Action Plan and Literacy Journal Professional

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Adolescent Literacy Plan of Action

Successful academic learning and student performance are founded on literacy (Meltzer & Ziemba, 2006). Listening, reading, observational, writing, presentation, speaking and critical thinking skills are used by literate students to learn, communicate what they have learned and even transfer the knowledge gained to other scenarios (Meltzer & Ziemba, 2006). A literacy leadership team and the school principal must lead continual improvement as a goal for students to develop literacy. When an entire school community collectively holds expertise in literacy, it becomes the most beneficial to students (Irvin, Meltzer & Dukes, 2007). In addition to expertise, schools must do what's necessary to enhance their ability to minimize the gap existing between practice and knowledge. All school aspects, like assessments, curriculum, resource allocation, policies and structures, professional development of teachers, instruction and culture of the school, are impacted by the existence of systemic literacy development efforts (Irvin, Meltzer & Dukes, 2007).

A school-wide literacy action plan is a critical blueprint for enhancing student engagement, motivation and achievement; integrating literacy and learning; and sustaining literacy development. Data on literacy needs, community and school expectations, student performance, current teaching practices, the capacity of the school to support the development of literacy and literacy program effectiveness are utilized to skillfully design an effective action plan. A literacy action plan must be used by leaders actively to bring change for guiding decisions regarding programming, instruction and resource allocation. An effective literacy action plan supports school leaders in addressing the needs of students regarding learning and literacy. Student performance data can be used to guide student placement and drive literacy improvement planning. Student performance data types collected should be indicated and its intended use. School leaders must gather data on particular literacy intervention's effectiveness to help monitor the plan's success upon development and implementation.

According to Schmoker (2006), the complicated, fragmented and convoluted nature of educational planning documents render them ineffective. As a result, the documents (improvement plans) are rarely used or hard to use. This explains why action is not guided by literacy action plans based on data, making it the biggest concern. Therefore, according to Schmoker, comprehensive school improvement plans should focus on improving instruction and curriculum instruction. However, schools have used and still use literacy action plans to guide their work to and focus their efforts on student proficiency improvement in writing and reading. An effective literacy action plan is coherent, quantifiable, comprehensible and concrete to school administrators and teachers. It should not just be compliant to a mandate, but should be considered proactive.

The first actionable step in improving adolescent literacy is implementing a literacy action plan.

An Effective Literacy Action Plan

An effective literacy action plan is based on several activities to guide action with an aim of improving students' literacy in writing, thinking and reading skills. Relevant data should be collected and analyzed to help determine desirable literacy improvement goals.

Strengthening Content Area Literacy Development

Developing literacy skills, and student engagement and motivation are essential literacy improvement outcomes. If students are actively engaged and motivated to read, write and think, they get the chance to enhance their literacy skills and habits, leading to their success as learners. Whenever students are engaged, their confidence and competence are enhanced through teachers' instruction and coaching. It's important for school leaders to understand the relationship between student motivation, engagement and achievement. They should also comprehend and undertake the leadership responsibilities and roles needed to attain successful learning and literacy in adolescents. Learning and literacy development is critical and regards what students and teachers do in the classroom. Content area texts can increasingly become complex, hence the support students need to meet the ever-changing demands. Moreover, there's need for extra instruction and time to support students struggling with writing and reading in their literacy skills development efforts (Graves et al., 2008).

Sufficient data exist on content-area literacy practices in the classrooms and the link between instructions based on standards and content area literacy. Teachers can successfully help students to utilize daily writing and reading to enhance learning by integrating content area literacy instruction. Teachers are required by instruction and curricula based on assessments and state standards to regularly and intentionally utilize literacy strategies to distinguish and scaffold instruction.

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School leaders should ensure that teachers integrate content area instruction and literacy development by establishing and reinforcing rules or expectations. Teachers also need effective professional development to satisfactorily meet the laid out rules or expectations to address content standards of state while improving student learning and literacy (Graves et al., 2008).

A school-wide literacy action plan features particular steps to offer the support needed and set the rules or expectations to enable content-area teachers provide classroom instruction with an aim of student motivation, engagement and achievement.

Figure 1: Action Plan for Content Area Literacy Development

Goal

Timeline

Action Steps

Responsible Person (s)

Resources

Success Evidence

Activate Grade-level/ Subject Area Discussions on Writing and Reading Techniques (graves et al., 2008)

3 School Years

Schedule Time for Department Meetings

Content-Area Team Leaders

Restructured Days Time

Department Minutes

Share Effective Techniques in Faculty Meetings

Literacy Team Members, Teachers

Planning Time

Faculty Agendas

Add One Technique in Every Monthly Faculty Newsletter

Principal

Feedback and Suggestions by Teachers

Monthly Newsletters

Find and Utilize Subject Areas' Various Texts (Graves et al., 2008)

3 Summer School Years

Analyze and Document Subject Areas' Available Texts

Department Chairs and Media Specialist

Printing, Summer Stipends

Texts Lists

Develop a Partnership with Newspapers in Education (NIE)

English Chair

Time for Making Contacts

NIE Classroom Resources; Meeting Agendas

Expand Content-related Classroom Libraries

The Local School Council and Principal

Budget and Time for Buying Books

Numbers of Books and Libraries

Explore Electronic Text to Subscription Database Options

Principal

Subscription Fee

Database Purchase

Literacy Interventions for Struggling Writers and Readers

Several middle and high school students are in need of thorough support to improve their writing and reading skills. Furthermore, literacy needs vary from one student to another. Therefore, school leaders need guidance to develop, implement and monitor particular interventions aimed at meeting the needs of students struggling with writing and reading. Major intervention strategies issues for consideration include: student identification for additional support; proper acceleration or remediation content, format, focus and structural options; assessment measures; and availability of quality instructors. Teachers can only help students struggling with reading and writing upon identifying and recognizing them. Literacy interventions are important in helping students struggling with reading and writing as part of schools' literacy development or improvement efforts. Data on school capacity, student needs and knowledge of teachers determine the program type and techniques to offer students as interventions (ACT, 2006b).

Figure 2: Literacy Intervention Action Plan for Students Struggling with Writing and Reading

Goal

Timeline

Action Steps

Responsible Person (s)

Resources

Success Evidence

Buy and Deploy a Reading Program to Meet Students' Needs for Scoring on Reading Assessment in the Lowest Quartile (ACT, 2006b)

3 Summer School Years

Identify Students in the Lowest Quartile

School and District Test Coordinators

Test Data

Lists of Students

Research, Identify and Buy a Verified Reading Program for the Targeted Students

Reading Specialist, Principal

Funds, Reading Programs Information

Meeting Agendas, Research Notes

Find an Intensive Reading Course in the Master Schedule

Assistant Principal for Master Schedule, Principal

A Flexible Master Schedule

Completed Master Schedule

Assign Qualified Instructors to the Reading Course

Human Resources Personnel, Principal

Qualified Instructors or Teachers

Lists of Instructors or Teachers with their Qualifications

Place Students in the Designated Course and Monitor their Progress

Reading Teachers, Principal

Professional Development, Course Materials

Assessment Improvements, Promotions, Student Grades

Deploy a School-wide Writing Program (ACT, 2006b)

3 Summer School Years

Research, Identify and Buy Materials

Instructors or Teachers, Assistant Principals, Principal

Grades, Test Data, Data on Attendance

Student Reports Received by Instructors or Teachers

Offer Literacy Professional Development

Subject Areas District Supervisors, Principal

Outside Consultants for Professional Development

Evaluations, Instructor or Teacher Surveys, Sign-in Sheets

Offer Time during the School Day for Cross-Functional Planning

Department Chairs, Coordinator of the Master Schedule

Instructional Materials, A Flexible Master Schedule

Planning Meetings Minutes, Instructor or Teacher Surveys

School Structures, Policies and Culture for Literacy Development/Improvement Support

Exclusion of a school's structures, policies and culture could mean that certain aspects in place might hinder efforts to improve literacy if not addressed, and action steps are not aimed at developing the school's current capacity in such….....

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