TheLiteracySpotAward

DetailedCriteria

Theexampleslistedbelowrepresent,butarenotlimitedto,thecurrentconsensusofReadingRecovery®advocatesregardingthecriteriaforhigh-qualityliteracyprograms.Tobeeligibleforconsiderationforthisawardsprogram,aschoolmustexhibitanexemplaryratingonallitems.Schoolsanddistrictsmustalsoindicateacommitmenttotheprograminsubsequentyears.

1.Anongoingcomprehensive andsystematicapproachtointerventionisinplacetoaddresstheneedsofallstudentsingradeskindergartenthroughthree.

  • Literacydevelopmentisaprimaryfocusandisstrategy-based.
  • Summativeandformativeassessmentsguidedecisionsforshortandlong-termcurriculumandinstruction.
  • Administratorsandteachersareinvolvedinongoingprofessionaldevelopment.
  • Qualifiedinterventionistswithliteracyexpertiseandtrainingservestudentsbasedondata.
  • Classroomteachersusestrategicteachingconsistentwithearlyliteracyresearch-basedpractices.
  • Studentsreceivedailydirectinstructiononspecificreadingandwritingstrategies.
  • Skillsaretaughtincontext,notisolation.
  • Readingandwritingareintegratedintoallcurricularareas.
  • Allstudentsareengageddailyinrealreadingandwritingforauthenticpurposes.
  • Studentsarereadtoseveraltimesaday.
  • Studentstalkaboutbooksandauthors.
  • Schedulingofstaffisconducivetocooperativeplanningandanintegratedcurriculum.
  • Cross-grade-levelmeetings,grade-levelmeetings,andfacultymeetingsareutilizedtoshareideasandsupportstrategy-basedinstruction.
  • Opportunitiesareprovidedforparentstovalueandpromoteliteracydevelopment.

2.TheschoolprovidesReadingRecoveryserviceforallat-riskfirstgraders.Theschoolanddistrictdemonstrateacommitmenttoongoingserviceforthesestudentsinsubsequentyears.

  • ThereisaReadingRecoveryteacherservingfour(4)studentsforevery50first-gradestudentsforaportionofeachday(assumingtheschoolhasanaveragenumberofat-riskfirstgraders).
  • ReadingRecoverystudentsreceivefiveconsecutivedaysofReadingRecoveryinstructioninaweek.
  • AlternativerankingandteacherjudgmentareincludedintheselectionofstudentstobescreenedwiththeObservationSurvey.
  • ReadingRecoveryisservingtheloweststudentsinfirstgradebasedonthe

ObservationSurvey.

  • ReadingRecoveryservesallormostofthelowest-achievingfirstgradestudentswhoneedadditionalsupportinmeetinggradelevelexpectationsinreadingandwriting.
  • ReadingRecoverystudents who have successfully completed the program(discontinued)aremonitoredthroughtheprimarygrades.
  • Otherlong-termsupportservicesareavailableforthosestudentswhodonot meetthecriteriafordiscontinuation.

3.Text-basedformativeassessmentrequiresthecontinuoususeofdatatoplanandinforminstruction.

  • Acomprehensive,on-goingassessmentsystemisutilizedtocollectandanalyzedatatoinforminstruction(datawalls,datafolders,datarooms,etc.).
  • Aplanforthemodelofinterventionincludesatimelineforservice.
  • Runningrecordsaresystematicallyadministeredandusedasaninstructionalandassessmenttoolforfirstgraders.
  • Therecordingofstudentreadingbehaviors(e.g.,runningrecords)isusedasaninstructionalandformativeassessmenttoolforsecondandthirdgradersasappropriate.
  • Multipleassessmenttechniquesincludingportfolios,anecdotalrecords,student-teacherconferences,open-endedquestions,teacherobservation,andstudentprojectsareused.
  • Text-basedformativeassessmentdataareusedtoprogressmonitortheneedsofanindividualstudentatvariouspointsinhis/hersequenceoflearning.
  • Text-basedformativeassessmentdataareusedtoobserveandinterpretindividualstrengthsandneeds.
  • Text-basedformativeassessmentdataareusedtomatchbookswithastudent’sinstructionalneeds,aswellasinterest.
  • Text-basedformativeassessmentdataareusedtoaccelerateindividualstudentsthroughbooksattheirownspeed.
  • Text-basedformativeassessmentdataareusedtoprogressmonitorandprovidefeedbacktoadministratorsand/orparents.
  • Studentsareinvolvedintheassessmentoftheirlearning.

4.Thebuildingleadershipsupports,promotesandmonitorsthedevelopmentandutilizationofeffectiveliteracyinstruction.

  • Classroomteachersusestrategicteachingconsistentwithearlyliteracyresearch.
  • InstructionalpracticesreflecteffectiveutilizationoftheReadingRecoveryteacherleaderand/orReadingRecoveryteacher(s).
  • Earlyliteracyemphasisisonaccelerationandearlyintervention.
  • Administratorsmonitortheliteracyprogressofat-riskstudents.
  • Administratorsmodelthevalueofreadingandwritingbyactivelyparticipatinginreadingandwritingactivities.
  • Acomprehensiveprofessionaldevelopmentplansupportsacultureofresearch-basedliteracypractice.
  • Professionalopportunitiesincludeconferences,workshops,courses,classroomvisitations,andnetworkingopportunities.
  • Spaceis providedforaprofessional libraryforteachersandfora variety ofliteracyresourcesforstudents,includingmultiplecopiesofleveledtextandbigbooks.

5.Provisionsaremadeforteachersandadministratorstohavetimetoplancooperatively,tonetworkwithpeers,andtoparticipateinprofessionaldevelopmentactivities.

  • Timeisscheduledforfacultymemberstodevelopplans,network,andshareideas.
  • Opportunitiesforprofessionalgrowththroughprofessionaldevelopmentactivities,workshops,andcoursesaremadeavailabletofacultymembers.
  • On-goingprofessionaldevelopmentisprovidedforaminimumoftwoyearswithamajorityoffacultyontaking,analyzing,andutilizingrunningrecords;onstrategicliteracyteaching;andoneffectiveflexiblegrouping.

6.Aclimateofhighexpectationsexistsforallstudentsasreadersand writers.

  • Enthusiasmforlearningpermeatestheschoolcommunity.
  • Allstudentsareexpectedtolearntoreadandwrite. Differencesindevelopmentareacceptedasnormal.
  • Emphasisisonbuildingonwhatstudentsknoworbringtoschool.
  • Studentshaveongoingopportunitiestolearnandbesuccessful.
  • Successesarecelebratedthroughouttheschoolcommunity.
  • Teachersandadministratorsunderstandtheconceptthatstudentsaretaughtontheirinstructionallevels.
  • Ongoingprogress ismonitored for eachlearnerenablingteachers toaccommodateindividualneeds.
  • Thepromotionrateishigh.

7.Aschoolleadershipteammeetsregularlytodiscuss,plan,andprovideguidanceintheimplementationoftheschool’sRead to Succeed Plan.

  • TheteamincludesaReadingRecoveryteacher,anadministrator,aliteracycoach(ifapplicable),classroomteacherrepresentatives,andotherinstructionalfacultymembersasappropriate.
  • TheteamispartofthestudentselectionprocessforReadingRecovery.
  • Theteamrecommendsstrategiesandresourcesforat-riskstudentsingradesK-3.
  • TheteamconsultswiththeReadingRecoveryteacherleader.
  • Theteamprovidessupport and follow-uponrecommendationsto assessindividualstudentprogress.

8.Theschoolandclassroomsreflect aprint-richenvironmentincludingtheprominentdisplayofstudents’writtenwork,publishedbooks,drawings,andprojects.

  • Reading,writing,speaking,andlisteningareactiveandobservablebehaviors.
  • Materialsareeasilyaccessibletostudents.
  • Resourcesincludeauthenticreadingandwritingmaterials.
  • Avarietyofreadingandwritingresourcesisavailable,suchaspictionariesordictionaries,magazines,books,environmentalprint,student’snewspapers,brochures,pamphlets,bigbooks,signs,posters,bulletinboards,paper,pens,pencils,markers,crayons,listeningcenters,journals,modelsofteacherwriting,andstudentpublications.
  • Classconstructedchartsand/oranchorchartsaredisplayedinclassroomsandreflectrecentliteracylearning.
  • Studentworkispublished,shared,andcelebrated.
  • Publishedstudentworkisaccessibleinclassroomsandthemediacenter.
  • Studentworkisdisplayedinthehallwaysandclassrooms.
  • Thereisevidencethatthedisplaysarefrequentlyupdated.
  • Thereisevidencethatdisplaysincludeworkfromstudentsrepresentingallabilitylevels.
  • Thereisevidencethatdisplaysareoriginalandauthenticworkbystudentsratherthanworksheetand/orstencilactivities.
  • Dailywritingandreadingofsustainedtextareevident.

9.Thecurriculumisintegratedandemphasizesconceptsandprocesses.

  • Studentscommunicatetheirideasorallyandinwritingthroughoutthecurriculumdaily.
  • Readingandwritingareintegratedacrossthecurriculumincludingthefinearts.
  • Teachersplanforintegratedlearningthatismeaningful,relevant,andchallenging.
  • Unitsandthemesarebasedonsubstantiveconceptsthattienewlearningtopriorlearning.
  • Reading,writing,speakingandlisteningaretaughtascommunicationprocesses.
  • Studentswriteinallsubjectareas.
  • Connectionsaremadeamongallsubjectareas.
  • Phonemicawarenessandphonicsaretaughtinthecontextofmeaningasadecoding strategyalongwithstructure.

10.Studentsareinvolvedinanumberofgroupingstrategiesthroughouttheday.

  • Text-basedformativeassessmentdataareusedtogroupstudentsforspecificinstructionandtomonitortheirprogress.
  • Flexiblegroupingofstudentsforliteracyinstructionisbasedonrelevantassessmentdata,learningneeds,interests,workhabits,learningstyles,orthenatureofthetask.
  • Grouping strategies are utilized to includeinterest groups, cooperative groups, skillgroups,peerteachinggroups,peertutoring,andreadingbuddies.

11.Learningactivities are meaningful and engage students actively in thelearningprocess.

  • Priorknowledgeisrecognizedasanimportantpartoflearning.
  • Studentsactivelyparticipateintheirownlearning byinteractingwithothersandreceivingsupportfrompeersandteachers.
  • Studentsareexpectedtobeontaskwithmeaningfulinstructional-levelactivities.
  • Literacycentersreflect andsupportrecentliteracylearningandprovidepracticeattheindependentlevel.

12.Studentsareencouragedtouseproblem-solvingprocesses,makedecisions,andacceptresponsibilityfortheirdecisions.

  • Studentshavefrequentopportunitiesforself-selectedreadingandwriting.
  • Studentslearnstrategiesforsolvingproblemsthroughdirectandindirectmeans.
  • Teachersunderstandthevalueoftakingrisksinreadingandwriting.
  • Studentsareencouragedtotakerisksinreadingandwriting.
  • Mistakesareviewedaslearningopportunities.
  • Studentsrealizetheyareaccountablefortheirdecisions.

13.TheEnglishlanguageartsprogramisbasedoncurrentresearchandbestpracticesincludingsharedreading,readingaloud,guidedreading,independentreading,modeledwriting,sharedandinteractivewriting,independentwriting,contentareawriting,andsharingopportunities.

  • Teachersandadministratorsmodelthedifferencebetweentheproductiveuseofdirect,explicitteachingofskills and strategiesin context and theunproductiveuseofisolatedskillsactivities.Skillsandstrategiesaretaughtincontext.
  • Readingandwritingtasksareauthentic.
  • Teachersmodelandguideuseofreadingandwritingstrategies.
  • Dailyactivitiesforteachermodelingincludesharedreading,readingaloud,andmodeledwriting.
  • Guidedandindependentreadingandwritingactivitiesprovidepracticeintheuseofstrategiesacrossthecurriculum.

14.Classroomlibraries,writingsupplies, manipulatives, and technology areeasilyaccessibletostudents.

  • Eachclasshasavarietyofbooksbyrecognizedstudents’authorsandillustrators.Booksareproperlydisplayed.
  • Eachclassroomhasavarietyoflinedandunlinedpaper,writingtools,andwritingreferences(e.g.,pictionariesordictionaries,thesaurus,chartsofhighfrequencywords).Acomfortableandinvitingplaceisprovidedforwritingtooccur.
  • Avarietyofmanipulativestoencouragediscovery,inquiry,andcreativityareorganized,accessible,andageappropriate.
  • Eachclassroomhasaccesstotraditionalmaterialsaswellascurrenttechnology.Thereisevidencethatthetechnologyisanaturalpartofthestudents’classroomroutine.

15.Themediacenteristhenucleusoftheschoolandtheprimaryinformationcenter.

  • Mediaservicesandprogramsaredesignedaroundactive,authenticstudentlearning.
  • Avarietyofresourcesareprovidedtopromoteenthusiasmandenjoymentofreading.
  • Studentsandfacultyhavephysicalaccesstodiversereadingmaterialsrelevanttostudents’cultureandexperiences,aswellasdifferentculturesandexperiences.
  • Studentprojectsandworksaredisplayed.
  • Themedia specialist collaborates with teachers to create an active,purposeful,andinvitingenvironment.
  • Themediaspecialistprovidesleadership,collaboration,andassistancetoteacherstosupportcurriculumthroughliterature.
  • Themediaspecialistworkswiththeliteracyteamtoacquireadditionalneededresources.

16.Studentassessmentandprogressarecommunicatedtostakeholdersinavarietyofways.

  • Teacherscommunicatestudentstrengths,needs,andlearningstylesthroughparent-teacherconferences,reportcards,homevisits,notes,phonecalls,newsletters,e-mail,groupmeetings,andworkshops.
  • Summativedataarecollected,analyzedandcommunicated.
  • Familyliteracyisacomponentwhenplanningforparentinvolvement.
  • Communitypartners(e.g.,businesses,faith-basedorganizations,publiclibraries,andserviceorganizations)areinvolvedinthedevelopmentandsupportofliteracy.
  • Volunteersareutilizedtoenhanceliteracy.