Widening our reach:
Using multiple approaches to enhance
teacher candidate literacy skills
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Ashleigh Thompson, Ph.D.
Angelita Alvarado-Santos, Ph.D.
Jennifer Case
Office of Academic Affairs
The City University of New York
NYSATE/NYACTE Fall Conference
Saratoga Springs, NY
October 15, 2014
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Agenda
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 Academic Literacy Skills Test Overview
 CUNY Context
 Goals of our work
 Approaches to support literacy skill development
 Outcomes
 Challenges
 Actionable strategies
Please take a moment to write down two questions
you hope to have answered during this session
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Academic Literacy Skills Test
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 Certification exam that students are finding the most
challenging
 Reading section: 40% of total score, assessed through
multiple choice items
 Writing section: 60% of total score, assessed through
written-response items
 Teacher candidates reported common challenges: pacing
and planning their time, stamina and perseverance with
complex passages, difficulty analyzing prompts, and
navigating the computer-based testing platform
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CUNY Context
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 CUNY is the largest
public, urban University in
U.S.
 24 campuses across NYC
 540,000+ students
 44% of undergrads are
first-generation Americans
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CUNY Context: ALST Test Takers
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CUNY’s Faculty Development Project
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 This work has been part of CUNY’s Race to the Top
Faculty Development Project, funded through a MOU
with the New York State Education Department which
began in July 2012.
 CUNY’s Office of Teacher Education provides support
and technical assistance in areas such as data-driven
instruction, teacher certification exams, teacher and
principal performance evaluations, and Common Core
State Standards.
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CUNY Central Goals
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Overarching Goal: Improve teacher candidate literacy
skills to help them become successful in their coursework
and on the certification exams
1) Integrate literacy skill development into current
teacher education curricula
2) Improve ability of faculty to teach CCSS/literacy
skills
3) Increase and strengthen test (ALST) preparation
resources for students
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Approaches to enhance candidate literacy skills
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Three major efforts directed at –
1)
Teacher education programs and faculty
2)
Offices/departments and faculty outside teacher
education
3)
Teacher education students
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1) Approaches: Teacher education programs
and faculty
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 ALST faculty development workshops
 Conferences/colloquium/workshops around CCSS
 Curriculum mapping and review
 Revisions to curricular documents, including course
syllabi and assignments
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2) Approaches: Offices/departments and faculty
outside teacher education
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 Partnership with Arts and Sciences faculty
 Partnership with University initiatives like Writing Across
the Curriculum and Centers for Teaching and Learning
 Conferences/colloquium/workshops around CCSS
 ALST turnkey workshops and kits
 Identification and training of writing tutors
 Engaging Continuing Education as a resource
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3) Approaches: Student support
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 Direct communication to students
 “One stop” resource library- CUNY Teacher
Education website
 Blackboard group to house additional prep resources
 Student webinars and YouTube video series
 ALST student workshops with practice tests
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Student Support Outputs
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 University wide email system: 11,873 students
contacted
 First system email: Viewed by 1,710 students
 ALST YouTube video: 860 views
 CUNY Blackboard groups: 437 users
 Student workshops: 167 students attended
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Outcomes
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 Faculty Learning and Teaching

Increased knowledge and understanding of ALST and CCSS

Improved ability and creativity to
• Embed literacy skills in their courses
• Create assignments that foster literacy skills

Implemented changes to course content and instruction

Increased awareness of barriers and supports needed
 Program as a whole: Built partnerships with P-12 educators,
Arts and Sciences faculty, and community colleges
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Challenges
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 Addressing sector needs with limited staff
 Bringing faculty on board: philosophy and time
commitments
 Preparing students who do not have a Common Core
background for the nuances and complexity of this exam
 Making information widely accessible
 Being clear and addressing misinformation
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What Worked: Recommendations and
actionable strategies
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 Find key, high impact partners who can help increase capacity
beyond the education program
 Provide continuous, consistent information to all stakeholders
 Create sustainable resources
 Provide opportunities for all faculty who prepare teachers to
talk to each other and collaborate
 Communicate and share efforts across programs to avoid
duplication
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Table Talk
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 What strategies/information from today’ session is
useful to your work?
 What additional strategies would you recommend to
the group?
 What questions do you still need answered?
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Thank You
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Fol l ow u s on T w i t t er ! @ C U N Y Te a c her E d
A s h l e i g h T h o m p s o n - A s h l e i g h . T h o m p s o n @ c u n y. e d u
A n g e l i t a A l v a r a d o - S a n t o s – A n g e l i t a . A l v a r a d o - S a n t o s @ c u n y. e d u
J e n n i f e r C a s e – J e n n i f e r. C a s e @ c u n y. e d u
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