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Read to Succeed Reading Plan

 

LETRS Questions:

·         How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volume 1 ONLY of LETRS?: 9 /21

·         How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volumes 1 and 2 of LETRS?:   6/21

·         How many eligible teachers in your school are beginning Volume 1 of LETRS this year (or have not yet started or completed Volume 1) 1/21 in process and 5/21 not started. 

 

Section A: Describe how reading assessment and instruction for all PreK-5th grade students in the school includes oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to aid in the comprehension of texts to meet grade‑level English/Language Arts standards. 

     Various formative and summative assessment tools are used throughout the year to best understand the instructional needs of our students.  These assessments assist teachers in making instructional decisions so that students are best prepared to meet grade-level English/Language Arts standards.    James B. Edwards has universal assessments that are administered three times a year.  In grades K-5, iReady is given in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. iReady measures phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension.  Fastbridge (dyslexia screener) is administered three times a year with our Kindergarten and First Grade students.  This 1:1 assessment measures oral language, phonological awareness, sight word vocabulary, letter and nonsense word fluency.  In our PreK classes, myIGDIs is used three times a year to better understand our youngest learners academically.  This 1:1 assessment focuses on early literacy skills that are crucial for literacy development.  Letter names and sounds, rhyming, oral language and vocabulary are assessed.  In addition, our K-5 teachers administer CKLA assessments to analyze student performance and growth and use this data to plan for remediation and extension activities.  This work is often done during PLCs.  Teachers have access to high quality core and supplemental curricula that support oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension across the grade levels.  Teachers use explicit teaching strategies to ensure all learners have access to the curriculum.  All students receive core instruction using CKLA at their grade level.

 

Section B: Document how Word Recognition assessment and instruction for PreK-5th grade students are further aligned to the science of reading, structured literacy and foundational literacy skills.

     The students at James B. Edwards are taught explicitly and systematically word recognition skills that are aligned to the science of reading.  In our Pre-K-2nd grade classrooms, Heggerty is used to explicitly teach, reinforce, and practice phonological awareness skill daily.  The Orton- Gillingham approach is used in out K-2nd grade classrooms.  This approach is completely aligned to the science of reading.  Foundational reading skills such as decoding, encoding, and irregular word development are systematically taught daily.  Our structured literacy curriculum, CKLA, focuses on the important skills of morphology and grammar to assist in word recognition in grades 3rd-5th.  To help guide instruction, spelling, morphology, and grammar assessments are used throughout to better understand the needs of our 3rd-5th grade students. 

 

Section C:  Document how the school uses universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data to determine targeted pathways of intervention (word recognition or language comprehension) for students in PreK-5th grade who have failed to demonstrate grade‑level reading proficiency. 

     James B. Edwards uses universal screener data, Fastbridge, iReady, and myIGDIs and diagnostic data asessments such as iReady, Core Phonics Survey and Heggerty’s Phonological Awareness inventory to determine targeted pathways of intervention for students demonstrating below grade-level proficiency.  Multiple points of data are analyzed to determine students who need additional support and what type of intervention will best meet their needs and fill in the gaps.  We align student needs using the CCSD Elementary Intervention Cascade to match students to a targeted pathway for intervention.     Based on the data, we place students in groups that focus either on decoding skills or language comprehension.  Spire, Magnetic Foundations or Magnetic Reading are programs that are used in our pull our intervention programs.  iReady data along with the other diagnostic assessments are used by the teacher to provide targeted skill interventions in the classroom.  Students with an IEP are strategically placed in the appropriate program based on their needs and IEP goals.

 

Section D: Describe the system in place to help parents in your school understand how they can support the student as a reader and writer at home.

   James B. Edwards works closely with families to communicate how they can best support their child as a reader and writer at home.    The parents and/or guardians of students receive weekly newsletters explaining what is being covered in class and ideas of how to assist their student at home.  A whole school newsletter is also sent home weekly that contains the links to the curriculum being used at James B. Edwards.  A Literacy Night is held once a year for the entire school.  This event provides literacy resources, tips, and best practices to extend learning at home.  Make and take stations are also set up where hands on literacy tools are made and explained to use at home.  Informational sessions are held two to three times a year for parents who have a student in reading intervention.  During these sessions, parents learn about the specific intervention that is being used with their students as well as strategies and resources that can be used at home.  Data conferences are held for all student at the beginning of the year to explain assessment data that was administered and to make a plan moving forward.  School Improvement as well as PTO meetings are held once a month at James B. Edwards where parents and families are active. A parent also has the opportunity to participate in an Individual Problem Solving meeting if the MTSS team finds it necessary to gather additional data on a student. 

 

Section E: Document how the school provides for the monitoring of reading achievement and growth at the classroom and school level with decisions about PreK-5th grade intervention based on all available data to ensure grade-level proficiency in reading.

     James B. Edwards monitors reading achievement and growth at the classroom level through weekly skill and content-based assessment in our science of reading aligned curriculum, CKLA.  Instruction is centered around the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards.  Progress monitoring takes place for students who receive intervention to ensure growth is being made.  Students who receive intervention from a reading interventionist are progress monitored weekly.  Curriculum based measures that align with the intervention program as well as fluency based measures are used.  Data is analyzed monthly to determine if any phase changes need to take place.  Students who receive intervention in the classroom are progress monitored bimonthly with a tool that aligns with the intervention provided. The goal of all literacy intervention is to close any gaps a student might have so that grade level content can be accessed.  Student achievement and growth is monitored weekly through the completion of personalized iReady lessons.  Teachers and administrators work together in PLCs and MTSS teams to collect and analyze data to make instructional decisions and create action plans for groups of students as well as individual students. 

 

Section F: Describe how the school provides teacher training based in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills to support all students in PreK-5th grade.

     James B. Edwards provides teachers ongoing, job embedded professional learning opportunities based on school data.  Collaboration through coaching cycles with the school reading coach, collaboration and planning with grade level colleagues through PLCs, feedback provided by district and school based coaches through Learning Walks also contribute professional learning opportunities.  Training based on the science of reading is provided through LETRS coursework, Heggerty training, and the ongoing professional development CKLA provides.  Teachers in Kindergarten through 2nd grade have been trained in the Orton Gillingham approach and have received their Classroom Educator Certificate by completing a practicum.  This training has greatly impacted our understating of foundational literacy skills to support all students.

 

Section G: Analysis of Data

Strengths

Possibilities for Growth

 

  • Teachers have had and will continue to undergo professional development based on the science of reading LETRS, Orton-Gillingham, and CKLA). 

 

  • Instructional curriculum aligned to the science of reading is being used in grades Pre-K through 5th grade.  This curriculum aligns with South Carolina’s ELA/Language Arts standards.

 

  • Instruction is explicit and systematic. 

 

  • Continue to provide professional development around CKLA and the implementation of it across grade levels to ensure consistency. 

 

  • Ensure targeted teachers are LETRS trained.

 

  • Understand the importance of vocabulary and background knowledge role in reading comprehension. 

 

 

Section H:  Previous School Year SMART Goals and Progress Toward Those Goals

  • Please provide your school’s goals from last school year and the progress your school has made towards these goals. Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to determine progress toward the goal (s). As a reminder, all schools serving third grade were required to use Goal #1 (below).

 

Goals

Progress
Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal): Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the spring of 2022 as determined 2022 by SC READY from 13.5 % to 9.7 % in the spring of 2023.

Explicitly and systematically teaching reading and writing skills according to the South Carolina College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards. 

9.9% of students scored Does Not Meet on SC Ready in Spring of 2023.

 

 

 

Section I: Current SMART Goals and Action Steps Based on Analysis of Data

  • All schools serving students in third grade MUST respond to the third-grade reading proficiency goal. Schools that do not serve third grade students may choose a different goal. Schools may continue to use the same SMART goals from previous years or choose new goals. Goals should be academically measurable. The Reflection Tool may be helpful in determining action steps to reach an academic goal. Schools are strongly encouraged to incorporate goals from the strategic plan.

 

Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal)

Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet from  11.7% in the spring of 2024 to 9.7% in the spring of 2025 as determined by SC READY.

 

Action Steps: 

·         District iReady 3rd grade below grade level initiative (iReady paths)

·         Continue to discuss and analyze data during grade level meetings, PLCs, and literacy team meetings to make adjustments as needed.

·         Implement CKLA with fidelity

·         Provide professional development around structured literacy.

·         Provide targeted intervention within the classroom during Tier 1 instruction and small group instruction

 

 

Goals

Progress

Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal): Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet from  11.7% in the spring of 2024 to 9.7% in the spring of 2025 as determined by SC READY.

Progressing:  In the Spring of 2023, 9.9% of third graders scored in the Does Not Meet category as determined by SC READY.