Creating a Sustainable Reading Culture

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Creating a Sustainable Reading Culture

• Sharon Walpole
• University of Delaware
• Michael C. McKenna
• University of Virginia

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Goals for these two days

• Engage you in reflection about your current level
  of GARF implementation
• Share what we know about upcoming budget cuts
• Guide you to reflect on your data
• Demonstrate differentiated lessons so that you
  can better observe them

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Georgia Reading First Reality Check v

• We have one more year of guaranteed full funding
• We have one additional year of extension funding
  -- but only at 40
• The state must make decisions about how to use
  that funding
• This may be your final chance to use RF resources
  to institutionalize critical aspects of RF

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What are the critical aspects of GARF?
Intensive intervention
Differentiated small-group instruction
High-quality whole-group instruction
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What do researchers identify as barriers to such
a plan?

• Problems in translating policy into practice
• Inadequate professional development
• Failure to achieve a supportive culture

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Federal RF Policy
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Federal RF Policy
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Federal RF Policy
Policy must be interpreted by those who implement
it. Policy is rarely specific enough to leave no
room for flexibility and adaptation at the local
levels (Tabak, 2007).
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Federal RF Policy
In Reading First, there is enough guidance in
policy to enable us to implement our projects to
meet the intent of the legislation. At the same
time, the policy is broad enough to enable us to
tailor our projects to local contexts.
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Federal RF Policy
If a policy is too vague, it invites so much
variation that a program has no distinct
identity. That is not the case in Reading First.
We believe that the policy permits just the right
amount of leeway to ensure both faithful
implementation and reasonable adaptations.
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Federal RF Policy
The policy for Reading First is specific enough,
however, that attempts to subvert it are often in
clear violation of the legislative intent.
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Kersten and Pardo (2007) approvingly describe a
teacher named Celina, who taught from the core
program only on Mondays and did as she pleased
the rest of the week.
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During this study, Celina demonstrated that she
was adept at finessing her teaching. She
determined she would give a nod to the mandated
basal series and the required 120 minutes of
instruction yet she also maintained a focus on
integrated language arts and writing workshop.
She drew from her four years of experience in a
fairly stable context to teach in a way that she
was not only comfortable with but also that she
felt would best serve her students. (p. 151)
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We believe that in Georgia teachers like Celina
are rare. The fact is, Reading First expects
teachers to make reasonable adaptations
appropriate for their contexts. This policy is
in accord with research. Klingner et al. (1999)
found that teachers value practices that permit
some modification and that are not overly rigid.
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The Too-Tight, Too-Loose Dilemma
Limited Press for Change
Tight Control
Temporary Improvement
Loose Control
Adapted from Fullan (2006)
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The Too-Tight, Too-Loose Dilemma
Limited Press for Change
Tight Control
Temporary Improvement
Loose Control
Adapted from Fullan (2006)
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In general terms, the solution to motivating
people is to establish the right blend of
tightness and looseness. (Fullan, 2006, p. 37)
Michael Fullan
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Federal RF Policy
Translating the policy of Reading First into
effective classroom practice is the goal of
professional development.
What actually happens in schools and classrooms
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Facilitators
PD Program
Teachers
Context
Borko (2004) suggests that in order for a PD
program to influence teacher knowledge, certain
individuals must facilitate the program, mindful
of school and classroom contexts.
Hilda Borko
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Facilitators
PD Program
Teachers
Context
In Reading First, there are many facilitators
coaches, principals, Academy trainers, program
reps, and even PD architects.
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Facilitators
PD Program
Teachers
Context
Over time, teachers themselves become
facilitators as they learn together and build a
professional community focused on reading.
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Facilitators
PD Program
Teachers
Context
The contexts in which they learn are their own
classrooms, which become laboratories where they
can try out new approaches and judge the results
for themselves.
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What does a good Reading First school look like?
Reading First has many dimensions, and they are
all important. Under the direction of Carolyn
Vincent, RMC has recently provided a checklist to
examine these dimensions. As we proceed, ask
yourself how your own project stacks up.
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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Leadership

• Job descriptions, supervision, evaluation of
  leaders support for reading improvement.

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Leadership

• Leadership is distributed among staff and across
  instructional areas roles.

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Leadership

• Turnover of key staff is managed by planned
  succession- reading-based hiring practices.

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Klingner et al. (1999) found that when principals
consistently supported what was presented in
professional development, teachers implemented
and maintained the practices.
Janette Klingner
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Leadership

• District staff actively support scientifically
  research based reading improvement practices.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Common purpose

• Leaders communicate regularly w/staff to sustain
  vision, beliefs, expectations, goals
  commitments for reading success.

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Common purpose

• Leaders develop nurture a culture of doing
  things in ways consistent with scientifically
  research based reading practices.
• Leaders acknowledge staff efforts that help make
  a difference in student performance.

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Common purpose

• Leaders organize school structures (e.g.,
  committees, schedules) resources (budget,
  staffing) in alignment with effective reading
  practices.

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Common purpose

• Leaders assure that all staff understand act
  upon the variables which impact student learning.

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Common purpose

• Leaders provide supervision and support to
  strengthen reading instruction.

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Common purpose

• Leaders assure that all instructional areas
  collaborate to create a coordinated reading
  program.

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Common purpose

• Instructional planning occurs within and across
  grade levels to assure consistency seamlessness.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Curriculum

• Differentiated programs are in place.

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Curriculum

• All staff who teach instructional groups are
  trained on the programs they use.

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The relation between professional development and
the tools used to teach reading is
underestimated. Because teachers instructional
practices are, in part, dependent on their
instructional tools, efforts to enhance teachers
effectiveness in the absence of effective tools
(e.g., effectively designed materials, adequate
time) may make the task not just more difficult
but impossible. (Chard, 2004, p. 180)
David Chard
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Curriculum

• Supervision for fidelity (coach and principal).

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Curriculum

• Some staff in school, district or region are
  trained as trainers of supplemental/intervention
  programs to facilitate further training needs
  future.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Instruction

• All instructional staff are both supported
  supervised for high fidelity implementation (EAs,
  etc.).

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Instruction

• Instructional planning is guided by frequent
  formative assessment data.

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Instruction

• Additional targeted instruction is provided daily
  for strategic intensive needs students to help
  close the gap.

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Instruction

• Staff and students are acknowledged for progress
  toward larger successes.

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Instruction

• Grade-level teams meet 1-2 times per month to
  review data and adjust instructional plans.

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Instruction

• Follow-up to assure revisions are implemented and
  are working.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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In considering growth between bench-markings,
these questions should be asked at each grade
level

• What percentage of benchmark children remain at
  benchmark?
• What percentage of them fell to Strategic?
• What percentage fell to Intensive?

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In considering growth between bench-markings,
these questions should be asked at each grade
level

• What percentage of Strategic children remained
  Strategic?
• What percentage of Strategic children rose to
  Benchmark?
• What percentage fell to Intensive?

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In considering growth between bench-markings,
these questions should be asked at each grade
level

• What percentage of Intensive children remained
  Intensive?
• What percentage of Intensive children rose to
  either Strategic or Benchmark?

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Remember

• At grades K and 1, the risk level is a weighted
  combination of DIBELS scores, called the
  Instructional Recommendation.
• At grades 2 and 3, the risk level is ORF.

DIBELS screenings and rescreenings give us clues
about student progress, but they do not tell the
whole story. We combine different types of data
to do that.
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Assessment

• There is a competent trainer available locally to
  train staff on data collection and use.

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A major purpose of formative evaluation is to
provide information that enables individuals and
groups to adjust their behavior. Data are meant
to be communicated, and the form data analysis
takes needs to be governed primarily by its
relevance to the questions asked and its clarity
in communicating results (Joyce Showers, 2002,
p. 118)
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Assessment

• Staff are trained to interpret the meaning and
  implications of the data.

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Assessment

• School leaders assure that grade level teams meet
  regularly and have the support they need to be
  successful.

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Assessment

• Data are used in grade level team planning
  process to verify/modify instructional variables
  as needed.

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Fortunately, a degree in statistics is not
required to sensibly analyze data (Joyce
Showers, 2002, p. 118)
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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Use of time

• Adequate training time and collaborative planning
  time are built into the school schedule.

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Use of time

• The school schedule and classroom schedules are
  built around reading as top priority.

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Use of time

• Allocation of time to activities is prioritized
  time needed is given to reading less time to
  lower priorities.

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Use of time

• Reading instructional time is protected from all
  controllable interruptions.

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Use of time

• Leaders provide supervision support to assure
  that planned time is actualized.
• The principal supervises time usage within
  instruction between instructional segments
  (transition times).

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Use of time

• Differentiated instruction begins early the first
  month of school.

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I support capturing the benefits of targeted,
teacher-directed instruction provided to small
groups of students organized by ability or skill
(Murphy, 2004, p. 76).
Joseph Murphy
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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Professional development

• All staff who lead instructional groups are
  trained supported in the programs they teach.

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Professional development

• All staff are trained to interpret data from the
  schools formative assessment system.

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Professional development

• Staff new to the school are provided the training
  and support needed to do their job well.

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Professional development

• Training topics are identified from data on
  student performance.

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Professional development

• Training is differentiated by position and need.

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Not all teachers should receive the same type,
amount, or intensity of professional
development. (Chard, 2004, p. 188)
Chard believes this statement to be true but
cautions that definitive research evidence does
not yet exist.
David Chard
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Professional development

• Training is valued, as indicated by allocation of
  time, resources and follow-up support to ensure
  that training goals are met.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Coaching Support

• Adequate support is allocated to provide a useful
  level of the coaching function (e.g., alternate
  funding for coaching or an alternate model of
  support is provided beyond Reading First
  funding).

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Coaching Support

• The instructional support function (coaching or
  alternate model) is provided to all staff who
  teach instructional groups (classroom teachers,
  instructional specialists, paraprofessionals).

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Coaching Support

• Coaching support for staff is differentiated by
  individual need and linked to student
  performance.

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Coaching Support

• Staff are acknowledged for efforts to improve
  implementation and to enhance student learning.
• Coach or principal provides guidance and support
  for grade level team meetings in use of data to
  guide instruction.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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Use of recurring resources

• Regularly recurring school district resources
  are optimized to support reading results.

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Use of recurring resources

• Leaders seek additional resources at the local
  level to support reading results.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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District support

• District leaders are briefed and are
  knowledgeable about formative assessment results.

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District support

• District leaders review student reading
  performance regularly and recognize staff for
  student progress.

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District support

• District leaders maintain visibility in the
  school in support of higher reading achievement.

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District support

• District leaders consider support needed for
  reading in the schools when allocating resources
  (staffing, budgeting, calendars) and setting
  district priorities.

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District support

• District leaders explore how district policy,
  procedure and culture can support reading
  outcomes and take action on these opportunities.

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District support

• District leaders assign, support and supervise
  principals other staff to support reading
  outcomes. Every effort is made to find and assign
  to principal supervisor positions the person
  whose training, experience, knowledge, skills,
  and credibility are best matched to the
  instructional needs of the students and the
  support needs of the staff.

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RMC Implementation Checklist

• Leadership
• Common purpose
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Use of time

• Professional Development
• Coaching/Support
• Use of recurring resources
• District support

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The starting point is to observe that nothing
tried so far really works. (Fullan, 2005, p. 13)

Michael Fullan
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References

• Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and
  teacher learning Mapping the terrain.
  Educational Researcher, 30(8), 3-15.
• Chard, D. (2004). Toward a science of
  professional development in early reading
  instruction. Exceptionality, 12(3), 175-191.
• Fullan, M. (2006). Turnaround leadership. San
  Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership and sustainability
  System thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks, CA
  Corwin Press.
• Joyce, B., Showers, B. (2002). Student
  achievement through staff development (3rd ed.).
  Alexandria, VA ASCD.
• Kersten, J., Pardo, L. (2007). Finessing and
  hybridizing Innovative literacy practices in
  Reading First classrooms. The Reading Teacher,
  61(2), 146-154.
• Klingner, J. K., Vaughn, S., Hughes, M. T.,
  Arguelles, M. E. (1999). Sustaining
  research-based practices in reading A 3-year
  follow-up. Remedial and Special Education, 20,
  263-274.
• Murphy, J. (2004). Leadership for literacy
  Research-based practice, PreK-3. Thousand Oaks,
  CA Corwin Press.
• Tabak, I. (2006). Prospects for change at the
  nexus of policy and design. Educational
  Researcher, 35(2), 24-30.

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Next steps Only you know
We have prepared a checklist that you can use for
Action Planning, and we will post it on the
Architect site.