Barnes Elementary School Literacy Improvement Plan by Christa Dern & Jocelyn Kluth

School Demographics 4 40% enrollment change per year students in K-5 –American Indian 1.8% –Asian or Pacific Islander 5.7% –Black 5% –Hispanic 52.5% –White 35%

Program Enrollments 4 Special Education 7.6% 4 ESL 45.2% 4 Free/Reduced Lunch 70.6% 4 TAG 0.4%

School Report Card 4 Overall strong 4 Academic Achievement Student Performance satisfactory 4 Attendance/Dropout Student Behavior strong 4 Improvement improved 4 School Characteristics exceptional

Teacher Statistics 4 Job Satisfaction (A or B) 90% 4 Teachers with Masters Degree or Higher 66.7% 4 Highly Qualified Teachers 100%

Current Test Scores (standardized tests for reading and literature) 4 Grade 3 –does not meet15% –meets45% –exceeds40% 4 Grade 5 –does not meet34% –meets53% –exceeds12%

Instructional Programs 4 Kindergarten –Phonics Lessons by Fountas and Pinnell –Harcourt Brace phonics phonemic awareness vocabulary comprehension –Estrellitas phonics for Spanish speakers 4 Grades 1-5 –Harcourt Brace (including all 5 components)

Native Language Literacy 4 Two Way Immersion Program –reading and writing instruction in native language (English or Spanish) until 2nd grade level of proficiency –next the reading and writing instruction is introduced in the student’s 2nd language –Spanish and English are maintained through 5th grade –equal opportunity for all students to become bilingual

Staff Responsibilities 4 Classroom Teachers –follow the curriculum and supplement as needed 4 ESL Teachers –K&1: push-in/small group instruction –grades 2-5: daily pull-out 4 Title 1 –push-in/small group instruction

Literacy Coach 4 Attends trimester collaboration meetings tied to the school improvement plan for literacy 4 available to teachers upon request –model lessons –write lesson plans –team teach –conduct research and gather resources –help assess

Literacy Materials and Resources 4 DRA kits for assessment 4 leveled books for instruction 4 buddy reading 4 book sets of 6 at all levels 4 class sets of novels 4 big books 4 professional library 4 after school classes for the struggling readers

Community Outreach 4 Family Nights –K: Clifford Reading Night, Writing Night –grades 1-5: Literacy Night once a year 4 SMART 4 Guest Author/Storyteller 4 Read Across America Day w/guest readers 4 book contest with the school librarian 4 promote summer reading programs during spring conferences

Needs Assessment 4 Testing (time and resources) 4 classroom libraries 4 staff development 4 multicultural and authentic materials 4 GLAD strategies 4 primary level books

How a Reading Coach Should Be Used... 4 Assist with beginning of the year testing 4 acquire more testing resources 4 acquire more leveled books for primary 4 facilitate better use of classroom libraries 4 staff development (mini-workshops based on teacher needs) 4 research more relevant materials for student interest and cultural backgrounds

and used some more 4 Write a grant for GLAD training funds 4 organize literacy events (for students and families) 4 familiarize teachers with new curriculum 4 suggest and implement school-wide reading incentives 4 help interpret data for parents

Recommendations 4 mentoring for new teachers 4 professional development in literacy 4 increasing parent involvement –English classes for interested parent –reading and writing “how to” w/your child 4 continue tracking through the grades 4 re-organize literacy resources 4 some scheduled times for lit. coach and teams

More Recommendations 4 mini workshops –facilitated by the literacy coach –offered throughout the year –highlight topics that teachers request 4 more school-wide literacy events –read-in/DEAR time –author visits to individual classrooms –genre day 4 incorporating more technology

Benefits of the Literacy Improvement Plan 4 teachers would be more informed and supported 4 students would have relevant, motivating, and appropriate materials 4 materials would be more user friendly 4 community support of literacy 4 teachers would receive tailored literacy strategies

Additional Benefits 4 literacy coach and teachers would work in conjunction cooperatively, closely, and consistently 4 united effort to actively promote literacy in a purposeful way for life

“Literacy arouses hopes not only in society as a whole, but also in the individual who is striving for fulfillment, happiness, and personal benefit by learning how to read and write. Literacy…means far more than learning how to read and write. The aim is to transmit…knowledge and promote social participation.” UNESCO Institute for Education