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Read to Succeed Reading Plan

Directions:  Please provide a narrative response for Sections A-I. 

LETRS Questions: 

  • How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volume 1 ONLY of LETRS? 0 of 9
  • How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volumes 1 and 2 of LETRS? 3 of 9
  • How many eligible teachers in your school are beginning Volume 1 of LETRS this year (or have not yet started or completed Volume 1)? 6
     

Section A: Describe how reading assessment and instruction for all PreK-5th grade students in the school includes oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to aid in the comprehension of texts to meet grade‑level English/Language Arts standards.

Reading assessment is conducted at Midland Park Primary on oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  Formative testing occurs three times a year for all 3K students through Gold on the early literacy indicators of picture naming, rhyming, first sounds/alliteration, sound identification, and which one does not belong.  The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment is given to all Kindergarten students in the first 45 days of school, identifying a student’s ability in language and literacy among the four key areas evaluated.  Child Development and Kindergarten students undergo diagnostic testing three times a year through myIGDI (CD), FastBridge earlyReading (Kindergarten), and iReady math (Kindergarten).  Curriculum assessments and associated progress monitoring is additional data gathered.  All assessment data is reviewed through the professional learning communities and the MTSS team to determine trends that will inform tier 1 through tier 3 instruction.

Instruction directed at teaching reading is based in the literacy programs of Amplify CKLA and Heggerty.  Amplify CKLA is aligned to the science of reading.  Instructional lessons are in unison with the district pacing guide.  Support and mitigation are provided through professional learning communities, the MTSS team, and the literacy coach coaching cycles.

Section B: Document how Word Recognition assessment and instruction for PreK-5th grade students are further aligned to the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills.

Word recognition is aligned to the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills through the Amplify CKLA curriculum, which emphasizes systematic phonics instruction. Students learn the relationships between letters and sounds, which is foundational for decoding words. The program is designed to introduce sounds and letters in a logical sequence, gradually increasing in complexity. This helps students build their skills incrementally. Amplify CKLA includes explicit instruction in vocabulary, helping students understand the meaning of words and their usage, which aids in recognition and comprehension. Students engage with decodable texts that align with their phonics knowledge, allowing them to practice reading words they can decode, boosting confidence and fluency. Regular assessments, including checks for understanding, formative assessments, mid- and end-of-unit assessments, and benchmark and placement assessments, help teachers identify students’ needs and adjust instruction accordingly, ensuring that all learners are making progress in word recognition. 

Section C:  Document how the school uses universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data to determine targeted pathways of intervention (word recognition or language comprehension) for students in PreK-5th grade who have failed to demonstrate grade‑level reading proficiency.

Assessments used include screening (Dial 4, KRA, & ACCESS), diagnostic (myIGDI, FastBridge, and iReady), and progress monitoring (myIGDI, FastBridge, iReady, Amplify CKLA, and Heggerty,) to identify students’ instructional needs. 4K teachers use the myIGDIs early literacy screener and Heggerty Formative Assessments. Kindergarten teachers use the FastBridge earlyReading screener, FastBridge earlyReading subtest Progress Monitoring, Heggerty, and Amplify CKLA assessments (daily checks for understanding and formative assessments, content and mid-unit assessments, unit assessments, performance assessments, and placement and benchmark assessments). Teachers work in teams that include the literacy coach, literacy interventionist, and administration to collect and analyze data to make instructional decisions for groups of students and individual students during professional learning community meetings (PLC). Teachers create action plans and monitor how the work is progressing (fidelity checks and student outcome data) through coaching cycles, administration - teacher conferences, and SLOs. Teachers work together in teams to analyze assessment data in order to target areas of reinforcement and refinement. The MTSS team monitors the work done in PLCs for effectiveness and makes recommendations and/or changes procedures in response to the data produced by students. 

Section D: Describe the system in place to help parents in your school understand how they can support the student as a reader and writer at home.

Midland Park Primary has a majority ML population.  To support bi-lateral communication, there are two bilingual secretaries, a bilingual parent liaison, and two bilingual MLP teachers.  There are five bilingual staff in the seven kindergarten classrooms.  The school collaborates with the Multilingual Services and Outreach department and uses Language Line.  This human capital facilitates parent-teacher conferences, teacher communication via in-person meetings, phone calls, emails, Facebook and dojo posts, literacy nights, an open house event, Title 1 and School Improvement Council meetings.

Section E: Document how the school provides for the monitoring of reading achievement and growth at the classroom and school level with decisions about PreK-5th grade intervention based on all available data to ensure grade-level proficiency in reading. 

The school has a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) team that meets weekly to evaluate assessment and progress monitoring data.  The assessed data is gained through the assessments and literacy programs described in Section A of this document and through formal walkthroughs documented in SchoolMint Grow (SMG), weekly administration-literacy coach meetings, and weekly PLC meetings.

Section F: Describe how the school provides teacher training based in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills to support all students in PreK-5th grade.

Teacher training in the science of reading is based on the required two-year Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) course. All teachers and administration applicable in the school, to include some Child Development teachers, are either certified or engaged in the course Staff are trained in the literacy programs, and there is ongoing professional development, both school-based and district-based, in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills.

Section G: Analysis of Data
Strengths

  • Complete staffing based on historical school data to include a literacy coach, a literacy interventionist, and three MLP teachers.
  • Instructional planning guided by the literacy coach
  • Sequential instructional lessons in unison with the district pacing guide
  • Implementation of phonemic awareness (Heggerty) with fidelity 
  • The systemic regulatory meetings of grade-level, PLCs, and MTSS assess past and present student learning to make future decisions.
  • Expanded knowledge in the assessment of FastBridge and use of data
  • General education teachers, teacher assistants, and MLP teachers use alternative teaching with the general education teacher instructing the larger group, while the MLP teacher and teacher assistant each work with a smaller group for a specific goal, and parallel teaching where the general education teacher instructs the class, while the MLP teacher supports students with ILAPs.

Possibilities for Growth 

  • New staff training in LETRS
  • ML access to Language Studio
  • Increase number of coaching cycles at the kindergarten level to support the new ELA curriculum
  • Strengthen home-school connections through literacy nights hosted by the parent liaison and facilitated by the kindergarten team and literacy coach
  • iReady learning pathways and in-class support
     

Section H:  Previous School Year SMART Goals and Progress Toward Those Goals

  • Please provide your school’s goals from last school year and the progress your school has made towards these goals. Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to determine progress toward the goal (s). As a reminder, all schools serving third grade were required to use Goal #1 (below).


Goals
Goal #1: By spring 2024, FastBridge earlyReading composite scores for Kindergarten will increase from 57% low risk to 75.2% low risk, as measured by FastBridge earlyReading scoring rubric.
Progress
By Spring 2024, FastBridge earlyReading composite scores were 63% low risk as measured by the FastBridge earlyReading scoring rubric.  This was 12.2% below the target, which is ~20 students out of 163 students tested.

Goal #2: By spring 2024, FastBridge earlyReading composite scores for African American kindergarten students will increase from 48% low risk to 76.1% low risk, as measured by FastBridge earlyReading scoring rubric.


Progress
By Spring 2024, FastBridge earlyReading composite scores for African American students were 65% low risk, as measured by FastBridge early reading scoring rubric.  This was 11.1% below the target, which is ~3 students out of the 26 students tested.

Section I: Current SMART Goals and Action Steps Based on Analysis of Data

  • All schools serving students in third grade MUST respond to the third-grade reading proficiency goal. Schools that do not serve third grade students may choose a different goal. Schools may continue to use the same SMART goals from previous years or choose new goals. Goals should be academically measurable. The Reflection Tool may be helpful in determining action steps to reach an academic goal. Schools are strongly encouraged to incorporate goals from the strategic plan. 

Goals
Goal #1: By spring 2025, FastBridge earlyReading composite scores for kindergarten will increase from 63% low risk to 76.2% low risk, as measured by FastBridge earlyReading scoring rubric.


Progress
2021 fall low risk percentage was 46%, 31% some risk, and 23% high risk

2022 fall low risk percentage was 41%, 28% some risk, and 31% high risk

2023 fall low risk percentage was 51%, 21% some risk, and 28% high risk

2024 fall low risk percentage is 32% low risk, 36% some risk, and 32% high risk.  

  • Hispanic/Latino students scored 24% low risk, 37% some risk, and 39% high risk.  
  • African American students scored 69% low risk, 22% some risk, and 8% high risk. 
  • 70% of the students attended Child Development at Midland Park Primary.

Kindergarten is starting with the lowest percentage of low risk students in three years, ~19% below last year’s fall low risk percentage.

Goal #2: By spring 2025, FastBridge earlyReading composite scores for African American kindergarten students will increase from 65% low risk to 75.4% low risk, as measured by FastBridge earlyReading scoring rubric.


Progress
2021 fall low risk percentage for African Americans was 40%, 48% some risk, and 12% high risk.

2022 fall low risk percentage for African Americans was 41%, 35% some risk, and 24% high risk. 

2023 fall low risk percentage for African American students was 63%, 30% some risk, and 7% high risk.

2024 fall low risk percentage for African American students is 69% low risk, 22% some risk, and 8% low risk.

  • Female African American students scored 71% low risk, 21% some risk, 7% high risk
  • Male African American students scored 67% low risk, 22% some risk, 11% high risk
  • 50% of the students attended Child Development at Midland Park Primary

Kindergarten is starting with the highest percentage of low risk African American students in three years.