The Content Literacy Continuum: A Framework for Helping Struggling Adolescent Learners Don Deshler University of Kansas

1. The Content Literacy Continuum: A Framework for Helping Struggling Adolescent Learners Don Deshler University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning August 8, 2006 Portland, Oregon

2. 0 How many words a year do 5th graders read who read at the 50th percentile? (A) 250,000 (B) 400,000 (C) 600,000 (D) 900,000

3. 0 How many words a year do 5th graders read who read at the 10thpercentile? (A) 60,000 (B) 100,000 (C) 180,000 (D) 250,000

4. 0 How many words a year do 5th graders read who read at the 90th percentile? (A) 1,800,000 (B) 2,500,000 (C) 3,000,000 (D) 4,000,000

5. Students who are successful during their 9th grade year are ___ times as likely to graduate? (A) 2.0 (B) 2.5 (C) 3.0 (D) 3.5

6. Exhibit #1

7. Information Explosion/Instructional Time Dilemma 1960 Time 1980 Content 2000

8. Triple jeopardy for teachers! • Teach more content • Teach content to higher level of proficiency • Teach classes with greater diversity of students

9. We know that in secondary schools standardized tests… • Increase in • Length • Question number and complexity • Require students to be proficient in… • Complex thinking (inference, summarization) • Vocabulary • Background knowledge

10. Exhibit #1 (“Raise the bar”)

11. Exhibit #2

12. WLPB-R: Struggling and Good Readers 0 Word Attack Read Skills Listen Comp Letter- Wd ID Pass Comp Read Vocab Broad Read Reading Comprehension N Mean %tile 61 81.21 10% 61 82.84 12% 61 81.79 10% 61 75.08 5% 61 80.36 9% 61 79.33 8% 61 79.13 8% 61 78.41 7th %tile Unsat. POOR READERS N Mean %tile 76 83.78 13% 76 92.53 30% 76 90.33 25% 76 90.00 25% 76 89.51 23% 76 89.36 25% 76 91.67 27% 76 88.65 21st %tile Basic N Mean %tile 79 98.67 45% 79 100.16 50% 79 98.18 45% 79 101.75 53% 79 98.18 45% 79 98.28 45% 79 101.01 53% 79 97.52 42nd %tile Proficient N Mean %tile 66 108.70 70% 66 108.89 70% 66 105.76 63% 66 107.27 68% 66 106.70 66% 66 107.63 68% 66 109.03 73% 66 106.69 66th %tile GOOD READERS Advanced N Mean %tile 60 114.28 82% 60 118.95 88% 60 114.58 82% 60 118.22 88% 60 115.68 84% 60 118.33 88% 60 120.43 91% 60 116.73 86th %tile Exemplary

13. 0 Word Attack SS of 115 • Examiner points and says: “I want you to read some words that are not real words. Tell me how they sound.” • Examples: nat; knoink; paraphonity “How does this word sound?” 108 SS of 100 SS of 85 84 Good Readers Poor Readers

14. 0 Passage Comprehension SS of 115 • Examiner points to the pictures, sentences, or passages and says: “Read this sentence to yourself and tell me one word that goes in the space.” • Examples: The bird is ______. Also, 20-30 word passages. [Cloze procedure] 106 SS of 100 SS of 85 87 Good Readers Poor Readers

15. 0 Overall Reading Comprehension SS of 115 • A composite score of passage comprehension and vocabulary. A good indicator of overall reading proficiency. 106 SS of 100 SS of 85 84 Good Readers Poor Readers

16. Reading Component Profile ∆ Proficient ◊ Not proficient 115 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ Mean Standard Scores ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ List Comp Word ID Word Att Vocab Passage Comp Reading Comp

17. Exhibit #2 (“Close the gap”)

18. So…. How can secondary schools respond to these “competing” realities????

19. Begin by…. Getting a profile of the literacy performance of all students in your school

20. Adolescent Reading Model Language Comprehension Word Recognition Executive Processes • Phonological Awareness • Decoding • Sight Word Reading • Fluency • Background Knowledge • Syntax • Vocabulary • Text Structures • Cognitive Strategies • Metacognitive Strategies Integration Reading Comprehension: Comprehension comes from integrating prior knowledge with new information from the text. This new knowledge facilitates deeper thinking about the text and can be applied to learn new information and solve problems. KU-CRL Hock & Deshler, 2006

21. Then ask…. Five important questions about literacy supports!

22. 1.What happens for those students who are reading below the 4th grade level?

23. 2.Whatis in place across a school staff to ensure that students will get the “critical” content in spite of their literacy skills?

24. 3. What happens for students who know how to decode but can’t comprehend well?

25. 4. What steps have been taken to ensure that powerful learning strategies are embedded across the curriculum?

26. 5. What happens for students who have language problems?

27. Finally…. Use a “content literacy” framework to determine an action plan

28. Content Literacy The listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and strategies necessary to learn in each of the academic disciplines.

29. Content Literacy is the door to content acquisition & higher order thinking.

30. A Continuum of Literacy Instruction (Content Literacy Continuum -- CLC) Level 1:Enhance content instruction(mastery of critical content for all regardless of literacy levels) Level 2:Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave strategies within and across classes using large group instructional methods) Level 3:Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific strategies using intensive-explicit instructional sequences) Level 4:Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry level literacy skills at the 4th grade level) Level 5: Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language underpinnings of curriculum content and learning strategies)

31. Building Blocks for Content Literacy HIGHER ORDER SUBJECT MATTER STRATEGIES SKILLS LANGUAGE

32. The CLC says… • There are unique (but very important) roles for each member of a secondary staff relative to literacy instruction • Every teacher is not a reading teacher, and literacy coaches may be necessary but aren’t sufficient! • Some students require more intensive, systematic, explicit instruction of content, strategies, and skills

33. The Muskegon High School Story

34. The Muskegon High School Story • North Central Accreditation visit

35. The Muskegon High School Story • North Central Accreditation visit • School-wide reading screening

36. The Muskegon High School Story • North Central Accreditation visit • School-wide reading screening • Intensive word identification intervention (Level 4)

37. Word Identification Intervention at MHS

38. The Muskegon High School Story • North Central Accreditation visit • School-wide reading screening • Intensive word identification intervention • Reading comprehension strategies class (Level 3)

39. Strategic Reading Class at Muskegon High School Grade Level Scores on GMRT-Comprehension Subtest

40. The Muskegon High School Story • North Central Accreditation visit • School-wide reading screening • Intensive word identification intervention • Reading comprehension strategies classes • Writing strategies as a part of English classes (Level 2)

41. State Writing Assessment

42. The Muskegon High School Story • North Central Accreditation visit • School-wide reading screening • Intensive word identification intervention • Reading comprehension strategies classes • Writing strategies as a part of English classes • Engaging content teachers in solving the literacy problem (Level 1)

43. The Unit Organizer NAME 4 BIGGER PICTURE DATE LAST UNIT /Experience NEXT UNIT /Experience CURRENT UNIT 3 2 1 CURRENT UNIT 8 UNIT SCHEDULE 5 UNIT MAP 6 UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS UNIT RELATIONSHIPS 7

44. KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURE ORGANIZATION GUIDING QUESTIONS The Unit Organizer Elida Cordora NAME 4 BIGGER PICTURE 1/22 DATE LAST UNIT /Experience NEXT UNIT /Experience CURRENT UNIT 3 2 1 CURRENT UNIT 8 is about... UNIT SCHEDULE 5 UNIT MAP 1/22 Cooperative groups - over pp. 201-210 Sectionalism was based on was influenced by 1/28 Quiz pp. 201-236 1/29 Cooperative groups - Leaders over pp. 210-225 Areas of across the became greater with emerged because of the U.S. U.S. "Influential Personalities" projectdue Differences Events in 1/30 Quiz between the U.S. the areas 2/2 Cooperative groups - over pp. 228-234 2/6 Review for test 2/7 Review for test 2/6 Test 6 descriptive What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860? compare/contrast UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War? UNIT RELATIONSHIPS cause/effect What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today? 7 The roots and consequences of civil unrest. The Civil War The Causes of the Civil War Growth of the Nation

45. Comparison Table C O M P A R I N G Communicate Targeted Concepts Obtain the Overall Concepts Make lists of Known Characteristics Pin down Like Characteristics Assemble Like Categories Record Unlike Characteristics Identify Unlike Categories Nail Down a Summary Go Beyond the Basics Overall Concept 5 8 4 6 6 7 2 Concept Concept 1 1 Characteristics Characteristics Extensions 3 3 9 Like Characteristics Like Categories Unlike Characteristics Unlike Characteristics Unlike Categories Summary

46. Strategic thinking prompts CATEGORIZATION FACTS Comparison Table C O M P A R I N G Communicate Targeted Concepts Obtain the Overall Concepts Make lists of Known Characteristics Pin down Like Characteristics Assemble Like Categories Record Unlike Characteristics Identify Unlike Categories Nail Down a Summary Go Beyond the Basics Overall Concept 5 4 6 8 6 7 2 Concept Concept 1 1 Economic conditions in the South Economic conditions in the North Characteristics Characteristics Extensions 3 3 9 Good ports Good natural resources Immigrants in labor force Profit from industries Good land transportation Good credit with other countries Good ports Good natural resources Slaves in labor force Profit from growing cotton Poor land transportation Good credit with other countries Like Characteristics Like Categories Unlike Characteristics Unlike Characteristics Unlike Categories Immigrants in labor force Profit from industries Good land transportation Slaves in labor force Profit from growing cotton Poor land transportation Summary Economic Causes of Sectionalism in the U.S. in 1860 Study the economic conditions of the West in 1860, and create a list of characteristics to be compared to the North & South. Good ports Good natural resources Good credit with other countries Quality of ports Quality of natural resources Quality of credit Primary source of labor Source of profits Quality of land transportation Economic conditions in the North and South in 1860 were alike because both had good natural resources, ports, and credit. Their primary sources of labor and profits were different, as was the quality of their land transportation.

48. Let’s pause for a moment….. What factors do you think accounted for the success story at MHS?

49. Another question….. Where would you begin to embed the continuum of content literacy instruction in your school?

50. LEVEL 3/4/5 Pretest Describe Commitment (student & teacher) Goals High expectations Model Practice and quality feedback Controlled and advanced Posttest & reflect Generalize, transfer, apply Intense-Explicit Instruction LEVEL 1 • Cue • Do • Review LEVEL 2 • “I do it!” (Learn by watching) • “We do it!” (Learn by sharing) • “Ya’ll do it!” (Learn by sharing) • “You do it! (Learn by practicing)