Investing 4 Success Snapshot

Background

Our initiatives included:

1Provide additional allocation of a Speech Language Pathologist to support the development of oral language skills in our Prep and Year 1 students and staff as oral language is an identified need in our student Early Start and AEDI data. The improvement focus was to support staff capability and consistency of practice in teaching oral language; and support student oral language acquisition skills

2Implementing Literacy Blocks in all classrooms. We aimed to build the connection for children between reading and writing through the explicitly implementation of literacy blocks which incorporate all elements of literacy and opportunity for students to learn and apply their knowledge and skills in cross-curricula tasks.

3Extend literacy data available for use by teachers in planning and support staff confidence and effective use of data in supporting student learning.

4Provide professional development for teachers and teacher aides in effective literacy practices for use when supporting student learning in literacy blocks.

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Design – Line of sight

1. Oral language data in AEDI and Early Start indicated high levels of vulnerability for a significant proportion of our Prep students. Research in oral language development and case studies indicated that the use of POLLEY programs matched our context and data needs. Prep teachers and teacher aides were provided professional development and modelling by a Speech Language Pathologist, who lead the implementation of this program in 2016. In 2017 we used our student data and researched a range of additional programs, adopting and adapting them to meet our student needs and forwarding this new program, which complements our POLEY program in Prep for our Year 1 students and staff, with further support staff, including our Stan, were involved in the delivery and review of this program in the form of the Chatterbox program which focused on phonemic and phonological knowledge and skills. Pre and post screeners were used to identify need and growth as well as the identification of students who needed further oral language support through a more intensive support program.
2. Literacy Blocks – all classes have implemented Literacy Blocks to support consistent focus on all elements of the School Literacy Program and opportunity for students to learn and apply their skills in all literacy areas. The initiative was implemented in term 1, was refined in term 2 through an enquiry cycle process with staff, and continued for the year. The research of Drs Lyn Sharratt and Michael Fullan supported our development and implementation of Literacy Blocks.
3. Reviewed and refined the data tools we access and how we use them in supporting student learning. We changed to the Fontas and Pannell running record resource as we were seeking more detailed reading data to use in our class planning sessions, better supporting student progress. All teachers and teacher aides were trained in the use of this new tool. Our reading data wall was converted to reflect the new levels which were aligned with the Literacy Continuum to support alignment of tool with the Australian Curriculum indicators in reading.
4. We established five week data informed interventions in 2016 and continued to build upon this process in 2017. Teachers used their student data to design, support and review student achievement against individual goals.
5. We accessed professional development in the teaching of reading and writing through an external consultant. This has been a two year commitment to provide gradual release of the teaching of reading and writing. Initial consultation through Master Teacher networks as to on-site professional development in contexts with similar needs to ours was used to determine the best fit for our school. All teachers are supported through this professional development, with sessions spread throughout the year to ensure continued focus and opportunity to gradually build upon new practice.

Impact – Student improvement

• Oral Language- Prep and Phonemic/Phonological Interventions (Chatterbox) – Years 1 & 2.

The percentage of Year 1 students who did not make age appropriate outcome in Phonological Knowledge and Application – which is the focus of Chatterbox is 8%. These students will be further supported in 2018 through the MiniLit program with it continued focus on phonemic and phonological awareness and application.

• 2014-2017 Reading and Writing trend data indicates:

This data indicates the higher impact in both reading and writing for our strategies has been on supporting students in the lower academic ranges to improve with minimal impact extending students to achieve the upper two bands. However, data from the five week data interventions which targeted extension of students in reading has shown significant gains for these individual students. The relative gain in NAPLAN for Reading and Writing has had a significant improvement from 2015 with better than state growth being achieved in all literacy areas over the past 2 years.

• Student benchmark and English A-E data have shown minimal improvement, however, research and our observations support the improved data available and progress in a new pedagogical approach indicate a process and continued support, feedback and mentoring will be necessary in order to gain longitudinal growth.

Scalability – Potential to implement

1. Oral Language program POLLEY was implemented in Prep in 2016. Due to the success of this support in building stronger pre-reading foundations and also identifying students with significant speech developmental issues earlier than previously, we continued this program in 2017, expanding the focused teaching of oral language into Year 1 and 2 in 2017. The setup of the resources and training was an initial outlay of funds and time, however, the Speech Language Pathologist now only mentors the program, with teachers and teacher aides independently implementing it as part of their literacy program.
2. Literacy Blocks, with embedded literacy intervention, were implemented across Prep to Year 6 classes. Resources such as Mini-Lit and Levelled Literacy Intervention kits, training of staff, management of teacher aide timetables to support student learning in their classrooms was developed over a three year timeframe, however, now we are at the review and refine stages which involves updating training, reflecting and refining timetables and tracking student data.
3. Data meetings were facilitated through additional non-contact time provision to enable teachers to meet as a year level to discuss student reading and literacy data, plan collaboratively and develop a shared understanding of curriculum expectations.

Investment – Creating value

• Additional allocation to Speech Language Pathologist - $32 539.89
• Teacher aide allocation for the support of the implementation of additional Literacy Intervention programs including MiniLit and Levelled Literacy Intervention - $69 808.54
• Additional support through teacher time for the implementation of Literacy Interventions - $103 894
• Professional Development in the teaching of reading and writing - $4 400
• Updating the formative assessment tools for reading - $5 332.
• Teacher release time to support collaborative data analysis by year levels - $1 287.27

Conclusion

Due to the outstanding results in Oral Language and Phonological Awareness programs and interventions which support application of phonemic knowledge we will sustain our commitment to the Speech Language Pathologist, teacher aide and teacher support for intervention programs. We will build upon our intervention processes to ensure all children who have not achieved school and system targets in reading will receive a further layer of intervention in years Prep-Year 3.

The focus on reading will continue, with ongoing professional development, especially in modelled applications of quality pedagogy. The additional allocation for greater opportunity for collegial modelling, observation and feedback of the teaching of reading will be added to the professional development schedule to build upon our already large body of understanding of effective teaching of reading and support consistency and strength of practice across all year levels. A retargeting of formalised feedback and observation of the teaching of reading will be re-established to forward this agenda.

Data meetings and use in planning will be further supported through a reviewed tracking tool of student reading achievement and progress against minimum and aspirational targets.

Literacy blocks will continue with intervention in literacy being aligned to these blocks. The additional support may not align, however, will be purely aimed at short term correction.

References

1. Press: New York.
2. Zyngier, David (2014) The Importance of Class Size in Education Matters, Prime Creative Media: Melbourne, pp. 19-22.
3. Snowball, Diane, et al. Teaching Comprehension: An Interactive Professional Development Course (grades K-2, 3-6, and 6-9), Curriculum Corporation.
4. Cullinan, B.E. (2000) Independent Reading and School Achievement in School Library Media Research. Vol 3.
5. Snow, P., Eadie, P, Connell, J., Dalheim, B., McCusker, H and Munro, J. (2014) Oral language support early literacy: A pilot cluster randomized trial in disadvantaged school, International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 16:55, 495-506.
6. Serry, Tt. Rose, M. and Liamputtong, P. (2008) Oral language predictors for the at-risk reader: A review, International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 10:6, 392-403.
7. Sharratt, L. and Fullan, M. (2012) Putting the Faces on the Data, Corwin, OPC and Learning Forward: California.
8. Russell, A, Webster, R and Blatchford, P. (2013) Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants: Guidance for School Leaders and Teachers, Routledge: London.
9. Giangreco, M.F. (2013) ‘Teacher Assistant Supports in Inclusive Schools: Research, Practices and Alternatives’,Australasian Journal of Special Education, 37(2), pp. 93–106.