District: Russell Independent

School: Russell-McDowell Intermediate

Policy 13.10

Policy Description: Instruction/Writing Policy

Date : May 2010

Russell McDowell Intermediate Writing Policy

Multiple Opportunities for Students to Develop Complex Communication Skills for a Variety of Purposes

Integrated Literacy

Literacy skills are best taught when integrated across the curriculum. Therefore literacy skills will be addressed in all content areas, using content areas as opportunities for students to learn strategies for reading and writing fiction and non-fiction materials, using print and multimedia sources for research, and using multi-media tools in preparing presentations for a variety of audiences. These opportunities will include a variety of genres reflecting student interest, real world products, opportunities for oral text, learning-to-write, writing-to-learn, and writing to demonstrate learning. The students will receive instruction in speaking and listening skills as well as 21st Century literacy skills.

Objectives (measurable):

  1. Teachers will teach writing integrated into daily content area lessons.
  2. Students will use writing strategies in their writing practice.
  3. Teachers and students will have weekly practice with the school adopted writing formats

Evidence of Success (for each objective):

1a. Writing strategies will be documented in lesson plans.

1b. Students will use the writing strategies to answer content related questions.

1c. Writing strategies will be included in posted objectives.

2a. Evidence shown in student work will show use and understanding of writing strategies.

2b. Students will participate in activities to teach them writing strategies.

2c. Writing growth will be shown in the students’ working portfolio.

3a. All students will be instructed using the adopted school writing formats.

3b. All students will receive conferencing focused on their writing.

3c. Weekly writing practice will be shown in lesson plans.

Access to and use of technology tools

Essential Literacy Skills

Students will be provided with opportunities to hone skills in all areas of literacy: Technological literacy, speaking, listening, reading, and writing. These skills will be taught by the classroom teacher and in collaboration with the library/media specialist. Students will have access to computers in the classroom as well as in shared computer labs in the school. Students without access to computers at home will be provided with computer access to work on projects at school as necessary to ensure availability of resources to all students.

Technology literacy: Students will be prepared to meet the educational and career needs of the 21st century following district technology policy guidelines.

District Guidelines are as follows:

Student Technology Literacy Skills

In keeping with the vision for the Technology Program at Russell Independent Schools, which is to support our schools in accomplishing the district’s mission, while providing 21st Century technology that will empower the learning community to become information-literate critical thinkers and achieve lifelong learning goals in their personal, educational, and workplace environment. Student technology literacy skills are at the center of this vision. The focus is on proficiency of Technology Skills as outlined in the Program of Studies for Kentucky Schools by the 8th Grade.

Goal 1-Implement and assess a spiral curriculum for students that integrates technology in an engaged learning environment, designed to meet local, state, and national standards of excellence in a legal and ethical manner for the promotion of citizenship and technological leadership.

Goal 2-Russell Independent Schools will implement multiple evaluation tools (Simple Assessment) to evaluate Technology Proficiency, in addition to 8th Grade end of Course Assessment and Teacher Observation for both students and faculty and staff.

Integration of Technology into Curricula and Instruction

The Integration of Technology into Curricula and Instruction is being done through 21st Century Classroom tools. We are systematically equipping classrooms through a competitive grant process open to all Russell Independent Teachers. All classrooms currently have projectors and networked computers. Russell Primary, Russell-McDowell Intermediate, and Russell Middle School Classrooms all have document cameras.

Goal 1-All Russell Independent Classrooms will utilize 21st Century Classroom tools to integrate technology into everyday instruction. These tools can include, but are not limited to: LCD projector, document camera, networked computer, SMARTBoard, Airliner, or Classroom Response Systems.

Staff Training/ Professional Development Goals

Professional Development

Provide a staff development program to facilitate and evaluate the relevant use of technology in order to empower our staff to embrace technology as a tool that can be utilized effectively across the curriculum. The District Technology Coordinator, and 21st Century Classroom Participants will provide professional development opportunities in a variety of ways, locations, and times (after-school, Saturdays, summer institute, individualized assistance, job-embedded instruction, etc.)

Goal 1-Russell Independent Schools will offer quality professional development that will enable our teachers and support staff to integrate technology into instruction. Monthly Technology PD will be scheduled district-wide.

Access to and use of language resources

All students will receive instruction in language, writing, and grammar skills from resources including but not limited to the reading curriculum adopted by the council, web-based materials (e.g. Study Island), language skills curriculum materials, and writing curriculum. Strategies implemented through these resources can include but are not limited to:

Writing Strategies/Concepts for Mastery:

  1. SPAM
  2. Similes/Metaphors
  3. Onomatopoeia
  4. Sensory Details
  5. Emotional Appeal
  6. Transitional Phrases
  7. Dialogue
  8. Problem/Solution
  9. Setting
  10. Purpose
  11. Audience
  12. Point of View
  13. Details
  14. Supporting Details
  15. Fact/Opinion
  16. Expository Writing
  17. Constructed Response
  18. Introductions/Conclusions
  19. Writing Process skills
  20. Sentence Variety
  21. Revising/Editing
  22. Thesaurus/Dictionary Skills
  23. Writing in Content Areas
  24. Poetry forms
  25. Reflective Writing
  26. Persuasive Writing
  27. Letter Writing
  28. Open Response Writing
  29. On-Demand Writing
  30. Using Strong (exact) verbs
  31. Show-not-Tell
  32. Using commas
  33. Avoiding Run-ons
  34. Take away endings

Procedures for developing and monitoring portfolios

  1. Each teacher will keep an evolving writing folder for each student during the year. In it the students will store their writing in all genres produced during that year. They would also have an evolving portfolio, which would follow the students from grade to grade. The portfolio would contain the published pieces intended to go on to the next grade and middle school.
  2. 4th grade students will produce a polished informative/explanatory piece of their choice. This piece will teach extensive technology literacy skills as well as transactive writing skills. They will also produce a narrative piece or they may use the narrative piece from the Primary Writing Folder to edit and revise.
  3. 5th grade students will produce a polished argumentative piece of their choice (the possible genres will reflect the genres represented in the 5th accountability testing such as on demand). They will also take the narrative piece from the 4th grade on through the publishing step or create a narrative piece of their choice.
  4. All these pieces will be assessed and analyzed to inform whole class and whole school instructional strengths and areas of need for the writing program
  5. The Middle School would receive an evolving portfolio containing aninformative/explanatory piece, argumentative piece, and a narrative piece.

Feedback to students regarding writing and communication skills

In addition to the feedback and grading strategies detailed in the “Procedures for developing and monitoring portfolios” students will receive feedback through:

  • Peer conferencing
  • Self-assessment
  • Student reflection based on formative assessment to edit and revise work
  • Descriptive feedback
  • Teacher conferencing
  • Rubrics-teacher-made, state-provided, commercial, etc.
  • Modeling
  • Use of strong and weak examples
  • Skills checklists

Other Policies in support of Writing/Communication Skills

For Students:

Students need a variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to grow in speaking, listening, and writing skills. RMIS will provide these kinds of opportunities, examples of which follow. This list is not intended to be comprehensive but to provide samples of the types of activities in which students can participate.

  • Breakfast with the Arts
  • Communication Day
  • Peer-tutoring in technology
  • STLP Activities
  • Essay Contests
  • District Technology showcase
  • Family Content Area Nights

For Teachers:

Teachers need support in order to provide research-based, authentic literacy experiences for their student. These are examples of the types of support provided to teachers to further their growth.

  • District-wide Professional Development that is ongoing and job embedded
  • School-wide Teacher-led PD
  • Monthly district technology professional development
  • Professional Learning Communities and School Leadership supports the writing program by providing job embedded PD, common schedules, flexible grouping, grade level meetings to plan instruction and analyze student work, etc
  • Curriculum Resource Coaches are provided to assist teachers in planning and analyzing, collaborative teaching, and assisting at-risk students as funding is available