Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Plan

STATE PROFILE

Mississippi

Team Name

State Literacy Team

Responsible Agency

Mississippi Department of Education

Team Membership

Membership Types and Numbers
A State that receives a Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy formula grant establishes a Literacy Team comprised of individuals with expertise in literacy development and education for children birth to school entry; kindergarten through grade 5; grades 6 through 8; and grades 8 through 12. Provide the name of the Comprehensive Literacy Team members for each age /grade category and type of expertise.
Birth-school entry / Kenecha Brooks Smith, Holly Spivey
K-5th Grade / Dr. Angela Rutherford
6th grade - 12th grade / Dr. Devon Brenner
Managing/implementing literacy programs / Serenity Luckett
Evaluation of literacy programs / Candy Mize
Planning and implementing Response-to-Intervention / Carolyn James
Screening and performance measurement / Serenity Luckett
Validated interventions and instruction for struggling readers, English learners and students with disabilities / Dr. Elizabeth Melton
Professional development for principals, teachers and coaches / Dr. Jennifer Wilson
Teacher preparation and State licensure/accreditation in literacy development and instruction / Dr. Stacy Reeves
Other members and/or experts required / Dr. Patti Smith, Trecina Green

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Applicable Standards

Birth – School Entry / Kindergarten – 5th Grade / 6th Grade – 12th Grade
Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers / Common Core State Standards (CCSS) / CCSS
Mississippi Early Learning Standards for 3’s and 4’s

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Team Activities

Proposed Implementation Plans
The following analysis reflects only priorities cited as program requirements in the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program State Formula Grant Application. Also include any additional priorities addressed as part of a broader plan. (Reference page numbers for each priority in your Plan)
U.S. Department of Education Priorities / Satisfied / Details in the Literacy Plan
Address the literacy needs and improve the learning outcomes of children from birth through Grade 12 / ü  / ·  Goal: To produce effective teachers and leaders who are knowledgeable about evidence based literacy practices (birth to 5 and kindergarten-grade 3/grades 4-12) (28-31, 32-33)
·  Goal: To increase educators’ knowledge and skills in implementing literacy instruction supported by research (birth to 5 and kindergarten-grade 3/grades 4-12) (36-39)
·  Instruction—Planning and Delivering Evidence-Based, Effective Tier 1 Literacy Instruction Based on the Mississippi Response to Intervention Model (birth to 5, kindergarten-grade 3, and grades 4-12) (46-53)
Address the literary needs and improve the learning outcomes of disadvantaged students, such as students who are English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities / ü  / ·  Interventions—Addressing the Needs of Struggling Leaners (birth to 5 and kindergarten through grade 12) (54-58)
Include the use of clear content standards in the areas of pre-literacy, reading, and writing. Also use curriculum and instructional material that align with State standards / ü  / ·  Instruction—Planning and Delivering Evidence-Based, Effective Tier 1 Literacy Instruction Based on the Mississippi Response to Intervention Model (birth to 5, kindergarten-grade 3, and grades 4-12) (46-53)
·  Resources—Optimal Use of Human Capital, Time, Finances, and Instructional Materials (66-71)
Enable more data-based decision-making / ü  / ·  Assessment Data Collection and Use—Informing the Implementation of Literacy Instruction and Interventions (59-65)
Provide evidence-based teacher preparation and professional development / ü  / ·  Educator Preparation—Developing Effective Teachers and Leaders (birth to 5 and kindergarten-grade 3/grades 4-12) (25-33)
·  Professional Growth—Supporting Continuous Refinement of Evidence-Based Practices (birth to 5 and kindergarten-grade 3/grades 4-12) (34-39)
Use coherent assessment and screening systems that are aligned with State standards / ü  / ·  Assessment Data Collection and Use—Informing the Implementation of Literacy Instruction and Interventions (59-65)
·  Action Step: Identify a statewide assessment instrument for children in grades K-2 to determine the progress children are making in acquisition of early literacy skills. This instrument should assist in predicting student performance on the third grade summative assessment (Kindergarten-Grade 3) (63)
Implement targeted interventions / ü  / ·  Interventions—Addressing the Needs of Struggling Leaners (birth to 5 and Kindergarten through grade 12) (54-58)
Propose use of technology to address student learning challenges / ü  / ·  Action Step: Encourage the use of technology as an integral instructional tool, as well as providing students’ access and support with using technology (71)
Action Plans
(List major implementation activities; include page numbers where activities are referenced in Comprehensive Literacy Plan)
·  Create an early childhood implementation group that includes representatives from appropriate stakeholder groups and state agencies to develop criteria that ensure transition between the culture of childcare and public school and alignment of literacy curriculum between birth to 5 and K-12 teachers (28)
·  Adopt and implement the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs in all early childhood preparation programs, as well as Child Development Associate (CDA) credential programs (28)
·  Establish a teacher education redesign task force to REDESIGN teacher education programs (elementary, secondary, and special education) (28-29)
·  Develop a system for holding early childhood and CDA credential program accountable (29)
·  Develop a procedure where teacher preparation programs document that all faculty teaching literacy education courses meet the minimum standards for literacy education professionals required in the IRA Standards (29)
·  For the additional Action Plans See Pages 30-71

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Leadership and Sustainability
(Activities leadership teams undertake to develop and sustain implementation of their SRCL Comprehensive Literacy Plans. Examples include collaborative partnerships, communication strategies for sharing information with partners, and shared tasks among the leaders.)
·  Action Step: Establish a new structure for literacy instruction in Mississippi to sustain the literacy plan
Ø  Involve stakeholders (Governor’s office, legislature, MS Department of Education, MS Institutions of Higher Learning, postsecondary institutions, private foundations, corporate, business, etc.) in determining the new structure for sustaining the state literacy plan.
Ø  Recruit charter members that agree to contribute resources (time, money, space, and personnel).
Ø  Align existing funding structures (federal, state, and local) to provide high quality, effective literacy instruction.
·  Partnerships:
Ø  The Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction will partner with the MS Department of Education to begin facilitation of this action step during the 2012-2013 academic year
Ø  Partner with the MS State University Early Childhood Institute and the State Early Childhood Advisory Council for the purpose of improving the articulation between two-year and four-year colleges and universities to foster more undergraduate degree attainment in areas appropriate for birth to 5 teachers (28)

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State Comprehensive Literacy Plan Website

None

June 2012