Implementation of the Assurances - What It Takes!

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Implementation of the Assurances - What It
Takes!

• Presented by
• Kristen Beckner
• Roxanne Higgins
• Marilyn Miles
• Connie Tate

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Reading First

• A national initiative focused on ensuring that
  all students are reading at grade level by the
  end of third grade.

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California Plan

• The Assurances critical success factors for
  districts serious about improving student
  achievement.
• Designed to help LEAs apply the scientific
  research on how to teach all students to read
  proficiently.

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Assurances

• Internal Infrastructure of
• Californias Reading First Plan

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Assurances

• District Require, in Year 1, or the first year
  the teachers work at a Reading First school site,
  participation of all teachers (K-3 and K-12
  special education) in State approved AB 466
  program (with LEA responsible for 80 hours of
  practicum).

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Assurances

• Site Require that all teachers (K-3 and offer
  to K-12 special education) participate in Year 1,
  or in the first year the teachers work at a
  Reading First school site, the State Board
  approved AB 466 program (with LEA responsible for
  80 hours of practicum).

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Assurances

• District Require, in Year 1, or the first year
  the principal works at the Reading First school
  site, participation of all principals (K-3
  elementary schools) in State approved AB 75 -
  Module 1, California Principal Training Program.

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Assurances

• Site Attend, in Year 1, or the first year the
  principal works at the Reading First school site,
  the AB 75 - Module 1, California Principal
  Training Program, based on the districts State
  adopted reading/language arts instructional
  program.

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Assurances

• District Require in Years 2 and 3, all teachers
  participate in comparable AB 466 professional
  development program for advancement of skills in
  use of adopted program and instructional
  strategies.

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Assurances

• Site Require in Years 2 and 3, all teachers
  participate in comparable AB 466 professional
  development program for advancement of skills in
  use of adopted program and instructional
  strategies.

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Issues

• Multiple and competing, not focused on adopted
  program
• Professional development opportunities available
  (some not focused on using adopted program)
• Variability in quality of providers
• Scheduling trainings during instructional day,
  after school, weekends, or non-contract time
• Challenges based on teacher contract (required
  optimal training and associated costs)
• Low completion rates of 80-hour follow-up

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Solutions

• Single-focused Initiative-Reading First
• Cohesive and high quality professional
  development for teachers, coaches, and
  administrators
• Contractual agreements for non-contract and
  district time professional development
• Funding for volunteered participation and for
  required participation
• Follow-up activities to include special coaching
  sessions, grade level meetings, scoring and
  analyzing 6-8 week skills assessments, district
  and site-based trainings

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Assurances

• District Provide, with coordinated guidance
  from state and regional centers, means for
  instructional supports to improve use of adopted
  program.
• Coaches
• Content experts
• Instructional specialists

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Assurances

• Site Assure that coaches are adequately
  prepared to serve as peer coaches to teachers
  implementing the adopted reading/language arts
  program.

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Issues

• Access to information on how to improve
  instructional practice
• Use of monitoring systems (assessments and
  reporting) to inform how to improve instruction
  and learning
• Qualified training of coaches
• School-site observation opportunities

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Solutions

• Attendance at LEA Sessions provided by C-TAC and
  R-TAC
• 6-8 Week Skills Assessments and OARS
• Attendance of Coaches and LEAs Coach Coordinator
  at Coach Institutes provided by C-TAC
• LEA site visit teams and R-TAC team (3 times per
  year)

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Assurances

• District Adopted and fully implement the
  districts State adopted K-3 instructional
  reading/language arts program for K-3 teachers
  and special education teachers including the
  alternative Spanish version (if selected).

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Assurances

• Site Insist on and ensure the full
  implementation of the adopted reading/language
  arts program K-3 teachers

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Issues

• Definition of FULLY IMPLEMENT Teacher
  determined or LEA determined
• Development of Placing Schedule
• Holding on to past practices
• Reality of Expectation for Full Implementation of
  Adopted Reading Language Arts Program

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Solutions

• Definition of FULLY IMPLEMENT Teaching the
  program with fidelity
• LEA and site monitoring adherence to district
  developed pacing schedule
• On-going professional development on fidelity and
  purpose of pacing schedule for adopted program
• Coaches reinforcement of full use of program and
  pacing schedule

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Assurances

• District Assure the adopted reading/language
  arts program will be fully implemented and the
  daily instructional time will be protected from
  disruptions for minimum of 2.5 hours for Grades
  1-3, and 1 hour for Kindergarten, through use of
  a pacing schedule.

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Assurances

• Site Support full implementation of the
  districts State adopted reading/language arts
  instructional program and protect the daily
  instructional time from disruptions for a minimum
  of 2.5 hours for Grades 1-3, 2.5 hours and 1 hour
  for Kindergarten, through the use of a pacing
  schedule.

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Issues

• Interruptions during Reading/Language Arts block
• Pull-outs during Reading/Language Arts block
• No classroom posting of minutes for
  Reading/Language Arts block

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Solutions

• District and site monitoring of instructional
  minutes
• Pacing schedule adherence
• Agreement on uninterrupted time in AM schedule
• Communication between classroom teachers and
  other staff on protecting instructional minutes
  for every school day

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Assurances

• District Use and support only supplemental
  materials, technology programs, or staff
  development programs that support the scientific
  research-based, adopted reading/language arts
  instructional program.

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Assurances

• Site Ensure that any supplemental materials,
  technology programs, or staff development
  programs will be in alignment with the scientific
  research-based, adopted program.

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Issues

• Encroachment of extraneous supplemental materials
  and staff development programs
• Assertions of inadequacy of newly adopted
  reading/language arts program in beginning years
  of a new adoption

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Solutions

• LEA and site guidelines and review process for
  use, any supplemental materials or professional
  development programs
• District monitoring of selection of supplementals
  and professional development programs
• Coaches involvement with review process for
  supplementals and professional development
  programs
• Purpose of guidelines to maintain fidelity to
  adopted program and its embedded instructional
  practices

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Assurances

• District Develop and implement assessment plan
  for all Reading First schools based on valid and
  reliable instructional assessments from the
  recommended list, which includes a frequently
  used program monitoring assessment based on the
  instructional program.

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Assurances

• Site Guide the monitoring of student progress
  based on the instructional program assessment and
  others approved by the district and use the
  results to make program decisions for the purpose
  of maximizing student achievement.

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Issues

• Lack of understanding of purpose and use of 6-8
  Week Skills Assessments
• Lack of an efficient and effective reporting
  system for use of 6-8 Week Skills Assessments
• Lack of training on selection, administration,
  and use of diagnostic assessments

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Solutions

• On-going professional development (see
  www.calread.net, click Assessments to locate
  training materials
• 6-8 Week Skills Assessments are used to guide
  instruction for ALL students
• Coaches assistance in analyzing and interpreting
  data
• Set schedule for reporting of assessment data

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Assurances

• District Assure that all school sits will
  support regular, collaborative, grade-level
  teacher meetings to discuss use of the
  instructional program, student result on the
  selected assessments, and will receive additional
  training

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Assurances

• Site Organize and support regular,
  collaborative, grade-level teacher meetings to
  discuss use of the instructional program and
  student results on the selected assessments, and
  to develop action plans for student interventions
  and/or additional teacher training.

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Issues

• Unfocused grade-level meetings
• Lack of effective Action Plans
• Frequency of grade-level meetings

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Solutions

• Consistent agenda template
• Grade-level meetings facilitated by principal,
  coach, or grade-level lead
• Purposeful use of data to determine appropriate
  instruction for ALL students

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What It Takes!

• Systemic change for teachers will take time, and
  will also require serious and sustained efforts
  by district and site administrators.
• Assurances for the Sake of Our Students

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Every Student, Every Classroom, Every Grade
Level, Every Year

• Assurances for the sake of our students hold the
  tremendous promise for providing equal
  opportunities to succeed.
• Assurances for the Sake of Our Students

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See Handout On

• Key Action Elements Necessary for Improving
  Academic Achievement