum delivered by a highly trained teacher Goal is accelerated instruction and growth Provided with sufficient intensity and duration Ongoing teacher support and accountability

50. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 50 Placement in Intervention Should be Flexible Accountability for student mastery through data analysis Periodic check-in for correct student placement Upon completion and mastery of specified curricula, students move on and up Intervention should NOT be a life sentence!

51. 7/10/2006 © CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc. 2006 51 Intensive Intervention Programs A wide variety of research-based programs are available, including: Language! Read 180 REACH (Corrective Reading) High Point Reading is FAME Fast Track Reading (Wright Group) Wilson Reading System