PHILOSOPHY
All students deserve the opportunity to develop the reading skills that will allow them to participate fully as citizens of the global community.  The continuing development of higher level reading and thinking skills is the domain of the secondary schools and must be supported in the home and in the community.  Some secondary students do not have the basic reading skills necessaryto develop these higher level reading and thinking skills and must be provided intensive instruction and support to help them achieve success in this critical area.  Our mission is to provide adolescents with the necessary reading skills and strategies to meet the more difficult learning and problem-solving tasks they encounter at school and beyond graduation.

FOCUS ON LITERACY
Because literacy development occurs throughout life, a comprehensive reading focus is needed for secondary students.  "The literacy learning that takes place in adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 is of critical importance in preparing for life in and out of school" (Vacca, 1998).  The development of a district and building climate that supports literacy will include:
* A district-wide literacy plan based on available data that addresses the needs of HSD2 students.
* A school-wide commitment to literacy that supports each child's need to be a competent reader.
* Comprehensive literacy programs for the delayed, developing and advanced reader.
* A collegial atmosphere of mutual support and respect that allows for a dynamic change process in
   literacy practices.
* A reading specialist in each secondary school to support teachers and students by providing staff
   development, coaching and leadership in the development of a school-wide commitment to literacy.
* Time for training all teachers in literacy/learning strategies.
* Time for inter-school communication and articulation based on the literacy needs of students.
* Allocated classroom time for content literacy instruction.
* Allocated classroom time for students to actively engage in reading.
* A library/media center that can support the literacy needs of the secondary student.

PARENT/COMMUNITY SUPPORT
It is the responsibility not only of the schools and teachers in this district, but also of the parents and the community to ensure that all students develop the literacy skills they need to succeed in life in and out of school. "Adolescents deserve homes, communities, and a nation that will support their efforts to achieve advanced levels of literacy and provide the support necessary for them to succeed." (Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement, International Reading Association, 1999). The following suggestions are offered:
* Make reading a high priority.
* Make reading a regular part of family time.
* Encourage the writing of stories, letters, or personal reflections.
* Encourage productive use of television and the Internet.
* Make a wide variety of reading materials available at home.
* Talk about books, magazines, and newspaper articles at home.
* Model reading in the home.
* Visit the public library frequently.
* Use board games to teach literacy skills.
* Call teachers to monitor progress in reading.
* Participate in the Literacy Council at school.
* Volunteer to work with the reading programs at school.

INSTRUCTION
The reading program in each school will be based upon effective teaching practices and research-based models.  A balanced literacy program includes:
* Incorporation of reading strategies in every classroom.
* Teaching reading as a progress where the reader interacts with a variety of reading material (including
   non-traditional texts such as the Internet and e-mail) to create meaning.
* Reading aloud to students, independent reading by students, and guided instructional reading with
   students.
* Teacher modeling of reading strategies and behaviors.
* Use of reading materials that reflect student needs and choices.
* Opportunities for written, oral, and artistic responses to reading.
* Attention to word study and vocabulary developmen in all content areas.
* Flexible grouping of students.
* Meeting the needs of a variety of learners.
* Learning activities that help students think critically about what they read.
* Regular assessment of students' strengths and weaknesses to identify needs, determine appropriate
   strategies and measure progress.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT
It is critical that all instructional staff and instructional support staff receive training in learning strategies that support literacy.  A strong staff development program will:
* Include in-service time that focuses on literacy with effective follow-up as an integral part of the
   in-service program.
* Develop a well-trained cadre of literacy leaders to model effective instruction and coach other teachers.
* Provide training in Standards Based Education including the alignment of assessments with instruction
   and the collection and analysis of data to inform instruction.
* Provide training for staff on the incorporation of multi-cultural resources into their lesson plans.
* Emphasize the continuous development of reading, writing, and critical thinking in all subjects by
   providing teachers with content-specific literacy/learning strategies.
* Develop a training component for inclusionary practices that focus on differentiated instruction.
* Develop a training component for integration of reading and writing in language arts/English classes as
   the basis for sound language development.
* Provide training in a variety of teaching practices, such as explicit teaching and modeling of reading
   strategies, guided reading, reciprocal teaching, scaffolding of instruction, literature circles and
   developing positive reading habits in students.
* Provide training in the use of a variety of assessment tools and practices.

NEEDS OF THE STRUGGLING ADOLESCENT READER
Students who are reading significantly below grade level require the following:
* A reading teacher who "understands the complexities of individual adolescent readers, respects their
   differences and responds to their characteristics." (Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement,
   International Reading Association, 1999.)
* Ongoing assessment to diagnose reading difficulties and monitor growth.
* A variety of instructional approaches to meet individual needs (individual tutoring, phonics instruction,
   reciprocal teaching, reading apprenticeship).
* Scaffolding of instruction to gradually help students assume full responsibility for their use of reading
   strategies.
* Guided reading instruction that focuses on deriving meaning from real text.
* Promotion of self-esteem through successful reading experiences.
* Opportunities for students to choose some of the books they will read from a variety of reading
   material at their independent and instructional reading levels.
* Time to practice reading at school and at home.
* Extended-time opportunities to receive reading instruction.
* Opportunities for self-assessment and goal-setting.
* Parental support and involvement.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Secondary students have an important role in the development of their ability to read increasingly more difficult text.  In order for students to be successful, they must spend a significant amount of time (at least 60 minutes per day) engaged in reading at their independent reading level.  This reading can occur in a variety of settings and ways:
* Read aloud to family members.
* Set aside a certain amount of time to read silently every day.
* Share and discuss what is read at school and at home.
* Keep a journal.
* Read a wide variety of materials (newspapes, magazines, World Wide Web, books, poetry).
* Utilize the school library to access reading materials for enjoyment and study.
* Utilize available technology in school or at home to access information for school projects and personal
   growth.
* Obtain a library card and visit the public library frequently.
* Complete school assignments.
* Come to school ready to learn with the appropriate materials.
* Participate actively in self-assessment and goal-setting opportunities.

Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement, International Reading Association, 1999

Allen, Janet, and Kyle Gonzalez. There's Room for me Here. Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 1998

Allington, Richard L., Teaching Struggling Readers. Newark: International Reading Association, 1998

Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 1998

Barton, Mary Lee, and Barbary L. McCombs. "Motivating Secondary School Students to Read their Textbooks". NASSP Bulletin, 1998.

Braunger, Jane and Jan Lewis. Building a Knowledge Base in Reading.
Portland and Urbana: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Curriculum and Instruction Services, National Council of Teachers in English, 1998.

Daniels, Harvey, et.al. Best Practice, New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools. Heineman, 1998

Feirsen, Robert. "Creating a Middle School Culture of Literacy". Middle School Journal, 1997

Gambrell, Linda B. "What Motivates Children to Read?. Scholastic, Volume 2, 1994

Gaskins, Irene W. Promoting Academic Competency and Literacy in School. Boston: Academic Press, 1992.

Graves, Michael F., and Susan Watts. "Fostering Students' Understanding of Challenging Texts". Middle School Journal, 1997.

Guth, Nancy, and Patricia Heaney. "A Challenge for School Administrators: Motivating Adolescents to Read". NASSP Bulletin, 1999.

Guthrie, John T., et al. "Classroom Contexts Promoting Literacy Engagement".
Reading Research Quarterly, 1991.

Hancock, Joelie. The Explicit of Teaching Reading. Newark: International Reading Association, 1999.

Henwood, Geraldine F. "A New Role for the Reading Specialist: Contributing Toward a High School's Collaborative Educational Culture". Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literature, 1999.

Humphrey, Jack W. "Supporting the Development of Strong Middle Grades Readers". NASSP Bulletin, 1998.

Hynds, Susan. Negotiating Literature and Life with Adolescents. New York: Teachers College Press, 1997.

Ivey, Gay. "Discovering Readers in the Middle Level School: A Few Helpful Clues". NASSP Bulletin, 1998.

Ivey, Gay. "Reflections on Teaching Struggling Middle School Readers". Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 1999.

Kerschen, Tina. "Classroom Snapshot: What to Look for in Balanced Literary Instruction: A Guide for Administrators, Mentors, and Elementary Teachers". Colorado Reading Council Journal, 1999.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, et. al. Performance Standards, Volume 2 of 3. Pittsburgh: Harcourt Brace, 1998.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, et. al. Performance Standards, Volume 3 of 3. Pittsburgh: Harcourt Brace, 1998.

Roller, Cathy M. Variability Not Disability. Newark: International Reading Association, 1996.

Schifini, Alfredo. Ph.d. "Literacy Research Paper: Reading Instruction for the Preliterate and Struggling Older Student", Scholastic, Volume 13, 1997.

Weaver, Constance. "Reconsidering a Balanced Approach to Reading". National Council of Teachers of English, 1998.

1. Parent/Community involvement is essential for reading development
2. Reading strategy instruction must be an integral part of the instructional practices used by all content
    area teachers.
3. Students must read independently for 60 minutes every day.
4. Students in grades 6-12 should read 25 books per year from a variety of genres.
5. Every student in grades 6-9 must be enrolled in a reading class that focuses on the acquisition of
    reading strategies to enable them to comprehend increasingly difficult text from a variety of genres.
    Elective reading classes should be offered to students in grades 10-12 who would like to increase their
    reading comprehension, reading speed and critical thinking skills.  All of the above classes should be
    taught by qualified reading teachers in classes of no more that 20 students.
6. Intervention classes should be provided for students with specific skill deficits at grades 6-12.  These
    classes should be taught by qualified reading teachers in groups of no more than 10.
 
 

GUIDED READING
* Materials at instructional reading level
* Begin with easier materials, move toward grade level text
* Common text
* Wide variety of reading materials
* Explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies
* Scaffolded instruction (teacher modeling, guided practice, independent practice)

INDEPENDENT READING
* Self selection of books within zone of proximal development
* Wide variety of books (fiction and non-fiction) at all reading levels
* Sixty minutes of independent reading per day
* Teacher conferences with individual students about their reading
* Teacher reads aloud
* Sharing of reading experiences with peers
* Teacher modeling of independent reading

WORD STUDY
* Appropriate word study activities depending upon student needs (phonemic awareness, phonics,
   structural analysis, Greek/Latin roots, multi-syllable word attack skills, spelling patterns, word walls)
* Vocabulary development through wide reading and discussion of words

WRITING IN RESPONSE TO READING
* Teacher writes along with students
* Scaffolded instruction (teacher modeling, guided practice, independent practice)
* Balance of teacher directed and student directed responses to reading
* Students share responses with peers (author's chair)
* Teacher conferences with individual students about their writing
* Some writing is published

TEST PREPARATION
* Test-taking skills and strategies
* Simulated testing situations integrated with instruction
* Familiarity with test vocabulary

PHILOSOPHY
In order to participate fully as citizens of the twenty-first century, all students must develop essential writing skills.  The communications revolution requires the ability to write in multiple forms for a variety of purposes and audiences. By working collaboratively with parents and the community, teachers can help students gain these essential writing skills.  Students must be actively engaged in this process as information seekers, critical thinkers and writing apprentices.  In her book, The Art of Teaching Writing, Lucy McCormick Calkins states, "as human beings we write to communicate, plan, petition, remember, announce, list, imagine... but above all, we write to hold our lives in our hands and to make something of them." It is through writing that our students can make sense of their worlds, remember places, events, people, thoughts and feelings. Students who write, think more clearly, see significance in the ordinary and are more aware of their lives (Murray, 1996).

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
It is the responsibility not only to the schools and teachers, but also the parents and the community to ensure that all students develop the essential writing skills they need to succeed in the twenty-first century. The following suggestions are offered to parents and communit members:
* Encourage writing at home as well as at school.
* Make writing meaningful by using it for real purposes such as grocery lists, vacation, itineraries, notes
   to family members and letters to extended family members.
* Model writing in the home.
* Display student writing samples.
* Volunteer to serve as writing coaches in the classroom.
* Encourage high school students to take elective writing classes, journalism courses, or be on the school
   newspaper staff.
* Discuss the need for writing skills in various careers.
* Utilize community resources that support literacy.
* Encourage reading on a wide variety of topics to help students develop broad-based knowledge to
   enhance their writing and thinking.
 

CURRICULUM
In Harrison School District Two, students will be supported through a strong curriculum that provides them with both sufficient opportunities to write and a wide variety of writing experiences.  This curriculum will include the following:
* A continuum of developmentally appropriate writing experiences of increasing difficulty and complexity.
* A process model of writing (i.e. plan, draft, revise, and edit) that encourages students to acquire writing
   skills that can be used in many contexts and across many disciplines.
* Instruction that empowers students to control their own writing growth through the use and
   understanding of the traits of effective writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence
   fluency, and conventions).
* Career-related writing activities to including writing to inform, to record, to define and explain technical
   concepts, to condense, summarize, and interpret data, to teach, and to persuade.
* Opportunities for creative and reflective writing.

INSTRUCTION IN THE ENLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM
The writing curriculum in each English/Language Arts classroom will be based upon effective teaching practicesand research-based strategies. Successful instruction in the English/Language Arts classroom will...

SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THEIR GROWTH AS WRITERS BY...
* building on individual student's background, culture, and strengths
* allowing students to make choices, take ownership, and take responsibility for their writing growth
* teaching students how to plan, organize, and reflect on their work
* promoting manageable class sizes to support increased writing opportunities
* giving students authentic writing tasks and providing real audiences for their writing
* providing ample materials and quality resources for writers in the classroom and in the library media
   center
* forming collaborative relationships between teachers and library media specialists and among classroom
   teachers and SPED/ESL teachers.

APPLY THE WRITING PROCESS BY...
* including frequent writing opportunities
* using the Six Traits of Effective Writing to help students develop a common language about writing.
* emphasizing the non-linear, recursive writing process
* including teacher modeling of effective techniques for prewriting, writing, and revising
* including conferencing and collaborating as essential steps in the writing process
* emphasizing the importance of the process as well as the product
* recognizing that, although writing is an intensely personal activity, it is also a social act and that students
   should regularly engage in collaborative and active group learning
* including a variety of assessment strategies as a necessary component of instruction.

INTEGRATE INSTRUCTION IN THE AREAS OF READING, WRITING, LISTENING, SPEAKING AND VIEWING BY...
* supporting Standard English as the language of wider communication and include instruction of writing
   skills such as grammar, usage and mechanics "in ways that actually affect student performance in
   speaking and writing rather than on teaching rules and definitions apart from communication contexts"
   (NCTE, 1996)
* including a wide variety of professional models of good writing including children's, young adult and
   multicultural literature, nonfiction, and classic and contemporary selections
* providing a strong link between reading and writing because this link promotes both reading and writing
   achievement
* interweaving skills and knowledge across lessons as well as beyond individual units so that what
   students learn transcends instructional boundaries and connects to what they are learning and doing at
   other times in English class, in other classes, and in life.

WRITING IN THE CONTENT AREA CLASSROOM
To enable students to improve their higher level thinking skills and their understanding of subject matter, teachers will implement a program to help students "write to learn" in all subject areas. Writing in the content area classroom will...
* incorporate frequent writing opportunities to enhance content knowledge
* use the Six Traits of Effective Writing terminology
* use assessment as a necessary component of writing in the content area classroom
* use the Six Traits of Effective Writing criteria when assessing written products
* include all steps of the writing process to enable students to produce a quality written product
* be supported by the availability of basic English reference books in each content area classroom
   (writing handbooks, dictionaries, thesauruses).

STAFF DEVELOPMENT/PARENT TRAINING
It is critical that all instructional staff, instructional support staff, and parents/guardians receive ongoing training in learning strategies that support writing.  A strong program will include training for English/language arts teachers as well as other content area teachers.  Training must also be provided for teachers and parents of special education students and English language learners.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL TEACHERS WILL INCLUDE TRAINING IN THE...
* Six Traits of Effective Writing
* Step-Up-To-Writing training.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHERS, SPED AND ESL TEACHERS WILL INCLUDE...
* advanced training in the Six Traits of Effective Writing
* Advanced Step-Up-To-Writing training (Step-Up-To-Writing is based on strategies that work for all types of students including SPED and ESL learners.  The strategies will improve writing and complement the Six Traits of Effective Writing model).
* Integration of reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing in the standards-based English classroom
* differentiated instructional strategies to evaluate and address needs of individual students.
* Creating and managing a student-centered writing classroom (conferencing, collaborating, assessment).

TRAINING FOR PARENTS WILL INCLUDE...
* techniques to encourage writing at home
* writing training that includes Six Traits of Effective Writing
* an overview of the writing strategies in the Step-Up-To-Writing program
* training for parents interested in working as writing tutors in the schools.

ASSESSMENT
To monitor growth and identify individual strengths and weaknesses in writing, ongoing assessment of students' writing skills will include...
* consistent use of the Six Traits of Effective Writing rubrics across the curriculum
* a variety of valid assessments that match standards and reflect student experiences
* assessments of writing conventions that show evidence of grammatical knowledge and correct usage
* assessments that take place at various stages of the writing process
* self and peer evaluation
* the collection and sharing of data from assessments
* making instructional decisions based on available data
* high standards for students in meeting benchmarks and passing assessments
* teacher monitoring of student writing to provide further instruction in areas of weakness.

Calkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1996

"The Integration of Reading and Writing in a Workshop Model" ASCD Curriculum Update Spring, 1997: 10-15

Murray, Donald M. Write to Learn. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1996
 

The Pew Charitable Trusts, et al. Performance Standards, Volume 2 of 3. Pittsburgh: Harcourt Brace, 1998

The Pew Charitable Trusts, et al. Performance Standards, Volume 3 of 3. Pittsburgh: Harcourt Brace, 1998

Rasmussen, Karen. "Assessing Student Writing: Focusing on the Parts that Make Up the Whole"
ASCD Curriculum Update Spring, 1997: 126-135.

Spandel, Vicki, and Stiggins, Richard J. Creating Writers: Linking Writing Assessment and Instruction. White Plains: Longman, 1997.

Weaver, Constance. Teaching Grammar in Context. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1996

Willis, Scott. "Teaching YoungWriters: Feedback and Coaching Help Students Hone Skills"
ASCD Curriculum Update Spring, 1997: 120-125.

Zinsser, William. On Writing Well. New York: HarperCollins, 1994

LITERATURE STUDY
* Reading strategies
* Vocabulary building
* Literary elements
* Literary analysis
* Responding to literature
* Critical thinking skills

WRITING
* Six Traits of Effective Writing
* Step-Up-To-Writing techniques
* Writing process
* Revision strategies
* Modeling and guided instruction
* Extended writing opportunities
* Critical thinking skills

RESEARCH SKILLS
* Library skills
* Note-taking skills
* Technology skills

SPEAKING/LISTENING/VIEWING
* Critical listening and viewing of various types of media
* active listening skills
* Speaking skills and delivery methods

TEST PREPARATION
* Test-taking skills and strategies
* Simulated testing situations integrated with instruction
* Familiarity with test vocabulary.