Literacy Achievement Plans Adams 12 Five Star Schools A Guide to Initiating, Implementing, and Managing LAPS Revised October 2010

CBLA Enacted in 1997 To assure that by third grade all students have the literacy skills essential for success in school and life. To assure that local school districts identify students who are reading below grade level and provide the necessary reading interventions.

Mandate and Purpose of Literacy Achievement Plans By Colorado law all students in K-3 who are reading below grade level must have “individual literacy plans” to ensure that these students are receiving extra support to meet the goal of all students reading on grade level.

Who is put on a Literacy Achievement Plan (LAP)? ALL students reading below grade level in K-3. This includes students: –who have been retained –who are learning English but do not have ELD plans with reading goals –who have Individualized Educational Plans (IEP) that do not include reading goals LAPs are not initiated for students after third grade.

Which students do not need a Literacy Achievement Plan? Students with Significant Needs (SSN) or REACH students NEP and LEP students with ELD plans that include reading goals that take the place of LAP plans Students who have Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) that do include reading goals. Simply place a check on the line on the IC LAP Status Form (“Has IEP with Literacy Goals”) to indicate this.

Who is Responsible for LAPs? The teacher who teaches the reading curriculum is responsible for initiating a literacy plan and monitoring a student’s progress. The teacher may consult with a school team to determine the strategies that best meet the needs of the student. There is a wide variety of appropriate interventions for students who are reading below grade level.

REMEMBER The Literacy Achievement Plan is set up to support students who are reading below grade level so they can accelerate reading skills and strategies to control grade level text. The plan is not punitive but more like an “insurance policy” for students to receive appropriate reading intervention from the classroom teacher or other building reading specialists.

Teachers Maintain a Body of Evidence A body of evidence is needed to indicate whether or not a student needs a literacy achievement plan. A body of evidence is a set of assessments, student work, and observations over time that indicate a student’s reading level. One assessment item is not enough of an indicator to determine a student’s reading level.

Reading Teachers If a reading teacher is working with a student, that student must have a Literacy Achievement Plan. If a student is not working with a reading teacher, the teacher who delivers the reading curriculum must provide appropriate leveled text and monitor the student’s progress on the Literacy Achievement Plan.

Is a student put on a LAP because writing is below grade level? Literacy Achievement Plans are for students reading below grade level. The law only mandates plans for students struggling with grade level reading. Writing samples can be part of the “body of evidence” to demonstrate sound/letter association or control of language structures. Writing does not have to be part of the “body of evidence.” Writing samples are most useful in kindergarten and first grade as part of the body of evidence.

Parents must be informed and involved in the Literacy Plan. Teachers must obtain a parent signature on the LAP plan. If a signature cannot be obtained, a form letter (English and Spanish) that informs parents of the LAP is available. The form can be found on StarLink, Form (03/00).

Important Talking Points for a LAP Conference Set the parent at ease. This should not be the very first time the parent has had a conversation about the student’s progress in reading. From previous conversation or notes, the parent should have an “idea’’ that the student is reading below grade level. Show the parent a book that illustrates the instructional text that would be considered grade level at the time of the conference. Then show the parent the text level actually used in guided reading and independent reading. Discuss with parent the gap in achievement. Be sure to discuss any vision or hearing issues that may interfere with learning to read. Show running records, lists of high frequency words and explain to the parent what is being done in the classroom to support the student’s reading. Explain what the student should be doing to decode and comprehend text at grade level. Be supportive of the student and parent by offering ways to give extra support to the student. Show and explain the checklist/plan form to the parent. Focus on the classroom instruction and any intervention that may be employed. Have the parent select 2 or 3 strategies under “Home Involvement” to do. Discuss ways of keeping in contact with parent. , phone calls, notes, chatting before or after school. Try to set up a way to keep regular contact with parent regarding the student’s reading progress. Be sure the parent signs the checklist/plan form and sets up a follow-up conference date. A follow-up date should be scheduled even if it is tentative. This conference should be within the next 6 months. Give the parent a copy of the LAP checklist/plan.

LAPs on Infinite Campus 1.All students who have Literacy Achievement Plans should be entered into Infinite Campus (IC). 2.Once a teacher has written a LAP plan, s/he gives the registrar a LAP Status Form to indicate that the student has a LAP.

LAPs on IC, cont’d. Note: If a student reading below grade level has an IEP with literacy goals, the teacher checks that on the LAP status form. 3. Once the registrar or designated person has entered either the LAP or “IEP with Literacy Goals” status in Infinite Campus, the LAP Status Form is filed in the student’s cum file.

LAPs on IC, cont’d. Once a student has a LAP, the LAP status will stay in IC until the student exits from the LAP. Every six months, the status of the LAP should be evaluated, and parents should be included in the LAP update. If a student exits the plan, the exit date should be recorded on the IC form and entered into IC by the registrar.

Once a LAP is established... Reminder: The LAP must be updated every six months until the student exits the LAP. The student must receive support as outlined on the Literacy Achievement Plan. This is the most important part of the LAP process. The student is monitored regularly with assessment of oral reading, observational notes, checklists, and samples of student’s written responses to text.

Exiting a LAP When a body of evidence shows a student is reading on grade level, the student can exit the LAP. WHAT IS THE BODY OF EVIDENCE? an individualized reading assessment must be used (PALS/BRI) records of oral reading checklists/observational notes samples of written responses District Common Assessments CSAP Be sure there is documentation of the student’s ability to read on grade level that spans time. It is recommended that a “body of evidence” be gathered for at least one trimester before a student is exited from a LAP.

Exiting a LAP and IC When the student has achieved grade level in reading, teachers inform parents and give the registrar a LAP Status Form indicating the student has exited the LAP. The registrar or designee enters the LAP exit date on IC.

Grades 4-12 No new LAPs are initiated. Teachers are responsible for differentiating instruction for below grade level readers, updating established LAPs, and continuing to inform parents of LAP status at approximately six month intervals. If a student has a LAP, nothing is entered into IC until the student exits the LAP. To exit a student achieving grade level reading based on a body of evidence, follow the same procedures as K-3 for submitting the LAP status form to the registrar.

Storage of LAPS During the school months, classroom teachers need to have the LAPS on file in their respective classrooms. In June, LAPS need to be collected and stored in one place. Please keep LAP folders in a secure place. These folders should not leave the school building. Put the following documentation in the LAP folder: --Literacy Achievement Plan Checklist --Student Report from ScholarsMart/Infinite Campus --Parent communication Keep a LAP until one year after the exit date. Shred it at that time. Tip: Print LAP Checklist and Student Report at the end of the year using landscape.

LAP Updates There is one constant and that is CHANGE. Laws and regulations change and procedures change, so please watch for any updates or changes in this process. Every effort will be made to keep you informed.

Thanks to Teachers “... the individual and variable development of children is an opportunity to personalize our instruction. As teachers we must celebrate and affirm, but also extend and elaborate each child’s developing knowledge of written language.” McGill-Franzen, 1992