LITERACY INSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR SECONDARY TEACHERS: A POSITION PAPER October 30 th, 2014

Introductions  Dr. Renee Murley  College of Education  University of Memphis, Lambuth  Michelle Perrigin  English Teacher: Arlington High School  ELA Core Coach / Literacy 9-12  Dr. Sutton Flynt  Director of Teacher Education  University of Memphis

The Southwest Core to College Curriculum Council consists of more than fifty K-12, higher education, and community leaders devoted to the alignment of literacy instruction in both our region and our state. Who Are We?

Literacy Practices Crosswalk Our council determined a need to take a pulse on our current state of affairs in literacy instruction/alignment.  Process:  Collected Syllabi from Each Regional Institution  Evaluated Major Components of K-12 TNCore trainings  Analyzed Similarities and Differences  Key Finding:  Secondary Literacy courses are the least aligned with K-12 TNCore trainings

Secondary Course Alignment with TNCore 4-12 Literacy Instruction Units Secondary Literacy Courses Analysis of a Writing Research Simulation Task Engaging in Rigorous ELA Lessons Academically Productive Talk Complex Texts and Sequencing Sequenced, Text-Based Questions 6-12 Literacy Intervention Units Secondary Literacy Courses The Challenge of Learning to Read Assessing and Developing Word Recognition Ability Teaching Syllabication and Morphology Developing Fluency and Vocabulary A Framework for Comprehension Instruction Teaching Spelling and Writing

Percent of 2009–2013 ACT-Tested High School Graduates Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks

Recommendation The council recommends that the Tennessee State Board of Education revise current state licensure standards to require that grade 7-12 teachers acquire foundational, developmental, and content area literacy skills that align with the Common Core State Standards and the International Reading Association (IRA) Professional Learning Standards for Middle and High School Content Classroom Teachers.

Call to Action The Southwest Core to College Curriculum Council believes that every K-12 student deserves effective, evidence-based instruction that develops and improves his or her literacy skills.