Literacy First is not a program; it is a research-based framework of best practices and strategies designed to create a literacy rich environment that motivates and ENGAGES students in their own learning.

1. A Teaching, Learning and Leading Framework
Performance Results
September, 2013

2. Literacy First is not a program; it is a research-based
framework of best practices and strategies designed
to create a literacy rich environment that motivates
and ENGAGES students in their own learning.
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3. What Does Literacy First Do?
1. Closes the reading gap of all AYP subgroups as
demonstrated on nationally normed assessments
2. Molds teachers to be more “consciously competent”
about the reading process
3. Refines teachers’ instructional skills
4. Strengthens principals’ instructional
leadership skills
5. Offers flexible models to scale
from individual schools to larger
school districts
6. Customizes to meet the needs of
any school no matter needs or size
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4. Literacy First in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Commission for
Teacher Preparation (OCTP)
School Years
2009-12
Type of Schools
Public
Grades Served
K-8
Number of Schools
43
Number of Teachers Trained
15,000
Literacy First Framework
implementation began in 2009
Goals:
• Develop and sustain teacher
preparedness and effectiveness
• Impact student success through
knowledgeable quality teachers
• Build an infrastructure and culture to
support improved reading achievement
OCTP conducted a large independent study to ascertain the effectiveness of
the Literacy First Program. Based on their findings, OCTP stated, “Literacy First
has made a difference for many students, teachers, and schools across
Oklahoma, as evidenced by the data.”
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5. Literacy First Schools Outperformed State Control Group
In one of the largest independent statewide reading studies ever conducted, Literacy First schools
significantly outperformed the state’s control group in both teacher performance and student outcomes.
Literacy First Schools API Scores Exceed State’s
Teachers Demonstrate Significant Growth
The Academic Performance Index (API) is an Oklahoma State
Department of Education testing series that measures the
percentage of students performing at proficient levels in
reading and math. Literacy First Elementary schools performed
higher than the state in both 2009 (by 57 points) and 2010 (by
119 points).
Teachers demonstrated statistically significant growth in
the depth of their understanding of the reading instruction
process. They also demonstrated more knowledge about
the five essential elements of reading instruction and the
strategies associated with those elements.
Oklahoma Elementary API Scores
1200
Teacher Knowledge: Structural Analysis of
Concept Maps Before &After Literacy First
0
5
10
15
20
25
1150
Literacy
First
1145
1100
1050
1000
950
Literacy
First
OK State 1056
Average
999
OK State
Average
1026
900
2009
2010
Literacy First Schools score:
57 points higher than the state avg in 2009
119 points higher than the state avg in 2010
Total Number of
Concepts
Breadth of Knowledge
12.99
20.29
2.31
2.44
8.44
Depth of Knowledge
11.79
Hierarchiacal Structure
Score
Degree Concepts
Interconnected
Extent Concepts
Interconnected
2.50
4.51
1.81
2.60
0.01
0.10
Before Literacy First
After Literacy First
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6. Literacy First in Bronx, NY
PS 219 New Venture Academy
Bronx, NY
School Years
2012-2013
Type of School
Public
Grades Served
6-8
Enrollment
412
Special Education
25%
Economically Disadvantaged
96%
Hispanic
57%
African American
43%
Literacy First Framework
implementation began in 2012
Goals:
• Strengthen classroom practices
• Create a common instructional
language among school leaders
and teachers
• Engage students in content learning
• Position students for success in high
school
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7. Increased Student Engagement at PS 219, Bronx, NY
Suspensions Drop Across All Student Groups
In 2011-2012, there were a total of 86 student suspensions
at New Venture Academy . After one year of Literacy First,
overall school suspensions decreased from 86 to 48, a
44% decrease.
Dramatic Decrease in Special Ed Student
Suspension Rate
Suspensions reported for Special Education students
dropped from 42 in 2011 to 14 in 2013, a 67% decrease
compared to the 23% decrease experienced by the
general student base.
All Students Suspensions
New Venture Academy
Special Ed vs. All Student Suspensions
New Venture Academy
PS 219 Bronx NY
PS 219 Bronx NY
100
General Ed
Special Ed
86
80
70
60
48
50
40
A 44% drop in
suspensions
30
20
Number of Suspensions Reported
Number of Suspensions Reported
90
60
50
44
40
42
34
30
A 67% drop in
suspensions
20
14
10
10
0
2011-2012
2012-2013
0
2011-2012
2012-2013
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8. Literacy First in Arkansas City, KS
Arkansas City School District Profile
School Years
2003-04 through 2012-13
Type of School
6 Elementary Schools
1 High School
1 Middle School
1 Head Start Facility
Literacy First Framework
began in 2003-04
Grades Served
Pre-K-12
Enrollment
2,821
Econ. Disadvantaged
69%
African American
4%
Hispanic
24%
White
60%
Other
Goals:
• Increase number of students
meeting literacy standards
12%
• Close the achievement gap for
all student populations
• Create consistency in literacy
instruction district-wide
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9. Sustained Literacy Achievement in Arkansas City, KS
After one year of implementation, High
100% of Elementary students scored at or
School student performance increased by 62% above standard by the 7th year of service
100%
11th Grade Kansas Reading Assessment Results
Arkansas City High School
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
When C-4 ES began Literacy First 70% of their learners were
meeting the state standards in reading, however 10% of
learners were in “academic warning.” With Literacy First, C-4
Elementary accomplished their goal in 2011 when 100% of
their learners met the state standards in reading.
% Students Scoring at or above “Meets Standards”
% Students Scoring at or above “Meets Standards”
When Arkansas City High School began Literacy First only
55% of students were scoring at “Meets Standard” or above
on the KRA. After the first year, that number increased to
89%. In the seven years since ACHS adopted Literacy First,
more than 80% of students have continued to “Meet or
Exceed” the state standards.
62%
increase
in first
year
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12
5th Grade Kansas Reading Assessment Results
C-4 Elementary School
90%
100% of
students
by 2010
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
Literacy First
Literacy First
Students Scoring at “Meets Standards” through “Exemplary”
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10. Literacy First in Emporia, KS
Emporia High School
Emporia, Kansas Demographics
Three Year Process
2007-2012
Type of School
Public
Grades Served
9-12
Enrollment
1,434
English Language Learners
34%
Economically Disadvantaged
68%
Hispanic
51%
African American
3%
White
41%
Other
Literacy First Framework began
in 2007-08
6%
Goals:
• Make Adequate Yearly Progress
• Perform Above State Average
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11. Emporia High School Performs Above State Average
Major Decrease of Low Performing Students
Emporia High School Exceeds KS State Average
After the first years of the Literacy First Framework, the
percentage of students scoring below the “Meets Standard”
level on the Kansas Reading Assessment began a steady
decline. In 2006-07, 30% of students were performing below
level; by 2011-12, only 10% were struggling below level.
Emporia High School progressed from performing 10
percentage points below the state average in 2006-07 to
exceeding the state’s average. The percentage of students
performing at or above standard has climbed a total of 12
percentage points in five years relative to the state.
Emporia HS Students Performing
Below Standard on 11th Grade Kansas
Reading Assessment
11th Grade Kansas Reading Assessment
100
100%
95
90%
90
80%
70%
85
60%
80
50%
75
40%
70
30%
65
20%
60
10%
55
0%
50
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
Literacy First
2011-12
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
Literacy First
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12. Literacy First in Liberal, KS
Liberal High School
Liberal, Kansas Demographics
Three Year Process
2009-2012
Type of School
Public
Grades Served
9-12
Enrollment
1,193
Special Education
25%
English Language Learners
35%
Economically Disadvantaged
71%
Hispanic
69%
African American
3%
White
21%
Other
Literacy First Framework began
in 2009-10
6%
Goals:
• Improve performance ranking
within district
• Close achievement gap across all
groups of students
• Strengthen instruction across all
subject areas
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13. ELLs Close Achievement Gap at Liberal High School, KS
Percentage of ELL Students Performing At or Above
Standard Increased 40.4 Percentage Points in 3 Years
Liberal High School Closes in on
State Average After One Year
After three years of Literacy First, the percentage of students
scoring at the “Meets Standard” level or above on the Kansas
Reading Assessment increased by at least 10 points for all student
groups. As the achievement gap between the different groups
continued to close, ELLs improved the most, with the percentage
of students achieving at or above standard increasing by 40
points.
The percent of Liberal High School students scoring at
or above standard increased by 14 percentage points
after just one year of Literacy First. Students
maintained this increased level of performance so that
by the third year of Literacy First, they were performing
just 13 percentage points below the state average.
% of Students Performing At or Above Standard
Kansas Reading Assessment Comparison
by Student Groups
Liberal High School cs. Kansas State
11th Grade Kansas Reading Assessment
80%
2008-2009
70%
60%
2011-20132
100
73%
95
65%
61%
50%
52%
65%
90
54%
53%
85
80
40%
75
30%
70
20%
65
10%
14%
0%
All Students
Hispanic
Students
Economically English Language
Disadvataged
Learners
60
55
50
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
Literacy First
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14. Literacy First in Bartlesville, OK
Bartlesville Public Schools
Bartlesville, Oklahoma Demographics
Three Year Process
2008-2012
Type of School
Public
Grades Served
9-12
Enrollment
5,983
English Language Learners
1%
Economically Disadvantaged
42%
White
67%
American Indian
16%
Hispanic
9%
African American
6%
Asian
Literacy First Framework began
in 2008-09
2.%
Goals:
• Improve standing on the state’s
Academic Performance Index (API)
• Increase test scores on Oklahoma
Core Curriculum Test (OCCT)
• Establish balanced reading
programs across the district
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15. Bartlesville API Scores Outweigh Peers
Bartlesville Schools Continue to Outperform
the State Average on Oklahoma State Tests
After the first year of Literacy First, students of five Bartlesville
public elementary schools drastically increased their
performance on Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT).
These schools continued to score above the state average over
the subsequent three years—in 2011-12 the percentage of
Bartlesville students scoring proficient or advanced was 17
points higher than the state average.
Bartlesville Achieves Top API Score Among
Peer Districts
The Academic Performance Index (API) is an Oklahoma State
Department of Education testing series that measures the
percentage of students performing at proficient levels in reading
and math. Bartlesville Public School District received a top API
score in 2011 compared to 32 of the largest school districts in
Oklahoma.
2011 Oklahoma API Scores
Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test Results
Bartlesville Elementary Schools vs. the State
Percentage of Students Scoring Proficent or
Advanced
100.0
1,000
1,050
1,100
1,150
1,200
1,250
1,300
1,350
BARTLESVILLE
Jenks
90.0
Stillwater
Owasso
80.0
Mustang
Yukon
70.0
Union
Broken Arrow
60.0
P. City
S. Springs
50.0
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
Literacy First
2011-12
Enid
*API data furnished by Bartlesville Public School District
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16. Literacy First Snapshot Results for Hispanic Students
Broadview Middle School
Alamance-Burlington, NC
The percentage of Hispanic students performing in the
top two categories on North Carolina’s End-of-Grade
tests was 8.6 points less than the school’s total
percentage of high performing students.
After three years of Literacy First, the percentage of
Hispanic students performing in the top categories
grew by 13.7 points, 3.0 percentage points higher
than the total percentage of students.
Southern Middle School,
Alamance-Burlington, NC
After three years of Literacy First, 62.5% of Hispanic
students were performing in the top two categories
on North Carolina’s End-of-Grade tests, compared to
51.2% in 2008 –an increase of 11.3 percentage points.
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17. Literacy First Snapshot Results for Hispanic Students
Campus High School, Hayesville, KS
72.8% of Hispanic students were “meeting or exceeding” the state standard on
the Kansas Reading Assessment. After just two years of Literacy First, 100% of
Hispanic students were performing at or above standard, an increase of 27.2
percentage points.
Southwest Elementary School, Hickory, NC
After just two years of Literacy First, Hispanic students
performing in top two categories on North Carolina’s
End-of-Grade test jumped by 20.9 percentage points,
increasing from 47.4% to 68.6%.
Emporia High School, KS
Hispanic students are only 5.4 points behind all students. Hispanic students at
Emporia High School closed the achievement gap after five years of Literacy
First. Beginning with a 17.9 point difference in the total number of students
performing at or above standard on the Kansas State Reading Assessment, by
the fifth year there was only a 5.4 point difference between Hispanic student
performance and all students.
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18. To learn more, visit us at
www.catapultlearning.com/literacyfirst
or call 1-800-841-8730
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