Excellent Public
Schools Act
READ TO ACHIEVE
A Focus on Improving
K-3 Literacy
2013
Growing and Supporting Readers At Lacy
Reading Problems and Dropout
• A student who can’t read on grade level
by 3rd grade is 4 times less likely to
graduate by age 19 than a child who reads
proficiently by that time.
Add POVERTY to the mix, and a student is
13 times less likely to graduate on time.
• Students who did not read proficiently at
3rd grade constitute 88% of those who did
not earn a HS diploma.
Reading Problems and Dropout
•Low reading skills in 3rd grade are a
stronger predictor of dropping out of
school than having spent at least one year
in poverty.
Donald J. Hernandez: “Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade
Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation.” Annie E.
Casey Foundation, 2011
Excellent Public Schools Act
§ 115C-83.1A. State goal.
The goal of the State is to ensure that
every student read at or above grade
level by the end of third grade and
continue to progress in reading
proficiency so that he or she can read,
comprehend, integrate, and apply
complex texts needed for secondary
education and career success.
Improving K-3 Literacy
Aims of Read to Achieve
• Difficulty with reading development is
identified as early as possible;
•Students receive appropriate
instructional and support services to
address difficulty with reading
development and to remediate reading
deficiencies;
What do we currently have in place
that addresses these efforts?
Literacy at Lacy
• An Overview from Mrs. Blomquist
• Lacy’s Literacy Specialist
• Literacy and intervention support
• An increase in rigor with Common Core
• Purpose and benefits of mClass
• How parents can help
The Big Bang
Theory of
O 1. Decide what is important for students
to know.
O 2. Teach what is important for students
to know.
O 3. Keep track of how students are
showing what they know.
O 4. Make changes according to the data
and results you collect!
David Tilly, 2005
Implementation of the North Carolina General
Assembly’s
Read to Achieve Program
7 Components of NC Read to Achieve
• Developmental Screening and Kindergarten Entry
Assessment (KEA)
• Facilitating Early Grade Reading Proficiency
• Parent/Guardian Notification
• Elimination of Social Promotion
• Successful Reading Development for Retained
Students
• Accountability Measures
• Comprehensive Reading Plan
North Carolina General Assembly’s Read to Achieve
Program Grade Level Implementation Plan
Goal: The goal of the State is to ensure that every student read at or above grade level by the end of third
grade.
K
1
2
3
4
Personalized Education Plans (PEP) with Evidence Based Instructional Supports
Notifications to Parents and Guardians
3rd/4th transition
class or
accelerated
reading class
Formative and Diagnostics
Kindergarten Entry
Assessment
Annual Reporting: Accountability Measures (LEAs and DPI)
• Website
• Report Reading Interventions to SBE
• SBE and DPI Technical Assistance
Begin Portfolio
Mid-year
promotion
Retention/Elimination of
Social Promotion
Reading Development for Retained Students
• Summer Reading Camp
• Plan for Reading at Home (if retained once)
• Supplemental Tutoring (if retained twice)
G.S. 115C-83.1A-I
7 Components of North Carolina
Read to Achieve 2013-2014
1.
Developmental Screening and Kindergarten Entry
Assessment (KEA)
– Will be in place for fall of 2014
• Will include 5 domains of school readiness
• Language and literacy development
• Cognition and general knowledge
• Approaches toward learning
• Physical well-being and motor development
• Social and emotional development
– Will replace the KIA
– Will include the mCLASS assessments for literacy
7 Components of North Carolina
Read to Achieve 2013-2014
2. Facilitating Early Grade Reading Proficiency
– Formative and Diagnostic assessments for K-3
students
– Instruction reflects research in reading (Big 5)
– Develop relationships with outside agencies
•WAKE Up and Read-focus on school
readiness
The Big 5 In Literacy
O There are 5 Big Ideas in Beginning Reading:
O Phonemic Awareness
O Alphabetic Principle
O Fluency with Text
O Vocabulary
O Comprehension
7 Components of North Carolina
Read to Achieve 2013-2014
3. Parent/Guardian Notification
– Regular communication
– PEP
– mCLASS Home Connect Letters—Going
home Oct 7th with interims.
Home Connect Letters
7 Components of North Carolina
Read to Achieve 2013-2014
4. Elimination of Social Promotion
If student fails to demonstrate proficiency on 3rd
grade reading EOG
•Opportunity for retest/Alternative
Assessment
•Good Cause Exemption
•Summer School
•Portfolio
Develop a Portfolio For Students At Risk
O A compilation of independently produced student
work selected by the student’s teacher and signed
by the teacher and principal as an accurate picture
of the student’s reading ability.
O It shall include an organized collection of evidence
of the student’s mastery of the states reading
standards that are assessed by the state’s
approved standardized test of reading
comprehension administered to 3rd grade
students.
7 Components of North Carolina
Read to Achieve 2013-2014
5. Successful Reading Development for Retained Students
– Starts 2014
– 3rd/4th transition class or
– Accelerated reading class
6. Accountability Measures—State assessments and EVAAS data for
teachers
7. Comprehensive Reading Plan-developed by school
7 Components of NC Read to Achieve
• Developmental Screening and Kindergarten Entry
Assessment (KEA)
• Facilitating Early Grade Reading Proficiency
• Parent/Guardian Notification
• Elimination of Social Promotion
• Successful Reading Development for Retained Students
• Accountability Measures—State assessments and EVAAS
data for teachers
• Comprehensive Reading Plan-developed by school
End of Third Grade
Student completes 3rd grade and
EOG for reading
Proficient?
Re-administer 3rd grade reading
assessment or RtA Test
No
Student Qualifies for a “good
cause exemption”
Proficient?
Yes
Promote to 4th grade
No
Enrollment in Summer
Reading Camp*
RtA Test or Student Reading
Portfolio
Proficient?
No
Retained for 3rd Grade (label)**
*Enrollment in Summer Camp is the decision of the
parent. If the choice is not to enroll in Summer Camp, the
student is retained to a 3rd grade classroom.
** If the student has already been retained once, the
LEA/school shall provide a plan for reading at home,
including a contract with parent/guardian.
G.S. 115C-83.1A-I
Summer Reading Camp
•Runs for 6 weeks: 4 days a week for 3 hours
•Only focuses on Reading Instruction
•During the summer, in order to demonstrate proficiency,
students can take a reading assessment 3x or show
evidence of mastery through a reading portfolio
•Only special education students on the Non-standard
course of study in self contained classrooms are exempt
from the retention guidelines
•Students who don’t demonstrate mastery will be enrolled
with fourth grade peers and, as part of their day, receive 90
minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction. Students’
progress toward evidence of mastery is tracked through the
reading portfolio.
Resources
O http://www.wcpss.net/what-we-teach/curriculum/read-
to-achieve.html
O Excellence Education Act
O Read to Achieve Guidebook
O Read to Achieve Parent Resources
(parent letter, glossary, brochure)
O Websites for parents on literacy
strategies and tips