Literacy begins at Home! Mustang Public Schools Literacy begins at Home!

  We are in this together. Partner with your child’s teacher to support, practice, and commit to improving your child’s READING. Parents are the child’s FIRST and most important teacher.

Senate Bill 346 and 630 House Bills 2511/2516/2625 Oklahoma Law Senate Bill 346 and 630 House Bills 2511/2516/2625

Oklahoma’s Reading Sufficiency Act Requires students in grades K-3 not meeting state criteria for grade level reading to be placed on an APP (Academic Progress Plan). Students are placed on a plan through the AIMSweb screening process (fall, winter, spring). Students will remain on an APP until they meet benchmarks on two testing windows. These were formally the RAPS. We will call them : M-APP (Mustang Academic Progress Plan)

The law states in the event a child scores unsatisfactory and limited knowledge on the reading portion of the 3rd grade Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT), he/she WILL BE RETAINED in third grade. SB 346/630 HB 2511/2516/2625 If your child is already on a RAP, this should be a red flag to you as parents. OCCT scores are: advanced, proficient, limited knowledge, and unsatisfactory. Students scoring unsatisfactory WILL BE retained at the end of 3rd grade.

4th Grade Provisions Any 4th grade student who scored Limited Knowledge on the OCCT at the end of 3rd grade will also be placed on a Academic Progress Plan (APP). M-APP Mustang Academic Progress Plan

State approved exemptions to automatic retention. Good Cause Exemptions State approved exemptions to automatic retention.

Good Cause Exemptions to Retention Students with limited language skills – less than two years of instruction in an English Language Learner program IEP students whose program indicates they should be assessed through OAAP (Oklahoma Alternative Assessment Program) If your child started ELL in kdg. or 1st grade, your child will NOT be exempt. ONLY if your child has had LESS than two years in the English Language Learner program will your child be exempt. These students are on an IEP portfolio (less than 1% of our student population). This does NOT include Learning Disabled and/or Speech students on IEPs. If your child is on an IEP, please ask your team if this applies to your child.

Good Cause Exemptions to Retention Students who demonstrate proficiency through an alternative State Board of Education approved assessment. Students who demonstrate proficiency through a student portfolio. Basal Comprehension Assessments, MPS Interim Assessments, and Other Testing as determined necessary 3) MPS will give a state approved assessment to those students who score unsatisfactory on the OCCT. Students must score at or above the 45th percentile to be eligible for a retention exemption. 4) Teachers will be collecting reading assignments/tests completed independently. * This collection will need to PROVE the child is reading at grade level (independently). * Using a variety of text – fiction and nonfiction. * Averaging at least 70% proficiency of each objective for each standard is required.

Good Cause Exemptions to Retention IEP students who are not assessed through OAAP but have been previously retained and have received at least two years of intensive remediation. Students on a reading plan for two or more years and were previously retained for a total of TWO years. 5) * child must have a current IEP (Learning Disabilities) * has received intensive remediation (this includes RTI documentation) for two years * AND has been retained ONCE to be exempt 6) * child has been on a APP plan at least two years * AND has been retained TWICE to be exempt

Good Cause Exemptions to Retention Students who demonstrate a 3rd grade reading level measured by a screening instrument. 7) MPS uses AIMSweb as a screening instrument. Beginning 2015 students may demonstrate this proficiency in grades 1-3. These scores will be tracked by the district to determine eligibility for exemption.

Student Reading Proficiency Team (SRPT) Team includes: parent, current teacher, upcoming grade-level teacher, and reading specialist. Student may be evaluated for a Probationary Promotion (must be an unanimous decision) (2016-17 and 2017-18) Probationary Promotions are allowed this school year and next. Team will look at student portfolio, test history, daily work, classroom performance, and alternative assessments to make the decision to recommend “Probationary Promotion”. Principal is no longer a “mandatory” member of team. Principal and Superintendent MUST approve any recommendations for “probationary promotion”. Team will meet yearly until the child scores proficient on the state approved test. At any time the team MAY DECIDE to retain the child. A Probationary Promotion recommendation MUST be unanimous. Test scores are “tracked” through 8th grade.

BEST Solution…. Students prepared to meet expected benchmarks…. School – intense reading instruction Home – reading environment that promotes motivation and practice We are in this together. School – students at risk will receive: * reading instruction in the classroom with extra interventions (i.e.. Leveled reading, flex groups, Daily Five, skill groups, etc) * additional reading instruction with reading specialist in a small group * those that qualify will receive extra “pull-out” services from ELL and/or Title VII Home – * parents prioritize reading * insist on DAILY reading practice (30 minutes – child reading independently and/or child-parent reading together) * complete homework DAILY * instill the importance of reading (discuss how reading or lack of reading skills impacts adult life) – remember students are required to pass a reading test to get their driver’s license * encourage your child to put down electronic gadgets and READ

Failure to master phonics What is Reading? Word Identification Meaning * Phonemic Awareness *Vocabulary * Phonics * Comprehension * Fluency Failure to master phonics is the number one reason children experience reading difficulty.

Literacy Begins at HOME Provide an environment where “reading is a priority”.

10 ways to become a better reader… Read Read Read Read Read Read Read Read Stamina – being able to read independently for a length of time. Most reading tests – students are expected to read independently for 30-45 minutes. Every SUCCESSFUL professional practices his skill – EVERY day to become fluent and automatic…so that his brain energy can be used in problem solving (comprehension). Example – pianist will practice same scale/composition over and over….a sports “great” will practice same stroke/play over and over….even a “gamer” will play the level over and over to become successful! Does your child practice the skill of reading ???? Can your child read with STAMINA?

Time Spent Reading Each Day *The very best readers, score better than 90 percentile of their peers on reading tests read for more than 20 minutes per day (about 1.8 million words per year), *those at the 50 percentile read only 4.6 minutes per day (about 282,000 words per year). *The poorest readers, those children reading below the 10 percentile, read less than one minute each day (a meager 8000 words per year), and would require ONE YEAR to read what the best readers read in two days. Matthew Effect – the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. – overtime good readers get better while poor readers get poorer due to lack of practice Time Spent Reading Each Day (Book: Overcoming Dyslexia – Dr. Sally Shaywitz)

The more that you read, the more things you will know The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr. Seuss

No Excuses… We are in this together.

Overused excuses for NOT reading at home: My dog ate my homework. I don’t have time. I had to go to soccer practice. I had to go to my piano lesson.

Make the commitment to improve your child’s READING. If you have time for everything else. . . please make time for READING.