Education thomas assignment 1

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Summary and Purpose This literacy plan provides an overview of how the Sartell-St. Stephen School District will meet the needs of all students in the area of literacy as required by MN State Statute 120B.12. The statute requires every school district to adopt a local literacy plan designed to have every child reading at or above grade level no later than the end of grade 3. In addition, students in grade 3 or higher who demonstrate a reading difficulty to a classroom teacher must be screened for characteristics of dyslexia, unless a different reason for the reading difficulty has been identified. If a student does not read at or above grade level by the end of grade 3, the district must continue to provide reading intervention until the student reads at grade level. A personal learning plan for a student who is unable to demonstrate grade-level proficiency, as measured by the statewide reading assessment in grade 3, will be monitored for growth towards proficiency.

A local literacy plan must include a process to assess students’ level of reading proficiency, notify and involve parents, intervene with students who are not reading at or above grade level, and identify and meet staff development needs.

Statement of Goals and Objectives The Minnesota Department of Education believes, “Reading well by third grade is one of the many developmental milestones in a child’s education. Reading well by grade three ensures that a student has a solid foundation of literacy skills to continue to expand their understanding of what they read, make meaning, and transfer that learning across all subject areas. Instruction that provides the basis for all students to read well by third grade and beyond will help close the achievement gap and ensure that all students are ready for the demands of college and the workplace. From cradle to career, a sustained effort to create quality literacy environments in all schools and programs from birth through grade 12 promotes academic success.” In Sartell- St. Stephen, we believe that all district stakeholders should be informed of the instructional efforts needed to ensure all students are reading well by third grade as measured by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) system. This will be accomplished by assessing students' reading proficiency levels, involving parents, providing support to students who are not at grade level proficiency, and providing appropriate staff development to all teachers of reading.

Statement of Process to Assess Students The Sartell-St. Stephen assessment plan represents a comprehensive approach to evaluating student achievement. A variety of methods to determine student abilities and performance including screening assessments, diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring assessments as well as classroom and curriculum assessments are utilized. Assessment information is necessary to support decisions regarding individual students, groups of students and educational programs.

Screening Assessments: Screening of all students in grades PreK-5 at regular intervals (fall, winter, spring) helps to establish expected proficiency outcomes and informs program effectiveness. By establishing an initial baseline for all students, these assessments identify individual students who do not meet grade-level expectations. There are a variety of terms that can be used to describe a student who is struggling to read: struggling reader, student who is reading below grade level, specific learning disability, reading disorder, or dyslexia. Results are used as a starting point for instruction or to indicate a need for further evaluation.

FastBridge Early Reading Composite: (K-1) This screening tool is given to individual students by trained teachers to determine early literacy skills crucial to the success of beginning readers. Each subtest is weighted based on the importance of the skill at

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the determined time.

Weighting Scheme for earlyReading Composite Scores The composite subtest scores are weighted in order to account for the proportional contribution of each subject to the student’s overall emerging reading skills. This table displays the relative weights for each composite subtest.

Each weight is coded as low (L), medium (M), or high (H) in the table and the actual weights are unique to each subtest.

Kindergarten FastBridge Early Reading Composite

Fall Target Score

Winter Target Score

Spring Target Score

Kindergarten 36 55 70

First Grade FastBridge Early Reading (2 subtests)

Grade Fall Target Score

Winter Target Score

Spring Target Score

1st grade Nonsense Words - 15 Sight Words - 41

NA NA

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FastBridge Oral Reading Fluency: (1-8) This screening tool is given to individual students by trained teachers. Oral Reading Fluency is a strong predictor of reading achievement.

FastBridge Oral Reading Fluency

Grade Fall Target Score

Winter Target Score

Spring Target Score

1st grade N/A 68 91

2nd grade 82 108 126

3rd grade 112 133 147

4th grade 139 156 170

5th grade 157 172 187

6th grade 168 183 195

7th grade 189 202 213

8th grade 179 186 201

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FastBridge aReading: (1-8) This screening tool is given to students in a classroom setting using technology and facilitated by the classroom teacher. This assessment tests a breadth of reading skills appropriate to each grade level mainly in the areas of comprehension and vocabulary.

FastBridge aReading

Grade Fall Target Score

Winter Target Score

Spring Target Score

Kindergarten NA NA NA

1st grade 453 472 481

2nd grade 485 496 503

3rd grade 503 510 515

4rd grade 515 520 524

5th grade 525 529 534

6th grade 532 535 538

7th grade 541 546 546

8th grade 548 551 552

Diagnostic Assessments: The purpose of diagnostic assessments is to provide information for planning more effective instruction and intervention. Diagnostic assessments provide additional data beyond screening and should be given when there is a clear expectation that diagnostic information will offer new or more reliable data about a student’s academic needs. This diagnostic assessment information should be used to strategically plan explicit targeted and intensive instruction that will accelerate reading proficiency toward grade level expectations. Using diagnostic assessments, standardized screening information, and informal classroom assessments will provide a broader understanding into the needs of learners individually and as a group, and guide instruction.

Fountas and Pinnell (K-8): This assessment is strategically used to assist teachers in determining the following information: ● Three reading levels for each students: instructional, independent and frustration ● Select appropriate texts to use for instruction as well as for independent reading ● Identify skill deficit areas to help determine appropriate interventions

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Spelling Inventory (K-8): This assessment is used strategically to assist teachers in determining specific needs in the area of phonics.

Teaching Strategies Gold Pre-K: This assessment is utilized in our Early Childhood and Preschool program. It is an online tool that gathers and organizes meaningful data quickly, including online portfolios where children’s work can be stored to create a developmental profile of each child that answers the questions, “What does this child know? What is he or she able to do?” TS Gold helps teachers understand how instructional observations relate to important objectives for development and learning and they use that understanding to scaffold each child’s learning. A teacher uses the data to determine if a child is making progress and compares the child’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors to those of most children of his or her age or class/group. It assists teachers in recognizing children who might benefit from special help, screening, or further evaluation. Teachers generate comprehensive reports that are shared with family members and other stakeholders.

District Procedures to Screen and Identify Students with Potential Dyslexia and Convergence Insufficiency Disorder: Students who are at risk of or experiencing reading difficulties are provided additional screening and support based on needs identified in screening.

● Path to Reading Excellence in School Sites (PRESS) Screener: The PRESS framework closely aligns with research-based practices for both identification and instruction. PRESS outlines processes for data-driven decision making, including the use of screening data to identify and serve students who need additional support. It delineates both the components of quality core instruction at each grade level and specific interventions that are matched to individual student needs. Additionally, PRESS offers classwide interventions that provide quality, skill-based instruction for all and can, therefore, help identify those who are not responding to instruction. PRESS provides a systematic process to analyze progress monitoring data and make ongoing instructional decisions for individual students. PRESS protocols and processes assist educators in documenting students’ response to intervention through ongoing data collection and analysis.

● Barton Reading and Spelling System Student Screener: The Barton Reading & Spelling System is an intervention system for students who struggle to easily and accurately decode words when reading. It provides additional support for students, who by second grade are missing the oral reading fluency benchmarks, and who have difficulty with spelling – especially when writing sentences, stories, and compositions.

Based on screening data, the teacher and/or team use the Multi-tiered System of Support Framework to align the student needs with an appropriate intervention. The District has included a question on its student registration form and Early Intervention form that asks families to identify if there has been a family history of struggles or difficulties with reading or Convergence Insufficiency. This information may be used as an additional piece of data when determining next steps to support students. Strategic and intensive support (Tier II and III) may include working with a Title or MTSS Interventionist using Leveled Literacy Interventions (LLI), Path to Reading Excellence in School Sites (PRESS), and individual and/or classwide interventions. When needed, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics are used to support students who may be struggling. If a student states that he or she gets headaches, blurred or double vision, or has eye strain while reading for

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extended periods of time, the information will be shared with parent(s)/guardians for possible further screening by an eye care professional.

Progress Monitoring: Progress monitoring assessments are brief and administered with more regularity than screening and diagnostic tools. Progress monitoring assessment data is collected, evaluated, and used on an ongoing basis to determine the rate of a student’s progress toward grade level outcomes, to provide information on the effectiveness of intervention and to modify the intervention tools if necessary. Progress monitoring tools are matched to the intervention a student is receiving, as well as matched to grade level outcomes. A variety of leveled assessment tools will give the best overall picture of a student’s individual progress. Examples of progress monitoring tools that are available include FastBridge progress monitoring, and PRESS Skill Outcome progress monitoring.

Parent Notification and Involvement Sartell-St. Stephen school staff will notify and involve parents in their child’s literacy development in the following ways:

● Email, phone calls, Skylert messages and newsletters ● School website, Seesaw and Schoology LMS communications ● Parent/Guardian - Teacher Conferences

Getting Ready for Kindergarten Parents/guardians of kindergarten-eligible students are invited to attend an informational session to learn about kindergarten registration and the district services provided to kindergarteners such as district transportation, food services, and health services. An outline describing the kindergarten program is also shared with families which includes information about how they can help prepare their child for kindergarten. This information was developed through a partnership with the United Way and neighboring school districts. The brochure "Kindergarten Readiness Expectations" lists language and literacy skills along with other developmentally appropriate areas that an incoming kindergarten child would benefit from having some experience. Students are invited in the spring before kindergarten entrance to be assessed by kindergarten teachers to gauge their literacy and math skills.

During the first week of the school year, students and their caregivers will be welcomed into the child’s classroom for a personal, 40-minute session with the teacher to begin building a home-school partnership and gauge the student’s current skill development. The information gathered during this meeting will assist teachers in planning for the initial instruction of all students’ in their classes during the first few weeks of school. Progress monitoring data will be frequently collected in the classroom as students begin instruction and expand their skill sets and knowledge so that teachers can adjust their instruction to meet their students’ needs.

Parent/Guardian Conferences Teachers and caregivers will formally meet two times during the school year to discuss student progress at Parent/Guardian - Teacher Conferences. In addition to conferences, teachers will communicate with students’ caregivers if concerns arise or assessment results indicate a need for instructional interventions, remediation or advanced differentiation . Student data collected from FastBridge testing 3 times per year will be shared with caregivers at conferences and when the results support a need for an intervention. These assessments will facilitate matching student needs to instruction. Benchmarks will be shared and explained. Interventions may include, but will not be limited to, the following:

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● Specific teacher interventions within the classroom ● Title I support for identified schools ● MN Reading Corps instruction ● Success Centers ● Summer School ● Special Education Programming ● Academic Enrichment

Title I Family Nights (2 per year for federally identified schools) Two Family Night events are scheduled each year for schools who have been federally identified as receiving Title I services. Students who qualify for Title I services and their families will be invited to these events. Resources will be provided by the Title I teacher to parents and caregivers to help support the interventions in place for their child/children and further promote the importance of literacy support at home.

Intervention and Instructional Supports Intervention programs assist students who have skill deficits in one or more of the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and/or vocabulary. Based on assessments results and teacher recommendation, students receive a multi-tiered level of support that includes research-based interventions in the specific areas of need.

Tiers of Support include:

● Tier I: Core Instruction o All students at the elementary level will receive core literacy instruction. o Students who are at or above district targets on screening assessments and are making sufficient academic growth will

have their needs met through instruction in the core curriculum. Students performing below or significantly above grade will receive additional support in Tier II and/or Tier III.

● Tier II: Extra Support o Additional learning opportunities will be given individually or in small groups to all students in grades K-8 for an

identified area of need (i.e., remediation, extension, or advanced differentiation) for which Tier 1 instruction has been shown to not fully address their needs. This additional instruction will be provided in the general education classroom.

o All students in grades K-8 will receive 30 minutes of explicit and focused instruction, in addition to core instructional time, three-five times per week to address skills they require to reach their goal of a full year of academic growth during a school year. The Sartell-St. Stephen School District refers to this as WIN (What I Need) time. This additional instruction may be provided in the general education classroom or an alternate setting within the school.

● Tier III: Intensive Support

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o Students who are significantly below grade level are supported by interventions and specific programs which often occur outside the classroom. Instructional and/or evidence-based interventions are administered. A multi-sensory approach to reading that includes explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics will be provided. Time, group size and intervention are determined based on individual needs and progress in previous tiers.

o Students who are significantly above grade level (as identified in Sartell-St. Stephen’s MTSS guide) are supported by teachers who will academically extend students’ learning beyond the standard benchmark requirement. Time, group size and instruction are determined based on individual needs and progress in previous tiers.

Professional Development on Scientifically-Based Reading Instruction (SBRI) Professional development is data-driven, ongoing, and inclusive of all teachers. It is delivered in a variety of formats and aligned with state standards and local literacy goals. These opportunities include: ● Designated professional development days for teachers. Professional development focuses on district-wide initiatives and building

needs. ● Weekly teacher grade level meetings to reflect on student progress, review student work, review data, and align instruction to

academic standards and learner outcomes. ● Instructional Coaches providing job-embedded professional development supporting best practices in literacy. ● District 748 offering a strong mentorship program that supports new teachers in best practices for the first three years of teaching. ● Assessment Planning Meetings (data review meetings) convening three times a year to review school-wide and grade-level

screening data using FastBridge assessments to determine student achievement and growth. ● Site and District Level Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) teams reviewing progress monitoring, curriculum-based, attendance

behavior and other data on a monthly basis. ● Content curriculum committees led by content specialists include math, literacy, social studies, science, music, visual art and

physical education meeting to ensure alignment of curriculum and instruction to MN and National Academic Standards.

Curriculum and Instruction System Adopted reading curriculum for students in grades K-5 includes McGraw-Hill’s Reading Wonders/WonderWorks and Open Court Foundational Skills (Phonics) in K-2. These programs align to MN Common Core English Language Arts standards. Reading Wonders is taught using a balanced literacy framework. A core literacy instructional block is required for all grades K-8 with an additional 30 minutes available for intervention support. Open Court Phonics uses a structured literacy model by providing a direct, explicit, multi-sensory approach to teach print concepts, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, and phonics.

Balanced Literacy is a framework for instructional planning and implementation, not a program for teaching reading. It involves the use of observation and assessment to make instructional decisions; the structure of classroom delivery that moves through whole group, small group, and independent learning to build student competence and independence; and incorporates a balance of quality fiction and nonfiction materials to support instruction and Learning.

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Structured Literacy is an instructional model that prepares students to decode words in an explicit and systematic manner. This approach is made up of these instructional elements: phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics. The structured literacy approach has substantial evidence that it is effective for all readers, not just those with reading difficulties. Additionally, Zaner-Bloser and Step up to Writing strategies are used as key components of the District’s writing program.

Student Support System for English Learners English as a Second Language (ESL) licensed educators provide services for students who are identified to receive English Language instruction. English Language curriculum and programming is aligned to the MN State adopted WIDA English Language Development Standards in conjunction with Sartell-St. Stephen curriculum. The goal of the English Learners program is to provide differentiated content-based instruction so that students can become proficient in the English language and gain background knowledge necessary to meet the Minnesota Academic Standards. ESL teachers work alongside classroom teachers to strengthen core instruction and provide interventions in oral language and literacy skills. In addition, English Learners who are reading below grade level may also receive reading interventions. Because our current data indicates a need in vocabulary for English Learners, on-going professional development will be provided during the school year to address the unique vocabulary needs of the English Learner population.

Communication System for Annual Reporting The Sartell-St. Stephen Public Schools Local Literacy plan will be posted on the Sartell-St. Stephen District website. This plan will be reviewed and updated by the Elementary Literacy Instructional Coaches and the K-5 Language Arts content team, in conjunction with the Director of Learning and Teaching regarding the information and the usefulness of the documents. Our goal is to continue to improve the academic achievement of our students, make necessary adjustments to address all students’ needs, analyze data to make strategic programming decisions, and to determine needed training for our educators.

References and Resources Local Literacy Plan Development. Districts are required to develop a local literacy plan to ensure that all students are reading well by no later than the end of third grade. The Department of Education provides guidance and resources to assist efforts to understand and meet the demands of early reading intervention and the requirements of Reading Well by Third Grade law (Minn. Stat. § 120B.12).

1. Minnesota Statute 120B.11 School District Process for Reviewing Curriculum, Instruction and Student Achievement: Striving for the World’s Best Workforce

2. MN Statute 120B.12 Reading Proficiently No Later Than the End of Grade 3 3. A resource for “Navigating the School System When a Child is Struggling with Reading or Dyslexia” can be found here on the MN

Department of Education website.

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