Conestoga Valley School District August 21, 2012

Keystones to Opportunity Grant The Keystones to Opportunity initiative is administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Division of Federal programs and funded under the federal Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy program. PA was awarded $38,601,043 by the Department of Education to advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading and writing, for students from birth to grade 12, including limited English proficient students and students with disabilities. Grant includes 4 Statutory funding areas: birth through age five, kindergarten through grade 5, middle school, high school. Grant funded activities must align with the PA Comprehensive Literacy Plan and contain characteristics of an effective literacy program, such as high quality professional development, screening and assessment, targeted interventions for students reading below grade level, and other research based methods of improving classroom instruction and practice. The application process was rigorous and designed to identified Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and early childhood education (ECE) programs with the greatest academic need and the greatest capacity for improving student literacy scores. Districts were required to partner with a non-profit ECE center. Grant period for Year 1: April 5, 2012-September 30, Funding for years 2-5 is contingent on continued funding by the USDE (pending legislative approval, funding will continue to support sub-grantees for five years).

Federal Striving Readers Grant Awards Texas $66,500,000 Pennsylvania $38,600,000 Louisiana $28,500,000 Georgia $25,650,000 Nevada $14,250,000 Montana $7,600,000

Pennsylvania Keystones to Opportunity Grant 329 PA districts submitted Pre-Application 149 districts invited to submit Full Application 56 districts received Grant CVSD applied for and received $985,891

Targeted Areas Targeted AreaAllocationInstruction Professional Development Administration Support Services Birth – Age 5$103,610$98,877$4,168$565 K-Grade 5$372,517$285,919$70,541$16,057 Middle School$236,504$115,769$104,302$16,433 High School$273,260$183,174$77,083$13,003 Total$985,891$683,739$256,094$46,058 Grant award amounts must be spent in the appropriate targeted area (as identified by the Needs Assessment included in the Pre-Application process and) indicated and may not be transferred among targeted areas.

Literacy Focus Areas Keystone 1: Improve literacy learning outcomes to improve achievement of students in danger of academic failure Keystone 2: Create a culture of data-driven decision making by supporting implementation of Bernhard’s Multiple Measures Keystone 3: Infuse digital technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to address student learning challenges

Grant Goals 1. Align literacy instruction and state initiatives along the birth to grade 12 continuum at the state level and provide guidance to sub-grantees in aligning local literacy initiatives. 2. Demystify the language and essential elements of effective literacy instruction, and mobilize all stakeholders in support of improved literacy outcomes. 3. Provide structures, supports, and tools for school leaders and teachers to use valid and reliable data to guide instructional decision-making in language and literacy. 4. Create 21 st century literacy environments where children can acquire the reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills they need to succeed academically. 5. Seed innovation by incentivizing and disseminating research-based literacy strategies that result in exceptional reading growth.

Grant Focus Areas 1. Sub-Grantee Administration 2. Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan 3. Literacy Content Areas (professional development) 4. The Literacy Environment 5. Assessment and Data for Decision Making

CVSD’s Priorities Early Childhood Education: Full Day Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten Elementary English Language Learners: additional staffing, professional development, and updated materials Secondary Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII): expansion of the RtII process to the middle and high schools Transition Programs: for students entering the district and transitioning between grade levels, from elementary to middle school, from middle to high school, and from high school to college or workforce

Staff Involvement Direct Involvement Steps to Success, Inc. Pre-K teacher and director Kindergarten teachers 6 th grade teachers 7 th, 8 th, and 9 th grade science, social studies, & special education teachers 7 th - 12 th grade Communications Teachers K-12 ESL teachers Special Education teachers (secondary) Reading Specialists RtII Coordinators Guidance Counselors Psychologists Communications Supervisor Science & Technology Supervisor Social Studies & Business Supervisor Principals Directors of Elementary and Secondary Education Indirect Involvement PreK-12 Literacy Committee

New Staff Part-time kindergarten teachers at Fritz & ST become full-time (Full Day K) Part-time kindergarten paraprofessionals Part-time ESL teacher at Leola becomes full-time Full-time ESL teacher to split BT & Fritz MS RtII Coordinator MS RtII paraprofessional HS RtII Coordinator HS RtII paraprofessionals (2) Part-time District Literacy Assessment Data Liaison (grant requirement) Clerical Support for LADL

Materials & Equipment Purchases Instructional materials Interventions materials ESL textbook replacement Pre-K materials: screening, mailings, application Read 180 for HS Letters Alive for Pre-K and FDK Tables/chairs for FDK classrooms Smart Table for Pre-K classroom H.E.A.T. tool (grant requirement) GRADE assessment (grant requirement) GRADE scanner (grant requirement)

Grant Accountability Tier 1: Regional Manager (IU13) – Support (3 site visits) – Technical assistance – Implementation monitoring Tier 2: PDE – Site visit (1) – Compliance monitoring – Diagnostic Tier 3 – Corrective action – Compliance monitoring

Grant Accountability Each tier of monitoring articulates: Specific expectations Evidence of performance related to each expectations Determination of whether performance meets expectations Protocol for feedback to CV Corrective action timeline

Professional Development New Grantee meeting (grant requirement) H.E.A.T. training for administrators (grant requirement) Training in 9 Literacy Content Areas (grant requirement) – Using Data for Literacy Decision Making – Successful Transitions along the Literacy Continuum – Building Blocks for Literacy – Family Engagement and Family Literacy – Reading Apprenticeship – The Common Core and Literacy Design Collaborative – Universal Design for Learning and Digital Technology – Navigating Content with ELL – Supporting Learners with Special Needs Intervention training Foundational Reading Skills training (substitutes) CCSS/SAS training (substitutes) Intervention training (substitutes) Kindergarten teacher training (substitutes) ESL teacher training (substitutes) Curriculum development for full day kindergarten (summer) Curriculum development for ESL (summer) Reading Apprenticeship training Literacy Committee meetings (substitutes)

Purpose of the Professional Development Modules #1 Goal is effective teaching for all learners To provide an overview; baseline, common language; and a level playing field for all 56 KtO Local Education Agencies (LEAs) It’s about literacy – reading, writing, speaking, and listening – any time, any subject, any situation – it’s not about reading CV staff members may choose the Professional Growth Project option of our Differentiated Teacher Evaluation Plan to accomplish KtO requirements Portfolio Cover Sheet & PD Action Plan

Keystones to Opportunity Professional Development Portfolio All professional staff members participating in KtO professional development sessions are required to attend a specified number of modules and submit a portfolio to your supervisor at your end of year goals meeting. Participation in the KtO professional development modules may be used as a Professional Growth Project for You may choose your own format (electronic or hard copy) for collecting your evidence from the professional development sessions. Please include the following in your portfolio: notes and handouts from each PD session information regarding related peer coaching, observations, literacy coaching, etc. action plan for each session and evidence of implementation Teacher Name_________________________________________________________ Building___________________________ Subject/Grade Level__________________ Session TitleDateAction Plan Evidence Building Blocks Data Analysis ELLs Family Literacy LDC RA Special Needs Transitions UDL

KtO Professional Development Action Plan Please complete these questions and submit them to your supervisor or principal and your reading specialist within one week after attending the session. Keep an additional copy in your KtO Professional Development Portfolio. Name_________________________ Building/Grade Level_____________________ 1.Which ideas, activities, and/or strategies from today’s session did you find applicable to your classroom practice? 2.Which ideas, activities, and/or strategies can you take away from today’s session that will inform your classroom instruction? 3.How can the building reading specialist/literacy coach support you to incorporate these ideas, activities, and strategies? 4.How can your principal and/or supervisor support you to incorporate these ideas, activities, and strategies? 5.Describe in detail your plan for transferring the acquired knowledge into your classroom practice. 6.Attach evidence of action plan implementation.

H.E.A.T. Classroom Observation Tool Higher order thinking Engaged learning Authentic connections Technology use Focuses on the key components of 21 st Century skills as they apply to the learner Administrators have been trained to use tool in classroom walkthrough observations

Site Visit #1 with Regional Manager August 13, 2012 “CV is light years ahead in many areas” “You guys have absolutely nailed this.” “Your preparation made this my smoothest and most efficient site visit thus far.” “CV is poised to make some great strides in literacy for their targeted students.”

Our Intent with KtO: Work to balance KtO goals with other district initiatives, and make the interconnectedness apparent – KtO goals are not an ‘add-on’ Make PD meaningful & relevant - What are we going to do with this information? Literacy occurs in all content areas – in other words - tear down the silos

Thank you! Contact Dr. Mann, Dr. Cartwright, or your principal or supervisor with questions/concerns. Have a great year!