1. Future Directions Conference September 3rd, 2010
University and School Partnerships: Literacy and Students with Additional Learning Needs
Future Directions Conference
September 3rd, 2010
David Evans PhD | Associate Professor of Special Education
Criss Moore | NSW Department of Education and Training,
Sydney Region

2. Historical Background
Children’s Centre
Need to change
University and School Partnership to …
enhance learning outcomes for pre-service teachers for teaching reading through research and practice.
improve learning outcomes for students experiencing difficulties in learning to read

3. Historical Background
1000+ pre-service teachers have worked with a mentor to reflect, organise, and analyse knowledge their professional knowledge
1000+ children in schools experiencing difficulties in reading provided with 1:1 instruction

4. Presentation Aims
Highlight the benefits of a collaborative, school-based project for pre-service teachers in developing and enhancing their professional knowledge about quality literacy programs for students identified with additional learning needs
Reflect on the benefits for students with additional learning needs
Highlight the responses from schools and their communities to this collaborative program

5. What does research tells us?
Reading is an essential skill for success in our society
In NSW 15 to 20% of students are two or more years behind at any one time (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005)
Students who are experiencing difficulties in learning to read in Year 4 will still be experiencing difficulties in Year 9 unless strategic intervention occurs (Juel, 1988)
Research has shown that programs to assist students catch up are unable to achieve this goal; further research required (Vaughn et al., 2010)

6. The Challenge
How do we ensure that all students succeed in learning to read by their fourth year of school - including Indigenous students, those from low socio-economic backgrounds and students who have disabilities (Melbourne Declaration, 2008)
To prepare pre-service teachers for teaching reading to students with language related learning difficulties, and those with unspecified reading problems (Commonwealth of Australian, 2005; NSW Government, 2010a, 2010b)

7. Commonwealth Report
34 Australian teacher educational institutions were surveyed and reported that:
Less than 10% of time in compulsory units is devoted to preparing pre- service teachers to teach reading.
Less than 5% of total instructional time during pre-service teacher preparation is devoted to teaching reading (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005)
Further, pre-service teachers report:
they are not well prepared to teach reading
even less prepared to address the needs of diverse learners (Rohl & Greeves, 2005)

8. Research Recommendations
The teaching of reading requires teachers to have expert knowledge and practical skills for working effectively in the classroom (Snow et al., 2005)
Research provides recommendations for what to teach and the need for pre-service teachers to learn how to teach reading. Minimal research on “how” is available (Evans et al., 2006)

9. Research Recommendations
Can be achieved through field-based experiences, receiving regular feedback from an expert in the teaching of reading, and the opportunity to reflect (Darling- Hammond & Hammerness, 2005)
Partnerships between schools and universities offer ideal opportunities for pre-service teachers to gain a comprehensive experience in research to practice while being mentored by experts (Dawkins et. al. 2009)
Problems in finding suitable placements in schools (Top of the class: Report on the inquiry into teacher education, 2007)

10. Framework for Professional Learning
Teaching Reading (Snow et al., 2005)
Declarative knowledge
Able to recall knowledge about the teaching of reading
Situated, can do knowledge
Becoming cognizant of the differing big ideas of reading
Stable procedural knowledge
Aware of how this comes together to formulate procedural knowledge
Expert, adaptive knowledge
Sophisticated level of professional knowledge
Reflective, organised, analysed knowledge
Well versed in research, master teacher, responsible for learning professional development activities in school or department

11. Reading Components Within a literacy framework …
… including a modeled reading and explicit instruction …
… big ideas of reading were addressed:
Phonological awareness
Alphabetic principle
Decoding fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Sight words
Text reading

12. University and School Partnership
Data Collection
Eight teachers who had been involved in the unit of study, volunteered to participate and were interviewed. The semi- structured interviews investigated the conceptual and procedural knowledge beyond pre-service teacher training in their role as classroom teachers.
Completed questionnaires investigating the knowledge and skills used when teaching reading

13. Results
The Teachers:
highlighted the value of linking theory to practice;
valued having a highly skilled mentor to scaffold their in- school experience;
were positive about the course overall;
acknowledged the merging and interaction of the knowledge from this course and what was learned throughout their teacher training;
described their current reading program as balanced and detailed the elements for reading and how they were integrated and inter-dependant on one another; and
talked about interaction between decoding and comprehension strategies.

14. Results Themes from the interviews:
Value of being able to identify specific needs of students through assessment and designing focused reading programs;
Having knowledge on how language disorder impacts on literacy learning; and
Having the opportunity to discuss with peers and mentors strategies and skills for teaching reading.

15. School Side of the Partnership
Feedback from a partner principal:
Students learning to read
Excitement and Engagement
Examination of current practice through observation
and discussion
Whole school change in the teaching of literacy requested by experienced teachers

16. Take Home Message:
The Partnership between the University of Sydney, Sydney Region Learning Assistance Team and DET schools impacts on:
how well pre-service teachers are prepared for teaching our students
how well students with language disorders and reading difficulties recieve additional assistance
parents and community members