Medford Title I Program

Literacy Support for Roberts, McGlynn, Columbus Schools

Goal of the Medford Title I Program

• The goal of the Medford Title I program is to identify children considered in need of literacy instruction support and provide small group literacy instruction within the classroom setting. This program aims to supplement classroom instruction in the essential areas of literacy acquisition. The program is supported by federal funds and therefore has to adhere to federal guidelines.

• Our staff is made of a number of teachers with a variety of teaching experience that includes:

Former classroom teachersCertified Reading SpecialistsFormer Reading Recovery teachers

• We have had the benefit of wide and varied professional development from some of the most prestigious literacy experts in the country: Richard Allington, Tony Stead, Irene Fountas, Frank Smith, Diane Snowball, MaryEllen Giacobbe, Debbie Diller, Patricia Cunningham Linda Dorn, Frank Serafini, Nell Duke, Lucy Calkins, Debbie Miller, Nancy Frey, Doug Fisher, Ruth Culham etc.

• Members of the staff have conducted professional development workshops, as well as school based study groups.

Staff

Title I Literacy Support• What is isn’t:• Small group tutoring in classroom

assignments• Support in finishing classroom

assignments• Does not take the place of

classroom reading instruction• MCAS tutoring• A “pull- aside” program• Whole class lessons

Title I Literacy Support ( cont.)

• Adheres to balanced literacy instruction• Attends to the alphabetical principle, phonological

awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, as well as the writing process.

• Aims to accelerate students to the average of the class

• Aims to identify those students who need further testing or more specialize programs ( TAT, RTI)

Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning(Title I Literacy Support employs the gradual release of responsibility and is grounded in Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning)

ImmersionLearners need to receive many demonstrations of how texts are constructed and used

Demonstration

ExpectationsExpectations of those to whom learners are bonded are powerful coercers of learners behavior.

“We achieve what we expect to achieve; we fail if we expect to fail “We are more likely to engage with demonstrations of those whom we regard as significant and who hold high expectations for us”.

ResponsibilityLearners need to make their own decisions about when, how and what “bits” to learn in any learning task. Learners who lose the ability to make decisions are disempowered.

EmploymentLearners need time and opportunity to use, employ, and practice their developing control in functional, realistic and non artificial ways.

ApproximationsLearners must be free to approximate the desired model – “mistakes” are essential for learning to occur.

ResponseLearners must receive feedback from exchanges with more knowledgeable others. Response must be relevant, appropriate, timely, readily available, and non threatening, with no strings attached.

Balanced Literacy Instructional Cycle

Teachers Role

Select Materials

Choose Instructional Practice

Group Students

Form Instructional Focus

Assessment

Balanced Literacy Instruction

Title I teacher assesses students, Identifies children who qualify for support

Title I teacher determines instructional focus( Example: Phonemic Awareness, Fluency, Comp. etc)

Title I teacher works with six students in the classroom

Small group literacy lessons in Shared reading, Guided reading, Independent reading, InteractiveWriting, etc.

Title I teachers utilize leveled text, Big books, Read Alouds, Poetry, etc.

Title I teacher’s role is to identify students, Provide small group literacy instruction, conduct Progress monitoring throughout the year, collaborateWith classroom teacher, and be available for parentconferences

Reading Interventions that accelerate reading growth: Research Based

Characteristics• 1. Very small groups ( 4-6)• 2. Majority of time engaged in reading authentic text• 3. Match reader with text level ( text complexity)• 4. Use text interesting to student ( engagement)• 5. Coordinated with core classroom instruction• 6. Expert teacher delivers intervention• 7. Expands daily reading activity• 8.Meaning and metacognitive focus

» Richard Allington, International Reading Association

Selection of Students• Students are selected according to greatest need• Need is determined using a variety of formative

assessments • Children are assigned points based on assessment

outcomes using the Title I Criteria Checklist ( See Example)

• Those children with the highest need as determined by the greatest number of points are rank ordered on the Title I Identified list

Selection of Students ( cont.)

• Title I teacher is responsible for assessing:– Bottom 20% of each classroom– Students new to the building ( at any point in the

year)-ELL students considered in need of literacy support-Students that the Classroom teacher or the TAT

team considers having difficulty in literacy acquisition

Title I Identified List

• Each school composes a list of those students identified as in need of literacy support as determined by formative assessments

• The list is developed by grade level, and rank ordered by greatest need

• Final list due by October 1rst• Copies are to be:– Sent to Diane Caldwell– Sent to Principal– Sent to Building ETL

Title I Paperwork

• Student Folders:– Profile Sheet– Criteria for Selection sheet– Permission slip– Portfolio Summary sheet– Progress Report ( for parent)– Student Report ( for TAT or IEP meeting)– Any correspondence with parent or classroom teachers– Work Samples/Assessments

Scheduling

• Literacy groups are seen (4 X 40 min.) per week• Scheduled during classroom literacy time where possible• Includes 3 hours of prep time for the Title I teacher• Should have priority over recess, library, Italian scheduling• Cross-checked with Speech/OT/ Counseling/ELL schedules• Copy to Diane• Copy to Principle

Moving into Instruction

• In class essentials:– Small reading table– Easel, chart paper, poetry folders, pocket charts– Small magnetic white board – Poetry folders, Familiar reading book bags– Pencils, paper, graphic organizers, etc.

Grade Level Literacy Support

• See Title I Handbook or• Title Literacy Support Wiki –• http://title1literacysupport.wikispaces.com

Instructional Practices that are Pat of the Title I Lesson

• Shared Reading• Guided Reading• Interactive Read Aloud• Interactive Writing• Shared Writing• Reciprocal teaching• DRTA ( Directed Reading Thinking Activities)

Differentiated Instruction

• Instruction is differentiated by content, process and product as well as by readiness, interest, and/or learning profile.

Evidence Based Assessment Practices

Title I teachers engage in ongoing formative assessments throughout the year. These assessments drive their instruction and provide evidence of student progress.

Ongoing Assessment• In addition to assessment that identifies students for

Title I, ongoing formative assessment can include, but is not limited to:– Running Records, DRA 2, Fountas/Pinnell Benchmark

System, Supplements– Reading Responses– Writing Samples– Developmental Spelling Assessment– Yopp/Singer Test of Phonemic Awareness– Spelling Assessments ( Gentry, Dev. Spelling Asst.)– Fluency Assessments– Sight Word Assessments– Clay’s Observational Assessment

Benchmarks

• Title I Teachers deliver instruction that aims to help students reach:– Term level text reading level benchmarks

– Fluency benchmarks

– Phonics benchmarks

( See Handbook or Wiki)

Children not meeting term level benchmarks:

• Title I Teacher meets with classroom teacher

• Child is consider for TAT meeting

• Further assessment is considered• Reevaluation duration, frequency and intensity

of support

Parents

• Parents are invited to Title Parent meetings, Family nights, Read Aloud night

• Parents are offered conferences at every marking period

Resources/Materials• Primary Bookroom

• Houghton Mifflin Core Reading Program texts

• Professional Reading

• Websites ( See Handbook)

• Colleague Visits

Title I in Action…

Guided Reading

Learning about Features of Non Fiction

Using leveled text and graphic organizers

Using pocket charts to sort words

by phonetic features

Developing Anchor charts

Using Whisper phones to develop fluency

Making a T- Chart to chart learning

Pre- Writing Idea Webs

Sample Reading Response

Title I Resource Room