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 toImprove 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?

UnderstandingTeaching 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 2004-05

Focusing theWork 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?