Vision of Just Read, Florida!

Vision of Just Read, Florida! FRA Conference September 10, 2010 Cari Miller, Deputy Director

Goal: Improve the outcomes of core reading instruction, content area and intensive reading intervention courses

4 Major Areas of Focus: • Develop modules centered on the application of 5 principles of effective reading comprehension instruction. • Ensure that every intensive reading teacher and, as much as possible, content area teachers are developing Essential Questions that are aligned to the cognitive complexity contained within the FCAT Item Specifications • Revising Doing What Works Clearinghouse modules to align with the 2007 Reading/Language Arts Standards • Develop rich classroom examples to illustrate high quality instructional practices in reading

5 Principles of Effective Reading Comprehension Instruction Teachers will read text selections before the students so that they can encourage them to find the explicit and implied meanings and author’s purpose, particularly of difficult texts. LA.910.1.7.2, LA.910.1.7.3Teachers will be purposeful in building background knowledge, so that the focus is connecting students to the most important and relevant aspects of the text. LA.910.1.7.3

5 Principles of Effective Reading Comprehension Instruction continued… Teachers will not distract students during reading by focusing attention on obscure words or unimportant details, but will keep a spotlight on the essential ideas in the text. LA.910.1.7.3Teachers will make students do the work by not spoon feeding them what a text says, but making them find the meaning on their own through summarizing and paraphrasing in their own words and pushing them to think deeper about the meaning and structure of the text. LA.910.1.7.3, LA.910.1.7.4, LA.910.1.7.5 Teachers will work with students to revisit texts by going back to earlier ideas as they read new texts and discussing similar and contrasting themes and characters. LA.910.1.7.7

Teachers develop Essential Questions that are aligned to the cognitive complexity contained within the FCAT Item Specifications • Promote in-depth investigation of concepts that are taught throughthe application of the Sunshine State Standards • Offer potential for intriguing students and motivating student learning • Mirror the complexity of FCAT Item Specifications for the listed benchmark that the teacher is teaching • Teachers actively demonstrate thinking guided by text strategies and model written responses to essential questions

Revising Doing What Works Clearinghouse modules to align with the 2007 Reading/Language Arts Standards: • Vocabulary InstructionProvide explicit vocabulary instruction and strategies to help students become independent vocabulary learners. • Comprehension StrategiesProvide direct and explicit comprehension strategy instruction. • Engaging Text DiscussionProvide opportunities for extended text discussion and student engagement. • Intensive InterventionProvide intensive intervention for struggling readers and monitor all students' reading progress. • Writing to Improve Text UnderstandingProvide direct and systematic instruction and support for students to use writing to support answers from the text to build a deep understanding of thinking guided by text.

Develop rich classroom examples to illustrate high quality instructional practices in reading • Revised Classroom Walkthrough Tools • Working with noted researchers to provide detailed support in bringing the best practices from research into wide practice

In Addition: • Ensure that reading coaches have a defined way of work at each school and that coaching is based upon the data driven needs of the students and supported by the school administration • Provide support to districts in assisting schools to use the data from FAIR to inform instruction

Reading Coach Guidance Workshops • Being held regionally across the state • Focus: • Provide the history/research/data on Coaches in Florida • District and School Systems to Support the Role of the Coach • Role of the Reading Coach

Reading Coach Guidance Goals: • Improve Coach Effectiveness • Increase Student Achievement

A Coach’s Time Making every moment count!

Reading Coach Log Breakdown by Recommended Categories • Recommended Categories Include: • Small Group PD • Modeling Lessons • Coach-Teacher Conferences • Coaching • Data Analysis Recommended categories – 75% or more of the Reading Coach’s schedule

Region 1 Reading Coach Log Report – 2009-10 School Year Recommended categories – Should equal 75% or more of Reading Coach schedule.

Reading Coach Log Breakdown by Recommended Categories • Recommended: 75% of Reading Coach Time • Region 1 – 41% • Region 2 – 34% • Region 3 – 37% • Region 4 – 40% • Region 5 – 45% • State Average – 39% *All Schools Within Region

Use of a Coach’s time Based on the data shared: What do you believe to be the barriers to coaches using their time most effectively? How do we remove these barriers to ensure the coach’s time is used for maximum benefit?

Enhancing and refining reading instruction and intervention • Reading coaches enhance and refine reading instruction and intervention by: • Ensuring effective student placement and support. • Assisting in the interpretation of progress monitoring and other data. • Assisting teachers in implementing explicit, systematic and rigorous reading instruction

A Dilemma: Percent of Previous Level 3 Students Regressing in 2008-2009 in DA Schools

For Discussion Purposes: A Possible Reading Intervention Decision Process –Handout 7

Is Instruction Rigorous Enough? • All students read one book every two weeks while receiving feedback from adults • All teachers have a deep knowledge and understanding of the new FCAT Item Specifications as they relate to developing complex thinking questions aligned with the rigor of the FCAT Item Specifications • All students respond to complex questions in writing and receive feedback from teachers

2009 FCAT Item Specifications • http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatis01.asp

Oral Reading Strategies Source: Good-Bye Round Robin 25 Effective Oral Reading Strategies

District and School Systems to Support the Role of the Coach 27 The Principal/Coach Relationship Recruiting and Hiring Practices Reading Coach Training Monitoring/Evaluation Procedures

The Principal/Coach Relationship 28 The principal/coach relationship is critical to the development and implementation of specific duties of the coach. Principals and coaches should work together to build a shared literacy vision and collaborative relationship to improve instruction and student achievement (Casey, 2006; Puig and Froelich, 2007).

Killion and Harrison 29 Partnership agreements are a form of contract or mutual agreement between a coach and his or her principal. The agreements typically are about the scope of the work, expected results, and other details associated with the coach’s work with individuals or teams. “Clarify the Coach’s Role” Handout 1

Recruiting and Hiring Practices 31 • Reading coaches must have sufficient knowledge and skills specific to the role of the coach • K-12 Certification or Reading Endorsement • Ability to analyze student data and ability to teach others to do the same • Ability to work with adult learners • Districts should have a system in place to be sure that the most qualified individuals are hired • Developing a hiring protocol • Developing a pipeline of potential coaches • Providing incentives to work in schools with substantial need of improvement

Reading Coach Training 32 • It is essential that reading coaches receive initial and ongoing training to improve their skills: • Knowledge Building • Job Embedded

Training/Support for Coaches Framework for ongoing training could provide: Monthly district-wide training Regularly scheduled cadre meetings occurring in schools Pairing up novice coaches with veteran “mentor” coaches Time for coaches to work throughout their feeder patterns to coordinate reading instruction

Monitoring/Evaluation Procedures 34 • School districts should establish monitoring and evaluation systems for the coach that are unique to the role of the coach. • Coach evaluations at the district level should be based on the four components of the reading coach role • Schools should develop an evaluation based on the plan created and implemented by the principal and coach

Questions? Thank You! JustRead@fldoe.org 850-245-0503

Vision of Just Read, Florida!