1 Working Definition of “High School Literacy” Working Definition of “High School Literacy” “High School Literacy includes all the elements of literacy— reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical thinking, use of technology, and habits of mind that foster postsecondary success—that are expected of entering freshmen across all college disciplines as well as those entering the workforce. These competencies should be learned in the content areas and should be valued and reinforced in all related instructional areas throughout students' high school experiences.”

High School Literacy Don Deshler

LANGUAGE SKILLS STRATEGIES SUBJECT MATTER Building Blocks for Content Literacy HIGHER ORDER

SUBJECT MATTER STRATEGIES SKILLS LANGUAGE A Continuum of Literacy Instruction (RTI -- Tiered Instruction ) HIGHER ORDER Level 1:Enhance content instruction (mastery of critical content for all regardless of literacy levels) Level 2:Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave strategies within and across classes using large group instructional methods) Level 3:Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific strategies using intensive-explicit instructional sequences) Level 4:Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry level literacy skills at the 4th grade level) Level 5:Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language underpinnings of curriculum content and learning strategies)

Content Literacy “Synergy” Improved Literacy CONTENT CLASSES Level 1. Enhanced Content Instruction CONTENT CLASSES Level 2. Embedded Strategy Instruction Level 3. Intensive Strategy Instruction strategy classes strategic tutoring Level 4. Intensive Basic Skill Instruction KU-CRLCLC- Lenz, Ehren, &Deshler, 2005 Level 5. Therapeutic Intervention Foundational language competencies

Proficient readers are “good at” or have… Background knowledge Text/knowledge structure Vocabulary Learning strategies Fluency Sight word vocabularies Word recognition Level 1 Level 3, 4, 5 Level 1, 2, 3

The Performance Gap Years in School Grade Level Expectations Demands Skills

The Performance Gap Years in School Infrastructure Supports Existing Support Infrastructure Supports Flexible Scheduling Time for Teacher Learning and Planning Behavioral Supports Smaller Learning Communities Grade Level Expectations Demands Skills

The Performance Gap / Grade Level Expectations Demands Skills System Learning Supports Infrastructure Supports Current Supports Progress Monitoring Collaborative Problem-Solving Instructional Coaching Professional Learning System Learning Supports Years in School

The Performance Gap / Grade Level Expectations Demands Skills Instructional Core System Learning Supports Infrastructure Supports Current Supports Years in School Instructional Core Standards-Informed Curriculum Planning Connected Courses & Coherent Learning Continuum of Literacy Instruction Motivation Strategies Engaging Instructional Materials & Activities Student-Informed Teaching

System change must be closely tied to the individual within the system Shared… Vision…that allows individual contributions Knowledge…that leads to individual learning Leadership…that seeks the voice of individuals Responsibility…that shapes individual planning and action Evaluation…that guides self assessment Accountability…that motivates individual action

Critical Values for System Change Shared… + + Instructional Core Standards-Informed Curriculum Planning Connected Courses & Coherent Learning Continuum of Literacy Instruction Motivation Strategies Engaging Instructional Materials & Activities Student-Informed Teaching System Learning Supports Progress Monitoring Collaborative Problem Solving Instructional Coaching Professional Learning Improved Outcomes = = College Readiness and Postseconda ry Success Infrastructure Supports Flexible Scheduling Time for Teacher Learning and Planning Extended Learning Time Behavioral Supports Smaller Learning Communities + Vision Knowledge Leadership Accountability Evaluation Responsibility …that respects the individual in the system +

Lessons learned by KU-CRL about improving secondary school outcomes… 1.Initiatives should be driven by high expectations that prepare students for college and post-secondary success 2.The literacy needs of adolescents vary greatly -- these differences must be accounted for in a continuum of instruction that meets the needs of all students 3.Change initiatives should be undertaken in light of individual school resources, values, and skill sets

Lessons learned by KU-CRL about improving secondary school outcomes… (continued) 4. The secondary school culture must explicitly reinforce literacy with sufficient authentic and explicit practice embedded across all subject areas 5. There is a interactive synergistic relationship based on principles of learning that cuts across a continuum of literacy instruction (i.e., CLC) 6. Critical instructional and infrastructural elements must be leveraged at the school and district level

Contact Don Deshler

Enhancing Literacy for High School Improvement James Kemple MDRC Prepared for National High School Center Summer Institute June 2007

Overview of Key Issues: Nature of the Problem  Struggling adolescent readers face general problem with reading for understanding.  Specific challenges span weak basic skills (phonics, vocabulary, fluency, etc…) through limited repertoire of strategies aimed at reading for understanding (meta-cognition, drawing inferences, drawing meaning from context, content-specific vocabulary, etc…)  Literacy not typically seen as the domain of high schools, particularly content-area teachers.

Overview of Key Issues: Strategies for Intervention  Equipping high schools and high school teachers with literacy-focused instructional strategies will require:  Making literacy a priority that complements, rather than competes with content requirements.  Building capacity for teachers to differentiate instruction without lowering expectations.  Three pronged strategy:  Teaching strategies that account for limited literacy  General teaching strategies that address literacy needs  Intensive support for struggling readers

Overview of Key Issues: Building Knowledge  Limited evidence about what works points to the need for knowledge building by evaluating new initiatives before going to scale.

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Literacy for Adolescent English Learners: Building Capacity for Quality Programs Aída Walqui Director, Teacher Professional Development Program WestEd National High School Center Summer Institute Washington, S.C. Tuesday, June 12, 2007

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Issues that need to be addressed Language mediates all learning. For English Language Learners the development of literacy skills entails both building the tool and the product of learning at the same time. To teach something, teachers need to know it explicitly. Most teachers in high school are disciplinary experts, but their knowledge of the language needed to demonstrate their expertise is implicit. Disciplinary language awareness is a must for teachers.

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Teachers going through QTEL professional development learn by participating in activity

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 This enables them to understand the disciplinary language and the pedagogy necessary to develop rich literacies in English as a second language

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 We seldom see quality instruction with English Language Learners Quality is characterized by QTEL’s principles: Sustain Academic Rigor in teaching English Learners Hold High Expectations in teaching English Learners Engage in Quality Interactions with English Learners Sustain a Language Focus in teaching English Learners Develop Quality Curricula in teaching English Learners

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Teaching Learning Zones (adapted from Mariani, 1997; Hammond and Gibbons, 2007) high challenge low challenge high supportlow support ‘APPRENTICESHIP’ ZONE (ZPD) ‘FRUSTRATION’ ZONE ‘POBRECITO’ ZONE ‘NOWHERE’ ZONE

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Building Capacity At the school level: Nested, coherent professional development that encompasses : ESL, subject matter teachers; teacher supporters (professional developers, coaches, instructional support specialists, curriculum directors); educational leaders. East Side Union High School District, 5 schools

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Work with Educational Leadership Figure 1: Ripples of impact on Teacher professional Development, Year 1 All teachers (6 days) Informal teacher Leadership (2 more days) Formal teacher Leadership (4 more days)

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Figure 1: Ripples of impact on Teacher professional Development, Year 1 Irvine Grant All teachers Informal teacher leaders Formal teacher leaders Whole School Improvement

© WestEd, Teacher Professional Development, 2007 Capacity building in a large urban district: The New York City case Multiple embedded model of working with teachers, teacher support specialists, educational leadership Processes at each level mirror what happens at other levels

APPRENTICESHIPAPPROPRIATION PHASE 1 Building the Base WestEd increases knowledge base of the ISSs and capacity to support teachers KEY PARTICIPANTS WestEd TPD Team ELL Instruct. Support Specialist Teachers in Apprenticeship W ISSs TIA ISSs W PARTICIPATE AS LEARNERS A Model of Professional Development Apprenticeship ELL Instruct. Support Specialist ISSs

APPRENTICESHIPAPPROPRIATION PHASE 1PHASE 2 Building the Base WestEd increases knowledge base of the ISSs and capacity to support teachers Participation/ Observation ISSs develops multiple levels of knowledge and skills through participation/ observation and analysis of WestEd’s professional development with TIAs KEY PARTICIPANTS WestEd TPD Team ELL Instruct. Support Specialist Teachers in Apprenticeship W ISSs TIA ISSs WW TIA OBSERVE AND REFLECT A Model of Professional Development Apprenticeship PARTICIPATE AS LEARNERS ELL Instruct. Support Specialist ISSs T T T T P/O O T = Teacher P/O = Participant/Observer O = Observer

APPRENTICESHIPAPPROPRIATION PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3 Building the Base WestEd increases knowledge base of the ISSs and capacity to support teachers Participation/ Observation ISSs develops multiple levels of knowledge and skills through participation/ observation and analysis of WestEd’s professional development with TIAs Mentoring/ Coaching ISSs delivers selected Teacher Professional Development tools and processes in schools with WestEd support, mentoring, and coaching KEY PARTICIPANTS WestEd TPD Team ELL Instruct. Support Specialist Teachers in Apprenticeship W ISSs TIA ISSs WW TIA ISSs W IMPLEMENT WITH COACHING A Model of Professional Development Apprenticeship OBSERVE AND REFLECT PARTICIPATE AS LEARNERS ELL Instruct. Support Specialist ISSs

APPRENTICESHIPAPPROPRIATION PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4 Building the Base WestEd increases knowledge base of the ISSs and capacity to support teachers Participation/ Observation ISSs develops multiple levels of knowledge and skills through participation/ observation and analysis of WestEd’s professional development with TIAs Mentoring/ Coaching ISSs delivers selected Teacher Professional Development tools and processes in schools with WestEd support, mentoring, and coaching Appropriation ISSs supports TIAs in providing rigorous academic language and content knowledge to secondary English learners with WestEd consultation KEY PARTICIPANTS WestEd TPD Team ELL Instruct. Support Specialist Teachers in Apprenticeship W ISSs TIA ISSs WW TIA ISSs TIA ISSs W W IMPLEMENT WITH CONSULTATION A Model of Professional Development Apprenticeship IMPLEMENT WITH COACHING OBSERVE AND REFLECT PARTICIPATE AS LEARNERS ELL Instruct. Support Specialist ISSs

M id- C ontinent C omprehensive C enter (MC3)

MC3’s Major Goal Help increase state capacity to assist districts and schools to meet their student achievement goals by providing front line assistance to states enabling them to assess improvement needs of districts & schools develop solutions to address those needs build and sustain systemic support for district and school improvement efforts improve tools & systems for school improvement and accountability

MC3 Indicators of Success Relevance technical assistance that meets State Education Agencies’ (SEAs’) needs related to NCLB Utility technical assistance that provides SEAs the tools, information, knowledge, and skills necessary to support their work with NCLB High Quality research-based content and effective delivery of technical assistance

Relevance MC3 and its State Coordinating Councils (SCCs) collaborated in the development of a Technical Assistance (TA) Plan to “Build State Capacity” Kansas Goal: “Develop a Pre-K through 18+ Kansas literacy plan” Missouri Goal : “Develop guidelines for district literacy plans” Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Utility Need: KSDE and DESE needed current information about services and resources supporting adolescent literacy Outcome: Kansas District and School surveys developed with MC3 Adolescent Literacy Work Group (ALWG) Missouri Middle and High School surveys under development with MC3 ALWG

Utility: Workgroup Process MC3 Adolescent Literacy Workgroup: Built capacity within MC3 regarding research-based best practices on issues of adolescent literacy Collaborated with experts at: Content Center on Instruction National High School Content Center University of Kansas Center on Research and Learning National Association of State Boards of Education

Utility: Survey Development Surveys developed by MC3 ALWG: Beta tested with MC3 ALWG & SCC Piloted with representative sample of districts and schools, and focus group interviews Rigorous revision process with MC3 ALWG, Kansas SCC, and KSDE reading team Distributed statewide to districts and schools with high response rate (83 district/110 school) Data compiled and shared with MC3 ALWG and Kansas SCC to garner feedback and recommendations on next steps

Quality “Effective, collaborative partnership between MC3 and KSDE” “We need the knowledge and support of others in like situations.” MC3 Reading Community of Practice to begin Year 3 (July 2007) Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education