LITERACY STRATEGY P Loddon Mallee Region

Literacy is a critical factor in improving a student’s ability to learn and achieve personal and vocational goals. Literacy is a complex socially constructed and dynamic interaction. To be literate is to be able to understand information through listening, reading and viewing and to present information through speaking, writing and images. It is the foundation upon which learning and communication is built and therefore every teacher is a teacher of literacy and has a responsibility to explicitly address the literacy requirements of the learning domains they teach. Literacy is integral to learning for all students, no matter what their year level or the learning domain. Literacy Teaching & Learning in Victorian Schools (Paper No. 9 August 2006) suggests that teachers should use a variety of teaching practices and approaches. They need to explicitly teach reading, comprehension, writing, spelling and oral language, engage their students in meaningful literacy activities and make connections across domains and between school and out of school literacy practices. The aim of this strategy is to support the teaching of literacy in all schools (P-12) in Loddon Mallee Region, The Breakthrough Framework (adapted from Fullan, Hill & Crevola. Breakthrough.2006) will guide the implementation of this strategy. The core components are personalisation, precision and professional learning. Personalisation places the learner at the centre and is tailored to the students learning and motivational needs. Precision focuses on accurate information/data on individual progress which is built into daily practice. Professional Learning ensures focused, ongoing learning for each and every teacher. These core components are interwoven by moral purpose. This ensures continual seeking of best practice that raises the bar for all as it closes the gap. The next layer of the diagram represents the 6 components under which quality teaching and learning takes place. All 6 components are integral and collectively work towards improved outcomes for students. The plan for regional literacy improvement on the following pages is developed using these 6 components. It identifies region, network and school responsibilities. Finally, Leadership and Coordination is fundamentally collegiate, with an emphasis on strong, instructional leadership between professionals across the region, networks, schools and classrooms. Schools have a moral and intellectual responsibility to learn from other schools and contribute what they know to others.

ComponentRegional ResponsibilitiesNetwork ResponsibilitiesSchool Responsibilities Whole School Approach  Establishing and continually refining a culture conducive to school literacy improvement  Effective use of school resources  Organisational structures and processes must be aligned: performance plans, professional learning, literacy elements  The Regional Literacy Strategy and expectations of networks, schools and school leadership are clearly articulated by regional management  Promote all students as literacy learners and capable of achieving success  Promote all teachers as teachers of literacy with the capacity to support all students  Regional budgets reflect literacy priorities  Focus literacy schools are identified and appropriately resourced  Reciprocity is understood: Memorandum of Understanding agreed to by focus schools receiving regional support  Regional Network Leaders are responsible for literacy improvement in network schools which is documented in the Regional Network Plan  Focus literacy schools are identified and appropriately resourced  Promote all students as literacy learners and capable of achieving success  Promote all teachers as teachers of literacy with the capacity to support all students  Recognition and celebration of success  Principals are responsible for literacy improvement in their schools  School standards and targets are explicit and are linked to Strategic Plan, Annual Implementation Plan, principal and teacher Performance Plans  Effective use of Student Resource Package eg: equity funding, Language Support Program, ESL funding and Koori funding to support literacy targets  Funding allocated to ensure appropriate resources  Promote all students as literacy learners and capable of achieving success  Promote all teachers as teachers of literacy with the capacity to support all students  All schools have a strategic approach to literacy eg: 2-4 year Literacy Plan Building Leadership Capacity  Effective leaders identify crucial elements to school success: how we teach and what we teach  Alignment of literacy leadership: state, region, network, principal, literacy coordinator, staff  Principals support literacy improvement through prioritizing professional learning, allocate sufficient time to literacy coordination  Leaders act as mentors, coaches and lead learners  Principal Coaching Program will be delivered to all Principals  Develop a training package for Literacy Coordinators delivered in each network  Regional Literacy Improvement Team (Regional Network Leaders, Reading Recovery Tutors, Regional Literacy Coordinators, Regional Literacy Coaches) meet each term.  Identify exemplary literacy classroom practice in schools P-12 across region to promote sharing of best practise.  Respond to and promote DEECD literacy initiatives  Regional Network Leader direct literacy professional learning amongst principals, literacy coordinators and coaches  Coaches in all networks meet one morning per week. (no coaching in schools on this day) This will enable coaches to work with Regional Network Leaders in Professional Learning Teams, facilitate Network Literacy Coordinator modules and support coordinators in schools  Identify exemplary literacy classroom practice in schools P-12 across network to promote sharing of best practice  Principals direct literacy professional learning for staff  School Literacy Coordinators appointed in all schools  Recommended Literacy Coordinators are released within schools one morning per week to support literacy improvement in their school and to attend Network Literacy Coordinator modules once a term  Identify exemplary literacy classroom practice in school to promote sharing of best practise Building Teacher Capacity All teachers have  detailed understanding of how children learn  well developed classroom routines, structure and management  the ability to motivate and engage students using a range of literacy practices and strategies  Evidence based curriculum and assessment  Literacy Coaches work in focus schools 1:1 with teachers  Core Professional Learning Modules delivered from Term  Support Professional Learning Modules developed and delivered in response to school needs.  Respond to school/network requests for support around student and teacher literacy learning  Regional Network Leaders, collaborate with school principals to determine individual school needs  Regional Literacy Coaches work in focus schools 1:1 with teachers  Regional Literacy Coaches, supported by Regional Literacy Coordinators deliver modules and ensure effective implementation  Beginning teacher forums conducted each semester to promote effective literacy learning  Regional Network Leaders identify lateral capacity building opportunities  Principals collaborate with Regional Network Leaders to determine school needs  Literacy Coaches work in focus schools 1:1 with teachers  Professional Learning Teams (PLT) meet regularly with a focus on literacy improvement for all students.  Teachers have an understanding of how students learn literacy and are able to differentiate instruction  Classroom climate and environment is conducive to high quality literacy learning  ICT embedded in literacy learning  Whole class, small group and independent teaching and learning opportunities are evident  Risk taking and reflection on learning are apparent  Teachers use a range of literacy practices to engage students  Peer observation and feedback become routine

Effective use of Student Data  Standards and targets are clearly understood and defined  Data is used to inform teaching  Assessment as, of, for  Monitoring and tracking student progress at multiple levels.  Determine literacy support needed by networks and schools  Monitor network and school progress at multiple levels  External consultant to work with regional team to ensure a shared understanding of data  Regional Network Leader determines literacy support needed within network schools.  Regional Network Leader monitor school progress at multiple levels  Regional Network Leader monitor the impact of regional coaches in schools using On Demand, NAPLAN, VELS teacher judgements, school & teacher surveys.  Network PLT’s support schools in effective use of literacy data  All teachers use data to drive instruction  Where literacy is identified as a priority in focus school plans, sources of feedback will be identified and used to improve teacher practice  Assessment as, of and for used in all classrooms Student Intervention  Targeted small group intervention  Effective use and training of support staff  Intensive individual assistance for short periods of time.  Reading Recovery Training and Reading Recovery Ongoing Professional Learning Groups are prioritised  Regional Coaches identified to train and support schools to implement intervention programs eg: Making A Difference  Regional Network Leader ensures schools have systems in place to track progress  Regional Network Leader ensures schools plan for and monitor additional assistance  Principals ensure systems to track student progress are in place  Intervention will be embedded and linked to classroom instruction  Students who require additional assistance will be identified, tracked and supported  Individual Learning Plans established for all Koorie and at risk students  Year 1 Intervention (Reading Recovery) implemented in all primary schools Partnerships with Schools and Communities  Linking school, home and community  Forming partnerships with educational stakeholders  Active promotion of interaction between all educational stakeholders  Professional Learning module developed around home-school partnership  Continue to work to support professional organisation eg: VIT  Support Wannik implementation  Partnerships between home, school and community are promoted  Close links with pre-schools and schools are developed to promote effective literacy routines  Acknowledge parents and carers in literacy learning  Strong partnerships between home, school and community  Close links with 0-4 year providers, pre-schools and schools to promote effective literacy routines eg: Literacy Week