Lexington School District 3
LITERACY INITIATIVE
Goal: To improve reading fluency, reading comprehension and
writing skills of all Lexington School District 3 students to the
extent that the district ‘s reading and writing scores exceed state
averages and national norms within three years. [PASS, MAP,
HSAP]
District-wide Strategies:
School instructional leaders attend and complete the SC Department of
Education’s Literacy Leaders course (July 2011 – June 2012)
All district teachers complete a book study during the fall semester with
Mike Schmoker’s Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve
Student Learning. [Sept. 7, Oct. 10, Nov. 2 & Dec. 7]
Develop “Curriculum Non-Negotiables” documents in all schools to
include literacy across the content areas (vocabulary development, readalouds, content reading, and writing)
LITERACY INITIATIVE – District-wide Strategies
 Expand/ establish classroom libraries through purchase,
donations, and redistribution of texts to support instructional
expectation that students will spend a majority of their
instructional time in direct reading or writing activities.
 Increase community and student volunteer participation in
schools to listen to students’ reading performances on a one-toone basis, especially in the primary and elementary schools.
 School Principals will meet together with Dr. Turner at least once
a month to review progress and modify literacy strategies as
appropriate.
BLPS Literacy Strategies for 2011-2012
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Establish a common Goals-Based Evaluation goal among all faculty of
BLPS to raise reading test scores for 2011-2012
Book study with all certified faculty of The Daily Five: Fostering Literacy
Independence in the Elementary Grades [completed by Oct.11)
Implementation of The Daily Five components in all classrooms by the
end of the first semester.
Book study with all certified faculty of The CAFÉ Book: Engaging
Students in Daily Literacy Assessment & Instruction during second
semester. (CAFÉ = Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, Expanded
Vocabulary)
Study the State Standards as a group and reduce to a list of Essential
Standards
Coordinate through the PTO a volunteer reading program of Twin City
Listeners/ Readers for students in the Book Nook.
Coordinate with BLHS Panther Pals -- a group of athletes who come to
BLPS during the day to listen to students read.
BLES Literacy Strategies for 2011-2012
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Establish a common Goals-Based Evaluation goal among all faculty of
BLES to raise writing test scores for 2011-2012
Provide Thinking Maps training to faculty in fall semester and
implement in classrooms during 2011-2012.
Increase the number of reading groups seen daily by teachers during
the balanced literacy time block
Pounce Club
Develop Power Point presentations composed by students that play in
the cafeteria during lunch/ breakfast that will include vocabulary,
historical facts, suggested reading books, etc.
Coordinate with BLMS Panther Pals -- a group of athletes who come to
BLES during the day to listen to students read
Implement Write From the Beginning curriculum to standardize writing
instruction and improve writing achievement
Develop lesson plan template for lesson requirements
BLMS Literacy Strategies for 2011-2012
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Establish a school goal among all the faculty of BLMS to raise reading test
scores for 2011-2012 (MAP national percentile scores to 50%; PASS
increase the percent of met and exemplary to the state average or higher)
Establish a school wide reading goal for all staff and students to read 20
books over the course of the school year and provide quarterly incentives
for students and staff who meet quarterly goals (5 books per quarter)
Require that all content area teachers, including related arts teachers, plan
for “reading with a purpose” in each content area weekly and plan for an
extended writing activity related to content studies at least quarterly
Require students to “write to a prompt” quarterly and utilize all teachers for
scoring to improve writing skills and writing instruction
Begin analysis and training of the National Common Core standards in ELA
to transition those standards into middle school curriculum maps
Coordinate with BLES to send Panther Pals, a group of BLMS athletes who
go to BLES weekly during the school day to listen to students read
BLHS Literacy Strategies for 2011-2012
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Establish a common Goals-Based Evaluation literacy goal among all faculty of BLHS
for the 2011-2012 school year
Provide additional literacy professional development for all certified staff to include
High Schools That Work literacy guidelines
Implement a school wide DEER program (Drop Everything EVERYBODY Read) and
accompanying school incentive system to increase student recreational reading and
motivation.
Incorporate silent-sustained reading (SSR) and reader conferences within English/
Language Arts classes 3 days a week
Coordinate with BLPS for a Panther Pals program in which high school athletes and
Beta Club students visit the Primary school during the school day to listen to students
read
Begin 5-year implementation of High Schools That Work (HSTW) literacy goals 1, 2,
and 3 --Goal 1: Students will read the equivalent of 25 books per year across the
curriculum
Goal 2: Students will write weekly in all classes
Goal 3: Students will use reading and writing strategies to help them
understand content in all classes
Increase and sponsor school-wide essay competitions
Incorporate reading passages from ACT, SAT, and GED practice materials where
appropriate to improve reading comprehension in ELA, Science, and Social Studies
classes
Improve quantity and quality of library book collection in order to increase circulation
Our motto for this initiative:
“Lexington District Three -Where Universal Literacy Matters”
We will know we have been successful:
when our least capable students read books for
pleasure;
when our most capable students score at the
highest levels in reading and writing on college
entrance exams; and
when students at all levels are reading and writing in
our classrooms for a majority of the school day.