APPENDIX

Denver Public Schools

Content Standards

Standards for Success

GOAL: To develop literate secondary school students.

"Reading is the pinnacle of what humans can do." (Dr. Sally Shaywitz, 1995) It is fundamental to our lifelong learning process and is the essence of functioning as a decent, literate citizen. Recent research reflects public alarm that students can't read and write effectively. Therefore, secondary schools will be called upon to assist students at significantly increased levels in reading/writing instruction. Diagnostic data will be utilized along with a schoolwide emphasis on reading/writing and creative scheduling to provide reading instruction.

OBJECTIVE

Seventy-five percent of students entering grades 6-10 in fall 1995, reading below the 30th percentile on a standardized reading assessment will read above the 30th percentile by spring 1998.

Strategy A

Provide effective reading instruction for all students.

Tactics

1. Implement reading classes at all grade levels featuring

· explicit instruction in reading strategies;
· guided practice in reading and writing;
· independent practice in reading and writing;
· focus on comprehension and decoding strategies; and
· instruction featuring both fiction and non-fiction genres.

2. Teach reading across the curriculum featuring

· explicit instruction in content area reading strategies;
· development of vocabulary in content areas;
· guided practice in content area reading and writing; and
· independent practice in content area reading and writing.

3. Utilize existing reading/writing technology labs to improve reading/writing achievement.

· Form a committee of administrators, teachers, and the Department of Secondary Education.
· Discover and/or develop additional resources to be used in existing technology labs;
· Train teachers to use resources and labs.
· Utilize resources in existing reading/writing technology labs.

4. Provide adult and/or peer tutors to students who read below the 5th percentile.

5. Explain the literacy plan to parents and community and seek parental and community involvement and support to reach our goals.

· Collaborate with school sites to communicate information effectively.
· Encourage individual schools to use parent newsletters to communicate information about literacy.

Strategy B

Provide professional development which includes content and process strategies to implement effective, necessary reading/writing instruction for all students.

Tactics

1. Implement cadres of master reading and writing teachers in each school. Cadres will coordinate and support staff literacy inservices and schoolwide study groups.

· Coordinate and support staff literacy inservices.
· Provide staff development regarding reading/writing and adult learning styles for cadre members.

2. Offer "Reading in the Content Area" as a course for college credit.

· Arrange classes in each quadrant of the city.
· Provide credit at discount cost to teachers.
· Schedule a portion of the class during the regular school day.

3. Provide administrators with staff development about reading and writing processes and how to implement and evaluate effective practices in their schools.

4. Bring nationally known experts in the field of secondary reading/writing to Denver to work with teachers and administrators.

5. Develop a cadre of master secondary reading/writing teachers across all content areas to serve as resources for their colleagues as coaches, mentors, and models.

6. Develop a team of skilled substitute teachers to deliver effective instruction when master teachers are participating in staff development activities.

7. Create a data base of personnel, research, classes, and seminars that are being presented in the area regarding effective practices in reading/writing.

Strategy C

Support schools in acquiring appropriate and quality materials for all students.

Tactics

1. Create a committee of secondary reading and writing master teachers to discover and examine secondary reading materials.

· Consult experts from area universities.
· Hold book fairs for publisher representatives.

2. Develop a distribution system to ensure that all schools obtain the most current information about the latest and most effective materials.

3. Work with Educational Resource Services and school IMCs to ensure acquisition of appropriate building library collections.

Strategy D

Monitor the use of appropriate assessments that measure student achievement in reading and writing.

Tactics

1. Seek school input to identify and/or develop assessment instruments for secondary students.

2. Ensure effective staff development that prepares teachers to administer and evaluate selected assessments in their classrooms.

3. Monitor performance of students and publish results.

4. Explain the results to parents and community.

Strategy E

Monitor the implementation of content standards for reading and writing instruction.

Tactics

1. Adopt district content standards for reading and writing that are aligned with state standards.

2. Monitor content standards for reading and writing that are aligned with state standards.

3. Ensure staff development for the implementation of the content standards.

4. Provide information about content standards to parents and the community.