READING FIRST IN ACTION Knowing and Acting: A Practical 8-Week System to Improve Achievement By Betsy Eaves and Jessica Evans

Introductions Expectations What are your expectations? Needs What are your most pressing needs?

Setting the Stage for a Cycle of Improvement This is a BOTH/AND system Interweaving BOTH the Assurances AND the Key Elements BOTH working in a system AND as an individual BOTH being accountable to the students AND to the teachers

Review the Reading First Assurances Discuss concerns and strategies Agree on next steps for self and staff

Review Key Elements Discuss concerns and strategies Agree on next steps for self and strategies for working with staff

Using the System to Improve Achievement Developing a System for Immediate Improvement

Systems in Reading First Comprehensive program with support for learning levels Data based on program Collaborative and collegial actions with explicit goals Site-based professional development Content knowledgeable leadership Coherent and active district support

Use Data to Develop Focus Area for Improving Learning Student Learning Data Instructional Minutes Pacing Schedule Coherent and Focused Instruction Assessing Teaching as a Factor of Student Success

Content Knowledge and Developing a Focus Who and what do you list? What types of actions need to be developed to improve specific learning areas? Do your teachers understand that by teaching well and consistently it is possible to reduce the learning gap?

Understanding Teaching and Learning What is an activity? Activities look like learning but do not have a set of critical concepts and skills. Activities may be used as an instructional tool if the use is outcome specific.

What is instruction? What is the expected learning? How will you know that the students have learned? What is the agreed level of rigor? How will the student be taught this concept or skill?

Develop Site-Level Focus to Improve Achievement Setting a specific goal for improving instruction (= # of students at benchmark) Identification of concept/skill area actions Implementation of instructional agreements (actions) in the area of focus Follow-up support and site-based professional development

What do you Need to Know? How, where, when are the following taught? Phonemic Awareness Phonics/decoding Oral Fluency Vocabulary learning strategies Comprehension strategies Writing process strategies

Implementation of Specific Strategies During whole group instructional time Increase consistent oral engagement by all student groups Scaffold instruction to engage specific students in learning concepts/skills

Intensive Small Group Instruction Implementation/organization of universal access workshop time Pre-teaching and re-teaching Additional intervention lessons for students identified at-risk (grades 2 and 3*) *New Reduction Referral Program for

Focusing the Work of the Coach The challenge of Reading First is to learn to effectively use the tools for improvement.

What is Role of the Coach? What are your agreements? What is the system for communication? Are you doing the dance together? How do you keep the role of the coach clear? What actions are likely to benefit the teachers/students? What actions are likely to cause problems?

What Resources are Available to Ensure Progress Collaborative planning and action agreements Effective use of curricular coaching and support Consistent expectations based on training and use of resources Keeping the idea of the differences between an activity and instruction as your continual inquiry

Creating a Vision The work of the school is serving the needs of students to be successful as academic learners. What is the role of the teachers in achieving this vision? What is the role of the coach? What is the role of the district? What is the role of leader of the school?