1

Reading First Action Seminar

Los Angeles Unified Schools

Thursday, October 28, 2004

2

What can we do to CHANGE the culture?

• Students need teachers who teach until it’s working and everyone learns.

• Students need teachers who understand how we need to take responsibility for improving achievement by focusing on improving the teaching that each child receives.

• Students need coherent, systematic, and explicit teaching with multiple opportunities to learn, practice, and apply.

3

What can we do to CHANGE the culture?

• Students need teachers who teach until it’s working and everyone and everyone learns.

• Students need teachers who understand how we need to take responsibility for improving achievement by focusing on improving the teaching that each child receives.

• Students need coherent, systematic, and explicit teaching with multiple opportunities to learn, practice, and apply.

4

What can we do to CHANGE the culture?

• Teachers need _____ who coach until it’s working and everyone is teaching at a skilled level.

• Teachers need _____ who understand how we need to take responsibility for improving achievement by focusing on improving the teaching that each child receives.

• Teachers need a coherent, systematic, and explicit coaching with multiple opportunities to learn, practice, and apply.

5

Road map

Decoding

Comprehension

Vocabulary

Writing

Fluency

6

Objectives:

1. To learn specifically what you should see happening during vocabulary instruction in an Open Court classroom.

2. To understand the intended student learning as a result of the vocabulary instruction.

3. To plan your specific actions to improve vocabulary instruction in your school.

7

First, student achievement results at each school need to guide the areas/topics for professional development.

-Cindy Harrison

President of the National Staff Development Council

8

Los Angeles Unified School District Disaggregated Assessment Data

Grade 3 Unit 1 Open Court Reading 20002004-2005

5359

80

5550

32

90

79

69

52

82

69

57 59

76

38

53

68

90

5462

42

5967

72

515256

74

40

18

79

1009495

8389

36

53

41

5651

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

FluencyAverage

Read Comp Check Skills Spelling Vocabulary Overall Writing

Dist 8 African American Dist 8 Asian Dist 8 FilipinoDist 8 Hispanic Dist 8 White District 8LAUSD

Percentage of students at or above benchmark.

9

Los Angeles Unified School District Disaggregated Assessment Data

Grade 3 Unit 1 Open Court Reading 20022004-2005

65

75

90

8075

50

7872 72

67

44

93 91

80 78

63

5462

68

5146

38

67

8388

6052

44

5967

72

565152

56

40

7887

41

18

51

74

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

FluencyAverage

Read Comp Check Skills Spelling Vocabulary Overall Writing

Dist 8 African American Dist 8 Asian Dist 8 FilipinoDist 8 Hispanic Dist 8 White District 8LAUSD

Percentage of students at or above benchmark.

10

Team Discussion

As you look at your data, what questions should be asked about vocabulary instruction at your school site?

Discuss crossover relationships evident in the data:

vocabulary-fluency vocabulary-comprehension vocabulary-writing

11

Strategy Instruction

Strategy Instruction is a model developed by Pressley and others to assist the learner to apply a set of proven strategies to unpack the meaning of text and to be able to figure out the meaning of words (Beck).

12

Strategy Instruction cont.

The strategies that are used are based on what successful readers do when reading.

The model of teaching includes explicit teaching of the strategies by leading the learner through the process of applying the strategy to unpack the meaning of the text or unfamiliar vocabulary.

The use of these strategies is taught using a think aloud model and extensive engagement.

13

The Teacher’s Role Evolves

In strategy instruction, teachers follow the "gradual release of responsibility" model (Pearson and Gallagher 1983), explicitly presenting learning strategies and then gradually handing over responsibility to students, while modeling and guiding."

14

Where is vocabulary strategy instruction taught and practiced?

Where is vocabulary developed?

15

16

17

18

19

Where is vocabulary strategy instruction taught and practiced?

Where is vocabulary developed?

Unit opener

Blending/Word Knowledge

Transparency

During Reading

After Reading

Workshop

2000 2002

Unit overview

12-13L 12-13R

Monster Tracks

66A-75F 82A-91J

20

Refine

Teach

Reflect STUDY

The Lesson Study Process

21

What strategies do good readers use to figure out vocabulary?

•Reference the 2002 Program Appendix (Handouts #2 and #3)

•Define the following three strategies:

•Context Clues•Word Structure•Apposition

22

Study the lesson:

•Plan the vocabulary selection lesson using the guiding questions.

•Reference “Instruction Based on All Students Can Learn”

•Read the Routine Card

•Read the Lesson - page 66I (2000) - page 82N (2002)

23

24

25

26

27

Planning the Vocabulary Lesson

1. What is the intended student learning?

2. How long should the lesson take?

3. What misconceptions and challenges do you anticipate students facing?

4. How will the teacher model and explain the expectations clearly?

5. What culturally-relevant strategies will be incorporated to engage all students?

6. What accommodations will be used to support English Language Learners?

28

Study the lesson:

•Plan the vocabulary selection lesson using the guiding questions.

•Reference “Instruction Based on All Students Can Learn”

•Read the Routine Card

•Read the Lesson - page 66I (2000) - page 82N (2002)

29

Refine

TEACH

Reflect Study

The Lesson Study Process

30

Second, schools need to get better at ensuring that time is allocated for professional learning and that structures are in place to support teachers when they try to implement new strategies.

-Cindy Harrison

President of the National Staff Development Council

31

Refine

Teach

REFLECT Study

The Lesson Study Process

32

Reflect on the Teaching:

1. How did the teacher establish the purpose and procedure of the lesson (orientation)?

2. Cite evidence of the students’ understanding of the use of vocabulary strategies?

3. What culturally relevant strategies were used to promote engagement and cooperative learning? Cite examples.

4. Which questions and follow-up responses were effective in guiding the discussion? Which questions/follow-up responses took the focus off of the purpose of the lesson?

5. How could the teacher have phrased responses to keep the lesson focused on strategy instruction? Be specific.

33

Lecture

5%

Reading 10%

Audio Visual 20%

Demonstration 30%

Discussion Group 50%

Practice By Doing 75%

Teaching Others 90%

Average Learning

Retention Rates

What would you have done differently?

34

REFINE

Teach

Reflect Study

The Lesson Study Process

35

Third, to ensure high-quality professional development in a building, the principal must have excellent content knowledge and skills and knowledge about effective professional development.

-Cindy Harrison

President of the National Staff Development Council

36

What next steps would support this teacher in refining the instruction?

In school teams, role play.

The coach is to be the teacher.

The Principal and AP will co-conference with the teacher.

If your team is larger than three, you may have an observer.

37

Refining and Taking Action…•“I would like to come in and model a vocabulary lesson.”

•“This is what I would like to see.”

•Have the discussion: “What does modeling really mean?”

•Check and double check. Does everyone have the transparencies? Does everyone have a working overhead projector?

•The lesson study process by grade-level.

•Model together. Practice with each other. Share observations.

•Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up!

38

School Team Action Plans

What are your objectives?

How will your team improve vocabulary instruction at your school site?

What are your plans for following through on the professional development?

39

An Opportunity to Share

Pair up with another school team.

Share your action plan.

Team A Team B (10 minutes)

Team B Team A (10 minutes)

40

“Teachers are the gatekeepers of the classrooms in which teaching and learning take place. We cannot not work with teachers. They are, necessarily, the solution to the problem of improving teaching.”

-James Stiger & James Hiebert from The Teaching Gap