Fostering A Coherent Literacy Curriculum

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Fostering A Coherent Literacy Curriculum

• Taffy E. Raphael, Ph.D.
• University of Illinois at Chicago

The Early Literacy Conference, Chicago, August,
2005
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Key Goals

• Building coherence in the literacy program
• Creating a staircase curriculum

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Staircase Curriculum vs.Fragmented Curriculum
Desired Outcome
Desired Outcome
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The System for Standards- Based Change

• Area 3 Making an assessment plan
• Deciding on evidence
• Developing or identifying rubrics
• Assessing students
• Creating bar graphs
• Area 4 Evidence-based teaching
• Making wise instructional decisions

• Area 1 Building Common Goals
• Philosophy
• Vision
• Area 2 Setting Grade Level Goals
• Benchmarks
• I Cans

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Core Activities Support the In-School System
Development

• School-wide PD
• Mentor/Partner School exchanges
• School staff and grade level meetings
• 3X/year reporting
• Literacy curriculum guides

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Target Levels of Implementation

• Level One Familiarity with SBC Process
• Level Two Whole School Reporting 3 X per year
• Level Three Curriculum Guides
• Level Four Student Portfolios

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What do the data show?

• Classroom - based assessments
• Growth when schools reach Level One
• Standardized tests
• Growth when schools reach Level Two

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School Development by end of Year Two

• Strong infrastructure to support the work
• 11/11 schools reached at least Level One
• 5/11 schools reached Level Two
• All schools have some teachers who have reached
  Level Three
• But, uneven uptake across and within sites

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Working Together to

• Increase teachers knowledge about literacy
  instruction
• Move to teaching from evidence
• Increase student literacy achievement

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Looking Ahead Today and Tomorrow

• Working Together
• With technology
• With good literature
• With good instructional resources
• With families
• With funding agencies
• With each other

http//litd.psch.uic.edu/pr