This document provides guidance for principals and literacy coaches on understanding quality literacy instruction. It begins by outlining learning intentions around using data to understand student strengths and areas for growth, and developing plans to support literacy development for all students. It then presents frameworks for assessing students, analyzing data, planning instruction, and implementing and reassessing. The document emphasizes the importance of understanding individual student needs, setting goals, and choosing appropriate strategies. It also discusses elements of effective literacy instruction such as relationship building, choice, and a focus on meaning. Finally, it stresses the importance of coherence across a school system in order to improve literacy outcomes for all students.

1. Principals and Literacy
Coaches: Understanding
Quality Literacy Instruction
Brandon for the Southwest
Oct 7, 2019
Faye Brownlie

2. Learning Intentions
• I can use my data to view my class in terms of literacy strengths and
stretches.
• I can use this data to develop a plan to support the literacy development of
all my learners.
• I have a plan to improve my formative assessment practices.
• I have a better idea of ‘what counts’ in effective literacy instruction.
• Every Child, Every Day
• CR4YR
• Burkins and Yaris

3. assess
(What can my students do?)
re-assess analyze
(Is my teaching making a difference?) (What is missing?)
plan and implement
(What do I need to teach?)
(What is my teaching plan?)

4. Class Profile – Reading Plan
Interests
Classroom Strengths Classroom Stretches
Individual Concerns
(Brownlie & King, 2000)
Goals Decisions and Strategies/Structures
Medical Language Learning Socio-Emotional Other

6. UDL Pyramid
Even more
support
More
support
Universal
Support

7. Who are your learners?

8. • Performance-based reading assessment
• Using performance standards
• Writing samples
• Using performance standards
• 1:1 reading conferences
• Choice text
• Assigned text
• Benchmarks or DRA
• Observation
• Conversation
• 1:1 and small group phonics and phonemic awareness tasks
• Work samples

9. What counts in effective literacy
instruction?

10. Teachers’ Reflections
• What made a difference for vulnerable learners
(CR4YR, 2012-2013)
• 1:1 support
• Relationship
• Choice
• Focus on meaning

11. Exploring the 2017 NAEP Reading Results:
Systemic Reforms Beat Simplistic Solutions
Literacy Leadership Brief, ILA, 2018
• Coordinate across the district and schools: curriculum, instruction,
assessment
• Structure: principal, curriculum leader, teacher leaders from each
school (principal, classroom teacher, support staff)
• Develop a shared buy-in from the teams
• Create a shared vision of the reader (the literate learner)
• Develop expectations along the way (performance standards)

12. • What would you see and hear in a high‐quality literacy classroom?
• What would the students be doing?
• What would the teacher be doing?
• Compare this with a partner. In teams of 4. What is common? What is
not? How do these ‘images’ reflect what matters most to you as a
community of educators?
• How does your vision align with the district’s vision?
• **Coherence counts when aiming for success for all students.