Action Plan and Literacy

Adolescent Literacy Plan of Action

Successful academic learning and student performance are founded on literacy (Meltzer & Ziemba, 2006). Listening, reading, observational, writing, presentation, speaking and critical thinking skills are used by literate students to learn, communicate what they have learned and even transfer the knowledge gained to other scenarios (Meltzer & Ziemba, 2006). A literacy leadership team and the school principal must lead continual improvement as a goal for students to develop literacy. When an entire school community collectively holds expertise in literacy, it becomes the most beneficial to students (Irvin, Meltzer & Dukes, 2007). In addition to expertise, schools must do what's necessary to enhance their ability to minimize the gap existing between practice and knowledge. All school aspects, like assessments, curriculum, resource allocation, policies and structures, professional development of teachers, instruction and culture of the school, are impacted by the existence of systemic literacy development efforts (Irvin, Meltzer & Dukes, 2007).

A school-wide literacy action plan is a critical blueprint for enhancing student engagement, motivation and achievement; integrating literacy and learning; and sustaining literacy development. Data on literacy needs, community and school expectations, student performance, current teaching practices, the capacity of the school to support the development of literacy and literacy program effectiveness are utilized to skillfully design an effective action plan. A literacy action plan must be used by leaders actively to bring change for guiding decisions regarding programming, instruction and resource allocation. An effective literacy action plan supports school leaders in addressing the needs of students regarding learning and literacy. Student performance data can be used to guide student placement and drive literacy improvement planning. Student performance data types collected should be indicated and its intended use. School leaders must gather data on particular literacy intervention's effectiveness to help monitor the plan's success upon development and implementation.

According to Schmoker (2006), the complicated, fragmented and convoluted nature of educational planning documents render them ineffective. As a result, the documents (improvement plans) are rarely used or hard to use. This explains why action is not guided by literacy action plans based on data, making it the biggest concern. Therefore, according to Schmoker, comprehensive school improvement plans should focus on improving instruction and curriculum instruction. However, schools have used and still use literacy action plans to guide their work to and focus their efforts on student proficiency improvement in writing and reading. An effective literacy action plan is coherent, quantifiable, comprehensible and concrete to school administrators and teachers. It should not just be compliant to a mandate, but should be considered proactive.

The first actionable step in improving adolescent literacy is implementing a literacy action plan.

An Effective Literacy Action Plan

An effective literacy action plan is based on several activities to guide action with an aim of improving students' literacy in writing, thinking and reading skills. Relevant data should be collected and analyzed to help determine desirable literacy improvement goals.

Strengthening Content Area Literacy Development

Developing literacy skills, and student engagement and motivation are essential literacy improvement outcomes. If students are actively engaged and motivated to read, write and think, they get the chance to enhance their literacy skills and habits, leading to their success as learners. Whenever students are engaged, their confidence and competence are enhanced through teachers' instruction and coaching. It's important for school leaders to understand the relationship between student motivation, engagement and achievement. They should also comprehend and undertake the leadership responsibilities and roles needed to attain successful learning and literacy in adolescents. Learning and literacy development is critical and regards what students and teachers do in the classroom. Content area texts can increasingly become complex, hence the support students need to meet the ever-changing demands. Moreover, there's need for extra instruction and time to support students struggling with writing and reading in their literacy skills development efforts (Graves et al., 2008).

Sufficient data exist on content-area literacy practices in the classrooms and the link between instructions based on standards and content area literacy. Teachers can successfully help students to utilize daily writing and reading to enhance learning by integrating content area literacy instruction. Teachers are required by instruction and curricula based on assessments and state standards to regularly and intentionally utilize literacy strategies to distinguish and scaffold instruction. School leaders should ensure that teachers integrate content area instruction and literacy development by establishing and reinforcing rules or expectations. Teachers also need effective professional development to satisfactorily meet the laid out rules or expectations to address content standards of state while improving student learning and literacy (Graves et al., 2008).

A school-wide literacy action plan features particular steps to offer the support needed and set the rules or expectations to enable content-area teachers provide classroom instruction with an aim of student motivation, engagement and achievement.

Figure 1: Action Plan for Content Area Literacy Development

Goal

Timeline

Action Steps

Responsible Person (s)

Resources

Success Evidence

Activate Grade-level/ Subject Area Discussions on Writing and Reading Techniques (graves et al., 2008)

3 School Years

Schedule Time for Department Meetings

Content-Area Team Leaders

Restructured Days Time

Department Minutes

Share Effective Techniques in Faculty Meetings

Literacy Team Members, Teachers

Planning Time

Faculty Agendas

Add One Technique in Every Monthly Faculty Newsletter

Principal

Feedback and Suggestions by Teachers

Monthly Newsletters

Find and Utilize Subject Areas' Various Texts (Graves et al., 2008)

3 Summer School Years

Analyze and Document Subject Areas' Available Texts

Department Chairs and Media Specialist

Printing, Summer Stipends

Texts Lists

Develop a Partnership with Newspapers in Education (NIE)

English Chair

Time for Making Contacts

NIE Classroom Resources; Meeting Agendas

Expand Content-related Classroom Libraries

The Local School Council and Principal

Budget and Time for Buying Books

Numbers of Books and Libraries

Explore Electronic Text to Subscription Database Options

Principal

Subscription Fee

Database Purchase

Literacy Interventions for Struggling Writers and Readers

Several middle and high school students are in need of thorough support to improve their writing and reading skills. Furthermore, literacy needs vary from one student to another. Therefore, school leaders need guidance to develop, implement and monitor particular interventions aimed at meeting the needs of students struggling with writing and reading. Major intervention strategies issues for consideration include: student identification for additional support; proper acceleration or remediation content, format, focus and structural options; assessment measures; and availability of quality instructors. Teachers can only help students struggling with reading and writing upon identifying and recognizing them. Literacy interventions are important in helping students struggling with reading and writing as part of schools' literacy development or improvement efforts. Data on school capacity, student needs and knowledge of teachers determine the program type and techniques to offer students as interventions (ACT, 2006b).

Figure 2: Literacy Intervention Action Plan for Students Struggling with Writing and Reading

Goal

Timeline

Action Steps

Responsible Person (s)

Resources

Success Evidence

Buy and Deploy a Reading Program to Meet Students' Needs for Scoring on Reading Assessment in the Lowest Quartile (ACT, 2006b)

3 Summer School Years

Identify Students in the Lowest Quartile

School and District Test Coordinators

Test Data

Lists of Students

Research, Identify and Buy a Verified Reading Program for the Targeted Students

Reading Specialist, Principal

Funds, Reading Programs Information

Meeting Agendas, Research Notes

Find an Intensive Reading Course in the Master Schedule

Assistant Principal for Master Schedule, Principal

A Flexible Master Schedule

Completed Master Schedule

Assign Qualified Instructors to the Reading Course

Human Resources Personnel, Principal

Qualified Instructors or Teachers

Lists of Instructors or Teachers with their Qualifications

Place Students in the Designated Course and Monitor their Progress

Reading Teachers, Principal

Professional Development, Course Materials

Assessment Improvements, Promotions, Student Grades

Deploy a School-wide Writing Program (ACT, 2006b)

3 Summer School Years

Research, Identify and Buy Materials

Instructors or Teachers, Assistant Principals, Principal

Grades, Test Data, Data on Attendance

Student Reports Received by Instructors or Teachers

Offer Literacy Professional Development

Subject Areas District Supervisors, Principal

Outside Consultants for Professional Development

Evaluations, Instructor or Teacher Surveys, Sign-in Sheets

Offer Time during the School Day for Cross-Functional Planning

Department Chairs, Coordinator of the Master Schedule

Instructional Materials, A Flexible Master Schedule

Planning Meetings Minutes, Instructor or Teacher Surveys

School Structures, Policies and Culture for Literacy Development/Improvement Support

Exclusion of a school's structures, policies and culture could mean that certain aspects in place might hinder efforts to improve literacy if not addressed, and action steps are not aimed at developing the school's current capacity in such areas, resulting in failure to sustain or take the necessary actions. For instance, action steps dependent on the structure of a department for implementation might not be relevant if instruction based on teams is utilized by the school. Similarly, when a school faculty is substantially trained in curriculum-wide writing or instructional process planning, it becomes sensible to develop and link those areas of expertise trained on to literacy efforts rather than 'replacing' work done earlier. The goals of a school's structures, policies and culture action plan focus on creating a culture where instructors work together to coordinate their efforts towards developing and deploying instruction and curriculum across various subject areas, in addition to offering assessment-based instruction and performance options (Cooney, 1999).

Figure 3: School Structure, Policies and Culture Action Plan

Goal

Timeline

Action Steps

Responsible Person (s)

Resources

Success Evidence

Coordinate Instruction and Curriculum Across Different Subject Areas (Cooney, 1999)

3 School Summer Years

Create Grade-level Teams

Curriculum Chairs, Assistant Principals, Principal

Grades, Test Data, Summer Stipends, Planning Time

Teams Development, Meeting Agendas, Student Assignments

Create Curriculum Committees to Design Instructional Goals Touching on Subject Areas

Curriculum Chairs, Assistant Principals, Principal

Instruction Planning Time during Summer, Leveled Texts and Instructional Materials, Access to the Internet

Planning Minutes, Committee Roster, Meeting Agendas

Create Curriculum-Integrated Projects (Supports the Themes) and Themes

Department Chairs, Curriculum Chairs

Planning Time, Instructional Materials, Subject Areas District Supervisors, Summer Stipends

Instructional Materials Developed, Instructors' Plan Books

Offer Time during the School Day for Cross-Functional Planning

Department Chairs, Coordinator of the Master Schedule

Instructional Materials, A Flexible Master Schedule, Access to the Internet

Teacher Surveys, Planning Meetings Minutes, Evaluations

Develop and Deploy Instruction for Use with Informal and Formal Assessment Instruments (Cooney, 1999)

3 Summer School Years

Create a Cross-Functional Curriculum Team to Decide on Common Assessment Practices

Assistant Principals, Principal, Instructors or Teachers

Summer Stipends, Summer Meeting Time, Assessment Instruments

Teams Development, Meeting Agendas

Develop Common Rubrics

Department Chairs, Grade-level Teams

Sample Rubrics, Substitute Coverage, Planning Time, Access to the Internet

Created and Field-tested Rubrics, Planning Time, Minutes, Meeting Agendas, Work Done by Students

Integrate Classroom Instruction with Performance Assessments

Teacher Leaders, Department Chairs

Time for Planning, Testing Director Support, Supervisors at the District Level, Summer Stipends, Sample Performance Assessments

Created Performance Tasks, Instructors' Plan Books, Work and Projects Done by Students

Offer Cross-Functional Assessment Evaluation Time

Department Chairs, Coordinator of the Master Schedule

Before or After School Time, A Flexible Schedule, Restructured Days

Meeting Minutes, Planning Time, Evaluations Teacher Surveys

Building Leadership Capacity

Principals need other school community leaders to support their literacy improvement efforts. The literacy coach, literacy team members, curriculum coordinator, reading specialist, the department chairs, the media specialist and instructors should support the school principals. Whereas a literacy team can help develop a literacy action plan, a literacy coach can help develop collective literacy instruction competence by offering support and playing leadership roles. Teachers should be given the chance to develop literacy expertise and work in both horizontal and vertical teams to support and guide learning and quality teaching. Shared leadership is also essential to sustain efforts geared towards improving literacy over time. Principals should augment staff literacy expertise and assign responsibilities and roles across the school to enhance literacy development and improvement. A typical literacy action plan for developing leadership capacity can specify new position resource allocations and time for department chairs and teams to discuss work plan implications, new committees to meet and specialists to meet, co-teach and mentor other leaders. The action plan in the table below focuses on techniques of developing teachers' leadership capacity by creating classroom demonstrations and providing support based on research used to examine work done by students (Elmore, 2002).

Figure 4: Action Plan for Developing Leadership Capacity

Goal

Timeline

Action Steps

Responsible Person (s)

Resources

Success Evidence

Develop 2 Literacy Demonstrations in Every Content Area (Elmore, 2002)

3 Summer School Years

Identify Instructor or Teacher Leaders to Offer Modeling and Classroom Demonstrations for their Peers

Principal

Summer Stipends, Meeting Time during Summer, Assessment Instruments

Teams Development, Meeting Agendas

Offer Professional Development to Teachers Offering Classroom Demonstration

Principal

Outside Consultants for Professional Development, School Literacy Coach

Student and Teacher Surveys, Classroom Observations, Evaluations

Develop Classroom Visit Opportunities for Modeling and Demonstration Observations

Department and/or Curriculum Chairs, Principal

Substitute Coverage, Planning Time

Teacher Surveys, Observational Rubrics, Research Notes

Take Part in Classroom-Based Research by Evaluating Work Done by Students (Elmore, 2002)

3 Summer School Years

Identify Instructors and Teacher Teams to Take Part in Classroom-Based Research

Department and/or Curriculum Chairs

Summer Stipends, Meeting Time during Summer, Assessment Instruments

Teams Development, Meeting Agendas

Develop Tuning Protocols for Evaluating Work Done by Students

Curriculum and/or Department Chair

Substitute Coverage, Planning Time, Professional Materials

Examined Work Done by Students, Sample Protocols, Student and Teacher Surveys

Offer Common Planning Time

Principal

Summer Stipends; Out of Contract Meeting Time if Necessary; Substitutes; Copying Budget

Student and Teacher Surveys, Classroom Observations, Evaluations

Offer Time for Follow-up Activities and Constructive Feedback

Department Chairs, Coordinator of the Master Schedule

Before or After School Time, A Flexible Schedule, Restructured Days

Teacher Surveys, Planning Meetings, Minutes, Outcome Presentations

Supporting Teachers to Improve Instruction

Students gain from purposed and sustained engagement based on writing, reading and thinking tasks together with continual strategic support for skills development to become independent learners. Teachers need support and guidance from school leaders to enhance instruction and student learning. Teacher professional development, professional learning communities, making the work public and coaching are the techniques that can be utilized by school leaders to support literacy development through instruction. It is the role of school leaders to ensure that best practices are deployed in the classrooms through classroom observations, teacher evaluations, literacy walk-throughs and induction of new teachers. Middle and high school teachers need support and professional development to deploy student literacy support. There's need for a plan to for various support types and professional development required by teachers to enhance content area literacy instruction and successful deployment of literacy interventions for students struggling with reading (International Reading Association, 2004).