Rescuing High-Poverty Urban
Schools: A Proven Teacher and
Principal Capacity-building
Model
Robert B. Cooter, Jr.,
Dean & Ursuline Professor
Editor, The Reading Teacher (Int’l Reading Assoc.)
Kathleen Spencer Cooter, Ph.D.
Professor, Special Education & School Innovations
Bellarmine University
literacyacademy.edublogs.org
James Heckman
2000 Nobel Prize-winning
Economist
“If we don't provide disadvantaged young children
with the proper environments to foster cognitive and
noncognitive skills, we'll create a class of people
without such skills, without motivation, without the
ability to contribute to the larger society nearly as
much as they could if they'd been properly nurtured
from an early age. The most economically efficient
way to remediate the disadvantage caused by adverse
family environments is to invest in children when
they are young. Neglecting the early years creates an
underclass that is arguably growing in the United
States. The family is the major source of human
inequality in American society.”
History: Dallas
1996 – fewer than ¼ of third graders reading on grade
level
Governor Bush’s Initiative, followed by President
Clinton Initiative
Corporate and foundation leaders’ involvement
Search for “Reading Czar”
“I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble.”
–Sam Spade, “Maltese Falcon”
Demographic Variables Texas Urban Districts
Austin Corpus Dallas
El
Paso
Ft.
Worth
Houston
San
Antonio Ysleta
93.8
94.8
95.1
95.3
93.7
94.2
94.1
95.1
% EconDis 98-99 49.0
53.0
72.5
66.7
54.8
71.3
87.2
71.8
Attendance Rate
% LEP 98-99
13.5
9.5
32.7
31.5
24.9
25.1
16.6
22.8
% Hisp 98-99
44.1
69.1
49.3
76.8
41.1
52.9
84.7
86.8
% AfrAm 98-99
17.4
5.8
39.4
4.7
32.3
33.8
10.2
2.5
% Anglo 98-99
35.7
23.8
9.3
16.9
24
10.5
4.8
9.8
Here's to plain speaking and clear understanding.
--Kasper Gutman, “Maltese Falcon”
Change?
We trained hard– but it seemed that every time we were
beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to
learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by
reorganizing, and what a wonderful method it can be for
creating the illusion of progress while actually producing
confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
-- Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.
A Change Model
Fishbone Analysis
Balanced Learning
SKILLS Set
Program
Quality
Management
drives effective
implementation
Special Needs
Learners
Family/Community
Support System
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Assessment
Research-proven
Teaching
GOAL
All children in the
Dallas Schools will
achieve grade level
reading in their
language of
instruction by the
end of the third
grade.
A Capacity-Building Model for
Teacher Development
Expertise
& Ability
to Coach
Others
(Cooter & Cooter, 2003)
Refined and
Expanded
Capacity
Practice with
Coaching
Deeper Learning with
Limited Capacity
First
Exposure
No
Knowledge
Emphasis: “Deep Training”
(90 hours over one year) …
… PLUS Coaching for
fidelity of implementation
from master teachers
embedded in each school.
Philosophy
Balanced reading strategies
123
I CAN READ
Balanced Literacy K-6
C Marrin
READING
•
•
•
•
•
Mini lessons
Phonemic awareness
Alphabetic Principle
Elkonin boxes
Word Study
• Teacher read alouds
• Language to Literacy Charts
• Shared Reading/warm-ups
•Concepts about print
•Cueing systems
•Text Structure
• Comprehension Workshop
• Retelling
• Guided reading
•Teacher prompts
•Teaching points
•Running Records
•Silent Reading
•Reading for meaning
• Fix-up strategies
• Reader’s Workshop
•
•
•
•
•
•
Book boxes
SSR/DEAR time
Reading/Literacy centers
Buddy reading
Literature circles/Book clubs
Inquiry/Research
• Author’s chair/group sharing
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES
WITHIN A LANGUAGE RICH ENVIRONMENT
WRITING
•Classroom Management
•Room Arrangement
Skills Instruction and Practice
Oral Reading/Writing
Instructional Level
Reading/Writing
Independent Reading/Writing
Developmental Writing
ONGOING ASSESSMENT
456
READING TO LEARN
• Mini lessons
• Spelling stages & strategies,
word work, making words,
mechanics, word walls
• Handwriting
• Writing aloud
•Morning Message
•Daily News
•Model process writing
• Graphic organizers (Go
Charts)
• Book extensions
• Guided writing
• Writer’s workshop
•Writing Process
•Genre Study
•
•
•
•
•
Writing/literacy centers
Journals/Response logs
Writer’s Notebook
Book making/extensions
Independent writing
• Writing stages
• Interactive writing
• Shared writing
Enter Dr. Kathleen Cooter and her “Principals’
Fellowship”
GOAL: To assist principals in becoming literacy change agents in an
inter-professional model
Literacy Leadership Practices
 Real World Problem Solving
 Create “Literacy Materials Centers”
 Early Identification w/ Intense/Focused
Remediation
 Research-Informed Decision Making
 Involve Families
 Needs-Based Scheduling
 Matching the Most Successful Teachers
with “Critical Condition” Kids
PRINCIPALS’
FELLOWSHIP:
Format Basics & Evolution
Intensive first sessions aimed at building
program buy-in
Information about evidence-based practices
(executive summaries)
Knowledge of leadership models for the diffusion of
innovations
CHANGE CONCEPTS: CHANGE MODELS, STRATEGIES,
AND TECHNIQUES
THE PRINCIPAL’S FELLOWSHIP AS A
SUSTAINABILITY VEHICLE
Incentives Work!Benefits to
Teacher - “Laureates”…
Advanced Training on scientifically-based reading instruction (SBRR) for urban
children
A Master Teacher “Coach” to Assist with Implementing New Strategies (in their
own classrooms!)
Six (6) Graduate Semester Hours of University Credit (applicable to an advanced
degree)
“Highly Qualified” Endorsement in Reading
Books and Materials (FREE)
$1,000 stipend for successful completion
Helping Children Achieve “AYP”
Principal Support
Community Support
Full endorsement by Dallas Public Schools Board of
Trustees
Transcended four Superintendents in four years
Involvement of O’Donnell Foundation
Involvement of Dallas Citizens’ Council
Involvement of The Dallas Foundation
“Results”
• 446 K-3 Laureates - 1999
• 728 K-3 Laureates - 2000
• 1,015 K-12 NJWP Teachers
Trained
• 18 Reading Recovery Teachers
Trained
2000
Reading Academy Laureate
Lana Moore
123
I CAN READ
C Marrin
Teacher Testimonials
Results
Most Dallas schools off low-performing list in
DISD in reading in two years (27 of 29)
• Key Findings
–Expected results slower than lockstep programs
–Deeper training promises better long-term
benefits
–Happier teachers crucial to long-term results
–Other programs may peak at 60 percent
–Productivity declines while in training
–Best results coming from lowest-rated teachers
–Other?
3rd Grade TAAS TLI’s
Spring 2000
80
78
76
74
72
70
Laureate 1999
Laureate 2000
Non-Laureate
Total District
Percent of Grade 3 Students on or
Above Grade Level on Aprenda
Reading Comprehension
70
40th or Above
50th or Above
65
60
63
55
50
45
40
55
54
53
53
46
43
Laureates 1999 Laureates 2000 Non-Laureates
44
District
Percent of Time Spent in Higher
Order Thinking
100%
4
90%
16
80%
5
8
8
10
25
11
4
9
6
8
7
10
2
16
70%
27
60%
31
50%
40%
37
82
75
30%
20%
79
49
41
30
10%
0%
Low CEI - Low CEI - High CEI - High CEI Fall
Spring
Fall
Spring
All Fall
All Spring
Transition
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
CAROL JOHNSON
On to Memphis…
SHIRLEY RAINES
Memphis-The City
The City of Memphis has a population of 642,251.
63.1% African American
31.3% Caucasian
4.1% Hispanic.
Memphis Stats…
Memphis is among the poorest and least-educated cities in the US
30.1% of all children live in poverty
24.3% of adults have less than a HS education
36.7% have HS diploma or equivalent
30.5% have Assoc. or some college
8.5% have at least a BA
MCS is 21st largest K12 district in US >116,000 students
Over 95% of MCS’ 196 schools are Title I schools
71% of MCS students qualify for free/reduced price lunch
MCS students are 87% AA; 9% White; 4% “other”
In 85% of MCS schools, 33% of students change schools during year
In 2003-04, the system-wide graduation rate was 61 percent
71% of students in grades 6-8 scored below the 50th percentile on TCAP
(Reading/Language Arts)
RESULTS—
The Memphis Literacy Academy &
The Principals’ Fellowship
First Year MLA Results in Memphis…
2004
% Proficient
2005
% Proficient
Change/
Improvement
65.2
80.1
14.9
Reading First
Schools
72.0
82.6
10.6
Neither
Intervention
80.4
89.1
8.7
Memphis
Literacy
Academy
Schools
*Notes: ELL students were not included in the analyses because they took the TCAP in
Overall’04District
but took the CELLA in ’05. Also,76.0
only students who were enrolled by86.3
the 20 day of
th
school and remained at the same school through TCAP were included (membership category 1).
10.3
2007 Urban Impact Award
University of Memphis College of Education
and
Memphis City Schools
The Memphis Literacy Academy
November 2007
http://www.ed.gov/programs/strivingreaders/awards.html
Grantee: Memphis City Schools
Memphis, Tennessee
Name of Project: Memphis Striving Readers
Total Grant Award: $16,074,687
• The Memphis' Striving Readers project was designed to test the efficacy of the
Memphis Content Literacy Academy professional development model for improving
reading achievement and content literacy in high-need urban middle schools serving grades
6-8.
• All core subject content teachers in Striving Readers schools were randomly
assigned to participate in the professional development program.
• The University of Memphis faculty (Cooter, et al.) implemented the school
level intervention and Research for Better Schools evaluated the district's Striving
Readers project.
MCLA Program Logic Model
Inputs
Funding, staff, curriculum resource
center, facilities, incentives, research
materials
Activities
Principals
Attend 45-hour sessions/yr (2 yrs)
Participate in motivational, recruitment
and celebratory events
Discuss MCLA at faculty meetings
Outputs
Principals
45 hours of Principal Fellowship
participation
100% of principals incorporate
plan for using MCLA strategies in
SIP
100% attendance of key MCLA
events
80% of principals report actively
supporting the program
100% of MCLA schools have
allocated space for the CRC
Conduct walkthrough observations
Provide opptys for teacher collab
Allocate space for CRC materials
Teachers
Attend 30 weekly 3-hour MCLA
training sessions/yr (2 years)
Develop and implement 8 CAPs per
year in collab content-area groups
Meet with coaches for feedback to
improve impl of MCLA strategies
Learn to use of leveled texts to support
SR content literacy needs
Students
Learn to use MCLA strategies to
read/react to content related text (
Teachers
90 of hours of MCLA training/yr
for 2 years (180 hours)
Engage in weekly coaching
sessions or as needed to meet
teachers’ differentiated needs
8 CAP “cycles” completed each
year for two years
100% of teachers complete
performance measures identifying
supplemental resources
available/those necessary to
support content area instruction
Short–term Outcomes
Principals
Awareness of and interest in staff
implementation of MCLA concepts
and strategies
Increased advocacy for school-wide
use of MCLA strategies
Principals
Improved school climate
School-wide plans include focus on
content literacy
Improved instructional leadership
Teachers
Increased knowledge about MCLA
strategies
Improved preparedness to use
research-based literacy strategies to
teach core academic content
Increased use of direct, explicit
instruction to teach research-based
comprehension, fluency, and
vocabulary strategies in content area
classes
Teachers
Increased effectiveness supporting
students’ content literacy development
Continued collaboration among
community of teachers to develop and
implement CAPs
Students
Improved reading achievement and
content literacy:
Integrated use of multiple MCLA
strategies to support ongoing
development of content-related
instructional units
10% increase in students scoring
proficient in Reading/LA and other
subject areas of TCAP
Students
Increased familiarity with and use of
MCLA strategies when engaging
with text
mean increase of five NCEs on ITBS
Students
Increased internalization of
literacy strategies
50% of students attend 4 classes
taught daily by teachers
participating in MCLA
Increased confidence engaging with
content related texts
Students learn to use 7 of 8
MCLA CAP strategies
Long-term Outcomes
Increased interest in school/learning
Increased performance on gateway and
EOC exams
Higher Quality Teaching
Higher Student Achievement
Study Design and Analytic Approach:
MCLA
Study Design MCLA:
Evaluate teacher and student
outcomes
experimental design
randomly assigning schools
(to treatment and control conditions)
Teacher outcomes include
preparedness
frequency of literacy strategy
use
Analytic Approach MCLA:
Two-level HLM
spring ITBS and TCAP scores
as a function of teacher and
school variables
Comparison of Teachers in MCLA Treatment and
Control Schools on Year-End Indices for
Preparedness and Frequency of Use
Test Score
Preparedness Index
Frequency Index
a
Unadjusted Means
Adjus ted Means
Est.
Control Trea tment Control Trea tment Impact
3.57
3.92
3.52
3.93
0.41
a
(49)
(49)
3.69
3.93
3.64
4.00
0.36
(49)
(43)
Effect
Size
Signif.
Level
0.75
0.012
0.61
0.022
Numbers in parentheses are the number of teachers in each group having valid index scores from th e
baseline 2006 administration and the Spring 2007 administration.
TCAP
ITBS
MCLA Impacts on Students (Year One)
a
Comparison of Students in MCL A Tre atment and Control Schools on Spring 2007
Scores on Each Achievement Test
Unadjusted Means
Adjus ted Means
Est.
Effect Signif.
Test Score
Size
Level
Control
Treatment Control Treatment Impact
Total Reading
208.8
208.8
207.8
207.6
-0.2
0.01
0.900
a
Standard Score
(1925)
(1831)
Comprehension
205.7
205.8
202.9
207.1
4.2
0.13
0.067
Standard Score
(1932)
(1835)
Vocabulary
211.8
210.2
211.8
208.9
-2.9
0.12
0.125
Standard Score
(1938)
(1854)
Reading/ LA
517.0
515.1
519.3
513.6
-5.7
0.18
0.000
Scale Score
(2301)
(2240)
Mathematics
522.4
515.1
521.2
515.1
-6.1
0.17
0.061
Scale Score
(2297)
(2240)
Science
192.2
193.1
193.1
192.0
-1.1
0.07
0.355
Scale Score
(2212)
(2222)
Social Studies
193.5
191.4
193.2
191.3
-1.9
0.13
0.345
Scale Score
(2205)
(2212)
Numbers in parentheses are the number of students in each group having valid test scores from the baseline
2006 admin istrations and the Spring 2007 administrations.
MCLA Implementation Framework
Developing an Innovation Configuration (IC) Map
(Hall & Hord, 2006)
Operationally defines levels of implementation fidelity
among clusters of “key active ingredients”
Iterative process involving key stakeholders
Development team (University of Memphis)
Grantee (Memphis City Public Schools)
Researchers (Research for Better Schools)
MCLA: Planned Implementation
Changes
Changes:
Adoption of CREDE (UC-Berkeley) JPA instructional model
Reduction in the number of CAPs required of teachers
Shortened class schedule/more intensive work with coaches
Inclusion of special education teachers among those eligible to
enroll
Restructured Principal Fellowship
(includes other school leaders; meets monthly)
MCLA: Implementation Barriers
Barriers:
Limited development/planning time
Need for coaches with disciplinary content knowledge
Challenges in establishing a critical mass of enrolled teachers at each school
CRC materials not received until spring 2007
Pressure to focus on TCAP test preparation (spring)
Difficulty maintaining principal attendance at weekly meetings
The Principals’ Fellowship:
Selected Topics
• The Principal As Change Agent
• Literacy Coaches: A Valuable Asset in School Improvement
• Classroom Action Plans (CAP)
• Getting the Most From Read 180
• Curriculum Resource Center (CRC)
• Principal “Walk Throughs”
• Project-Based Learning: The Role of Group Work In Content Learning
“Partnering for Memphis Children”
Memphis Literacy Academy “Fellow”
Jeffrie Akins
has successfully completed
The 2005 Principals’ Fellowship
An advanced program for school leaders at
The University of Memphis
in partnership with Memphis City Schools.
Kathleen S. Cooter, Ph.D.
Robert B. Cooter, Jr., Ed.D.
Principals’ Fellowship Founder
Principals’ Fellowship Co-Founder
What did you find most positive about the
Striving Readers’ program?
from the professors has helped us
change our mind set in how we view educating our
students.
 Hearing and
and programs through
established researchers

with colleagues from other middle
schools in the city.
 The
received was
very beneficial.
What did you find most positive about the
Striving Readers’ program?
 Provided an in-house
that has a
plethora of instructional materials. The center is an interactive
work place with a variety of resources and tools that help
teachers meet the diverse needs of all students. The CRC is filled
with ideas, print materials, tools, manipulatives, reference files,
and supplies
 Supplied leadership and
through coaches.
provide assistance with implementation of the strategies,
individual
, feedback, support, monitor
READ 180, and anything else they are asked to do.
What did you find most positive about the
Striving Readers’ program?
 Content area teachers have learned that
are not just for language arts, but can be
used in other courses as well.
 Program Incentives: graduate credit, stipend,
personalized coaching
From Our Side of the
Fence…
 The “Las Vegas Rule” was in force so that we could
discuss issues in real time
 We had to become responsive literacy servants,
especially during times of district change and
upheaval (e.g., over-age learners, EL, “exhibitions,”
Stanford Math, etc.)
 Flexibility was essential
 Defeating the “soft bias of low expectations”
Emerging Issues
District & School Leadership changes & conflicting mandates
(“losing your sponsor”)
Scheduling Fellowship Meetings
(21 date changes in 18 months)
Involving assistant principals and school leadership team
members
Reassignment of teachers after Labor Day (previously
protected)
Read 180 SNAFUs
RTI
What’s next?
We must create “change agents”
for our most challenging
schools…
Education Innovation and Social Change
Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education
45
The Development Process: Reverse Engineering
46
Contact Information:
Robert B. Cooter, Jr., Ed.D.
E-mail: rcooter@bellarmine.edu
“Literacy is the gateway to social justice…”