Bringing New Staff Members on Board with a 3-Tier Literacy Framework

The Goal: Improved literacy achievement for all students

3 Tier
Big Ideas / Characteristics and Talking Points / Possible Resources & Tools
Ensuring that All Students Learn / Core Curriculum & Materials
There are core materials, whether district-created, combinations of purchased materials or a basal series, that are research based, cover all five areas and used by every teacher. A clear, coherent and aligned reading curriculum, based on state standards, is available, understood and followed by everyone. Weaknesses in core curriculum materials are identified and addressed by Instructional Teams based on review of student data. /
  • Copy of MI-GLCEs for ELA
  • Copy of District Benchmarks, if available
  • Literacy Block Schedule for Each Grade Level or Classroom
  • Curriculum Maps (ie: DIBELS)

Knowledge of Literacy Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction, Intervention, Collaboration, and Instructional Problem-solving
Staff foundational knowledge, skills and needs in literacy instruction are assessed. Strategic staff participation in PD is planned based on the needs assessment. Commitments to the 3-Tier project are aligned with school improvement and strategic planning at the School and District Level. /
  • Assessment Training: MLPP, diagnostic reading assessment & miscue analysis, DIBELS/ universal screening
  • Training in Big Ideas of Early Literacy (ie: EIFER)
  • 3-Tier Powerpoint presentations from OS
  • Grade-Level Action Plans
  • School Improvement Plan

Core Instruction
Instruction is delivered in a systematic, scaffoldedand focused mannerwith well defined learning targets. Attention is given to state standards as well as the needs of the students. There are sufficient andconsistent time blocks along with predictable routines in place in order to maximize learning outcomes. Instruction is differentiated in order to meet the needs of all students and there is a clear process for supporting students in the classroom who have difficulty meeting the learning targets. /
  • Current School & Grade-Level Data (universal screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring & outcome data)

Supplemental and Strategic Instruction/ Intervention
All children, beginning in the first semester of kindergarten, identified as not on track are receiving interventions that are tailored to their needs and research based. Interventionists are familiar with a range of interventions and there is a systematic plan for insuring that all identified children receive appropriate interventions in a timely manner. Children not making good progress receive more intensive levels or types of intervention. /
  • Classroom Data Bins and Directions
  • Classroom Data Organizers
  • Progress Monitoring Graphs
  • DIBELS Progress Monitoring Booklets
  • Intervention Planners/ Planning pages

3 Tier
Big Idea / Characteristics and Talking Points / Possible Resources & Tools
Culture of Collaboration / Relationships
There is shared responsibility for student learning between general education, at-risk, and special education staff. Teacher teams collaborate to achieve common learning goals, share effective practices, and problem-solve learning challenges identified by student -response data. There is active administrative involvement and support at the building and district level. /
  • DuFour PLC article
  • Group Norms

Communication
There is mutual trust, open communication and support between group members. Discussions often include people comfortably voicing different points of view. There is respect for each participant’s knowledge base and ideas. Everyone is considered a worthwhile member of the group, contributing different pieces of information, each of which is equally important. /
  • DuFour PLC article
  • Group Norms
  • School Improvement Plan
  • School Timeline

Grade Level Literacy Teams
Schedules have been strategically planned to facilitate participation in grade level literacy team meetings. Assigned staff consistently attend and participate with the goal of learning together and supporting each other in establishing and maintaining the most effective instructional practices. /
  • Schedule for Weekly GL Meetings with Defined Purposes/ Meeting Agendas
  • School Timeline/ Schedule of Data Interpretation Meetings (3x/year)
  • Classroom Data Organizers for G-L (Fall, Winter)
  • Grade Level Data Notes Page
  • Classroom Data Notes Page

3 Tier
Big Idea / Characteristics and Talking Points / Possible Resources & Tools
A Focus on Results / Data Analysis and Interpretation
Data for all five components of reading is readily available and regularly used to determine if students are on track as well as to determine instructional needs. Discussions of data occur regularly and every teacher understands the data and can use it to group students and plan lessons for total group, small group and intervention level instruction. /
  • Current School & Grade-Level Data (universal screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring & outcome data)
  • Assessment Tools Matrix
  • Problem-Solving with Data Bookmark
  • Problem-Solving with DIBELS Graphs Bookmark
  • Classroom Data Organizers for G-L (Fall, Winter)

Goal Setting and Progress Monitoring
Each child receiving intervention has a clear performance goal for the next Benchmark Assessment in appropriate areas of need. Ongoing interventions are modified based on regular progress monitoring as appropriate. All progress monitoring is based on reliable, valid instruments that staff has been well trained to use. /
  • Intervention Planners/ Planning pages
  • Progress Monitoring Graphs
  • DIBELS Progress Monitoring Booklets

Special Populations
The achievement rate of children from special populations is at the same high level of success as children from typical populations. Staff understands the unique learning needs and successful approaches for working with the variety of special populations represented in the building. Every child is seen as capable of learning and appropriate, tailored core instruction and interventions are provided to insure that every child is successful. /
  • LEA data
  • Achievement Gap data (MEAP outcome)

Oakland Schools 211 Pontiac Lake Rd, Waterford, MI48328