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Conway Public

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District Literacy Plan

2019

CPSD District Literacy Plan

Conway Public Schools Core Values

Conway Public Schools is grounded by six fundamental core values that serve as guiding

principles through which all decisions are made. When endeavoring to design our district

literacy plan, the core values provided the foundation. The first core value is Students First.

This core value forms the basis of all the following core values. We recognize that a

student’s ability to read proficiently is one of the most important predictors of success in

school and in life. Thus, we are committed to students’ reading instruction being grounded

in evidence-based strategies accompanied with support if students struggle. The second

core value, Staff Committed to Excellence, is embodied by our staff’s participation in and

acceptance of our new approaches to teaching literacy. While learning something new is

hard and requires teachers tackling new information and pedagogy, Conway teachers meet

this challenge proudly, as they always want to do the best for students. Value and Respect

Diversity is our third core value. As we embark on this district literacy initiative, we

recognize that all students learn differently and will engage differently. We are committed

to providing students a diverse menu of reading resources and strategies to optimize each

student’s level of engagement. Our fourth core value is to Provide Innovative Educational

Opportunities. We are committed to ensuring that our teachers have the flexibility to be

creative and utilize their artistic talent to meet the needs of their specific students.

Whether it be through genre or methodology, our teachers have professional license to

follow the district curriculum while simultaneously using their innovative techniques to

maximize their students’ achievement. A literate populace is crucial for any community,

and our district’s fifth core value Cultivate Community Relationships is one way we can

partner with patrons to enhance our literacy plan. By using community resources, we can

not only have our students see the importance of literacy, but we can also show our

community our commitment to producing students who are proficient readers. The final

core value is Maintain a Safe and Caring Environment. Without question, we always make

students’ physical safety paramount in all we do. Likewise, when thinking of literacy

acquisition, we must create a safe and caring climate in our classrooms where students feel

comfortable trying and perhaps failing, always knowing the value of productive struggle

with a teacher’s support. Conway Public Schools’ core values define who we are and who

we strive to be, and our district literacy plan embodies these values as its very foundation.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

Literacy Vision Statement

In Conway Public Schools, we believe that it is imperative for all students to emerge as

literate members of our community taking into account their individual learning through

active engagement of meaningful tasks and experiences. Literate learners are able to listen,

speak, read, write, and reason effectively, think critically, access and evaluate information,

and transfer learning to new situations to be college or career ready.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

State of Reading in Conway Schools

In grades K-2, Conway Schools administers the NWEA MAP (Measurements of Academic

Progress) Growth Assessment. This assessment is a measurement of individual student

growth across time. The NWEA MAP assessment is given to all K-2 students three times

annually-fall, winter, and spring. Because this assessment is adaptive to each student’s

individual performance and growth, aggregation of data is difficult. Each student receives a

RIT (Rasch Unit) score, which is a measurable scale used to simplify the interpretation of

test scores. Nationally normed group averages for each grade are adjusted every three

years. We have given this assessment for two years and continually monitor the students’

individual RIT scores as compared to the national group average. We also compare

holistically how Conway K-2 students are performing across the district, state, and nation.

In grades 3-10, students in Conway Schools take the ACT Aspire assessment. The graph

below reflects the percentage of students scoring ready or exceeding on ACT English and

Reading Assessments. This assessment is the benchmark for all Arkansas schools.

Unfortunately, the graphs below indicate a decline in reading scores over the past three

years. This would lead us to believe that our students are struggling with basic reading

skills in the formative years that inhibit their ability to read more complex content specific

text.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

Beginning in May 2019, all students in CPSD grades K-8 were given the Renaissance Star

Reading Assessment. This assessment will be given twice a year. The Star reading

assessment provides an Instructional Reading Level (IRL) score, which is a criterion-

referenced score which provides an estimate of the grade level of written material with

which the student can most effectively be taught. A given student's IRL is the highest-grade

level of items at which the student can correctly answer at least 80% of the items. The

graph below shows the percentage of students whose IRL was “on grade level.”

Students in grade 11 take the ACT. This assessment is based on standards for College and

Career Readiness. Unfortunately, the graph below shows the decline in our students’ ACT

CPSD District Literacy Plan

English and ACT Reading scores over the last several years, demonstrating lower levels for

college and career readiness. Historically Conway students have scored well above state

and national ACT averages.

Literacy Plan Goals

1. Conway Public Schools will ensure that all students in grades K-12 will have access

to a guaranteed, viable curriculum horizontally and vertically aligned to promote

grade level reading proficiency.

2. Conway Public Schools will commit that teachers will be afforded the opportunities

for professional growth in evidence-based strategies to equip them to meet the

diverse needs of their students.

3. Conway Public Schools will procure the resources necessary for teachers and

students to support the curriculum.

4. Conway Public Schools will continually monitor, assess, and evaluate the

effectiveness of the literacy curriculum through curriculum review and in

conjunction with student performance data.

5. Conway Public Schools will screen and assess students appropriately and provide

support when needed.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

Assessments and Screenings

1. Assessments and Screenings Grades K-4

a. Purpose is to identify or predict students who may be at risk for poor learning

outcomes.

b. Initial screening is conducted for ALL students in grades K-2.

c. Screening should be conducted in grades 3-4 for students experiencing difficulty in

reading as noted by a classroom teacher (OR any student who transfers and data

cannot be located).

d. Additional Level 1 Screening Data are collected for certain students in K-4 based on

district RTI protocol

Grade K

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grades 3-4

Phonological and

Phonemic Awareness

DIBELS - FSF ( B,M)

DIBELS - PSF (M,E)

DIBELS - PSF (B)

Sounds Symbol

Recognition

DIBELS - NWF (M,E)

DIBELS - NWF (B,M,E)

DIBELS - NWF (B)

DIBELS - NWF ( B)

Alphabet Knowledge

DIBELS - LNF (B,M,E)

DIBELS - LNF (B)

DIBELS - LNF ( B)

Decoding Skills

DIBELS - NWF (M,E)

DIBELS - NWF (B,M,E)

DIBELS - ORF (E)

DIBELS -ORF (B,M,E)

Rapid Naming Skills

AR-RAN (M)

AR-RAN (B)

Encoding Skills

DSA (M)

DSA (B)

B = Beginning of year, M = Middle of Year, E = End of Year

2. Assessments and Screening Grades 5-12

a. Purpose is to identify or predict students who may be at risk for poor

learning outcomes.

b. Screening is conducted in grades 5 and higher for students experiencing

difficulty in reading as noted by a classroom teacher.

c. Screening measures include:

i. Developmental Spelling Assessment (encoding)

ii. Quick Phonics Screener (sound -symbol recognition, alphabetic

knowledge, and decoding)

iii. PASS (phonological awareness)

iv. Rapid Naming Screener

v. Additional Level 1 Screening Data are collected for certain students in

grades 5 -12 based on district RTI protocol

CPSD District Literacy Plan

3. Formal Assessments

a. Independent Reading Level Assessment Grades K-8

i. STAR Early Literacy (Grades K-1) will be administered twice per year

to determine students’ independent reading levels. A scale score will

be earned which will correlate to a grade equivalent. Results will be

shared with all teachers and parents.

ii. STAR Reading (Grades 2-8) will be administered twice per year to

determine students’ independent reading levels (or grade

equivalents). Results will be shared with all teachers and parents.

b. State-required Assessments

i. NWEA (Grades K-2) will be administered three times per year to

measure individual student growth over time.

ii. ACT Aspire (Grades 3-10) will be administered three times per year

(two interims and one summative).

iii. ACT (Grade 11) will be administered to students in grade 11.

Literacy Emphasis by Grade Span

1. Grades K-2

a. Teachers in K-2 will implement daily explicit, systematic, and cumulative

instruction in Phonological Awareness (identifying and manipulating units

of oral language such as words, syllables, onsets, and rimes) and Phonemic

Awareness (producing, counting, isolating, segmenting, adding, deleting,

blending, and manipulating individual phonemes) following The Phonemic

Awareness Curriculum editions developed by Dr. Michael Heggerty.

b. Teachers in K-2 will deliver daily explicit synthetic Phonics instruction that

follows an aligned scope and sequence applying consistent instructional

practices and routines including fluency practice to review previous learning,

letter identification, consistent path of movement for letter formation

(handwriting), phoneme-grapheme mapping for regular and irregular words,

explicit teaching of the six syllable types, syllable division rules, explicit

teaching of rules for decoding and encoding, and application to decodable

texts. Teachers will use established district protocols as well as Phonetic

Connections K and Connections Spelling Levels 1 and 2.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

c. Students will participate in daily opportunities to increase their oral

language and vocabulary through explicit and implicit techniques through

read alouds and other pre-planned lessons.

d. Students will participate in whole group and small group Reading

instruction. Teachers will provide a daily whole group shared reading (K-1)

or reading mini-lesson (2) focusing on aligned power standards/unit plans to

develop standards relating to the comprehension of literary or informational

texts, language, vocabulary, concepts about print, or other skills and

strategies proficient readers apply. Teachers will use Benchmark Education’s

Reading Workshop curriculum as well as big books, poems, nursery rhymes,

and other mentors texts to support instruction. Teachers will also provide

targeted differentiated small group reading instruction so students can apply

decoding skills to read texts. Students will begin by reading decodable texts

until they demonstrate the necessary knowledge and skills to transition into

leveled texts.

e. Teachers will provide explicit daily instruction in Language, Grammar, and

Writing following the district power standards/unit plans and grammar

alignment plan for each grade level. This instruction will include a gradual

release model with modeling, guided practice, checks for understanding,

writing conferences, and independent student application.

f. Teachers will create a literate environment in their classrooms by

including, but not limited to, a sound wall (provided by the district), co-

constructed anchor charts, and age-appropriate multi-sensory

stations/centers.

g. All K-2 teachers will be trained in K-2 RISE which will train them in the

scientific-based practices for teaching phonological/phonemic awareness,

phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension outlined in a-f above.

Teachers will be provided with all materials and resources aforementioned

as well.

2. Grades 3-4

a. Teachers in grades 3-4 will deliver Advanced Phonics/Morphology

instruction that follows an aligned scope and sequence applying consistent

instructional practices and routines including fluency practice to review

previous learning, phoneme-grapheme mapping for regular and irregular

words, explicit teaching of the six syllable types, explicit teaching of rules for

decoding and encoding. Teachers will use established district protocols,

Connections Spelling Levels 3 and 4, and Words by Marcia Henry.

b. Teachers will provide explicit daily instruction in Language, Grammar, and

Writing following the district power standards, unit plans, and grammar

alignment plan for each grade level. This instruction will include a gradual

CPSD District Literacy Plan

release model with modeling, guided practice, checks for understanding,

writing conferences, and independent student application.

c. Students will participate in whole group and small group Reading

instruction. Teachers will provide a daily whole group reading mini-lesson

focusing on aligned power standards/unit plans to develop standards

relating to the comprehension of literary or informational texts, language,

vocabulary, and other skills and strategies proficient readers apply. Teachers

will use the Reader’s Workshop resource from Benchmark Education to

support instruction. Teachers will also provide targeted differentiated small

group reading instruction for students to apply foundational reading skills.

d. All 3-4 teachers will be trained in 3-6 RISE which will train them in the

scientific-based practices for teaching phonological/phonemic awareness,

phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension outlined in a-c above.

Teachers will be provided with all materials and resources aforementioned

as well.

3. Grades 5-7

a. Teachers in grades 5-7 will deliver Advanced Phonics/Morphology

instruction that follows an aligned scope and sequence applying consistent

instructional practices and routines including fluency practice to review

previous learning, phoneme-grapheme mapping for regular and irregular

words, explicit teaching of the six syllable types, explicit teaching of rules for

decoding and encoding. Teachers will use established district protocols and

Words by Marcia Henry.

b. Teachers will provide explicit daily instruction in Language, Grammar, and

Writing following the district power standards, unit plans, and grammar

alignment plan for each grade level. This instruction will include a gradual

release model with modeling, guided practice, checks for understanding,

writing conferences, and independent student application.

c. Students in grade 5 will participate in whole group and small group Reading

instruction. Teachers will provide a daily whole group reading mini-lesson

focusing on aligned power standards/unit plans to develop standards

relating to the comprehension of literary or informational texts, language,

vocabulary, and other skills and strategies proficient readers apply. Teachers

will use the Reader’s Workshop resource from Benchmark Education to

support instruction. Teachers will also provide targeted differentiated small

group reading instruction for students to apply foundational reading skills

using a variety of resources.

d. All ELA teachers of grades 6-7 will provide explicit teaching of reading

strategies for fiction and for nonfiction that utilize the signposts and

questioning outlined by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

i. All teachers of social studies and science for grade 7 also will provide

explicit teaching of reading strategies for nonfiction.

e. All ELA teachers of grades 6-7 will provide explicit teaching of a three-stage

close-read model: first close reading for key ideas and details, then close

reading for craft and structure, followed by close reading of paired passages

for integration of knowledge and ideas.

f. All ELA teachers of grades 6-7 will instruct students in the use of a CPSD

standardized annotation method to be shared and implemented cross-

curricularly district-wide.

i. Teachers of other content areas in grades 6-7 will implement use of

the annotation method described above.

g. All 3-7 content teachers (science, social studies, and math) will be trained in

3-6 RISE which includes scientific-based practices for teaching

phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and

comprehension. Teachers will be provided with all materials and resources

aforementioned as well.

h. All sixth and seventh grade science teachers were trained in ADI (Argument

Driven Inquiry).

i. Training incorporates directed close reading of content material to

include annotation using gradual release model.

ii. Students experience science through phenomenon using scientific

reasoning to justify conclusion.

iii. Students must express in writing all conclusions with supporting

evidence in a cohesive, coherent way.

4. Grades 8-12

a. All ELA teachers of grades 8 -12 will provide explicit teaching of reading

strategies for fiction and for nonfiction that utilize the signposts and

questioning outlined by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst.

i. All teachers of math, social studies, and science for grades 8-12 also

will provide explicit teaching of reading strategies for nonfiction.

b. All ELA teachers of grades 8-12 will provide explicit teaching of a three-

stage close-read model: first close reading for key ideas and details, then

close reading for craft and structure, followed by close reading of paired

passages for integration of knowledge and ideas.

c. All ELA teachers of grades 8-12 will instruct students in the use of a CPSD

standardized annotation method to be shared and implemented cross-

curricularly district-wide.

i. Teachers of other content areas in grades 8-12 will implement use of

the annotation method described above.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

d. All ELA teachers of grades 8-12 will implement explicit teaching of a cross-

curricular, horizontally and vertically aligned curriculum of vocabulary

through Greek and Latin roots.

i. Teachers of math, science, and social studies in grades 7-12 will also

implement explicit teaching of vocabulary through a morphological

approach.

e. All ELA teachers of grades 8-12 will implement instruction of grammar,

beginning with a three-year period to remediate students (2018-2019

through 2020-2021) followed by implementation of a vertically and

horizontally aligned grammar curriculum (including the explicit teaching of

spelling rules).

f. All ELA teachers of grades 8-12 will provide students with regular writing

assignments for developing explicitly taught grammar skills while providing

individual and unique feedback to each student for revision purposes. The

district will maintain cross-curricular expectations for writing well-

developed paragraphs with proper punctuation and grammar.

g. All ELA teachers of grades 8-12 will implement unit plans with a common

structure and pacing for all grade levels of ELA which includes morphology;

grammar; paragraph writing, one-on-one writers’ conferences, feedback and

revision; signpost and questioning reading strategies; and close reading

strategies for standards. Units will include the following:

i. Unit 1: Reading Fiction

ii. Unit 2: Reading Nonfiction

iii. Unit 3: Extended Application of Reading Skills

The informational texts from unit 2 as well as those making up all paired

passages will be provided through a partnership with NewsELA and will

align with the morphology and grammar being taught simultaneously with

the close reading strategies.

h. All 8-12 grade content area teachers will obtain 6 hours of training in RISE

via AETN IDEAS. Content area instructional facilitators will provide

professional development on the same nonfiction close reading strategies as

the ELA teachers receive. The teachers will be provided with the same

professional texts and resources as well.

i. All 8-12 grade science teachers were trained in ADI (Argument Driven

Inquiry).

i. Training incorporates directed close reading of content material to

include annotation using gradual release model.

ii. Students experience science through phenomenon using scientific

reasoning to justify conclusion.

CPSD District Literacy Plan

iii. Students must express in writing all conclusions with supporting

evidence in a cohesive, coherent way.

Prioritization of Funding to Support Reading

Achievement

Central office staff in conjunction with building level principals worked collaboratively to

maximize all available funding sources to support reading in Conway Public Schools.

District funds, ESA (Enhanced Student Achievement/National School Lunch) funds, Title II,

and state professional development funds were all used to support reading in the following

two areas: professional development and resources.

Professional Development:

1. Professional development funds were used to pay for subs so that teachers could be

trained in the following ways:

a. ADI-Argument Driven Inquiry

b. K-2 RISE Training for all K teachers

c. Grade 6-12 English Language Arts teachers trained in Notice and Note and

Reading Nonfiction by Beers and Probst.

d. Fifth grade teachers were trained using the Benchmark resource on whole

group mini-lessons and differentiated small group instruction.

2. Professional development funds paid for additional RISE K-2 trainers so that all of

our first and second grade teachers could be trained this summer in RISE.

3. Professional development funds paid for three instructional facilitators to attend

ADI Trainer training.

Resources:

1. Entered into a partnership with Newsela to house curated content for all English

Language Arts teachers in grades 6-12

a. Embedded close reading strategies

b. Morphology

c. Grammar

d. Writing

2. Purchased the Benchmark resources (with student consumables for annotation) in

grades 2-5

3. Purchased decodable texts aligned to RISE initiative

CPSD District Literacy Plan

4. Purchased Prestwick resources for teachers in grades 7-12

a. Class sets of Reading Literature

b. Class sets of Reading Informational Texts

c. Class sets of Vocabulary through Greek and Latin Roots

5. Purchased professional texts of Notice and Note and Reading Nonfiction for all

English Language Arts teachers

6. Purchased professional texts of Reading Nonfiction for all science and social studies

teachers

7. Purchased anchor charts of close reading signposts, strategies, and district

annotation methods for all English, Science, and Social Studies classrooms grades 6-

8. Purchased sound wall cards for all K-4 teachers

9. Purchased multi-sensory manipulatives to accompany literacy instruction in K-2

Evaluation

Beginning in July of each year, central office administrators and building level

administrative teams will work collaboratively to analyze data from the preceding year.

Using this data, administrators at each school will draft proposed modifications to their

school action plans based on the needs identified by the data. This draft plan will be

presented to staff during the August pre-service training for staff input, suggestions, and

adaptation. As additional formative testing is administered, principals and central office

staff will meet with teacher teams to make curricular and instructional adjustments. The

School Action Plan will continually be revisited to address the trends and patterns revealed

through continual data analysis. In May of each school year, the plans will be presented to

Conway Public Schools Board of Education for approval. All School Action Plans will be

posted on the district website by August 1.

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