Designing Literacy Initiatives for Whole School Improvement in Grades 7-12
|
Middle and high schools across the country are becoming increasingly aware that they are not paying enough attention to literacy instruction. They see their students struggling to complete reading assignments; some of the students who were successful in elementary school now cannot keep up with more challenging text. Fortunately, a number of middle and high schools are working to turn that situation around.
Designing Literacy Initiatives for Whole School Improvement in Grades 7-12 describes exactly what a school or district can do to implement a successful literacy initiative: |  |
Chapter 1: School Improvement Through a Literacy Focus introduces the need for schoolwide literacy planning based on what we know today about students, their reading skills, the demands of print and digital material, and future job market demands. This chapter sets a foundation for planning literacy using a four-stage model for schoolwide improvement. Chapter 2: The Brockton Story: Using Literacy to Change the Culture and Vision delves into the history of a changed culture at Brockton High School, transitioning from then to now. Why did the school begin a literacy initiative? What were the conditions in the school when the change began? What factors contributed to the success of Brockton’s process? Chapter 3: Planning for Growth and Change at Brockton outlines the factors that brought the change in vision and culture to fruition from 1995 to the present, including Project Diploma, freshman academies, the importance of the Restructuring Committee, faculty buy-in, safety nets to support all students, and organizational structures. Chapter 4: The Literacy Initiative at Brockton provides in-depth descriptions of all of the key elements in the Brockton experience, from the definition of literacy to the train-the-trainer model to the celebrations of success. Chapter 5: Evidence of Success at Brockton shares Brockton’s students’ progress: 25% of the graduating seniors in 2008 received full college scholarships from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to attend state public colleges, the highest percentage allowed under state regulations. Descriptions are also offered on how data is used to influence instructional decisions at the classroom level and with ELL students. Chapter 6: Four Case Studies of Schoolwide Literacy Initiatives features three high schools and one district that have successfully implemented literacy initiatives. Chapter 7: Tools for Literacy Improvement lays out the tools that are available to support efforts to build a literacy initiative. Chapter 8: Content Area Strategies provides multiple literacy strategies that can be used by individual teachers or as part of a professional development plan for a schoolwide approach. Chapter 9: Practices and Instruction offers practical recommendations for starting a literacy initiative, working with ELL students, and making the most of professional development time, as well as how to use young adult literature to enhance a literacy initiative. Chapter 10: Suggestions for Administrators, Literacy Coaches, and Teacher Leaders shares advice for how to implement a literacy initiative. Recommendations are given for all four stages of implementation to help a team better prepare for and adapt to its literacy plans. Chapter 11: Paradigms to Guide the Literacy Initiative provides tools to help schools and districts as they write and implement their own literacy initiatives. Checklists and questionnaires walk schools and districts through the process. The Appendix provides numerous resources to support a literacy initiative. The kit includes a CD with electronic copies of activities, checklists, and questionnaires and two video presentations on DVD. #K-10-LIT $295 Excerpt Online Store Order Form(PDF) School of Excellence - Brockton High School |
|