Greenbush-Middle River District 2683 Local Literacy Plan

Reading well by third grade is one of many developmental milestones in a child’s educational experience. Providing quality curriculum, instruction, and assessments is the foundation for developing comprehensive systems of support for all learners. Greenbush-Middle River Schools will implement the following Local Literacy Plan to ensure that all students are reading well by third grade. 

Goals

All kindergarten students will 

1.   Earn a skill set score of at least 51 on all STAR Early Literacy Domains that are linked to Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts for Kindergarten.
2.   Identify the 26 capital and small letters of the alphabet and know all corresponding vowel and consonant sounds.
3.   Know 40 high frequency words based on the Fry list, saying each word within 3 seconds upon presentation.

All first grade students will

1.   Earn a skill set score of at least 51 on all STAR Early Literacy Domains that are linked to Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts for First Grade.
2.   Achieve an oral reading fluency rate of at least 38 words per minute as measured by the Early Literacy Skills Test.
3.   Know the first 100 high frequency words based on the Fry list, saying each word within 3 seconds upon presentation.

All second grade students will

1. Earn a skill set score of at least 51 on all STAR Early Literacy Domains that are linked to Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts for Second Grade.
2. Achieve an oral reading fluency rate of at least 51 words per minute as measured by the Early Literacy Skills Test.
3. Know the first 300 high frequency words based on the Fry list, saying each word within 3 seconds upon presentation.  
4. Achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Unit Tests.

All third grade students will

1. Achieve an oral reading fluency rate of at least 95 words per minute as measured by the STAR test.
2. Know the first 500 high frequency words based on the Fry list, saying each word within 3 seconds upon presentation.  
3. Achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Unit Tests.

Core Curriculum

• In fall of 2010, K-3 teachers documented curriculum alignment with the 2010 Minnesota Academic Standards for English Language Arts.
• Grades K-3 use Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys (2014) for phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, writing, spelling and teachers’ strategy modeling.
• All first-third grade students work toward quarterly Accelerated Reader goals by reading at an individualized instructional level.

Supplemental Curriculum to Accelerate Student Achievement

• Read Live -- Fluency, comprehension, vocabulary
• Journeys intervention curriculum -- phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency
• EdMark -- sight word automaticity
• Reading Eggs -- individualized practice for phonemic awareness and phonics
• Moby Max – vocabulary, comprehension strategies, re-teaching
• Individualized curriculum outlined in students’ special education plans
• Currently there are no ELL (English Language Learner) students in the district.

Implementation fidelity will be monitored by principals and mentors through classroom observations, student work, Professional Learning Communities and lesson plan review.

Assessment and Intervention

Individual and group diagnostic data is used throughout the year to guide classroom instruction. 

In addition to Accelerated Reader and running records, the following assessments will be administered by teachers and paraprofessionals:

• STAR and Early Literacy Skills Tests will be administered in September, January and May.
• High frequency word and Kindergarten alphabet identification assessments will be conducted quarterly.
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Weekly Assessments will be administered at least 15 times during the academic year, at the close of each lesson.
• Students are screened three times per year for phonics mastery using Words Their Way assessments.

Students will be referred for intervention services based on daily teacher observation and assessment data. Intervention may include -- but is not limited to -- Title 1, special education, additional instruction time beyond the school day, and changes to whole-group classroom instruction. 

The following assessment data will be used to identify students for extra support:

Students who maintain performance above these targets will be exited from intervention programs.

Parent Communication

Parents of K-3 students will receive an Individual Literacy Profile with their children’s assessment results at the end of the school year in addition to quarterly reporting throughout the school year.  This includes, for example, Accelerated Reader reports, reading curriculum weekly assessment reports and graded homework. Fall and spring parent-teacher conferences and IEP meetings provide opportunities to explain assessment data and intervention plans. Through letters, e-mails, teacher web sites, school announcements, the local newspaper of record and monthly district newsletter, teachers regularly communicate to parents how they can promote literacy. 

Staff Development

The district will provide sufficient training and regular support so that all teachers use evidence-based practices to teach reading and language arts.

• Review student performance data to identify patterns that drive staff development needs.
• Survey teachers to discern staff development needs.
• Provide evidence-based professional development through the Regional Centers of Excellence, Northwest Service Cooperative, Minnesota Department of Education , Northwest Regional Interdistrict Council, professional organizations and other highquality service providers.
• As part of the district’s formal mentorship program, mentors will consult with probationary teachers at least twice each month.
• The district will provide time during fall and mid-year staff development days so that teachers from both elementary sites can collaborate.
• Professional Learning Communities will be scheduled at each elementary school to review student work, to review research, to share evidence-based strategies and to problem-solve for accelerated learning.
• Teachers will instruct and monitor paraprofessionals to ensure that evidence-based practices are used.

Annual Reporting  

This plan will be reviewed annually by a local literacy committee and revised as necessary to meet students’ and families’ needs. The Local Literacy Plan will be linked to the district’s web site. Using the assessment data described in this plan, the district will report end-ofyear student achievement data to the Commissioner of Education. 

Kindergarten Literacy Report to Parents  

The following types of support may be available for your student in the next school year:

         Individual reading fluency lessons

        Daily small group instruction for comprehension, fluency and vocabulary

         Individualized special education services

         Individual tutoring for phonics

         Attendance interventions

These services may be during the school day, before school or after school. Your child’s teacher will discuss options with you when school begins next fall.

Outside of school, parents can help at home by providing a language-rich environment that includes conversation, reading to children, listening to children read and showing children that adults read for pleasure and other purposes.

First Grade Literacy Report to Parents  

Second Grade Literacy Report to Parents   

Third Grade Literacy Report to Parents   

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