Ethan Netterstrom, Ex. Dir. C&ISilvia Romero-Johnson, Ex. Dir OMGETheresa Morateck, Dir. Lit & Humanities

BOE Instruction Work Group: High-Quality Literacy Materials Adoption K-5 April 6, 2020

BOE Instructional Work Group

Build understanding of K-5 Materials as an Equity Strategy

Feedback from BOE:• Pause Point: What feedback does the BOE have around

the vision, mission, & K-5 programming commitments?• Pause Point: What are considerations/recommendations

for potential improvement of the process leading to the recommendation for adoption of K-5 materials in December, 2020.

While educators must be well versed in culturally responsive teaching practices, every employee needs to function from a common understanding about the history and effects of racism, structural racism and implicit bias. This work will be embedded in induction and professional learning district-wide.

WHY from UnboundEd, Standards Institute

“Educational Equity ensures that all children regardless of circumstance-are receiving high-quality grade level, standards-aligned instruction with access to high-quality materials and resources.”-UnboundEd on Equity in Education

Coherence: Working toward Our Graduate Vision

Transforming Literacy Pedagogy in MMSD

Where WERE we?Where ARE we? And, where are we GOING?

MMSD Literacy Vision

“All students and staff are literacy learners and teachers”

The programming commitments target three big buckets: ● skills & knowledge● student engagement● success

The most current draft that is guiding our work: K-5

Programming Commitments for Literacy 2020

PAUSE POINT:

We ask that the board look at each section of the K-5 programming commitments and provide feedback.

BOE Feedback on Vision, Mission, and Practices

Strengths & Suggestions for Revisions: ● Vision● Mission● Values● Programming

Commitments

Balanced Literacy Approach

MONDO Adoption, Calle Adoption (Spanish)

Inconsistent usage thereafter; inconsistent messaging around expectations for implementation and standards aligned instruction; however, schools were implementing

Scopes and sequences were created to be standards aligned with embedded assessments; along with 5-day (10 day for biliteracy) reading process to target approaches to reading through a balanced literacy approach; training around the standards occurred across the district

Pre 2010 2010 2010-2015 2015 2018

Needs Assessment reveals need for materials K-5 that have a structured Phonics component, are standards aligned and are more culturally and linguistically responsive, historically accurate and inclusive

Where WERE we?

Opportunities for Growth...

Snapshot of Literacy Data

+8 percentage pointsOur biggest gains found in our data are during the years of 2012-2014. During those years, we had 8 point gains overall in our internal assessment (MAPS); it has since been a steady data point from 2014-2019.

1.3% decreaseFORWARD assessment reflects a 1.3% decrease in the third grade over the past three years (Spring 16-17 was 36% Prof/Adv; Spring 17-18 was 37.5%; Spring 18-19 was 34.7%).

up and down trendPALS reflects an up and down trend over the past three years: Spring 16-17 showed 77%; Spring 17-18 showed 79.6%; Spring 18-19 showed 76.9% passed.

persistent opportunity gapsALL Assessments: We continue to have persistent opportunity gaps in certain areas of our: Low-Income, ELs, Sped, and Af Am/Black populations

● 2020 Planning on how to expand PD opportunities from what was learned at the standards institute

● 2020 Initial training offered to school based instructional coaches on early reading acquisition grounded and supporting striving readers

● 2020-2021 Rethinking structures and systems for professional learning opportunities for all staff (principals, instructional coaches, teachers) to allow for increased coherence of messaging and new learning.

● 2019-2020 Refocus on standards instruction - the district sent over 30 staff across the district (district admin, principals, teachers) to the UnBoundEd Standards Institute during the spring and winter sessions

● 2019 Spring - MMSD applied and was awarded DPI High Materials Grant to fund an adoption process of new K-5 Materials

● 2019-2020 MMSD has been engaged in the adoption process that will lead to a recommendation to the BOE in Winter of 2021

Where ARE we?

Grounding Our Work in Research

● Effective reading instruction requires teaching of two types of competencies: foundational reading skills and knowledge-based competencies.

● Foundational reading skills must be taught explicitly and systematically.

● Fluency is the bridge between decoding and comprehension AND background knowledge improves comprehension.

Grounding Our Work in Research

ll

Our Approach to Literacy Improvement

Application of HIgh Quality

Standards-Aligned Materials

aFocused, Braided

Professional Development with Coaching Cycles

Strong Instructional

Practices Implemented with

Integrity

Vision for Improvement in Literacy

Our Approach to Improvement in K-5 Literacy

“Know Better, Do Better!”

Adoption Process for 2019-2021

Review Committee Cycles

Recommendations to narrow sets of materials to examine further will be made at the end of the cycle.

2020 January

Partnerships, Research & Empathy Groups

2019 Sept-Nov

Data will inform our vision and localized Criterion. Feedback will also be used to adjust and modify the plan.

Begin RFP Process & Gather Additional Feedback

This will include opportunities for stakeholders, including BOE, to examine recommended sets of materials.

2020 March-May

Quality MaterialsK-5 Literacy Adoption Process

Adoption Process for 2019-2021

Staff Training & Preparation for ImplementationYear 1 Implementation will occur in the Fall of 2021. Implementation plan is yet to be determined.

2021 March-August

Recommendation for Materials with BOE VoteMaterials will be ordered after the vote passes.

2020-2021 Dec-Jan

Implement sample lessons in selected gradesParticipating classrooms will be a representation of schools across the district.

Biliteracy and EL Review Committee Meets

2020 June-November

Quality MaterialsK-5 Literacy Adoption Process

All Staff SurveyTeachers & Principals

Multiple Empathy Groups Stakeholders: Experts, Teachers, Families, Community Members

Review Committee52%Teachers48% Admin

Field Study: Five K Classroomsstudents, teachers, coaches, principals

Upcoming:6th GradersAll Staff Survey PodcastsTeachers & Students w/Lesson Trials

Informing the Process: VOICE & FEEDBACK

Voice & Feedback has been collected in a variety of ways

Expert Round Table 11participants

Family/Community Members35 participants

Staff (teachers/principals) 86 participants

Teachers with MTI 49 participants

Instructional Coachesfall: 28 participants

spring: 26 participants

Informing the Process: Empathy Groups

HIGHLIGHT: Empathy Groups, September - December, 2019

Initial Empathy Group Highlights

Hopes from our Black Family & Community Members:● “Normalizing” multicultural materials● Improved accountability for lack of progress on goals or missteps● More home to school connections● Hope the district would implement more effective instruction guidelines for

teachers and principals● Hope the district works to make sure the curriculum is sufficient/excellent

preparation for the next level● Teachers get more support● Higher expectations for our children (meet me at MY level that I have for my

child; set an expectation; challenge them; stop acting like they can’t ● 11 Participants

Initial Empathy Group Highlights Hopes from our Teachers and MTI Partnership:● Systematic phonics ● Embedded assessments that are user-friendly and inform instruction● Professional Development is “vital”● Curriculum that builds knowledge and vocabulary● Differentiated opportunities● Connections between ELI

and DLI● Variety of books that

offer “Doors and Mirrors,” and diversity

● 49 Participants

Review Committee Cycles

25+ members across the district58% Teacher Roles 42% Administrator Roles

Representation for:English LearnersAdvanced LearningSpecialized Services

Review Committee Cycles - Next Steps

Theme: Communication● The committee expressed desire to continue to meet in order

to communicate the work/process among stakeholders● Expressed need to more clearly communicate the

partnership between OMGE and C&I in a combined selection process.

● Plan to collect feedback from students. The core team is currently working with research department to develop a plan to interview 6th graders to explore their teaching and learning experiences specific to literacy in the K-5 system in regards to preparation for middle school

Review Committee Cycles - Next StepsTheme: Deeper Learning

Expressed need for professional development of instructional practices across staff (this is a part of our braided approach for K-5 literacy improvement -adoption of high quality materials, professional development for the improvement of instructional practices, and on-giong coaching for implementation`

Expressed need across staff to develop knowledge around the research behind the program offerings

Conduct lesson trials in classrooms from high quality programs

Opportunities for K-5 principals to explore materials and provide feedback

Field Study Early Learnings

● Allis and Gompers● EL Educational Curriculum:

Foundational Skills Block, Kindergarten

● Purpose: Inform how we can plan for a successful implementation of materials selected in the future

Field Study Early Learnings

● Important to identify and communicate common essential program components and practices to teachers and principals

● Provide training around the big ideas of the organization of the program/materials AND instructional practice (what, why, and how)

● On-going coaching is essential to implementation● Identify assessments and train teachers how to use the

assessments to track student progress and to determine teacher moves

● Collect teacher feedback along the way to meet coaching and instructional needs (this was used to inform quarterly pd sessions)

PAUSE POINT: We ask the BOE to provide feedback on the Adoption Process (Slides 17&18).

BOE Feedback on the Adoption Process

Strengths & Ideas for Consideration:● Timeline● Communication● Meetings with

Stakeholders● Professional

Development● Materials Review

Next steps for the process

March-May 2020● Empathy Group - 6th Grade Students● 2nd Empathy Group - Instructional Coaches ● Begin development of RFP ● Conduct lesson trials with materials● Increase updates for staff beyond BOE updates● Second All Staff survey -on training and implementation● Continue Podcasts

Summer 2020● Review Committee for ELA for English Learners and Biliteracy● Professional development for teachers● Viewing Materials Session with Principals, Coaches and

Teachers to gain feedback

Articles to Inform PracticeLeadership for Systems Change:ASCD-Educational Leadership illustrates the goal of navigating change management within our K-5 system ASCD Article

Effective Implementation Approaches:Baltimore Case Study, EdReports Baltimore High Quality Materials AdoptionInstitute for Policy Change Effective PD Article

Reading Instructional Practices:Science of Reading T. Shanahan ArticleThe DRIVE Model of Reading, International Reading Association Nell Duke ArticleCultural Responsive, Social Justice, Multiculturalism Z. Hammond