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NYSED Update: Improving Student Achievement in Literacy Across the Content Areas. LIASCD October 17, 2008 Tracey Bennett, Reading/Literacy Assistant Office of Curriculum, Instruction & Instructional Technology (CI&IT) http://emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/home.html. Literacy in the 21 st Century.
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NYSED Update: Improving Student Achievement in Literacy Across the Content Areas LIASCD October 17, 2008 Tracey Bennett, Reading/Literacy Assistant Office of Curriculum, Instruction & Instructional Technology (CI&IT) http://emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/home.html
Literacy in the 21st Century • “ As literacy skills improve, student achievement rises not only in reading and writing, but across the spectrum, a benefit that has profound consequences for the ultimate success of standards-based reform.” National Association of State Boards of Education, October 2005
Adolescent Literacy Across the Content Areas • What should New York State students know and be able to do to be literate in the 21st century? • What does the research say about struggling learners?
Think & Share Please think about the following • 1. What do you think content area teachers need in order to better support students’ literacy development? • 2. What does your school need in order to better support teachers in this area? After thinking about each of the above questions, share your thoughts with a neighbor. From CCSSO adolescent literacy toolkit
What are academic literacy demands? Across all content areas students should be able to…. • Read • Write • Listen/view • Discuss/present • Think critically and creatively • Use language and vocabulary to read and comprehend text to support the learning content From CCSSO: adolescent literacy toolkit
Reading Next (2004) • A Vision for Action and research in Middle and High School Literacy • A report created for the Carnegie Corporation of New York by Gina Biancarosa and Dr. Catherine Snow
From Writing Next (2006) • “Writing well is not an option for young people-it is a necessity. Along with reading comprehension, writing skills is a predictor of academic success and a basic requirement for participation in civic life and the economy” (Writing Next,1). http://www.all4ed.org/publication_material/reports/writing_next
Writing Next (2006) Effective Strategies to improve the Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools. • A report created for the Carnegie Corporation by Steve Graham and Dolores Perin • 11 elements of adolescent writing are included in the report
Cause for Alarm • More than eight million students in grades 4-12 are struggling readers (U.S. DOE, 2003) • A full 70 percent of U.S. middle and high school students require differentiated instruction, which is instruction targeted to their individual strengths and weaknesses
Did you know? • More freshman entering degree-granting postsecondary institutions take remedial writing courses than take remedial reading courses (NCES, 2003b) • The knowledge and skills required for higher education and for employment are now considered equivalent (ACT, 2006; American Diploma Project, 2004)
Reading and Writing Across Content Areas (June 2006) • “Today, less than one-third of America’s high school students read or write at grade- level. Among low-income students, the figure is fewer than one in six.” (Perie et al., 2005)
If someone came to my school looking for a literacy-rich environment, what would they see/not see? • Reading comprehension strategy instruction • Writing instruction • Opportunities for listening and viewing • Opportunities for deep discussion and presenting • Instruction in use of higher order thinking skills From the CCSSO adolescent literacy toolkit
Reflection: What are the academic literacy demands of my content area? • What type of activities or tasks are required of experts in my content area? • What types of texts do students read in my content area? • What reading and writing skills will students need to use those texts proficiently? • What discussion and presentation skills will students need to verbalize understanding?
Reflection: What are the academic demands of my content area? (continued) • What listening and viewing skills will students need to connect with the standards and objectives of my specific content area? • What higher-order thinking skills will students need to use to move beyond basic understanding of content text? From CCSSO adolescent literacy toolkit
NYSED Resources • Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology • E-BLAST • Virtual Learning System (VLS) • Related Links