August 9, 2006 The Superintendent’s Summer Institute by J EROME C OLONNA, Superintendent by J EROME C OLONNA, Superintendent Pre-K-12 Approach to Literacy in the Beaverton School District Pre-K-12 Approach to Literacy in the Beaverton School District

COMPONENTS OF THE BEAVERTON PRE-K-12 LITERACY PLAN I.BASIC STRUCTURE Pre-K-12 Articulation Through 4 Regional Groups Common Instructional Strategies, Uniform Assessments and Integrated Professional Development Intensive Intervention for Below Grade Level Readers School-Wide, Cross-Curricular Plans Facilitated by Literacy Teams Advanced Support and Challenge for Highest Level Students Training in Critical Friends Protocols

COMPONENTS OF THE BEAVERTON PRE-K-12 LITERACY PLAN II.ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (31) Emphasis on Big 5 Reading Components Full Time Literacy Coaches at Each School Pre-K Programs (3 schools) Full Day Kindergartens (10 schools) Reading First Programs (2 schools) Before School Reading and Pre-Reading School Programs Five Year Reduction of Class Sizes with Targets of Pre-K-1, 2-3, and

COMPONENTS OF THE BEAVERTON PRE-K-12 LITERACY PLAN III.MIDDLE SCHOOLS (8) Full Time Literacy Specialists at Each School Literacy Teams at Each School Anchored by Literacy Specialist which Includes the Principal and 2-6 Teachers Extended Day Literacy Programs at Each School Onward to Excellence II and Read 180

COMPONENTS OF THE BEAVERTON PRE-K-12 LITERACY PLAN IV.HIGH SCHOOLS (8) Full Time Literacy Specialists at Each School Cross-Curricular Literacy Teams Anchored by Literacy Specialist which Includes the Principal and 6-8 Teachers Received Training from Judith Irvin, Penny Plavala, and Step Up to Writing

COMPONENTS OF THE BEAVERTON PRE-K-12 LITERACY PLAN V.CENTRAL OFFICE Coordinate $1,200,000 annual Literacy Staff Development Budget Have 1.5 FTE Literacy Teacher on Special Assignment Positions George Fox Reading Endorsement Cohort Summer Staff Development Institute Dedicated to Literacy and Mathematics Established Consultancies with Doug Reeves/the Center for Performance Assessment and the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC)

Only One District-wide Goal Only One District-wide Goal Narrowed Focus: The District Five Year Goal Increase academic achievement district-wide with literacy and mathematics gains for each student.

Reporting System Reveals Achievement Levels of all Students: Reporting System Reveals Achievement Levels of all Students: Semi-Annual School Board Accountability Reports on 23 Goal Targets Spring School and Department Improvement Plan Progress Reports

SUPERINTENDENT’S MULTI-YEAR GOALS (Originated November 2003 and Updated in August 2004, 2005 and 2006) I. Leadership for The District Five Year Goal* *District Goal for : Increase academic achievement district-wide with a special emphasis on literacy and mathematics gains for each student. The intent is to give every student the skills to succeed in challenging courses, meet academic standards, graduate from high school and be fully prepared for a range of post-secondary education and vocational options. Raise District-wide Expectations for Academic Achievement Make projected annual improvement in reading, writing and mathematics for all students with a special emphasis for high poverty, high mobility, Hispanic/Latino, Black, and Native American student groups that have been historically less academically successful as compared to the achievement of the District’s total student population.

Literacy is Learning to Read, Reading to Learn and Learning to Learn Skillfully Reading, Writing, Speaking, Analyzing and Listening. What is Literacy? What is Literacy? From The Oregon Literacy Leadership State Steering Committee

Reading is the Key to All Academic Learning Reading is the Key to All Academic Learning Why Reading?  It is a fundamental skill and the gateway to all other knowledge.  Each public school student must have the right to be literate at a high level and be a productive citizen of their community.  Years and years of educational research support reading’s importance.

Reading is Fundamental The ability to read affects learning across the curriculum. Learning to Read, Reading to Learn From the Renaissance Learning Corporation

The Literacy Failure Cycle Early Attempts at Learning to Read Failure Frustration Avoidance Lack of Practice The good students do better and weak students do worse Loss of self esteem Loss of motivation No Improvement Research from Dr. Ted Hasselbring, U. of Kentucky Early intervention for struggling readers is a social obligation for all educators.

Skills of Readers at Lowest Levels Skills of Readers at Lowest Levels Can UsuallyCannot Usually Sign one’s name Locate eligibility from a table of employee benefits Identify a country in a short article Locate an intersection on a street map Locate one piece of information in a sports article Locate two pieces of information in a sports article Locate the expiration date on a drivers license Identify and enter background information on a social security card application Total a bank deposit entryCalculate total costs of purchase from an order form Source: Reder (1998)

If you don’t read you cannot lead.

The Importance of Leadership The Importance of Leadership nMany correlational studies show the importance of strong and unified leadership in school improvement. nExcellent leadership will improve student achievement, but poor leadership will negatively effect student achievement. Paraphrased from Dr. Timothy Shanahan, U. of Illinois at Chicago

Leadership Amount of Instruction Curriculum Framework Professional Development Assessment & Monitoring Teaching Materials Special StudentsParents Quality Variables Motivation Literacy Improvement Pyramid ________________________________________________________________ From Dr. Timothy Shanahan, U. of Illinois at Chicago

IT IS NOT ABOUT THE STUDENTS! It Is About Adult Behavior It Is About Adult Behavior GAP is Expectations + Practices = Results The real question is... how do we raise the competence of the ADULTS to meet the diverse needs of our students? From the work of Dr. Allen Rodgers of the Hope Foundation