Enhancing the Authentic Literacy in CTE

1. Enhancing the Authentic Literacy in CTE Dr. Travis Park, Assoc Prof, Cornell University NACTEI Philadelphia, PA May 12, 2011

2. National Research Center for Career and Technical EducationUniversity of Louisville College of Education and Human Development

3. NRCCTE Partners

4. Mission The National Center will improve the engagement, achievement, and transition of high school and postsecondary CTE students through technical assistance to states, professional development for CTE practitioners, and dissemination of knowledge derived from scientifically-based research.

5. Three Foci • Engagement – Completing high school, completing programs • Achievement – technical and academic • Transition – to continued formal learning without the need for remediation; and to the workplace

6. Four Main Activities • Research (Scientifically-based) • Dissemination • Technical Assistance • Professional Development www.nrccte.org

7. Curriculum Integration Research • Math-in-CTE: study complete • Math-in-CTE Technical Assistance— five years • Authentic Literacy: complete • Launching technical assistance this year • Science-in-CTE: • Full study underway

8. Literacy-in-CTE

9. A Process and A Pedagogy a process and a pedagogy through which to enhance and teach the academics embedded within existing CTE curricula

10. 3 levels of integration System • Administrative commitment • Funding support • Logistical support Curricular • Opportunities in courses • Coherence through programs Instructional • Pedagogic framework • Teacher skill/performance

11. Research Purposes • Purpose • Determine impact of reading strategies on comprehension for students enrolled in CTE • Objective • Compare the effects of reading strategy instruction under a control condition and two models of content-area reading interventions: Ash Framework and MAX Teaching

12. Literacy-in-CTE • 96 teachers in 3 groups • 15 returning teachers • Prof Dev: July - August 2009 • 2.5+ days • Treatment period: September 17 – April 9 • Weekly teacher reports of reading activities

13. Experimental design • Random Assignment • Pretest only • Demographic survey • Pretest and posttest • Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test (~50 min) • Grade level 7-9 • Forms S & T

14. The Research Design X X The Experimental Treatment Teacher Professional Development Implementation of Lessons Post-Test Students Difference Pre-Test Students Difference C C On-going fidelity of treatment measures

15. Teachers

16. Student demographics • Grade level • Grade point average • Gender • Ethnicity • Native language • School lunch program • Mother’s education level • Father’s education level

17. Students

18. Coop Learning & Skills Acquisition

19. 6 Essential Elements for Adolescent Literacy Instruction (Ash) 1.) Guided Reading of Text 2.) Direct Instruction 3.) Peer-Led Discussion of Text 4.) Word Study 5.) Purposeful Oral Reading and Text Production 6.) Inquiry Learning

20. Full Year Analysis

22. Posttest – ESS Means

23. HLM 2: Effects of Treatment and Baseline GMRT on Posttest GMRT Total ESS

24. HLM 2: Effects of Treatment and Baseline GMRT on Posttest GMRT Total ESS

25. HLM 6: Effects of Treatment and Baseline GMRT on Posttest GMRT Vocabulary ESS

26. HLM 6: Effects of Treatment and Baseline GMRT on Posttest GMRT Vocabulary ESS

27. HLM 9: Effects of Treatment and Baseline GMRT on Posttest GMRT Comprehension ESS

28. HLM 9: Effects of Treatment and Baseline GMRT on Posttest GMRT Comprehension ESS

29. Ash Which strategies did teachers use? MAX Cornell notes Hunt for main ideas Previewing nonfiction text Pre/Post learning concepts checks Focused free writes Paired reading Guided reading procedure Anticipation guide • Anticipation guide • Directed Reading-Thinking Activity • Inquiry Charts • Vocabulary from context • List-Group-Label • GIST

30. Why? Teachers’ use of strategies How? Used strategies more early in week Asked students for feedback about which strategies worked best  assigned reading:  student engagement Adult learning approach Learner feedback Utility value • Selected strategies that were easy to implement • Strategies helped students learn • Transitioned learning to students • Teachers actually “taught” less

31. Post-Research Teacher Meeting Students • Mix of strategies is important • Treat CTE learners more like adult learners – check with students to see how strategies are working, give choices • Know reading is important, they just don’t want to read Teachers • Students read more productively • Want additional support • Required additional preparation time • Used 4-7 strategies regularly • Text  content  strategy • Try strategies ~3 times before “comfortable”

32. What Makes Integration Work?

33. Core Principles • Begin with the CTE curricula, not with academics • Approach academics as essential workplace skills • Maximize the academics in CTE • Support CTE teachers as “teachers of academics-in-CTE”; not as academic teachers • Foster and Sustain a Community of Practice

34. Common findings/themes • CTE teacher fear of integration • feeling incompetent in front of students • lesson planning • Challenge of changing teaching practice • Time issues • The “tipping point” • Implementation  internalization • Space for innovation

35. Common findings/themes • Concepts  Principles  Relevant ROI • Teachers have opportunity to think about “how” and “what” they’re teaching • Teacher-driven reform – valuing the teacher’s voice

36. Changing the Paradigm in Practice Old Models A box of curriculum Short term “training” Little or no support after the “sage on the stage” goes away Replicable by individualteachers (assumed) New Models Process not an event Built on communities of practice On-going support – the learning curve Requires teams of committed teachers working together over time

37. Math and Literacy TA-PD

38. Math Literacy • Linear, exact • Episodic, sporadic • Curriculum-driven • Prescribed curriculum • Concept-oriented • Math partner essential • Single CTE area • Less stigmatizing • Fidelity/accountability reports after lesson • Somewhat transferrable • Subjective, inferential • Continual, daily • Teacher-driven • Flexible approaches • Process-oriented • Literacy partner optional • Multiple CTE areas • More stigmatizing • Bi-monthly fidelity reports • Transferrable

39. CI Professional Development • 10 days (60+ hours) • Summer = 5 days • Fall = 2 days • Winter = 2 days • Spring = 1 day • < 40 teachers • Variety of CTE areas, but clusters of 5+ teachers/area • Bi-monthly accountability

40. Questions?

41. Thank you!!!The work reported herein was supported under the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, PR/Award No.VO51A070003 administered by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.However, the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education or the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

42. For more information Travis Park, PhD, Associate Professor Cornell University tdp9@cornell.edu NRCCTE Website www.nrccte.org