Leading the Learning Final Project

1. Leading the Learning Final Project What does a literacy-rich classroom look like?

2. Members of the Special Education Leadership Team (SELT): Barbara Brigham, Lisa-Marie Carter, Beth Cooper, Beth Flynn, Rosanna Grund, Dave Karam, Karen Koch, Annmarie Rossomono, Jeffrey Wilson

3. What does aliteracy-rich classroomlook like?

4. Framing the Work • March 2010 • K-6 Literacy Committee Established • Special education programs • Teachers and administrators • Every program and grade represented • Systematic review of best practices

5. More framing… • June 2010 –Core and Interventions • SED Program • Journey’s • Leveled Literacy Intervention • Fundations • Read 180 • System 44 • SKATE, STAR, Stellata & TEAM Programs • ABC Music and Me • Level Literacy Intervention • Fundations • Building Adapted Books for Early Literacy • Hands on Reading • Reading Rocks

6. Continuing the framing… • September 2010 • 90 – 120 minute literacy blocks • ELA portfolio for all students • Assessments • Reading interest inventory • Student work • On-going professional development

7. And even more framing… • October 2010 • Blackboard Site OCM BOCES Blackboard • Promote collaboration due to geographical distances • Lesson plans • Video clips • Authentic student work • Assessment information • Best practices

8. LTL Strategies Used • Walk Throughs • Instructional Rounds • Student Work • Reflective Conversations • Department Meetings

9. Literacy Walk-Through Through continued walk-thoughs and conversations, more strategies were observed.

10. Instructional Rounds • 3 teachers and 2 administrators from literacy committee • Defined a problem of practice • Visited each classroom in all programs • Analyzed findings • Made recommendations

11. Student Work • Portfolios created to collect authentic work • Diagnostic information • Used to document current levels and areas for growth • Portfolios will move with the child through grades and/or programs

12. Reflective Conversations - TeacherVideo

13. Reflective Conversation – Student Video

14. Department Meetings • Used SBE Planning Process (Standards Based Education) • K-6 SED (Special Education) & English Department (Student Services) • Focused literacy conversations with outcomes in mind

15. What did we learn?

16. Themes and Patterns • As a result of the data, we have identified strengths and areas of focus within our literacy programs.

17. Strengths • 90 minutes of direct ELA instruction per day • Predictability and structure of program increased student engagement • Conversations that directly relate to how to improve literacy instruction • Using Benchmarks to understand current levels of functioning and where to remediate • Literacy portfolios for every elementary student • Development of on-going support through K-6 department meetings by using strong teacher leaders to provide support • Support the need for a common literacy block • Development of framework for future curriculum considerations

18. Areas of focus • Continue to develop literacy portfolios which will allow us to analyze student growth and organize data • Use the portfolios to support peers and drive decision making • Find a standardized assessment tool to be used across programs which will drive instruction • Identify strengths, weaknesses, and implications for instruction to be able to target these areas with appropriate professional development • Writing Process • Support the need for a common literacy block • Continue to increase classroom libraries for students to access a variety of literature

19. What does aliteracy-rich classroomlook like?

24. Next Steps K-6 7-12 Committee starts Investigate best practices Use LTL and Web 2.0 tools to gather data from teachers and students Data dialogues continue • Committee continues • Professional development continues • Creative ways to collaborate • Blackboard site evolves • Data dialogues continue

25. This is what aliteracy-rich classroomlooks like.