Building a Literacy Program from the Ground Up How One School Defied Gravity WSRA, 2016

Jeff Benoy has been the principal at St. Croix Falls Elementary School for over 20 years. Jeff holds his Wiscsonsin superintendent license and continues to enjoy his work as a school leader. Rita Platt is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Her experience includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to graduate student. She currently is a Library Media & Reading Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate courses for the Professional Development Institute, and consults with local school

Relax … Everything (and more) is on The Wiki RA2016 The 3 C’s of PD: Collaborative, Conversational, & Continuous!

Ed Leadership (ASCD) Summer, digital.com/educationalleadership/2015summerfree?pg=45#pg45 digital.com/educationalleadership/2015summerfree?pg=45#pg45

Our Story  What do we mean by “building a literacy program from the ground up?”  Shared leadership  Focus on real and copious amounts of reading  Leverage of resources  Changed school culture  Professional development

Who We Are Saint Croix Falls School District  2,014 Residents  465 Students  46 Staff  96% White  2% Hispanic  1% Mixed race  1% American Indian, Asian, Black  College graduates: 30%  43% of students below poverty level  Median income: $36,000 Each year we:  Some mobility-most from within the same group, meaning those we gain are also lost

Our State Reading Data Two Points: 1.No gap with economically disadvantaged students (43%) 2.As our poverty levels rise, our test scores remain constant.

First Thing’s First, Read the Article First Thing’s First, Demystifying Data Analysis, Mike Schmoker 3: Ideas you like 2: Things that you have questions about 1: Thing you don’t like or can’t see working

Started With the Data  Schmoker:  No such thing as “bad data.”  Data analysis should not be complicated!  What do we notice?  What strengths do we see?  What needs do we see?  How can we use this data to move students forward?  Focused on apples-to-apples  Focused on GROWTH!

What the Data Told Us  Boys generally had lower reading achievement  The gap between students with and without IEPs was greater in our school than in similar surrounding schools  Increasing poverty levels  Increasing mobility

How We Interpreted the Data  Needs:  systematic RTI (tiered instruction)  Emphasize Tier 1 differentiated instruction in the classroom  some (not total) consistency between classrooms  updated library collection  better classroom libraries  a deep, systematic focus on reading  more time for reading, reading, reading

Three Core Beliefs  Teachers are smart, capable professionals who can be trusted.  Students are the primary stakeholders in their learning and must own their growth.  Strong leadership is essential. We can ALL be leaders.

The Schedule Common core reading blocks for grade-levels Common intervention blocks Several changes Time consuming…but worth it!

It REALLY is PEOPLE not Programs  Used what we had  Daily 5  Accelerated Reader  Independent Reading AR Killed My Dog and Now It’s Coming for You! A Defense of Accelerated Reader and a Plea for Less Drama defense-of-accelerated-reader-and-a-plea-for-less-drama/ defense-of-accelerated-reader-and-a-plea-for-less-drama/

Shift of Focus  Professional development  PLC—Focus on Curriculum  Specialist PLC—Focus on School-Wide Culture  Informal, almost constant discussions about how to use data  After school PD on how to use AR/STAR and independent reading  ½ day work sessions to develop RTI protocols, deepen independent reading strategies  Paid courses in Daily 5

Motivation Theory

Pink and Motivation Discuss the video with a neighbor.  What are the 3 main points Pink makes?  How do they resonate with what you are already doing at your school?  Does what you saw make you want to change anything at your school?

Goals

Changed School Culture  Culture of learning & growth  “It’s okay to be where you’re at. It’s not okay to stay there!”  “We are growing our brains!”  “A Saint CARES about his/her work!”  Culture of ownership/responsibility  “YOU are responsible for your own learning!”  “We are mature, independent, responsible  Positive rewards that turbo-charge the reading program  Book Boutique  Time with teachers  OUR students not MY students  Flexible groups  Collaborative teaching

Lifting the “Veil of Shame” “There is no shame in being where you are. There is only shame in not working to learn and grow.”

Leveled Reading Don’t Throw Out Your Leveled Libraries Yet! Text Complexity and Helping Students Learn to Pick “Just-Right Books” complexity-and-helping-students-learn-to-pick-just-right-books/ complexity-and-helping-students-learn-to-pick-just-right-books/

Home Reading Routines Minimum 20 minutes per night for every student. Reading logs. Phone calls home. Facebook Incentives

Parent Academy  Community Resource Fair  Boy/Girl Scouts  Northern Waters Literacy (non profit)  Public library (card sign up)  Free books  Whole Group  Dinner  Sharing of school-wide data  Prizes  Sessions for Parents  Reading expectations/AR/Question & Answer  Great websites/Apps for literacy  Games/Movie for Children  High school volunteers

What We Didn’t Do  Buy new programs  Get bad attitudes  Get discouraged  Engage in an “us” versus “them” mentality  What roadblocks do you foresee?

Funding Sources In addition to Federal and State Monies controlled at the district level.  NEA Grants  Kohl Fellowships  STAR Foundation  POES (Parents of the Elementary Saints)  Principals’ Discretionary Accounts  Activity Accounts  Scholastic Book Club Points  Donor’s Choose