This document summarizes a discussion about supporting diversity and student learning in schools for the 2010-2011 school year. It outlines several goals around teacher collaboration and instructional approaches focused on assessment, differentiation, and developing independent student thinking. Research on effective reading instruction and frameworks are presented, including backwards design, gradual release of responsibility, and assessment for learning. The context of schools and next steps are discussed, with an emphasis on professional development, assessment, and teacher collaboration to improve literacy programs.

1. Supporting Diversity:
Looking ahead to 2010-2011
A conversation facilitiated by Faye Brownlie
Surrey
June 1st, 2010

2. Developing Readers
2010-2011
Goals:
– Teachers work together to create learning
experiences that:
• focus on student learning
• model thinking and coach students to become independent
readers, writers and thinkers
– Teachers understand the research behind and
interconnectedness of:
• assessment for learning
• differentiated instruction
• gradual release of responsibility model of instruction
and support one another to put these understandings
into daily practice.

3. Building Bridges
what makes a difference in student
learning?
• Reading Next – Biancarosa and Snow
• It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie and Schnellert

5. Frameworks
It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009

6. Universal Design for Learning
Multiple means:
-to tap into background knowledge, to
activate prior knowledge, to increase
engagement and motivation
-to acquire the information and knowledge to
process new ideas and information
-to express what they know.
Rose & Meyer, 2002

7. Backwards Design
• What important ideas and enduring
understandings do you want the students
to know?
• What thinking strategies will students need
to demonstrate these understandings?
McTighe & Wiggins, 2001

8. Approaches
• Assessment for learning
• Open-ended strategies
• Gradual release of responsibility
• Cooperative learning
• Literature circles and information circles
• Inquiry
It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009

9. Reading Next - Biancarosa & Snow, 2004
• Instructional Improvements
1. Direct, explicit comprehension instruction
2. Effective instructional principles embedded in
content
3. Motivation and self-directed learning
4. Text-based collaborative learning
5. Strategic tutoring
6. Diverse texts
7. Intensive writing
8. A technology component
9. Ongoing formative assessment of students

10. Model
Guided practice
Independent practice
Independent application
Pearson & Gallagher (1983)

11. Our School Context
• What’s working?
• What’s not?
• What’s our evidence?
• What’s next

12. www.all4ed.org
• Infrastructure Improvements
1. Extended time for literacy
2. Professional development
3. Ongoing summative assessment of
students and programs
4. Teacher teams
5. Leadership
6. A comprehensive and coordinated literacy
program

13. 15-3=0
Without -
• professional development
• ongoing formative assessment of
students and
• ongoing summative assessment of
students and programs
Reading Next - Biancarosa & Snow, 2004

14. Assessment FOR Learning
• Purpose: guide instruction
• Performance-based assessment
– Fall DART (Brownlie)
– Initial RAD (Pearson)
– Smart Reading (Close, New West.)
– QCA (Pearson)
– SRA (Student Diversity, 2nd ed., Ministry
Webcast, 2004)

15. Assessment FOR Learning
• Descriptive scoring
• Coding in teams
• Class/grade profile of strengths and areas
of need
• Action plans developed - what’s next?
• Individual students identified for further
assessment

16. Collaboration can come in the form of co-
planning, co-assessing, or co-teaching. In all
forms, teachers work together as equals,
bringing their unique and complementary
skills together to create a stronger whole.
Brownlie & Schnellert, It’s All about Thinking, 2009

17. 2010-2011
Where are we going?
• Deeper Still
• Inquiry into Student Learning Teams

18. Essential Lesson Components
• Essential question/learning intention/a big idea
• Open-ended strategies: connect-process-transform
• Differentiation
• Assessment for learning
• Gradual release of responsibility

19. Teach Content to All
"Surrey Special Education "

20. …making a difference in one classroom in one
academic year is only the beginning. Shared
efforts among teachers and across years of
schooling build the potential for making a
more significant impact.
Brownlie & Schnellert, It’s All about Thinking, 2009

21. Deeper Still
Who?
– Schools that joined DR in 2008-09 or 2009-10
– School teams that would like to experience
the process of “opening doors” where they
collaboratively plan and observe student
learning to uncover, “What’s working? What’s
not? What’s next?”

22. Inquiry into Student Learning Teams
Who?
– any school in the district with a literacy goal
– teachers that are curious about what makes
a difference for student learning and are
interested in inquiry-based learning
– teachers interested in creating a structure to
work together and uncover, “What’s
working? What’s not? What’s next?”

23. Only through sharing ideas, materials,
resources, and expertise do teachers develop,
survive, and thrive.
Villa, Thousand and Nevin, 2004

24. Back at School…
• Consider opening the invitation to your entire
staff by sharing some of the key ideas from
today’s session.
• With those interested in participating, use the
questions in your handout and the criteria for
each module as a guide for discussion and
decision-making;
• Please submit your “Expression of Interest
Form” by Wednesday, June 23rd.