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Keystones to Opportunity Pennsylvania District Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan (CLLP) Woodland Hills School District 2430 Greensburg Pike Pittsburgh, PA 15221 Lead Writers Heather Moschetta Heidi Balas Laura Dentel Jack Howell Joanne Krett Date: April 12, 2013 1

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Page 1: KtO Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan Local Literacy Pl… · Web viewEducators must be prepared to teach effectively in the schools of the 21st century and be provided with continuing

Keystones to Opportunity

Pennsylvania District Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan (CLLP)

Woodland Hills School District2430 Greensburg PikePittsburgh, PA 15221

Lead Writers Heather Moschetta Heidi Balas Laura Dentel Jack Howell Joanne Krett

Date: April 12, 2013

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Keystones to Opportunity

Acknowledgements

The Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan for the Woodland Hills School District is the product of a team of teachers, administrators, district residents, parents, and early childhood education center partners. Following the Comprehensive Literacy Plan for Pennsylvania under the Keystones to Opportunity (Striving Readers) grant, the team recommends the vision and mission for literacy, literacy goals, and goal action plans set forth in this document. The Woodland Hills School District Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan was written to provide guidance to all district-level and building-level administrators, teachers, instructional coaches, educational specialists, early childhood education centers within the district, parents, and community partners about their roles in developing an integrated, aligned, and comprehensive set of literacy experiences for children from birth to grade 12 within our district.

The Literacy Plan team acknowledges the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the grant funding that makes our efforts possible; the superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, Mr. Alan Johnson, the Director of Curriculum for the Woodland Hills School District, Mr. Norman Catalano; and the Woodland Hills School District board of directors. Most important in the literacy efforts for the district are the school personnel, who work tirelessly to increase achievement for every child, and especially the students they serve.

The following individuals contributed time and talent to the development of the Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan:

Heather Moschetta (Chair)Heidi Balas (Lead Writer)Laura Dentel (Lead Writer)Jack Howell (Lead Writer)Allison KlineJoanne Krett (Lead Writer)Emily Kunkle

Marcia MurelloRochelle PristeraMarty SharpRoxanne SimonKatie TwichellDina Veltre Miller

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Table of Contents

Section I: Literacy Plan Team Members ………..…..…………….…………….4

Section II Mission and Vision Statements ………..…..………..…..……………..5

Section III: Guiding Principles ………...…..…………..…..………….7

Section IV: Needs Assessment Review ………...…..…………………………13

Section V: Setting and Prioritizing Goals ………..…...……………..………..…26

Section VI: Dissemination of Plan ………..…...…………………………39

Section VII: Assessing and Reporting Progress ………..…...…………………………41

Appendix A: Literacy Needs Assessment ………..…..…………….……………48

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Section I: Literacy Plan Team

Membership

Heidi Balas High School Teacher, Woodland Hills Resident

Laura Dentel Early Childhood Community Partner (Heritage Services)

Jack Howell Elementary Teacher

Allison Kline Elementary Administrator

Joanne Krett Middle School Literacy Coach

Emily Kunkle Elementary Teacher, Woodland Hills Resident

Heather Moschetta High School Literacy Coach

Marcia Murello Elementary Teacher, Woodland Hills Resident, Parent

Rochelle Pristera Elementary Teacher, Woodland Hills Resident, Parent

Marty Sharp Elementary School Technology Coach

Roxanne Simon Elementary Teacher

Katie Twichell Elementary Teacher, Woodland Hills Resident, Parent

Dina Veltre Miller Elementary Teacher

Timeline

The team met twice a month on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30 pm from October 2012 until March 2013.

Each month, the team focused on completing one section of the Literacy Plan. The general outline of sections to complete included:

October 2012: Sections I & II: Literacy Plan Team Members; Section II: Mission and Vision Statements

November 2012: Section III: Guiding Principles December 2012: (one meeting): Section IV: Needs Assessment Review January 2013: Section IV: Needs Assessment Review February 2013: Section V: Setting and Prioritizing Goals March 2013: Section VI: Dissemination of Plan; Section VII: Assessing and

Reporting Progress

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Section II: Mission and Vision StatementsWoodland Hills School District Vision Statement:We envision the Woodland Hills School District as a dynamic, adaptable and united educational community in which you will see:

Rigorous curricula built upon strong content and performance standards challenging each student to achieve at high levels.

All students embracing the importance of their own educational experience and accepting the challenges.

Highly trained and motivated staff focusing on each student’s education and character development while constantly encouraging each student to set and achieve short and long-term goals.

Active celebration of the individuality and diverse backgrounds of our community. A community of learners, that includes students, teachers, administrators, parents and

community members, providing opportunities for students to acquire the knowledge and skills to be productive and valued citizens of the local and global communities.

Technology integrated throughout the curricula and across all grade levels.

Woodland Hills School District Mission Statement: The mission of the Woodland Hills School District is to make students its first priority. The District provides each student with an excellent educational experience that is driven by the highest expectations and prepares students for meaningful participation in all facets of society.Woodland Hills School District achieves its mission by:

Developing intellectual skills, interpersonal understanding and respect for diversity; Setting high standards of achievement for every student; Fostering a challenging, creative, encouraging and safe environment; Relying on shared responsibility among staff, students, families and communities.

Woodland Hills School District Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan Vision Statement:The Woodland Hills School District will empower all of its students birth through 12th grade with the literacy skills to be successful in the dynamic world of the 21st century. It will also ensure that all of those providing instruction - teachers, parents, guardians, and child care providers - be well-versed in evidence-based literacy instructional strategies.

Woodland Hills School District Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan Mission Statement:To help students meet the dynamic literacy demands of post-secondary education and 21st century professions, the Woodland Hills School District local comprehensive literacy plan will:

Create a culture of literacy in our community. Provide differentiated, targeted professional development in evidence-based

instructional strategies to teachers, parents, guardians, and child care workers.

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Cultivate an environment where literacy is the foundation for student success. Provide a myriad of educational opportunities that accommodate individual learning

styles in order to improve literacy and develop the necessary skills of an independent and self-sufficient adult.

Foster a breadth of literacies to develop competent and fluent readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and media consumers.

Develop a collaborative partnership with students, families, staff, community members, and outside service providers to promote literacy and to develop and disseminate effective literacy strategies.

Broaden our students’ world view through literacy.

The Woodland Hills School District Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan mission and vision were written to align with the school district’s and the Pennsylvania Comprehensive Literacy Plan’s mission and vision statements. Our Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan vision and mission reflect the need to increase literacy from birth to grade 12, and to build shared responsibility among stakeholders. In order to achieve this goal, the literacy plan must address certain commonalities among the district’s, the PCLP’s, and the Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan’s vision and mission:

Preparing students for the future Staff professional development Technology Rigorous differentiated education Family and community partnerships Integrated educational/literacy experiences High performance standards Diverse experiences Responsibility for student learning shared among schools, families, and the

communityWe recognize that literacy is the foundation of all learning. Because the Comprehensive Local Literacy Plan’s vision and mission are closely aligned with the district’s vision and mission, the literacy plan’s success in increasing literacy will support the district’s initiatives set forth in its vision and mission.

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Section III: Guiding Principles

1. Literacy is a critical foundation for all learning and serves as a “keystone” for

opportunity and success. The Standards for literacy must promote high level

learning for all students to ensure that they are prepared to meet the challenges

of the 21st century. Because literacy is an important skill in itself and serves as a

tool for learning, it is an essential at all levels (Birth-Grades 12). Moreover, to

enhance literacy learning of students, there must be shared responsibility of

educators, parents and caretakers, and the broader community.

In the Woodland Hills School District, all members of the community agree that literacy is critical for students’ success. It is considered a tool for learning and thinking across disciplines.

Our elementary schools have developed and maintained a culture of primacy for literacy instruction. They hold the 90-minute reading block sacred. Skilled reading specialists provide intensive and strategic interventions for students in grades K – 3. We have developed partnerships with early childhood providers to align curricular outcomes to ensure Kindergarten literacy readiness. The core reading curriculum at this level, Storytown, is a comprehensive approach to total literacy. There are leveled readers in every classroom that support comprehension strategies and vocabulary development.

Teachers at the secondary level agree that literacy skills are paramount for learning content. Currently there is a shift in thinking among secondary teachers regarding shared responsibility for literacy instruction. Not only are the teachers at this level in agreement that strong literacy skills will result in stronger mastery of their content, they are learning strategies to develop those skills. The core textbook series at the secondary level, Glencoe, focuses on task-based literacy strategies that can be implemented across the curriculum. Selections include more informational text than has been used in previous curricula. With the introduction of new instructional strategies, such as literature circles, teachers have begun to offer students more choices regarding their reading material.

Teachers are utilizing a multitude of resources to supplement core texts, including web-based resources from PDE, in order to provide students with increasingly challenging texts as well as performance tasks. Lessons are differentiated to challenge students at all levels. Additionally, teams of teachers are working in professional learning communities to investigate and implement new, research-based literacy strategies.

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2. Student learning, motivation, and access to educational opportunities are

increased when linguistic, cultural, and personal experiences are valued,

understood, represented in the curriculum and classroom practice, and used to

help students make connections between what they know and what they are

learning. Multiple perspectives and experiences provide opportunities for

students to learn about their own as well as the culture of others.

Prior knowledge and linguistic background in the cultural and personal experiences of Woodland Hills School District families are recognized, understood, and represented in the literacy program. Part of the district’s literacy plan is to identify and recognize these linguistic differences. All students entering kindergarten are screened for speech and language. The district intends to expand this screening to all incoming students in the primary grade levels.

The district recognizes that there is a basic foundation for literacy development, regardless of cultural differences, which must be addressed through educating parents of infants and toddlers. Children’s literacy skills can be greatly enhanced by talking and reading with their parents. Prior to entering school, children should gain an awareness of verbal and auditory literacy, know their alphabet, and have a substantial vocabulary. Through partnerships with childcare providers, early learning centers, and social service providers, as well as parent information given at registration, orientation, and on the district’s website, we plan to offer resources for building literacy skills students need to enter kindergarten.

Once students are in our schools, we provide numerous opportunities for students to connect to linguistic, cultural, and personal experiences, including:

ELL program Cultural fairs Projects at each building and statutory level Ethnic diversity in reading curriculum (characters, cultural themes) High school elective courses

Similar to mainstreaming special needs students, students of all cultural backgrounds are included in the general population and all activities. Accommodations for overcoming language barriers include translators for parent meetings and assessments in other languages, as necessary.

In order to prepare our students for global awareness, we teach our students about the appropriate language for school and for home, and while respecting their home language we teach them the skills to switch successfully among environments. Students need awareness of cultural customs and norms different from their own in order to be prepared to work in a global society. We will increase their global awareness through:

Multiple perspectives and experiences exposure through the curriculum and extracurricular activities/events

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Authentic student research projects and performance tasks, including group projects Engaging diverse family and community resources for school events and to

complement the curriculum

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3. There must be high expectations for all learners and a belief that all are capable

of gaining literacy skills that enable them to be successful as adults. Instruction

must address the full range of learners, must be differentiated to meet each

child’s needs, and requires a well-integrated system connecting general,

compensatory, gifted, and special education.

High expectations are one influential element that can contribute to high levels of literacy for all children, from birth through grade 12. In order to achieve the desired levels of literacy, the Woodland Hills community must capitalize on its current best practices. For instance, certain constituents believe that all children can learn; as a result, those constituents embrace the programs and pedagogy to support this notion. Yet, it is of paramount importance that the Woodland Hills community develops and sustains a shared belief that all students have the ability and capacity to meet and surpass expectations:

The Woodland Hills community’s expectations for its children The students’ expectations for themselves The Woodland Hills School District staff’s expectations for their students and their

community

This development and sustainability is contingent on several factors: Supportive and positive relationships between all constituents Highly qualified teachers who are adept at providing differentiated and engaging

literacy instruction, recognizing individual literacy needs, and intervening with appropriate supports

Ongoing professional development for all constituents An aligned and congruent curriculum Duly tiered, cohesive, and coordinated specialized support programs (general,

compensatory, gifted, special education, etc.) from birth through grade 12 Using technology to collaborate with students and classes around the world

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4. Evidence-based decision-making must be at the heart of all instructional

decisions related to literacy development.

Instructional decisions are made using summative, formative, benchmark, and diagnostic assessments. Teachers collect data to determine instructional needs for class and small group instruction. Currently, a data liaison is available to instruct teachers in basic data-literacy skills. The liaison gave instruction in the use of EdInsight data tools for decision-making purposes. Data includes DIBELs Next (K-3), GRADE (PK-12), CDT (from PDE 7-12), ITERS (infant and toddler age), ECERS (early childhood level), Keystone exams, curriculum based assessments, and PSSAs. Teachers have developed both informal and formal assessments for classroom use.

Teachers must continually collect analyze, and make instructional decisions based on data collected. Dedicated time for teachers to analyze data and match evidence-based strategies to instructional should be a priority. Teachers should have dedicated time at regular intervals for evidence-based instructional decision-making. This can include staff meeting time, professional development time, and assigned duty periods.

Each school has at least one instructional coach who can assist in determining the greatest areas of need, finding and modeling research-based strategies, and determining effectiveness. There are also technology coaches available to assist in the use of technology as a tool for assessment, data analysis, and instructional delivery.

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5. Educators must be prepared to teach effectively in the schools of the 21st

century and be provided with continuing professional development support that

enables them to be lifelong learners.

The Woodland Hills School District has always afforded its staff ample professional development opportunities, but has adhered to the one-size-fits-all model of delivery. Although based generally on broad and general assessment data, most professional development sessions were offered to all classroom professionals despite correlating relevance or need.

With the guidance and financial assistance provided by the Keystones to Opportunity Grant, the Woodland Hills School District has begun to dramatically alter its overarching philosophy and approach to professional development. Some of the most important current and future shifts are:

An extended two-year mentoring program for all novice teachers with mentor teachers of different experience levels. Special attention and time will be devoted to effective literacy instruction.

Devoted focused sessions for all affected teachers on the HEAT and LoTi observation models and philosophies.

Ongoing job embedded professional development will be provided to all teachers PreK-12.

Professional development will be differentiated and based on a bank of student and anecdotal data sources.

Woodland Hills will take advantage of technologically assisted delivery and distance learning strategies when providing access to professional development concepts.

Professional collaborations with community partners including early childhood development centers will be fostered and encouraged.

Organic professional learning communities will become valuable assets across disciplines and grade levels in all buildings in order to encourage teachers to become lifelong learners.

The District’s professional development plan will be implemented with fidelity and reviewed annually by teachers, parents, and administrators, so that it can be adjusted according to teacher and student need.

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Section IV: Needs Assessment Review

Standards and Curriculum

Factual Statements:

The district has a standards-based curriculum in place but has not yet transitioned to the Common Core.

Elementary buildings have a published series (Storytown), but the curriculum has not been updated to reflect the Common Core.

High school curriculum maps are updated yearly and are in the initial stages of Common Core transition.

Elementary has some curriculum maps in place, but they are not updated regularly. Elementary does not have an evidence-based tier three intervention program to

address the needs of students who are not responding to the regular education curriculum and interventions.

One ELC partner’s preschool program uses the Harcourt series for literacy and creative curriculum.  Their birth to age two uses creative curriculum.

Conclusion:

Although published series have been purchased for all statutory categories, formal curricula need to be aligned and transitioned to the Pennsylvania Common Core and reflect the needs of our diverse student population.  Although Storytown at the elementary level is not a curriculum, in recent years it has served as a scope and sequence to drive classroom instruction. It has aided in moving a majority of our population to grade-level reading performance as measured by the DIBELS-Next. The district needs to take steps to write and revise literacy curricula from birth to grade 12 aligned to the Common Core, with special attention paid to vertical alignment to assure mastery.

The remnants of a tertiary program exist to varying degrees throughout the district; however, an evidence-based program needs to be implemented.

To accomplish our literacy mission/vision, a coordinated effort between the district and its ELC partners should focus on ensuring that an evidence-based curriculum is implemented with fidelity and consistency. We will develop a curriculum map to align our curriculum with the Common Core standards from birth to grade 12.

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Standards &Curriculum

In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Other Professional Development/Resources that would assist

Birth – 5yrs. XK-5th grade X6th – 8th grade X9th – 12th grade X

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Assessment

Factual Statements:

Teachers can access data from EdInsight (i.e. DIBELS, PSSA, GRADE, etc.). Teachers need professional development on how to use data to make instructional

decisions. Teachers can interpret findings for each student, but need time to make instructional

decisions and plan for data-driven instruction. Schools who serve children from birth to age 5 use work sampling and age-

appropriate benchmarks as assessment tools. There is not an assessment specifically for literacy.  

Many teachers in schools that serve children from birth to age 5 do not meet about findings or use the assessment tools to create activities for learning.

Conclusion:

The district does utilize formative (DIBELS-Next and GRADE), diagnostic (CDT), and summative (PSSA, Keystone, PVAAS) assessments.  However, the 4Sight Benchmarks are no longer used and there are no assessment tools for literacy for the birth to age five group. The teachers do have access to the data, which is to be utilized to plan whole class and individual instruction.  Time for data analysis and planning instruction varies widely from school to school.  

There should be consistent specific times set at each building for data analysis and planning for grade level instruction and for individual students’ needs.  The LADL needs to be better utilized by school administrators for training the teachers on accessing and analyzing the assessment data, and instructional coaches need to be included consistently on the planning meetings.  The district needs to team with the community ELC providers to provide training on the use of assessment in their instruction.  Data should be utilized to plan and differentiate professional development for teachers.  

In conclusion, the assessment tools are available, the data is available, and the expertise is available.  What is needed in this area is consistency across all buildings and time to incorporate the assessments and data in instructional planning.

Assessment In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Professional Development that would assist

Birth – 5yrs. XK-5th grade X6th – 8th grade X9th – 12th grade X

Instruction

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Factual Statements:

K-5 has guided reading groups addressing student needs as below, on level or above level.  

Strategic Intervention is scheduled for 30 minutes daily at the elementary level. 90 minute reading block is in place at the elementary level. Connections to literacy are offered in preschool levels; however, it is the child’s

choice to engage in the materials.  Teachers can suggest activities and ways to use the materials.  

The secondary buildings need to establish a culture of literacy across the curriculum. Currently, many teachers see themselves only as content area experts and do not recognize their role in increasing literacy skills.

The junior high has a reading enrichment course for Tier II literacy interventions and a more intensive program (Language! and Wilson Reading) for Tier III interventions.

The high school has reading and writing workshop courses for Tier II interventions. Special needs students who are reading well below grade level are in the Language! program in pull-out special education English/Reading classes.

Not all teachers or administrators have an adequate understanding of the essential elements of literacy.

Conclusion:

Literacy instruction is in place in all buildings and all levels.  However, the amount of time devoted to literacy instruction varies. The birth to five years and K-5 levels have a reading block and the majority of the day devoted to literacy. In addition, these teachers have access to a language arts series devoted to meeting students below, on, and above grade. All leveled materials align with the skill being taught with an emphasis on small group instruction.  In grades 6-12, the literacy culture is weak in that many teachers focus on content only and do not incorporate literacy instruction. Students at the secondary level do have the opportunity for support classes if they are identified as a Tier II candidate. In the junior high, they are placed in support courses if they do not score an advanced on the PSSA. Nearly 80% of the junior high student population is in these remedial classes, but not all sections are taught by language arts instructors. High school students identified as reading below grade level take workshop classes. Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, GRADE data will determine student placement into high school workshop classes.  

To accomplish our mission/vision in literacy, staff development needs to emphasize reading instruction. All teachers need to learn reading strategies, which in turn help students in each content area.  Reading Specialists are needed to increase literacy at all levels.

Instruction In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Professional Development that would assist

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Birth – 5yrs. X UDL, Building Blocks

Evidence-based instructional approaches from experts

K-5th grade X UDL, Transitions, Special Needs, Family Engagement, ELLs, Data

6th – 8th grade X Data, UDL Content literacy9th – 12th grade X Data, UDL,

Reading Apprenticeship

Content literacy, cooperative learning

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Professional Learning and Practice

Factual Statements:

A majority of the staff has not been trained in all the KtO modules offered by the AIU.

Currently, professional development is delivered in a “one size fits all” model with little differentiation or consistency among buildings.

Staff members have identified a lack of relevance to some professional development. At all levels, there are multiple professional development initiatives every year but

few are sustained. The coaching model to support teachers as they implement new initiatives varies from

building to building. Although the structure for a job-embedded professional development model is in

place, little time is devoted to collaboration and planning for implementation of initiatives.

Building administrators and most faculty members have not been given adequate training in current literacy research.

PLCs are in beginning stages, but they operate differently in each building.

Conclusion:

Professional development needs to be strengthened and differentiated in all statutory areas, from birth to grade 12.  There is a need for more coordination of professional development as it relates to best-practice literacy strategies.  The KtO modules, which were intended to create a district-wide understanding of literacy instruction, need to be offered again in the second year so that more staff members get basic level training. An invitation should be extended to community ELC partners to attend KtO trainings. Our professional development days need to accommodate and prioritize literacy.  All secondary faculty members should participate in the Penn Literacy Network training about adolescent literacy.  There should be a concerted effort to find a comparable program for all elementary teachers in the district; teachers in our ELC partner programs should be invited to this training as well.  New employees of the district should be sent to a one-week “boot camp” as part of their orientation program in the summer to be trained in these literacy initiatives. Additionally, the mentoring program for new teachers should be extended to two years, with emphasis on literacy instruction. Once a clear plan is in place for literacy instruction in Woodland Hills, teachers must be given time to collaborate with colleagues and instructional coaches to fully develop competent implementation of these practices.

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Professional Learning and Practice

In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Professional Development that would assist

Birth – 5yrs. XK-5th grade X Data6th – 8th grade X UDL, Special

Needs, LDCLong-range vision for PD

9th – 12th grade X Reading Apprenticeship, LDC

Long-range vision for PD

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Literacy Leadership, Goals, and Sustainability

Factual Statements:

Districtwide, schools lack specific literacy goals, and there are no consistent goals across buildings.

Coaches in nearly every statutory area assist in literacy leadership throughout the district:

o Literacy coaches are not available in the birth to age five setting. o Each elementary school has a coach who is responsible for reading and also

math, beginning in the 2012-13 school year.o The junior high has a math and a literacy coach. This practice has been in

place since 2010.o Under the Keystones to Opportunity grant, the high school has two literacy

coaches. Literacy coaches attend monthly professional development training and meetings

through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, but PaTTAN resources are underutilized across the district.

In all Woodland Hills School District buildings, data-driven instruction is inconsistently implemented.

Significant turnover of junior high and high school administrators has led to a lack of sustainability of any initiatives. It has only been in the past three years that there has been any consistency in building principals.

One of the WHSD superintendent’s goals is to empower and equip principals to be instructional leaders.

Parent and community involvement in literacy achievement, goals, and initiatives is lacking.

Conclusion:

Literacy coaches, reading specialists, and teacher-leaders direct much of the literacy effort throughout the school district and in the early childhood centers. Instructional leadership in literacy depends on each building administrator’s expertise, and the early literacy knowledge and background varies from one elementary building administrator to the next. To improve literacy leadership, professional development in specific literacy strategies for each statutory area is needed, and administrators as well as teachers should attend the sessions. Professional development for early elementary educators should include teachers from our community’s ELC partners to align literacy instruction as students transition into kindergarten. Such district-wide professional development will begin to create a culture of literacy across the district in alignment with our mission and vision. Currently, we utilize the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s literacy expert and coach mentor for professional development a few times a year. A percentage of staff members are being trained in the Keystones to Opportunity professional development modules, but the training needs to be disseminated to all staff members. Administrators should attend the sessions and follow through with staff to

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ensure that the professional development initiatives are sustained. We should make better use of PaTTAN and other AIU professional development offerings as well.

Literacy, Leadership, Goals, and Sustainability

In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Professional Development that would assist

Birth – 5yrs. X Transitions, Building Blocks

How to coordinate goals, assessment, & instruction

K-5th grade X Transitions6th – 8th grade X Transitions,

Family Engagement, Reading Apprenticeship

PLN, IU, PaTTAN trainings for all teachers

9th – 12th grade X Transitions, Family Engagement, Reading Apprenticeship

PLN, IU, PaTTAN trainings for all teachers

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Transition

Factual Statements:

There is no transition process in place when students move to our district from other school districts. The district experiences difficulty in getting records from other schools in a timely manner.

Although some of our buildings have high transiency rates, with students transferring from one school to another within the district, there is no transition process across elementary buildings.

There is not a consistent communication process between ELC partners and kindergarten teachers before pre-k students graduate.

Some ELC providers do not have formal transition meetings within their centers when children move from one room to the next (infant room to the one-year-old room, etc.)

There is no formal transition plan from elementary school to junior high. From the junior high to the high school, there is a “transition day” where 8th grade

students from our junior high school and some local private schools tour the building and learn about the high school curriculum, code of conduct, graduation requirements, and student activities.

Curricula are not vertically aligned from the elementary to junior high to the high school.

For the past two years, secondary teachers have participated in combined 7-12 professional development for an attempt at aiding in transitions.

Secondary coaches are working on student learning profiles to be updated yearly and travel with students from one building/grade to the next, posted in Edinsight. It is planned to be implemented in 2013-14.

Conclusion:

Undoubtedly, WHSD has work to do regarding transitions from birth through high school graduation. While individual buildings may have timely, well-kept records documenting retentions, graduation rates, and other measures that influence student success, the Woodland Hills School District does not have a uniformly consistent information-sharing system or a consistent procedure to utilize such records. However, the district has an accessible record-keeping system in place that would aid in the monitoring and improvement of the transition process: EdInsight. Currently, individual teachers have access to their students’ records, and administrators have access to all students’ records. There is a critical need for individual teachers to access their future students’ files to aid in planning and preparing for transitions. In addition, records from partnering early childhood programs should be uniform and shared (within FERPA regulations). Vertically aligned curricula, especially across the transition years (preschool to kindergarten, sixth grade to seventh grade, and eighth grade to ninth) are necessary to smooth academic transitions as well.

To date, the Woodland HIlls School District does not provide professional development to

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help staff ensure successful transitions for students. To help reach our literacy goals, the district must address this immediate need with professional development for all staff regarding transitions. The KtO process is the starting point, but sustainability must be the main focus.

Transition In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Professional Development that would assist

Birth – 5yrs. X Transitions Creating portfolios

K-5th grade X Transitions6th – 8th grade X Transitions Common

planning time, elementary-middle school shared PD, vertical alignment of curriculum

9th – 12th grade X Transitions Common planning time, middle-high school shared PD, vertical alignment of curriculum

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Partnerships

A PTO is in each elementary building but consists of a very small group of involved parents. Edgewood Elementary initiated a parent involvement program this school year.  PIES (Parents Involved in Educational Success) has monthly meetings (at the school and in the community) with a focus on academic success.  Some of the topics included communicating with the teacher, celebrating academic success, and technology.

Many parents report being unable to attend school activities because they do not live in close proximity to the school and lack transportation.

Many of the ELC providers do not have parent committees, but they involve parents in activities their child has participated in for the day and also some learning experiences they can try at home.

In one of the district’s ELC partner schools, students have taken a field trip to the library. The library will bring their programs to the 4Kids Learning Center on a bi-weekly basis.

At the secondary level, the junior high has a PTO, but the high school does not. There is strong parent/community support for extracurricular activities, but less for

academics.

Conclusion:

It is evident that there is a great need to improve partnerships between community members and our schools. There is also a need to increase parental involvement in our schools. With the exception of WHHS, individual buildings have parental support through PTOs, but they often contain a small group of involved parents. In one of our buildings, Edgewood, two staff members took the initiative to start the PIES (Parents Involved in Educational Success) Program. More programs like this should be extended to other buildings. At the high school level, there is great parental and community support for extracurricular activities, but academic support is lacking. There are also isolated activities that involve the community, but the district lacks a wholesale community partnership effort. Since the Woodland Hills School District supports the Swissvale Library financially, this would be a great place to start.

In order to accomplish our mission/vision in literacy, the partnerships must be better developed.  The schools need to offer more enticing opportunities for the parents to become partners in their child’s learning.  If the partnerships are better developed in the early stages, they will continue to grow in the future school years.  We feel having an outreach coordinator to encourage community involvement within the schools would be beneficial.  

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Partnerships In Place Not in Place KtO Content Area Modules that would assist

Professional Development that would assist

Birth – 5yrs. X Family Engagement

PD partnerships with elementary schools

K-5th grade X Family Engagement, ELL

6th – 8th grade X Family Engagement, ELL

School-community relations workshops, partnerships with local libraries for PD

9th – 12th grade X Family Engagement, ELL

School-community relations workshops, partnerships with local libraries for PD

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Section V: Setting and Prioritizing GoalsGoal Setting

Title of Section Goal Rationale

Standards and Curriculum

The Woodland Hills School District will transition all content area curricula, from birth to grade 12, to the Common Core and Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.

With the transition at the state level to the Common Core, it is necessary for our current standards-based curricula to be updated, and it is necessary for the ELC partners to align to PA Early Learning Standards in order to increase our students’ achievement from birth through grade 12.

Assessment The Woodland Hills School District will increase the use of data-driven instruction in all classrooms from birth to grade 12 through data meetings and training.

Although we have access to plentiful data, many teachers still lack training and expertise on using data to make instructional decisions.

Instruction The Woodland Hills School District will increase literacy instruction in all content areas from birth to grade 12 through evidence-based professional development.

Many teachers do not understand their role and/or best practices in literacy instruction. Professional development in evidence-based literacy instructional techniques is needed to increase student literacy.

Professional Learning and Practice

The Woodland Hills School District will implement professional development based on best practices in literacy instruction for all teachers and administrators from birth to grade 12.

Professional development in literacy is necessary for both teachers and administrators. Administrators’ literacy expertise varies among buildings, and literacy PD will allow both teachers and building principals to implement effective literacy practices from birth through grade 12.

Literacy Leadership, Goals, and Sustainability

The Woodland Hills School District will implement sustainable literacy initiatives district-wide, from birth to grade 12.

Too many initiatives are introduced but not sustained, but literacy initiatives need to become the focus of all academic decisions. Literacy is the foundation of all content, so sustainable initiatives are necessary.

Transitions The Woodland Hills School District will develop and put in place a transition plan to address the developmentally appropriate academic needs of all students from birth to grade 12.

A transition plan is necessary because our achievement levels decrease during the transition years (grades 7 and 9), and we have a transient population. A plan to address transitions across buildings and grade levels will increase student success.

Partnerships The Woodland Hills School District will increase parental and community involvement in all schools, from birth to grade 12.

Parental and community partnerships with public schools have been shown to positively impact student achievement. We currently have low parental involvement and very few community partners.

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Prioritizing Goals

The goal priorities for the Woodland Hills School District align with our Needs Assessment priority areas. When we wrote the Keystones to Opportunity grant, we prioritized goals that would build upon and maximize our current efforts to advance student achievement. We also considered greatest areas of need based on the Needs Assessment. Since we have prioritized goals based on current need and efforts, the Keystones to Opportunity resources (training modules), will maximize our ability to reach these goals and increase student achievement in literacy. Although the area of Transition was a lower priority on the original Needs Assessment, we have moved the Transition goal higher on our list because the Superintendent’s plan to reorganize the district aims to address our decreased student achievement during the transition years (grades 7 and 9), making it an actionable goal for the 2013-14 school year. Additional goals that are actionable at this time include those for Professional Learning and Practice, Instruction, Assessment, and Standards and Curriculum.

In order of priority, the following are the goals of the Woodland Hills School District:

1. Professional Learning and Practice: The Woodland Hills School District will implement professional development based on best practices in literacy instruction for all teachers and administrators from birth to grade 12. (Prerequisite for goals 5 and 6)

2. Literacy Leadership, Goals, and Sustainability: The Woodland Hills School District will implement sustainable literacy initiatives district-wide, from birth to grade 12. (All goals build sustainability)

3. Transition: The Woodland Hills School District will develop and put in place a transition plan to address the developmentally appropriate academic needs of all students from birth to grade 12. (Prerequisite for goal 4)

4. Standards and Curriculum: The Woodland Hills School District will transition all content area curricula, from birth to grade 12, to the Common Core and Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards. (Builds on goal 3)

5. Assessment: The Woodland Hills School District will increase the use of data-driven instruction in all classrooms from birth to grade 12 through data meetings and training. (Builds on goal 1; prerequisite for goal 6)

6. Instruction: The Woodland Hills School District will increase literacy instruction in all content areas from birth to grade 12 through evidence-based professional development. (Builds on goals 1 and 5)

7. Partnerships: The Woodland Hills School District will increase parental and community involvement in all schools, from birth to grade 12.

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will implement professional development based on best practices in literacy instruction for all teachers and administrators from birth to grade 12.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Define and/or identify effective evidence-based instructional literacy strategies to be included in a professional development plan and calendar.

Disseminate literacy-specific evidence-based instructional strategies through a consistent implementation of professional development and the coaching cycle.

Monitor the rate of implementation of research-based best practices in literacy in all content areas through the use of observations and walk through tools.

Time Line Present to August 2013. August 2013-June 2015. Ongoing following each professional development session.

Lead Person/s Superintendent, instructional coaches, reading specialists, Curriculum Director.

Curriculum Director, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, building administrators.

Teachers, instructional coaches, building administrators.

Resources Needed

Instructional coaches, teacher-leaders, literacy experts, recent professional journals, web sites, International Reading Association literature and reports, current issues of The Reading Teacher.

PD resources from AIU, KtO training module resources, PaTTAN, Penn Literacy Network and/or contracted consultants.

Instructional coaches, literacy resources and lesson plans, digital repository or professional library of relevant materials, HEAT, ITERS, ECERS, as well as locally developed observation tools deployed on portable devices. Audio/video recording equipment.

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Specifics of information

Identify areas of need. Seek out relevant professional development in reading and writing, in-house expertise, literacy experts. Disseminate KtO training module information to all staff.

Emphasize professional development that leads to better literacy practices in every content area from birth to grade 12. In-house experts, instructional coaches, and outside experts will develop and deliver engaging, relevant, and implementable professional development. Accountable time will be given for teachers to plan their lessons around the professional development. A full implementation of the coaching cycle will facilitate job-embedded professional development.

Teachers will plan their lessons from best-practices delivered in PD modules. With the support of instructional coaches, teachers will implement those lessons. Building administrators will evaluate effectiveness of implementation and LADL will measure impact on student achievement data.

Measure of Success

A professional develop plan and calendar that reflects the most current evidence-based instructional literacy strategies.

Teacher Act 48 evaluation surveys. Lesson plans will reflect implementation of strategies.

Systemic implementation as evidenced by teacher portfolios and the PDE Teacher Effectiveness System (PVAAS data and school profile score), evidence of working with coaches, coaching logs, observation documentation, video demonstrations for flipped professional development, data meeting documentation, anecdotal information.

Review Date

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will implement sustainable literacy initiatives district-wide, from birth to grade 12.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Literacy PD for administrators. Relevant PD for content area teachers to create a sustained culture of literacy across the district.

Long-term implementation of Common Core aligned curricula.

Time Line 2013-2014 school year. August 2013-June 2015. Ongoing from August 2014.

Lead Person/s Superintendent and Curriculum Director. Curriculum Director, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, building administrators.

Teachers, instructional coaches, building administrators.

Resources Needed

PD resources from AIU, KtO training module resources, PaTTAN, Penn Literacy Network.

PD resources from AIU, KtO training module resources, PaTTAN, Penn Literacy Network.

Digital repository of literacy resources, curriculum documents and materials. HEAT, ITERS, ECERS, as well as locally developed observation tools.

Specifics of information

Because literacy expertise and experience varies from one administrator to the next, all administrators will receive professional development in research-based best practices in literacy.

In-house experts, instructional coaches, and outside experts will develop and deliver engaging, relevant, and implementable professional development. Accountable time will be given for teachers to plan their lessons around the professional development. Curriculum director, administrators, and instructional coaches will develop systemic tools and resources (graphic organizers, notemaking templates, writing rubrics) and make them accessible in a digital repository.

Teams of teachers will reflect on what is working and what they need to change as part of their portfolios. Teachers will participate in PLCs to collaborate on curriculum implementation. Administrator observations will ensure that the curricula are being implemented. Teachers will continue to develop and share their own resources and best practices to build sustainability.

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Measure of Success

Administrator evaluations. Teacher evaluations, teacher portfolios, longitudinal student achievement data.

Sustainability surveys - teacher implementation of literacy curricula. Long-term student achievement data. Teacher evaluations.

Review Date

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will develop and put in place a transition plan to address the developmentally appropriate academic needs of all students from birth to grade 12.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Form a transition team with teachers of key transitional grades and administrators. The transition team will analyze and specifically target the literacy needs at key transitional levels (as per any district realignment and enrollment).

Monthly transition team meetings to analyze and specifically target [new] literacy needs at key transitional levels (as per any district realignment and enrollment).

Staff will implement the use of a standardized or norm/criterion reference test in assessing the growth/level of the students before making the transition to the next level.

Time Line Present to December 2013 January 2014-June 2015. Ongoing from August 2015

Lead Person/s Superintendent, Curriculum Director, Early Learning Program Directors, Instructional Coaches, Literacy Assessment Data Liaison.

Curriculum Director, Early Learning Program Directors.

Curriculum Director, Early Learning Program Directors.

Resources Needed

Transition team members; common meeting time at the building level.

Transition team members; assessment tools; curriculum tools; common meeting time at the building level.

Teachers; instructional coaches; transition team members; assessment tools; curriculum tools; ELC literacy coach; common meeting time at the building level.

Specifics of information

The transition team will begin to collect and analyze existing data to determine transitional needs.

The transition team will determine the literacy goals that are appropriate at each key transitional level and determine the steps necessary to help the child be successful as they transition to the next level.

The transition team will determine the literacy goals that are appropriate at each key transitional level and determine the steps necessary to help the child be successful as they transition to the next level.

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Measure of Success

Formation of transition team, meeting agendas and minutes.

Consistency and growth from one key transitional level to another (grades in core classes, PSSA and Keystone scores, ITERS, ECERS, DIBELS-Next, kindergarten readiness assessment, etc.)

Consistency and growth from one key transitional level to another (grades in core classes, PSSA and Keystone scores, ITERS, ECERS, DIBELS-Next, kindergarten readiness assessment, etc.)

Review Date

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Measure of Success

Cross-section of teachers from preschool through 12th grade with varying degrees of experience and expertise.

Alignment of curriculum to Common Core. Teacher elective data from Teacher Effectiveness System, lesson plans, observations.

Review Date

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will transition all content area curricula, from birth to grade 12, to the Common Core and Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Establish Common Core and Early Learning Standards Curriculum Planning Teams and calendar of meetings.

Monthly Curriculum Team meetings. Implement, evaluate and adapt aligned curricula throughout implementation.

Time Line Present-September 2013 September 2013-June 2014. Ongoing from September 2014.

Lead Person/s Curriculum Director. Curriculum team leaders, instructional coaches, reading specialists, Curriculum Director.

Teachers, building administrators, instructional coaches

Resources Needed

Google Doc, Google Calendar, WHSD, and ELC partner staff.

Existing curriculum documents and materials, PA Common Core and Early Learning Standards, SAS, other states' aligned curricula.

Standards-aligned curriculum documents, teaching materials, contracted consultants, evaluation materials (HEAT, ITERS, ECERS, locally developed observation tools.).

Specifics of information

Teams will be solicited from interested staff members, teacher leaders, curriculum experts, and administrators. The team will plan the schedule of meetings. Ensure representatives from all levels, especially at the transition grade levels.

Meet monthly to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of current curricula, align content and skills to Common Core and PA Early Learning standards.

All stakeholders will implement the standards-aligned curricula and reflect upon its effectiveness in increasing student achievement. Administrators will ensure its implementation through observations and lesson plan review.

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will increase the use of data-driven instruction in all classrooms from birth to grade 12 through data meetings and training.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Develop a district data meeting protocol and calendar.

Conduct professional development training. Conduct the district mandated data meetings.

Time Line Present to August 2013 August 2013-October 2013 November 2013-August 2017.

Lead Person/s Literacy Assessment Data Liaison. LADL, administrators, instructional coaches, and AIU instructional coaching mentor.

LADL, instructional coaches, building administrators.

Resources Needed

Calendar and a district directive. Data from a variety of sources (PSSA, Keystone, GRADE, DIBELS-Next).

District data forms, agendas, schedules, sign-in sheets, and data.

Specifics of information

The district will develop a mandatory data meeting protocol and require monthly team meetings at every building.

Training on extracting, analyzing, reporting, and utilizing the data for instructional decision making.

Conduct the district mandated data meetings with all stakeholders, i.e. teachers, specialists, coaches, building administrators, and/or parents.

Measure of Success

Data meeting form and policy. Act 48 surveys. Data driven instructional plans, data meeting agendas and minutes.

Review Date

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will increase literacy instruction in all content areas from birth to grade 12 through evidence-based professional development.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Conduct a Teacher Professional Development Needs Assessment and plan the specific professional development training based on the Needs Assessment feedback.

Professional development training on evidence-based literacy instructional strategies.

Teachers will consistently utilize evidence-based instructional strategies to improve literacy proficiency.

Time Line August 2013. Ongoing from September 2013. Ongoing from September 2013.

Lead Person/s LADL and Curriculum Director. Instructional coaches, administrators, and outside experts (AIU , PaTTAN, and Penn Literacy Network) consultants.

Instructional coaches, administrators, and teachers.

Resources Needed

Needs Assessment. Results of the Needs Assessment, KTO Modules, and research-based strategy training sessions.

Repertoire of instructional strategies, materials, and standards-aligned curriculum in digital repository. Evaluation materials (HEAT, ITERS, ECERS, locally developed observation tools.).

Specifics of information

The data received from needs assessment will be used to create a professional development calendar and list of specific agendas and topics.

Teachers will be required to participate in professional development opportunities on research-based instructional strategies needed to increase student achievement.

Teachers will implement the research-based strategies in their lesson planning and instruction. Administrators will monitor implementation through walkthroughs and teacher evaluations.

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Measure of Success

Teacher feedback from Needs Assessment. Teacher feedback on Act 48 surveys and student data.

Observations and student data.

Review Date

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Goal Action Map

Goal Statement: The Woodland Hills School District will increase parental and community involvement in all schools, from birth to grade 12.

Action Step 1 Action Step 2 Action Step 3

››Action Step Develop and conduct parent/community survey to evaluate current parent/education partnerships and programs.

Conduct a planning meeting with all potential community partners.

Implement actions developed by community partners.

Time Line Present to June 2013. Survey completed by August 2013.

September 2013. Ongoing from October 2013.

Lead Person/s Curriculum Coordinator/Early Learning Program Manager.

Curriculum Coordinator/Early Learning Program Manager

Curriculum Coordinator/Early Learning Program Manager

Resources Needed

Online Survey. Community partners. School district personnel who volunteer for parent/ community involvement team.

Community partners and school personnel.

Specifics of information

Develop an online survey to assess current parent/education partnerships and programs. Promote survey on local cable access channel, school website, and school/ PTO newsletters

The community partners will create a prioritized list of goals to increase community involvement and develop an action plan.

The community partners will work in the schools and community in an effort to increase literacy instruction.

Measure of Success

Completion of online survey. Planning meeting agenda and minutes. List of goals and action plan from planning meeting.

Increased community partnerships, as assessed by ongoing community/parental surveys.

Review Date

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Section VI: Dissemination of PlanOnce the LCLP has been approved, it will be disseminated in a multi-modal approach to all

stakeholders. The plan will be shared according to the timeline detailed below:

April, 2013: The final draft of the plan will be presented by the team leader, Heather

Moschetta, to the district KtO Coordinator, Norm Catalano.

August, 2013: Norm Catalano will outline the comprehensive literacy plan during a formal

presentation to the Board of Education and upper administration.

August, 2013: Members of the LCLP writing team will present an overview of the plan to all

faculty members at the Opening Day in-service programs in each of the district’s buildings.

This same team will present the overview to staff of our ELC partners. After each

presentation, there will be a question/answer session to check for understanding of the plan.

September, 2013: Building administrators will solicit volunteers for building literacy

leadership teams. The team members will be responsible for encouraging implementation of

the LCLP components.

October, 2013: Representatives of the building literacy leadership teams will attend a PTO

meeting to share the details of the LCLP with parents.

October, 2013: Members of the district literacy leadership team will produce a tri-fold

brochure highlighting the major components of the LCLP. Copies will be placed in the

offices of each building.

December, 2013: The technology integration specialists, in collaboration with the LCLP

team, will produce a video slideshow with voiceover outlining the goals of the LCLP. This

video presentation will be aired on both commercial access channels and will be posted on a

dedicated page of the district’s website.

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January, 2014: Parents of incoming students will be given a DVD copy of the video

slideshow when they register. Local public libraries will also be given copies. The DVD

will provide a link to an online survey that viewers can access upon completion of their

viewing.

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Section VII: Assessing and Reporting Progress1. Professional Learning and Practice: The Woodland Hills School District will

implement professional development based on best practices in literacy instruction for all teachers and administrators from birth to grade 12.

The first step in this goal’s action plan is to form a professional development calendar

that is rooted in instructional literacy strategies. The Woodland Hills School District’s

professional development committee will generate the calendar by August 2013, and

progress toward the goal will be measured by the Keystones to Opportunity team’s

assessment of the calendar for its value in literacy professional development in line

with the grant’s goals. Next, over the next two school years (August 2013 through

June 2015), in-house and contracted experts (instructional coaches, teacher leaders,

district and building-level administrators, AIU and PaTTAN experts, and Penn

Literacy Network consultants) will deliver literacy-specific, evidence-based

professional development. Effectiveness of the professional development will be

assessed though post-training Act 48 surveys given by the district. By monitoring

teacher lesson plans and conducting walkthrough observations and evaluations,

administrators will monitor the ongoing implementation of the professional

development strategies after each session. Using multiple measures of teacher

observation, including HEAT, ECERS, ITERS, PDE evaluation forms, and locally

developed observation tools, administrators will provide feedback, and teachers will

continue to work on their literacy strategies through additional literacy professional

development.

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2. Literacy Leadership, Goals, and Sustainability: The Woodland Hills School District will implement sustainable literacy initiatives district-wide, from birth to grade 12.

Sustainability is crucial for all literacy efforts through the Keystones to Opportunity

grant, and sustainability comes from literacy leadership. Thus, the first step toward

reaching this goal is to have all administrators trained in literacy strategies from the

AIU, PaTTAN, and Penn Literacy Network during the 2013-2014 school year. This

step will be assessed through post-professional development surveys and

administrator observations. The second step will be to train all staff on literacy-

specific, evidence-based instructional strategies in an effort to create a sustained

culture of literacy across the district. As teachers develop lesson plans and literacy

resources for use in their classrooms, they will share these materials in a digital

repository, which will be accessible to all teachers. Ongoing assessment from

administrator walkthroughs, observations, teacher portfolios, and longitudinal student

achievement data on DIBELS-Next, GRADE, PSSA, and Keystone exams will

determine the sustainability of the professional development. Finally, long-term

implementation of Common Core aligned curricula (which will be written to meet the

Standards and Curriculum goal), beginning in the 2014-15 school year will be the

third action step. This will be assessed through sustainability surveys, long-term

student achievement data, and teacher evaluations and walkthroughs using the HEAT,

ECERS, ITERS, PDE evaluation forms, and locally developed observation tools.

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3. Transition: The Woodland Hills School District will develop and put in place a transition plan to address the developmentally appropriate academic needs of all students from birth to grade 12.

The Woodland Hills School District has begun the first steps in forming a transition

team. The Superintendent visited each building during the spring of 2013 to discuss

his proposed reorganization plan, which is intended in part to address weaknesses in

student achievement during the transition years (6th to 7th grade, 8th to 9th grade).

Additionally the transition team will include representatives from local early learning

centers to address kindergarten transition. During the first step in this goal’s action

plan, beginning during the last few months of the 2012-13 school year and continuing

until December 2012, the transition team will collect and analyze existing data to

determine transitional needs, as assessed by transition team meeting agendas and

minutes. The second step will be for transition team members to meet to analyze any

new literacy needs at key transitional grades (as per district realignment during the

2013-14 school year). This step will also be assessed by transition team meeting

agendas and minutes. Finally, the district and ELC partner staffs will implement

assessment measures to determine the growth and levels of students before

transitioning them to the next level. Student achievement data will be used to assess

the teachers’ consistency in preparing students for the next level, as well as to

determine student growth between transitional levels.

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4. Standards and Curriculum: The Woodland Hills School District will transition all content area curricula, from birth to grade 12, to the Common Core and Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.

The first step towards reaching this goal will be to develop planning teams to

transition content area curricula to the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards and

Common Core Standards. Teams will be formed by fall 2013 so that these teams can

fulfill the second action step during the 2013-2014 school year, which will be to meet

monthly and revise curricula to align to the Common Core and Pennsylvania Early

Learning Standards. Monthly progress will be evaluated through meeting agendas and

minutes, as well as curriculum maps and other curriculum documents that evidence

alignment to Common Core and Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards. Once the

curricula have been revised, the third action step will be for teachers, building

administrators, and instructional coaches to implement, evaluate, and adapt the

aligned curricula beginning in the 2014-15 school year. This ongoing implementation

and revision will be assessed by teachers and instructional coaches, as they reflect

upon the curricula’s effectiveness in increasing student achievement (using data from

DIBELS-Next, GRADE, PSSA, and Keystone). Administrators will use walkthrough

observations, evaluations, and teacher elective data from Teacher Effectiveness

System to assess the ongoing implementation and adaptation of the standards-aligned

curricula.

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5. Assessment: The Woodland Hills School District will increase the use of data-driven instruction in all classrooms from birth to grade 12 through data meetings and training.

The KtO Literacy Assessment Data Liaison (LADL) will be integral in increasing

teachers’ abilities to make instructional decisions based on data. For the remainder of

the 2012-13 school year and during the summer of 2013, a districtwide protocol or

policy for data-driven instruction and a district data meeting calendar will be

developed and in place for implementation during the 2013-14 school year. Next,

teachers will receive professional development on the use of data early in the 2013-14

school year and integrate the training into their instructional procedures. Teachers

will evaluate the training in their Act 48 surveys, and administrators will assess the

use of data in the classrooms by way of walkthroughs and evaluations using the

HEAT, PDE Teacher Effectiveness System, and locally developed observation tools.

Also beginning in the fall of 2013 is the third action step, which will be to conduct

data meetings with teachers, instructional coaches and specialists, building

administrators, and the LADL. Success of the data meetings will be assessed by

meeting agendas and minutes as well as teachers’ data-driven instructional plans.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) focused on data will also support the

efforts to integrate a data culture into the schools.

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6. Instruction: The Woodland Hills School District will increase literacy instruction in all content areas from birth to grade 12 through evidence-based professional development.

Professional development is the key to reaching this goal. By August 2013, the

district’s first step in increasing literacy instruction is to conduct a professional

development needs assessment and use the results to plan the professional

development calendar and in-service agendas for the 2013-14 school year and

beyond. Teacher feedback from the needs assessment will be used to assess progress

in this step. Next, instructional coaches, administrators, and outside experts from the

AIU, PaTTAN, Penn Literacy Network, etc. will deliver professional development

training on literacy instructional strategies. Effectiveness of the professional

development will be assessed through Act 48 surveys, and teachers will be expected

to implement these strategies in their classrooms on an ongoing basis. Administrators

will assess the effectiveness of the literacy instruction in walkthroughs and

evaluations using HEAT, ITERS, ECERS, and locally developed observation tools.

Increased literacy achievement from improved instruction will be evident in student

assessment data from GRADE, DIBELS-Next, PSSA, and Keystone exams.

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7. Partnerships: The Woodland Hills School District will increase parental and community involvement in all schools, from birth to grade 12.

In order to increase parental and community involvement in the schools, it is first

necessary to assess current levels of involvement, as it differs from one school to the

next within the district. Thus, the first action step is to conduct a parent/community

survey to evaluate current parent/education partnerships and programs. Survey

development should be completed by June 2013, and results will be obtained by

August 2013. From the results, potential community partners will be identified; in

September 2013, a planning meeting will be held to prioritize a list of goals and an

action plan to increase community involvement. Progress toward this step will be

assessed by the planning meeting’s product: a list of goals and an action plan. Then,

beginning in October 2013, the schools and community partners will implement the

action plan. This will be an ongoing process involving community partners and

school district personnel. The ultimate measure of success of this goal is whether or

not we have increased involvement from parents and community members and

organizations. This will be assessed on an ongoing basis through periodic community

and parental surveys.

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Appendix A

Literacy Needs Assessment

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