NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

1. NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP MacKillop Catholic College- Warnervale

2. Establishing Direction • To inform our goal setting for School Improvement Plan we undertook data analysis using a variety of sources, eg: NAPLAN data, observation surveys, running records, spelling assessments. • After the consideration of data, exposing areas of concern, our school formulated some major literacy goals. • Achievable measurable targets with corresponding strategies and milestones were set for the following school year. APPENDIX 1 ‘School Plan Targets’

3. System Support The Area consultant and Education Officer assisted with the goal setting process and the Ongoing monitoring of the Literacy Project.

4. Support from Curriculum Advisors from Head Office • Curriculum Advisors from Head Office assisted the School Leadership Team and Literacy Coordinators to identify student needs to inform staff professional learning. • Advisors modelled effective literacy strategies in classroom and helped lead K-6 staff meetings and grade meetings. • Advisors supported the Literacy Coordinators as they developed their capacity as leaders of professional learning.

5. Leadership in Classrooms • The presence of school leadership in classrooms during the Literacy block influenced a powerful Literacy change K-6. • Leadership took part in daily ‘Literacy Walks and Talks’ throughout the school to identify patterns of practice as well as identifying needs across the school as a whole. APPENDIX 2 ‘Literacy Walks & Talks’

6. Literacy Coordinators • Literacy Coordinators were appointed to embed professional learning in classroom practice. Strategies involved: • Release of classroom teachers to focus on student learning in light of the staff Professional Learning agenda, eg: small group instruction, taking and analysing running records, comprehension strategies, use of term overviews. APPENDIX 3 ‘Overview’ • Modelling of strategies for teachers linked to professional learning focus and individual staff needs. • Ensuring appropriate resources were available to support teachers with their literacy teaching. • ‘Literacy Walks and Talks’ undertaken alongside the leadership team. • Planning and implementing staff meetings . • Establishing a reading progress data wall.

7. Teacher Feedback • “I have concentrated on using data this year” • “I like the whole school Literacy Block Timetable” • “The Learning goals we now set let the children know the focus for their learning.” • “It’s had its up and downs but the Literacy project has been effective-and students have made significant progress and can articulate what they are learning.”

8. DATA WALL The numbers & letters represent the reading assessment levels Each set of coloured buttons represent a grade. Each button is identified with a number representing a specific student This data wall gives a quick snapshot of the reading levels for the whole school

9. DATA The school has used a range of data to inform direction for the Literacy Project. Running Records recorded onto tracking device. APPENDIX 4 ‘Tracking’ NAPLAN Data Wall In 2013 the school will be utilising other forms of diagnostic data including PAT-Reading, to track and gain a better understanding of the students’ reading and comprehension skills.

10. Literacy Team • School based Literacy team, consisting of Principal, Assistant Principal and Literacy Coordinators, met on a regular basis. • The Literacy Team shared their observations from the literacy walks and formulated and delivered constructive feedback to staff. • The team continually monitored the progress of Literacy success in relation to the goals. • The team met to discuss logistics of planning release models and timetabling to follow the direction of the project. APPENDIX 4 • In partnership with classroom teachers, current data (running records) was used on a regular basis to identify and track at risk students as well as identifying whole class patterns and trends. • The Literacy team engaged in professional reading and dialogue centred around literacy practice and change. Eg: Lyn Sharratt & Michael Fullan’s ‘Realization’ (refer to Bibliography) • The Literacy team was given ongoing support by system level staff.

11. Process From ‘Literacy Walks and Talks’ the Literacy team identified a key learning focus to address at a whole staff level. Eg: establishing consistent structure of a literacy block from K-6. Professional Learning took place through whole staff meetings, release of particular groups of teachers, and modelling of effective teaching and learning practice within classrooms. From the meetings each teacher established a ‘commit to action,’ where they worked on applying and achieving their identified skill and/or knowledge. After a period of time to embed classroom practice, teachers reviewed their ‘commit to action’ with the Literacy Team before beginning the cycle with a new learning focus.

12. Literacy Block • One of the key changes to improve literacy in our school, has been the embedding of a consistent literacy block K-6. • There is an expectation that teachers commit to this structure, which maximises effective teaching time. • The structure of the Literacy block is based on Gallagher and Pearson's (1983) model of ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ APPENDIX 5

13. Structure of Literacy Block The following series of slides illustrates each component of the Literacy Block.

14. Shared Text • 9:00-9:20am • Shared text with explicit teaching • All students should be able to view the shared text

15. Small Group Instructional Reading (SMIR) Guided Reading or Reciprocal Reading or Readers Circle with the teacher

16. TASKBOARD • Independent/Interdependent Literacy tasks for students not reading with the teacher, based on explicit teaching from shared text. • Tasks are based on students’ needs and feedback, which enables differentiation.

17. Co-constructed Scaffolds

18. Word Walls

19. Learning Goals/Intentions/Focus

20. Learning Circles • At the conclusion of the reading hour the whole class comes to the learning circle. • The teacher selects children to explain “what they have learnt or discovered,” not what they have done. • The teacher directs this time so that other children can benefit from the learning.

21. Writing 2013 Next year our focus will be on writing, specifically looking at a common teaching process/structure to be implemented K-6, eg: modelled writing, guided writing, independent writing. Analysis of the school data has shown concerns in the areas of spelling, punctuation and grammar. This will be a focus within the context of writing

22. A changing practice Teachers are now: • Implementing literacy block structure • Using data regularly to understand student needs and progress • Effectively analysing running records to inform future teaching • Designing rich tasks to support learning • Establishing learning intentions for whole class explicit teaching • Using Learning circles to enhance and share explicit teaching • Demonstrating improved skills in implementing SGIR

23. CHANGE from 2011-2012 • Students at risk of not achieving reading benchmark at November 2011 K-2 – 2011 - 83 students from 232 students • Students at risk of not achieving reading benchmark at November 2012 K-2- 2012 - 24 students from 232 students

24. Appendix 1School Plan Targets 5.0 SCHOOL PLAN TARGETS 2012

25. Appendix 2Literacy Walks and Talks ‘Literacy Walks and Talks’ Dr Lyn Sharratt Sharrott, L & Fullan, M. (2009). Realization: The Change Imperative for Deepening District-Wide Reform. Corin. USA. The purpose The purpose of looking into classrooms is to: • Enhance administrator learning as instructional leaders • Offer appropriate support for students and teachers • Plan professional learning for the division; individual teachers, small clusters, entire staff • Learn about trends and patterns throughout the school The Process forleaders (as adapted by Jane Denny and Virginia Outred 2011) • The leader ‘visits’ a classroom for 3-5 minutes during learning time for the students. Without interrupting the teacher or expect a greeting from the class. (As you do this regularly this will become common practice in the school) • Read and scan the walls in the classroom environment • Look for any evidence of curriculum expectations (observe and listen) • Questions to ask student(s): What are you learning? How are you doing/going? How do you know? How can you improve? Where can you go to get help? • Look at safety issues • Observe learning environment (Warm? Inviting? Caring? Nurturing?)

26. Appendix 3Example of a Term Overview Year 5 Literacy Term Overview Term 3

27. Appendix 4 Tracking 1 Wattle Reading Levels Term 3 2012

28. Appendix 5 Plans for Literacy team work Weeks 6,7,8,9,10 2012 Week 6 22/8/12 9-10am- Jane, Virginia and Simone to observe part of the literacy block in both year 6’s. 10-11am- Jane, Virginia and Simone to work on planning the procedure for the year 6 release time. 9-11am- Lyndal to do literacy walks in K-2 11.30am- Virginia to model reciprocal reading in Kerry’s year 3 room. Martine to come and observe. Paul to cover Martine’s class. 12-3pm- Year 6 teachers released to work with Jane, Virginia and Simone on their reading data and class practice. 12-3pm- Year 1 teachers released to work with Lyndal and Karen on their reading data and setting targets. 3.30-4.30pm- staff meeting. 30mins on analysing a running record- Jane 30 mins on the process of reciprocal reading (using video from week 5 demo in Claudette’s room)- Virginia Week 7 29/8/12 9-11am- Jane modelling in year 1 with Lyndal based on week 6 mtg. 9-11am- Virginia modelling in year 6 based on week 6 mtg 11.30-12.00- team feedback and prep for afternoon sessions 12-3pm- year 2 teachers released to work with Jane and Lyndal on their data and setting targets 12-3pm- year 4 teachers released to work with Virginia, Simone and Paul on reading data and targets (Virginia to leave at 1pm) Week 8 5/9/12 9-11am- Jane and Lyndal to model in year 2 as follow up to week 7 mtg 9-11am- Virginia and Simone to model in year 4 as follow up to week 7 mtg 11.30-12.00- literacy team feedback and catch up. 12-3pm- year 5 teachers released to work with Jane, Lyndal and Simone on reading data and targets. (Virginia to leave at 1pm) Week 9 12/9/12 Jane and Virginia not available. The team to work with casual staff to bring them ’up to speed’ with the expectations for literacy block, processes etc.

29. Appendix 6 Pearson & Gallagher's Gradual Release of Responsibility Gallagher and Pearson (1993) ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ A Model for Learning Strategies Gallagher and Pearson (1993) ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ A Model for Learning Strategies Gallagher and Pearson (1993) ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ A Model for Learning Strategies Gallagher and Pearson (1993) ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ A Model for Learning Strategies Teacher Control Student Control Teacher Control Student Control Teacher Control Student Control Teacher Control Student Control • Strategies • Modelled • Shared • Joint • ZPD (Vygotsky) • Guided Practice • Guided reading • Reciprocal teaching • Readers circle • Author’s circles • Independent work • Peer Partner • Strategies • Modelled • Shared • Joint • ZPD (Vygotsky) • Guided Practice • Guided reading • Reciprocal teaching • Readers circle • Author’s circles • Independent work • Peer Partner • Strategies • Modelled • Shared • Joint • ZPD (Vygotsky) • Guided Practice • Guided reading • Reciprocal teaching • Readers circle • Author’s circles • Independent work • Peer Partner • Strategies • Modelled • Shared • Joint • ZPD (Vygotsky) • Guided Practice • Guided reading • Reciprocal teaching • Readers circle • Author’s circles • Independent work • Peer Partner

30. Bibliography • Sharrott, L & Fullan, M. (2009). Realization: The Change Imperative for Deepening District-Wide Reform. Corin. USA. • Clay, M. (2002).Taking records of reading continuous texts, in: An observation survey of early literacy achievement. • Davis, A. (2001). Building Comprehension Strategies for Primary Years. Eleanor Curtain Publishing. South Yarra, Australia. • Topler C & Arendt D . Guided Thinking For Effective Spelling. Curriculum Press, Educational Services Australia. • Veel, L. Classroom Walks Throughs: Conversations For Change. Official Journal of the Australian Council For Educational Leaders • Riedl C. How Do Teachers Create Word Walls That Really Teach. August 30 2010 • Fountas, I. & Pinnell G. Guided Reading- Good First Teaching for All Children. Heineman Portsmouth, NH