PowerPoint on strengthening student literacy.

1. Strengthening Student
Literacy
Luke Nyegaard
EL 5723 Resource and Fiscal
Management
9/17/2017

2. Strengthening Student Literacy
Overview
 The goal and purpose of this presentation is to
show you through proposing and implementing
an intervention by targeting one specified area
of needed improvement could cause a trickle
down ripple effect by creating improvement in
every area of weakness detailed in our School
Improvement Plan (SIP)
 Our goal here is real simple: Improve Literacy
from the ground level up causing improvements
in all academic subjects.

3. A Little Pep Talk!!!

4. Instructional Improvement
Target With Data
The 2014/2015 School Improvement Plan (SIP) has
highlighted state End of Course (EOC) exam scores as:
Algebra I EOC Exam Score: 67.4% PASS RATE (Target Improvement: 72%)
Physical Science EOC Exam Score: 70.3% PASS RATE (Target Improvement: 73.3%)
English I EOC Exam Score: 73.0% PASS RATE (Target Improvement: 76.6%)
U.S. History EOC Exam Score: 65.9% PASS RATE (Target Improvement: 74.8%)
MAP Benchmark Reading Assessment
221.5 Mean Score For Rising 9
TH
Grade
• Our improvement target is literacy… more specifically raising the literacy rates
amongst our all our students therefore improving the EOC exam scores within the
above classes. The improvement target is focused on reaching the state average, at
minimum.

5. Researched Based
Intervention: Reading Mastery
 The intervention I’m choosing to implement is
called Reading Mastery. Reading Mastery is a direct
instruction program designed to provide explicit,
direct, systematic instruction in reading and
comprehending the English language.
 The link below will provide insight to research on
how well the intervention has worked
 https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Intervention/729
 Research summary: an average improvement in
reading achievement scores of 27 percentage
points.

6. Proposed Budget and Resources
At the present time we do not have a current budget/resources to implement the Reading Mastery Program. We do have money budgeted
for intervention implementation, however, those monies are currently in use. Possibility: We could suspend one or more interventions and
use that money to help implement this intervention for the next budgeted school year. The following are projected grant opportunities.
Projected Needs: Discretionary Funding Grant Funding
#1: Implement Reading Mastery Intervention
at all grade levels which will improve literacy
and ultimately improve standardized and EOC
assessment scores.
$10,800 purchasing teaching materials (one set
at each grade level)
#2: Provide professional development for
program coordinators and teachers in order
to implement the Reading Mastery
Intervention.
$18,000 for training a program coordinator or
one teacher at each grade level at $1,500 per
person. Training will be completed in one
school day. Funds provided by the Middle
College grant we receive through York
Technical College
# 3: Provide the needed technology,
materials, and tools to properly implement
the Reading Mastery Intervention program.
$3,600 providing replacement workbooks
annually (classroom sets each grade level) for
the Reading Mastery program
$1,800 to purchase a 12 DVD Reading Mastery
Program video series ($150 per set, 12 sets
$50,000 to provide upgraded software for
computers and electronic reading devices
(iPad, Kindle) to encourage use of technology
in literacy. (Family Trust & Founders FCU
Grants, State of SC Technology grant)

7. I need your Help and feedback…
 Please send me your opinion and feedback on the following areas:
 The target and goal: Improving Literacy amongst our students
 Currently, where do you think we stand as a district on this topic?
 Is there an actual issue?
 The intervention: Reading Mastery
 District wide, how practical do you think this program will be?
 The budget and resources
 Can we make this intervention program work?
 Will it work?

8. Summary of Faculty Input
 Overall, based on the input received from those
teachers, who responded. Most felt we had a need and
could possibly make this work. However, the biggest
concern was with the total cost and if we could actually
receive the needed resources and funding. The teachers
believed an improvement in literacy would provide an
overall improvement in our EOC exam scores. Although,
there were some drawbacks on if literacy would
actually help our Algebra EOC scores. Also, some
questions came about as to who all would have to
receive training and the intervention is geared toward
elementary grades and not high school students. Again,
overall, I think the feedback was positive and the
thought was that we do have a need and that addressing
this need could help our students scores.

9. References
 Montague, B., & Novak, R. (SoulPancake). (2013,
September). Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and
Students! Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs
 What Works Clearinghouse. (2014). Reading Mastery.
Retrieved from
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Intervention/729
 York School District One. (2012). District Strategic
Improvement Plan, 1-44.

10. Feedback #1
(T. Warren, personal communication,
September 12, 2017)
 I think your target of literacy as a major issue is indeed
correct. Our students' lack some fundamental literacy
skills and I can see how it affects our EOC scores in
areas other than English. My main criticism of the
program is that it seems to be targeting grades K-6, so
I’m not sure it’s appropriate for the high school level. It
would be a great foundational program at the
elementary level throughout our district, but not for all
12 grade levels as you suggests. It's also quite a lot of
money. Perhaps a small scaled pilot program could be
done to evaluate the overall benefits before
implementing it on a larger scale.

11. Feedback #2
(L. Poston, personal communication,
September 14, 2017)
 As a district, I think we are doing what we can. In the
elementary grades, there is a greater focus on learning to
read, developing reading vocabulary and reading fluency.
The students are “tested” at that level and then reading
groups are identified. However, at the high school, we
really do not group our into specific reading groups. We do
have varying levels of reading fluency, but it is not as
specific as that at the elementary grade level. The focus
moves from learning to read, reading development, and
reading fluency at the elementary levels to retention,
comprehension, and analysis at the high school level.
 I think it could work. I think there have been many
programs that have been used. This program, though,
seems to have simple implementation and usable
activities/lessons that would be more engaging for each
student. I think it would just be reinforcing what the
teacher should already be doing.

12. Feedback #3
(K. Baggett, personal communication,
September 14, 2017)
 Target: Improving literacy is certainly a focal point in our
district. I think if the Read to Succeed legislation is
implemented in our state/district in the coming years, the
Reading Mastery implementation will become even more
vital so that early intervention is put in place.
 Intervention: I see the benefits of direct instruction
concerning reading skills, but we also have awful lot of
programs/assessment already going on, especially in the
elementary grades. DRAs, MAP, state standardized teste,
etc… paired with large class sizes (my own child is one of
27 in her classroom), make adding additional programs a
very difficult task for teachers to do. Will this program take
the place of an already existing program? If so, what will be
the difference?
 Budget: You suggest receiving large amounts of grant
money. Is this large amount actually available for
implementing one specific program?