Presenters:
Dorothy Fowler, Member of the Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children, Teacher, Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, Fairfax County Public Schools, Falls Church, Virginia
Dolores B. Malcolm, Director of Teaching & Learning Support, St. Louis Public Schools, St. Louis, Missouri
Jeanette Pulliam, Supervisor of Communication Arts, Teaching & Learning Support, St. Louis Public Schools, St. Louis, Missouri
Henry Mothner, Director, Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Downey, California
Janie Yuguchi Gates, Consultant, Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Downey, California
Moderators:
Judith Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U. S. Department of Education
Mary Jean LeTendre, Director, Compensatory Education Programs, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
Abstract:
We now know that with appropriate instruction, even children who have more difficulty reading can be put on the path to effective reading. It is imperative that capacity building is emphasized for teachers at all grade levels to increase their understanding of the role of instruction in optimizing literacy development. Teachers need to know the research foundations of reading. A critical component in supporting beginning teachers is the availability of mentors who have demonstrated records of success in teaching reading.
This workshop will highlight the National Research Council Committee’s purpose and vision for the field with an integrated picture of how reading develops and how reading instruction should proceed. The critical importance of the teacher in the prevention of reading difficulties and the need for ongoing education and professional development for all involved in literacy instruction will be discussed.
This workshop will also discuss one urban school system’s efforts to systemically improve reading instruction and increase student literacy skills. The presenters will outline district and school-based strategies that particularly support beginning teachers and provide ongoing, quality professional development experiences for school staff. The foundations of early literacy development and what teachers need to know to be effective will be emphasized.
The presenters will suggest ways to motivate current teachers to change their teaching methods, if necessary, and to renew their knowledge about language and literacy development and effective methods to prevent reading difficulties in young children. Specific examples of implementation strategies of research-based reading practices now underway in the Literacy Initiative for St. Louis Public Schools will be shared. Partnerships with the family, local community and institutions of higher education in support of new and current teachers in teaching beginning reading will also be discussed.
Participants will also learn about an exciting, new results-oriented training model called the "Reading Success Network" (RSN). RSN is a national network of reading coaches who support classroom teachers as well as train other coaches to work within their own schools or districts.
Notes
Introductions
Audrey Smith: Welcome on behalf of Mary Jean LeTendre who can't be here today because of an illness in the family. She would be pleased to see such a large group. Judith Johnson will be our moderator today. Judith is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of OESE and comes out of the New York City School System and knows a great deal about reading. We have a great deal to cover here today so I will turn it over to Judith.
Judith Johnson: It is a delight to moderate. This is the fifth session for me today. Just to give you some background on an earlier meeting I attended, and it will also segway into our discussion on professional development. An earlier meeting we had was on reauthorization and the critics abound! Now we are talking about a $7 billion dollar program and there are those who say we are not doing enough. So why give us any more money? Over the last months I have traveled across the county listening and speaking to about 500 people and one of the most frequently and recurring comments we hear is we must do something about the teaching quality and do something in support of teacher professional development. There is concern about the eroding confidence in our nation's public schools.
Much of what we will be talking about today will impact the quality of instruction. It comes at an important time in our history. We have a very talented panel who certainly understands the importance of teacher professional development to our country as a whole. It's interesting that we also hear the question about technology programs and whether we have lost the emphasis on reading and the fundamental purposes of learning. We will hear today from the perspectives of researchers, practitioners and two technical assistance providers who understand the importance of being there to provide support to school staff.
Presentations
Judith Johnson: (Introducing Dorothy Fowler (intro from bio) will take the next 5-10 minutes to highlight critical points in the report.)
Dorothy Fowler: I have been asked if I would do a recap of the report and I have only 10 minutes. If we are going to talk about policy and research, we must remember who we are talking about--the children. Children represent why this research is necessary. (Slides displaying young children in a classroom) If you look at my children today, they represent 66% on free and reduced lunch with very diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and speak 10 different languages. Some of their parents are illiterate in their first language and have difficulty learning to read and we now know there is a genetic link. Some have problems with malnutrition. So now when we ask teachers to teach, the children today are very different, and the skills they possess may not be valid to meet the needs they face today. It used to be that most children could be taught by the regular classroom teacher but that is not true now. Every child needs special attention.
(Slide displaying Table 9-1 Teacher Preparation Needed to Provide Opportunities for Children to Become Readers) Few of these courses shown here were required in my own teacher education training program. Looking at the research: the single critical instructional tool is reading instruction. Do we want a quick fix or do we need a long term resolution for professional development? We know that more money spent on professional development nets more higher achievement than any other resource investment. We need to do a better job but we also need to go beyond that with:
There is no single answer to improving inservice development. We need to look at multiple formats and deliveries. The Federal role may be to look at developing multiple models for us. For example, getting teachers involved with research activity at the University level.
Judith Johnson: Dottie outlined the dimensions of professional development for us and brings up the need to think in different ways of making use of time for staff development in addition to workshops because we don't have enough time to follow this strategy.
Dolores B. Malcolm, director of Teaching and Learning Support, St. Louis Public Schools (intro from bio).
Dolores B. Malcolm: I am going to start off by getting us to reflect on how we think of staff development and get you to think about the staff development and what were your thoughts on having to attend one in the last 2-3 months. We usually think about it when we are leaving. So think about your last one and what your role was. Think quickly.
If you were a teacher, you may be thinking/saying: Slide of Teacher #1: "With all of these new frameworks and standards, I feel I don't know what is going on now. I need a workshop. Slide of Teacher #2: "I know so much more than I'm able to do with my students! What I need now is not another inservice program but I need some time and support to work with other teachers on using these new ideas in our classrooms.
If you were a Superintendent: "My teachers don't know what they need to know to teach reading. We need a reading specialist from outside to come in and teach/train them."
If you were a Principal: "At last week's conference, I participated in a stimulating discussion of a literacy teaching case. I think I=ll bring in a facilitator to tell my teachers about it."
These are probably some of the same thoughts you have when thinking about what staff development means and what does ongoing staff development mean. For example, St. Louis has been looking at individual development--well, what does this mean? What does this translate to in terms of individual or organizational change? We have to look at the organization to see if it is changing? We have to look at what are our teachers doing in the classroom? We had to change from the traditional way of thinking of staff development--we had to shift paradigm and create a new vision for staff development.
Now this is where I will get you involved in this activity. With these handouts, I want you to think of the kind of staff development would you do to change or shift the paradigm of staff development. A new vision for staff development requires moving, changing the paradigm. What/how would you shift the paradigm from the traditional thinking of what staff development means to the new research-based and ongoing learning model. When shifting from one kind of model of staff development, think also about what is needed to make that shift to the new paradigm? (You have three minutes to discuss) Is there any group that would like to share?
Group #5: Thinking of traditional professional development from: transmission of knowledge and skills to teachers by "experts to ??? Response: Designated coaching model, study teams in a faculty focusing on literacy and reading and writing, faculty studying groups and then sharing and talking about it.
Group #9: Traditional professional development model from teachers as primary recipients to ??? Response: teachers as reflective practitioners and researchers; expanding schoolwide to communities, families and other partners;
Group #1: Traditional professional development model from fragmented, piecemeal improvement efforts to??? Response: comprehensive model, nothing at random but according to a plan; from district focus to school.
Judith Johnson: (Introducing Jeanette Pulliam, supervisor of Communication Arts, Teaching and Learning Support, St. Louis, Public Schools, intro from bio)
Jeanette Pulliam: The St. Louis Systematic Reform Initiative was developed so we can move to this new paradigm and vision Dolores spoke about and so our teachers would take back to their classrooms what they learned in staff development. In the past, what I was seeing was it was not being practiced in the classroom. The St. Louis Reform Initiative encompasses organizational change to support a paradigm shift in thinking about professional development.
Now, our district staff with the associate superintendent looks at the total staff needs: sometimes a needs survey goes out; on a regular, monthly basis the superintendent will work with a designated district coordinator who then works with school principals and instructional coordinators and teacher team groups. From among the team teachers, there are teacher study group facilitators who are charged with facilitating and coaching other grade level teachers.
Not all needs are identified at the district level but also come at the school level. We have 105 schools so staff development by district personnel is impossible but we do have training of instructional coordinators and team teachers and study groups. This delivery system ensures constant communication with school staff. The instructional coordinator or the principal is charged with monitoring to see if the staff development is being carried out with the children.
Our goal and purpose is to build a cadre of district instructional coordinators and team teachers who can deliver and provide training in staff development. We are looking at the reading curriculum and pedagogy, and are working with teachers and volunteers, about the importance of books, shared and guided reading and different cultures. I ask for Amulti-cultural literature and mean this Amulti-cultural--not only African-American. We want our children to value the cultures of others.
On assessment: we offer alternative assessments and we are getting students ready for the Missouri state assessment. We encourage portfolio assessment and encourage teachers to do running record on children and have done a lot of staff development on this.
Districtwide and site-based professional development: We have ongoing professional development on different reading programs, including Reading Recovery. We do bring in outside consultants and use our distance learning labs for professional development after school for school staff and outside consultants.
Our reading philosophy is based on Guy Pinnell's principles out of Ohio State. I am a lover of literature and as a one-time Special Education teacher I say all children can learn and can learn at high levels of literacy.
Children at risk should be identified at the earliest possible opportunity and giving interventions for reading development. We do have testing of children prior to entry into school and then in the early years. We have two early childhood specialists and all elementary schools have a preschool.
One of the first steps we take is to set up an environment in the building and classroom for literacy. These activities are structured and focused on the environment workshops. We also have ATeaching Matters districtwide where teachers come in on a monthly basis and share their successes by grade levels. We may get 40-60 teachers at these meetings talking across the district (similar to study groups).
We use volunteers and provide training for volunteers. We work with several groups from large companies like SouthWestern Bell, the airlines, Maritz, etc., to OASIS (national group of senior citizens). We also partner with Corporation for National Service's Americorp. We offer monthly training meetings.
Our primary goal is to focus our professional development efforts so it is coordinated and leads to our children reaching the State standards and above. Essentially, that all grade level teachers understand literacy and language development and by including all elementary teachers so that all have an understanding of the importance of the fundamental research principles. We even work with middle school and high school teachers in how to read to (and for) children. The challenge is "how to teach reading to all staff." We are fortunate and are working with local area teaching authorities and also looking at the requirements of teacher education programs.
In the area of benchmarks and standards we have been working with the Missouri State Department for five years on evaluation and ongoing assessment with teachers, including using the running record for to record children's progress but also in ways to inform instruction.
Dolores Malcolm: Partnerships: how we access them in the St. Louis Public Schools. There are four categories: Family, Government Bodies, Community and Institutions of Higher Learning (IHEs).
Family Partnership: Parent Academy is a newly funded grant. We established a parent assembly where at least two parents from each school attended and asked how do their children learn. This grant will allow us to provide staff development in place for them. Family Literacy Project (NCFL and Toyota) grants and very similar to Even Start. This is also new. Parent Liaison Program--all 105 schools are Title I and schoolwide (SW) program schools. SWs have parent liaisons (parents of Title I children) in 80 schools and they are paid by Title I and work with the child. We provide ongoing staff development with the teachers and this is funded by the Title I program.
Government Bodies: MAP is a 50% State funded program where the teacher is pulled out and 50% is paid by the State and district for mapping (assessment). Staff development is not a one time shot--it is based on the training of trainers model. Collaboration on Standards and Assessment is a professional development activity on the alignment of state standards. Urban Initiative (math and science and technology literacy and we are infusing this with our literacy program and pulling in our literacy educators)
Community: Parson Blewett is an individual/ university education program and is not paid back. We also use the Eisenhower program. Reading is Fundamental (RIF) is in about 75 schools in district. We have a cadre on the RIF board and use staff from schools with a literacy background to go into schools. ABe There--a Maritz Corporation volunteer program, and the Professional Development Academy where professionals go to learn as well as for students.
IHEs: We have a consortium of regional professional development centers (that include NBPTS) at universities in the local region. We are very fortunate to have a number of IHEs in the region. Project Construct is an early childhood magnet in four schools and the universities provide professional development.
Judith Johnson: (Introducing Charlene Rivera, director, George Washington Center for Equity and Excellence in Education and Janie Yuguchi Gates, consultant, Southern California Comprehensive Center, intro from bios)
Charlene Rivera: Today there are two representatives here to tell you of a new Reading Success Network (RSN). We are pleased to share the work that the comprehensive centers (CCs) are doing with implementing RSN and want to share the highlights of what we are doing. Briefly, we will give you an overview of what the CCs are doing. You are getting a brochure and there is information in the back on all the CCs around the country. Janie will give you background on the RSN and I will come back to tell you what we are doing.
The CCs decided to build on the RSN model developed at the Southern California CC. We are not all doing it systematically in the same way but rather implementing this new strategy on a regional basis.
Janie Yuguchi Gates: The RSN was developed by the language arts coordinator in the Los Angeles County offices and to meet the needs of the diversity of the student population in Southern California by researchers in residence.
Students having difficulty need help immediately. We think and know this also. Not six months later or put on a waiting list. Classroom teachers do not, the department found, know how to diagnose reading problems properly. RSN is not a reading program but is a reading support to the curriculum. It is augmenting a good program by giving classroom teachers the skills they need to diagnose problems as they come up during classroom day.
Components are based on focus areas for training. RSN starts with a basis of three components: peer coaching; ongoing classroom assessment and examination of data. So it aims to give/train coaching skills; time for teachers for assessment tool strategies and use of data to inform instructions.
In peer coaching we encourage each school to have at least one, two and three peer coaches (one at each grade level) so they will have a mini-team and for each level. Also, this provides a way to disseminate a strategy to reach across the district and reach 123K teachers in the region.
The document we have produced: "Taking to Reading (we will raffle off 8 copies today) gives you information on assessment instruments. Also, it helps coaches help teachers look at the data as a tool not only on individual students but the whole database to inform instruction, to measure achievement and inform instruction. Then you have teachers looking at demographic and outcome data and doing data analysis. Once they know where their students are they need to know how to prescribe interventions.
Participants engage in networking meetings and there are meetings especially including principal support groups. We have been doing the RSN for 2 years and are looking at expanding it to grades 4-8. It is aligned to National Research Council's report and you will see the links that have been identified.
Charlene Rivera: In May 1998 the CCs had a meeting in San Antonio and at that time it was decided that a team from each CC would go back and initiate putting in first phase of implementing the RSN over the summer. To be followed with regional school teams to be given further training and then would go out and train others.