Livingston County Middle School S

Reading

Livingston County Middle School’s

Plan for Success

2011 – 2012

Literacy Goal: Having scored 45.96 on the 2011 NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress Report, a regressive move of 11 percentage points, the students in grades seven and eight of Livingston County Middle School will during the 2011-2012 school year recover “ground lost” and move forward by 10 percentage points in reading scores, an ambitious goal, but doable with“immerse, model, emerge” strategies (Learning 360), “aligned powerful learning” (Steve Olsen), student ownership, and teaching with belief and values (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker).

SECTION I: 30 Days

(August 5 – September 20, 2011)

IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN:

Progress Monitoring data indicates that students receiving reading intervention are moving toward and/or surpassing prescribed benchmark targets.

THE MEASURES/EVIDENCE WE WILL USE ARE:

MAZE (reading comprehension)

R-CBM (reading rate/accuracy)

Discovery Education (Think Link) Data (Prescriptive)

AIMSWeb (monitoring)

APEX

Formative/summative assessment

FIRST 30 DAYS ACTION STRATEGIES:

In an effort to positively affect school culture and climate, an across-the-curriculum unit called “Upfront Expectations” that includes introduction and review of school/district rules, regulations, and policies that pertain to every aspect of school attendance at LCMS and in the Livingston County District will be taught as a foundational unit for the purpose of organizational understanding that will enhance classroom procedure and learning. (Aug. 10 – 17.) Responsible: All faculty members with exception of Sondra Lawton and Lisa Huddleston.

All LCMS students will participate in the “Why Try?” Program, a motivational learning experience intended “to help youth overcome their challenges and improve outcomes in the areas of truancy, behavior, and academics.” It addresses all the major learning styles: visual, auditory, and body-kinesthetic, and it is taught in such a way that learners can “understand and remember.” (Aug. 10-17.) Responsible: Sondra Lawton, Lisa Huddleston.

All LCMS students will continue to participate in the Accelerated Reader Program, selecting reading material/text that has been measured by quantitative measures (Lexile), qualitative measures, and knowledge of text versus reader.(Aug. 10-17.) Responsible: Michelle Powell, Jan Strickland, Dee Wright.

A master schedule that includes RTI assignment for Tier II and Tier III reading students Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, as well as pull out from physical education as needed, will be implemented for the 2011-2012 school year. (Aug. 9-Sept. 20.) Responsible: Larry McGregor.

As a part of the 2011-2012 LCMS Literacy Plan, Carolyn Downing from WKEC, literacy specialist, will visit the APEX/reading lab, special education teachers, and the reading interventionist to monitor the RTI work being done with Tier II and Tier III students and to offer suggestions and recommendations. (Monthly or more.)Responsible: Doris Cothron.

Upon the recommendation of Carolyn Downing, the reading programs CORRECTIVE READING and REWARDS, together with APEX already in place, will be implemented to meet the needs of students needing decoding and to meet the needs of students needing reading instruction with multisyllabic words. APEX will be used with Tier II students. (Aug. 9 – Sept. 20.) Responsible: District, Doris Cothron, Teresa Alsobrook, Cindy Kennedy, Laura Ferguson.

The reading interventionist and the curriculum specialist will attend REWARDS training conducted by Carolyn Downing, reading specialist from WKEC. (Aug. 7 – 8.) Responsible: Doris Cothron, Teresa Alsobrook.

Readingcannot be adequately taught without the teaching of writing as writing and reading together are foundational to literacy, and writing cannot be taught without the teaching of readingas each reinforces and implements the other; hence, across the content areas teachers will implement reading and writing strategies according to Livingston County Middle School Writing Program/Plan: With Writing Policy & Kentucky Core Academic Standards,compiled in a black and pink notebook and distributed by the curriculum specialist in September, 2011, to all faculty members. The policy/plan/program was accepted by the LCMS SBDM July, 2011. (Aug. 9 – Sept. 20.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, All Faculty, Doris Cothron.

A language arts faculty representative will attend the English Language Arts Network meetings for the purpose of serving as a liaison between the Kentucky Department of Education and the Livingston County Middle School Faculty for the express purpose of informing and training the faculty in information and strategies emanating from the state department. (Monthly.)Responsible: Jan Strickland.

The curriculum specialist, in place of the principal, will attend the Instruction Support Leadership Network meetings for the express purpose of keeping the principal and faculty informed of information, future trends, directions, etc. being disseminated by the Kentucky Department of Education to the leadership of school districts. (Monthly.) Responsible: Doris Cothron. 2

As well as being available to model and teach collaboratively across content areas, the curriculum specialist will share articles, “literacy conversations,” strategies, informative emails, coaching emails with the faculty. (Aug. 9 – Sept. 20.) Responsible: Doris Cothron.

Monthly PLC meetings of language arts teachers with curriculum specialistwill discuss summative assessment such as student data from student performance on NCLB and IPR. (Sept.) Responsible: Doris Cothron.

The faculty members are expected to employ reading strategies introduced/reviewed in professional development of June 29 as well as those introduced through email or modeling. (Aug. 9 – Sept. 20.) Responsible: Larry McGregor.

Given the fact that only 13% on the averageof the LCMS students scored proficient or distinguished on open response writing on the 2011 state testing in reading, social studies, and science, all content areas must train students in the writing of answers to extended response questions (formerly ORQ’s) through modeling, practice, use in formative, and summative assessments…home learning exercises. (Aug. 9 – Sept. 20.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, All Faculty.

The curriculum specialist is available for support and modeling across the curriculum with primary emphasis in literacy. (Aug. 9 – Sept. 20.) Responsible: District, Doris Cothron.

IF WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL:

Based on our RTI protocol, reassign students based on their performance data on progress monitoring.

Assess students as they finish each lesson in APEX. If each student does not successfully accomplish mastery, the student rereads, interacts with the text through writing, restudies, conferences with instructor, and is reassessed.

RESOURCES NEEDED:

Implementation of reading lab strategies for all our students.

Writing class for all students if it cannot be taught in language arts.

More teacher-student interaction time in reading and writing across the content areas.

SECTION II: 60 Days

(September 21 – November 10, 2011)

IN 60 DAYS, WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN:

Progress Monitoring data indicates that students receiving intervention continue to move toward and/or beyond benchmark targets.

THE MEASURES/EVIDENCE WE WILL USE ARE:

AIMSWeb

APEX

Discovery Data

Formative/summative Assessment

SECOND 30 DAYS ACTION STRATEGIES:

All LCMS students will continue to participate in the Accelerated Reader Program, selecting reading material/text that has been measured by quantitative measures (Lexile), qualitative measures, and knowledge of text versus reader.(Sept. 21 – Nov. 10.) Responsible: Michelle Powell, Jan Strickland, Dee Wright.

A master schedule that includes RTI assignment for Tier II and Tier III reading students Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, as well as pull out from physical education as needed, continues to be implemented for the 2011-2012 school year. (Sept. 21 – Nov. 10.) Responsible: Larry McGregor.

The reading programs CORRECTIVE READING and REWARDS, together with APEX already in place, will continue to be implemented to meet the needs of students needing decoding and to meet the needs of students needing reading instruction with multisyllabic words. APEX will continue to be used with Tier II students. (Sept. 21 – Nov. 10.) Responsible: District, Doris Cothron, Teresa Alsobrook, Cindy Kennedy, Laura Ferguson.

The curriculum specialists, as requested by the principal, will attend the Instruction Support Leadership Network meetings and the Principal’s Leadership Academy meetings for the express purpose of keeping the principal and faculty informed of information, future trends, directions, etc. being disseminated by the Kentucky Department of Education to the leadership of school districts. (Monthly.) Responsible: Doris Cothron, Lisa Huddleston.

Monthly PLC meetings of language arts teachers with curriculum specialist discuss data from sentence proficiency testing of seventh and eighth grade students, need to build sentence proficiency, and quantity of reading and writing response to reading in language arts classes. (Oct.) Responsible: Doris Cothron.

The faculty members are expected to employ reading strategies introduced/reviewed in professional development of June 29, 2011, as well as those introduced through email, “literacy conversations,” articles, modeling, or other trainings. (Sept. 20 – Nov. 10.) Responsible: Larry McGregor.

The curriculum specialist is available for support and modeling across the curriculum with primary emphasis in literacy. (Sept. 21 – Nov 10.) Responsible: District, Doris Cothron.

The faculty is trained in Discovery Educational Assessment, a training that is focused on how to employ data to ascertain the needed emphasis for individual students and classes. (Sept. 26.) Responsible: District.

The Livingston County Middle School accepts subscription to Learning 360, which is sponsored by the Center for Learning Excellence of Western Kentucky University. (Oct.) Responsible: Darryl Chittenden.

Superintendent Darryl Chittenden and Curriculum Specialist Doris Cothron attend the initial training of Learning 360 at Murray State University for sharing and training of the faculty at LCMS. (Oct. 14.) Responsible: Ronda Dunn, Darryl Chittenden.

Language arts and math teachers meet at Livingston County Middle School to work on curriculum guides that implement the new Kentucky Core Academic Standards. (Oct. 17.) Responsible: Sheri Henson.

Reading interventionist and curriculum specialist, Teresa Alsobrook and Doris Cothron, attend literacy training conducted by Carolyn Downing for implementation and sharing of strategies. (Oct. 20 & 27.) Responsible: Doris Cothron.

LCMS faculty discusses last half of Chapter 4 “Designing Assessments,” Chapter 5 “Selected Response Assessment,” and Chapter 6 “Extended Written Response Assessment” of CASL. (Oct. 24.) Responsible: Larry McGregor. 5

Individual meetings are scheduled with all seventh and eighth grade students to discuss with them their Discovery data/scores as well as to share with them their areas for growth in an attempt to build student ownership of achievement, to institute a permanent positive into the culture of the school, and to motivate the students to achieve. (Oct. 25 & 26.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, Doris Cothron, Lisa Huddleston.

Doris Cothron and Lisa Huddleston attend the second training of Learning 360 at Murray State University for sharing/training of LCMS faculty. (Nov. 2.) Responsible: District.

A math curriculum specialist is added for strategy/modeling/data analysis support. (Nov.) Responsible: District.

The curriculum specialistsare available for support and modeling across the curriculum with emphasis in literacy and math. Responsible: District, Doris Cothron, Lisa Huddleston.

Given the fact that only 13% (on the average)of the LCMS students scored proficient or distinguished on open response writing on the 2011 state testing in reading, social studies, and science, all content areas must train students in the writing of answers to extended written response questions (formerly ORQ’s) through modeling, practice, use in formative, and summative assessments…home learning exercises. (Sept. 21 – Nov. 10.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, All Faculty.

To reiterate…reading cannot be adequately taught without the teaching of writing as writing and reading together are foundational to literacy, and writing cannot be taught without the teaching of reading as each reinforces and implements the other; hence, across the content areas teachers will implement reading and writing strategies according to Livingston County Middle School Writing Program/Plan: With Writing Policy & Kentucky Core Academic Standards, compiled in a black and pink notebook and distributed by the curriculum specialist in September, 2011, to all faculty members. The policy/plan/program was accepted by the LCMS SBDM July, 2011. (Sept. 21 – Nov. 10.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, All Faculty, Doris Cothron.

IF WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL:

Assign and reassign students based on their performance according to progress monitoring data.

Continue the encouragement and reiteration of different teaching strategies.

Coach students to reread, restudy, interact, and retest on APEX materials.

RESOURCES NEEDED:

Implementation of reading lab strategies for all our students.

Much more writing across the curriculum, as well as in language arts classes, to support reading comprehension and higher order thinking.

Purposeful, habitual implementation of new teaching strategies.

SECTION III

(November 11, 2011 – January 10, 2012)

IN 90 DAYS, WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN:

More and more Tier II and Tier III students move toward and beyond the benchmark target to the degree that they move from CORRECTIVE READING into AWARDS and from AWARDS into a reading laboratory.

A comparison of the fall Discovery data and the winter Discovery data reveals overall growth in reading for the entire Livingston County Middle School population.

THE MEASURES/EVIDENCE WE WILL USE ARE:

AIMSWeb

APEX

Discovery Assessment

Formative/Summative Assesssment

Observations of Lessons

EXPLORE

Learning Checks

THIRD 30 DAY ACTION STRATEGIES:

Reading interventionist and curriculum specialist, Teresa Alsobrook and Doris Cothron, attend literacy training with Carolyn Downing for implementation and sharing. The focus of the session was congruency of content/standard/target/task. (Nov. 11.) Responsible: Doris Cothron. (Aimed at reading improvement)

Lisa Huddleston, math curriculum specialist, trained the LCMS faculty in Learning 360 strategies, strategies that had been “trained” October 14 and November 2 by Steve Olsen at “train the trainer” sessions at MSU. Also a list of eight Learning 360 “wait” strategies used by Steve Olsen were distributed to the faculty for use in their classroom methodology. (Nov. 14.) Responsible: Lisa Huddleston, Doris Cothron. (Aimed at reading improvement, student-centered learning, higher order thinking skills)

Doris Cothron and Lisa Huddleston attend the Principals’ Leadership Academy at the MSU Center at Hopkinsville for training/learning/discussion of PLC’s, information to be followed up at LCMS. (Nov. 15.) Responsible: Lisa Huddleston, Doris Cothron. (Aimed at instruction improvement)

EXPLORE data is shared by the math curriculum specialist with seventh and eighth grade students in seventh grade social studies and eighth grade science classes with power point, discussion, question/answer, etc. format. (Nov. 28-29.) Responsible: Lisa Huddleston. (Aimed at student ownership, thus, reading improvement)

All LCMS students will continue to participate in the Accelerated Reader Program. (Nov. 11 – Jan. 10.) Responsible: Michelle Powell, Jan Strickland, Dee Wright. (Aimed at reading improvement) 7

As a part of the 2011-2012 LCMS Literacy Plan, Carolyn Downing from WKEC, literacy specialist, visits the APEX/reading lab, special education teachers, and the reading interventionist to monitor and assist. (Monthly or more.) Responsible: Doris Cothron. (Aimed at reading improvement)

Articles, “literacy conversations,” and strategies are shared by curriculum specialist. (Nov. 11 – Jan. 10.) Responsible: Doris Cothron. (Aimed at reading improvement, student-centered learning, instruction improvement, high order thinking skills, rigor)

Continued expectations of faculty to employ reading strategies introduced/reviewed in professional development of June 29, 2011, as well as those introduced through email or modeling, remain and are reiterated. (Nov. 11 – Jan. 10.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, Doris Cothron. (Aimed at reading improvement, instruction improvement)

Observations will be made of instruction to observe the implementation of Learning 360 strategies, “immerse-model-emerge.” (By Dec. 9.) Responsible: Larry McGregor, Lisa Huddleston, Doris Cothron, Sheri Henson. (Aimed at reading improvement, student-centered learning, higher order thinking skills, instruction improvement)

Teresa Alsobrook, Doris Cothron, Lisa Huddleston visited Graves County Middle School on recommendation of Carolyn Downing to look at the programs of GCMS, especially RTI and reading/writing programs. (Nov. 18.) Responsible: Doris Cothron.

LCMS faculty has the opportunity to attend Education Trust Webinars in the LCMS Cardinal Room. (Dec. 8 – Spring.) Responsible: Lisa Huddleston, Doris Cothron, Larry McGregor.

Lisa Huddleston and Doris Cothron attend the third Learning 360 training at MSU for training/sharing with LCMS faculty. (Dec. 13.) Responsible: District, Doris Cothron, Lisa Huddleston.

The curriculum specialists are available for support and modeling across the curriculum with emphasis in literacy and math. (Nov. 11 – Jan. 10.) Responsible: District, Doris Cothron, Lisa Huddleston.

PLC’s continue to meet regularly with direction form district leadership on PLC’s, congruency of standards to targets and tasks, and assessment. (Nov. 11 – Jan. 10.) Responsibility: District, Larry McGregor.