Julie Larkin-Spies Central High School ALC -- Mankato Engaging Students in the Strategic Reading Process Why Proficiency Matters

About Our Program Central High School ALC serves anywhere from 70 to 125 students. We also provide a Sober School program with 15 seats. 75% of our student population is receiving Free and Reduced Lunch services. We are also have a culturally and ethnically diverse student population, with 45% of our students belonging to an ethnic minority.

NOT TO BRAG... So, how did we accomplish this as a building? Well, maybe a little… IN THE LAST YEAR, CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL’S READING PROFICIENCY ON THE MCA II HAS CLIMBED FROM 39% TO 70%

Focus on the “Why?”: The Golden Circle Most marketing and communication moves from the outside of the circle in. With our student population, we need to move from the inside out.

People don’t buy what you do… They buy why you do it.

Why does Reading Proficiency matter? Before we get started, let’s focus on the “Why?”

Reading Proficiency Matters. Grade Lexile Reader Levels Lexile Text Measures 2140 to 500L300 to 500L 3330 to 700L500 to 700L 4445 to 810L650 to 850L 5565 to 910L750 to 950L 6665 to 1000L850 to 1050L 7735 to 1065L950 to 1075L 8805 to 1100L1000 to 1100L 9855 to 1165L1050 to 1150L to 1195L1100 to 1200L 11 and to 1210L1100 to 1300L It matters that our students have the reading level (Lexile) necessary to gain employment after high school, and to survive on their own as adults. National Center for Education Statistics. Assessing the Lexile Framework. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 2010.

Reading Proficiency Matters. Career Cluster Lexile Text Measure Agriculture / Natural Resources1270 to 1510L Architecture / Construction1210 to 1340L Technology / Communications1100 to 1190L Business Administration1210 to 1310L Education1320 to 1370L Human Services1050 to 1200L Law and Public Safety1420 to 1740L Manufacturing1200 to 1310L Retail Sales and Service1180 to 1270L Engineering1190 to 1250L It matters that our students have the reading level (Lexile) necessary to gain employment after high school, and to survive on their own as adults.

Reading Proficiency Matters. Citizen Reading Material Lexile Text Measure Form W-4 Employee Withholding 1260L Medical Insurance—Benefit Package 1280L Student Loan Application 1270L New York Times Newspaper 1380L 2002 Cadillac Owner’s Manual 1150L College Student Handbook—Mankato State University 1320L It matters that our students have the reading level (Lexile) necessary to gain employment after high school, and to survive on their own as adults.

How do we measure Proficiency? Now that we have an understanding of “Why?”…

Proficiency Data at Central High School o NWEA (Fall and Spring Window) o MCA III Math and Reading o GRAD Reading o GRAD Math o Standards Based Assessment o Formative Assessments o Conferencing with Goal Setting o Building Action Plans for Instructional Goals

How?: Data Based Decision Making

Selling the NWEA Test One of our big “How?” decisions was to really make a concerted effort to reframe how we feel, and how our students feel, about standardized testing. As soon as we had the students on board, the successes came in waves.

Goal Setting Each student completed their sheet with their 2 nd Hour Teacher, and then will be handed back the same sheet when they enter the lab to take their test. Goal Setting Each student completed their sheet with their 2 nd Hour Teacher, and then will be handed back the same sheet when they enter the lab to take their test.

NWEA Prep Group Prep Using the NWEA Data from Fall, we placed students into RIT Band Groups for Reading and Math. Students had a schedule / passport that needed to be stamped at each session. At the end of the morning, those with stamped passports had a celebration. Within those groups, the students viewed a PowerPoint about their specific RIT band, and completed a stretch assignment. Examples?? Building TeamsProviding Support

What strategies do we use to get them to Proficiency? So, now that we know the “Why?” and we are comfortable with the “How?”…

Reciprocal Teaching

Spend some time as a staff getting familiar with the process… Make a commitment to ALL students using this strategy in ALL classes, anytime they encounter a new text (not just your English teacher supports literacy!).

Additional Strategies o Block Schedule Intervention Class o Common Vocabulary Strategies o Article of the Week (Non-Fiction) o Thematic Units

Reading Intervention Block: R180 Wrap-UpRotations Whole Group 20 Min. Independent Reading 10 Min.ComputerSmall Group

R180 Intervention Strategies Vocabulary Boxes Bingo Reviews Workshop Topics are High- Interest Strategies Used: – Oral Cloze – Idea Wave – Predicting Small Group – Leveled groups based on Software and Whole Group Skills Software – Scholastic Created Software (Reading, Spelling, Word, Success Zone) Independent Reading – Reading Lexile Leveled Texts – Completing Reading Logs Whole GroupRotations (20 min. each)

Sample Activities: Downloadable PDFs

Allow students to score their new vocabulary word first, and then predict what the definition might be, using word parts or context clues in the example sentences.

Julie Larkin-Spies Central High School--ALC Thank you for all your work!