A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

The Core Compact Team

The first steps in developing a Compact for Reading are to form a Core Compact Team if you do not already have one, and identify people who can serve on a Compact Invention Team--the Team that will actually develop the Compact for Reading.

The Core Compact Team oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation for your school-family-community partnership. The Core Team includes as members at least one principal, teacher, parent, and another community member.

The basic responsibilities of Core Team members are as follows:

• Define and present the purpose of the Compact for Reading;
• Recruit members for the Compact Invention Team (if the Core Team is not going to write the Compact);
• Identify the school's literacy needs and resources;
• Analyze the current reading standardized test scores;
• Organize and facilitate Invention Team meetings;
• Present and explain the Compact to the wider group of teachers, parents, and community members, once the Compact is completed;
• Monitor your school's progress toward achieving the Compact's goals; and
• Update and strengthen your Compact in accordance with your review of progress.

Team members should be knowledgeable about reading and family involvement, know the school and its broader community, and be willing to take a leadership role in overseeing the school Compact process.

In forming your Core Compact Team, you may want to use an existing team to take on these responsibilities. For example, look at the membership of an existing Compact Team, a school-based management council, a family-school advisory group, a working team of the Parent-Teacher Association or Organization, or business-school partnership, or a similar group that works closely with the school, families, and communities on educational matters.

The Compact Invention Team

One of the responsibilities of the Core Compact Team is to identify people in the school and community who will brainstorm, strategize, and develop the Compact.

In some cases, the Core Compact Team may want to take on these responsibilities. In other cases, the Core Team will need to form another team--the Compact Invention Team--to develop the Compact.

Among representatives reflecting the make up of your school community, who could be considered for your Compact Invention team, include:

• Teachers from each grade level,
• Parents from each grade level,
• Parents of students with limited English proficiency (LEP),
• Parents of students with disabilities,
• School administrators,
• Reading specialists or literacy coordinators,
• Representatives of the school's business community or university partners, and
• Members of local community organizations, librarians, literacy groups, cultural or arts association, or senior citizens groups dedicated to improving education.

The members of the Compact Invention Team are responsible for developing and writing the Compact; for working to ensure that the school staff, parents, and other community members understand the Compact; and for obtaining continuing commitment from the school community to fulfill it, once it is adopted.

Assisting Participants

Parents, teachers, and community members who may be interested in participating in the development and writing process may not be able to attend meetings because they cannot afford child care, do not have transportation, or have time constraints that make it impossible to attend.

There are several ways your team can take into account the time pressures and responsibilities facing parents, teachers, and community members when scheduling a meeting.

Teams can assist families by:

• Asking interested individuals to respond with a list of times most convenient for them to meet;
  
• Providing early notices of meetings and activities, allowing time for people to adjust their schedules;
  
• Offering transportation and child care services; and
  
• Holding meetings near families' homes (e.g., at community or public housing centers).

Teams can assist teachers by:

• Providing stipends for teachers' transportation and child care services, and
  
• Providing substitute teachers if the meetings are held during the school day.

This attention sends a strong message to teachers and parents that the Core Team is serious about involving others in the writing process.

Addressing Language Differences

To create a Compact Invention Team that truly represents your school community, it is crucial that the invitations and meeting notices be translated into the languages spoken by your parent and community populations. If members of these communities do not respond to the notices, your Core Team should try to personally recruit individuals to be on the team. The team needs to represent all segments of the community.

Moreover, it is vital to provide a translator for these individuals during the Compact Invention Team meetings. Ask other parents, teachers, and community members whether they will serve as translators for these parents and community members. If this is not possible, check to see if a translator can be hired from a private agency.

Taking an Inventory of Your School's Literacy Needs and Resources

Two important responsibilities of the Core Team are to evaluate student achievement in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and to take inventory of the school's resources that support reading. Thus, the Core Team:

• Looks at student test scores over a period of several years for the whole school, as well as for subgroups (for example, students in various grades, racial/ethnic groups, and special populations like Title I, special education, and bilingual education), and speak with a sample of teachers, reading specialists, and parents about whether students are meeting or exceeding expectations.

• Looks at the adequacy of funding allocated to literacy resources over a period of several years. Literacy resources include books and instructional materials, professional development that provides a forum for presenting new research on teaching and assessing reading, as well as workshops for parents on how they can help their children become independent readers and writers.

• Looks at the availability of special programs or services at the school, such as the use of after-school volunteer tutors from local high schools or universities, books donated from business or community groups, and discounted photocopying services.

The information gathered in this literacy inventory will help your Core Team write your Compact.

Before the first formal Compact Invention Team meeting, Core Team members can use Activity Sheet 1A to take stock of the school's literacy efforts, as shared by principals, teachers, and families.

[The Compact's Five-Step Process] [Activity Sheet 1A]