Language Literacy

Future Directions

The plan for Language Literacy in Edmonton Catholic Schools is focused on the three essential elements in the teaching and learning process. These include:

• Developing and measuring teacher and school learning in language literacy through professional development opportunities.
• Developing and measuring a shared understanding by defining, developing and communicating standards, indicators and critical expectations in language literacy for Edmonton Catholic School
• Articulating and implementing a continuum of Intervention Processes within the district that includes Inclusive strategies, Resource Facilitators, Site-Literacy Coordinators, and others.

1. Professional Development Opportunities

Effective professional growth in literacy instruction is dependant upon the development and support of the following:

Knowledge
Effective literacy teachers have:

• detailed knowledge of individual students strengths, interests, needs and experiential background
• understanding of language and literacy development
• a wide array of assessment tools and practices that accurately identify the next steps for teaching
• knowledge of the skills and processes of independent readers and writers

Instruction
Effective literacy instruction reflects the use of best practices that:

• incorporate skill instruction into meaningful contexts
• select interesting and appropriate materials for each child
• models effective reading and writing
• guides and supports construction of meaning

Life-Long Learning - Professionalism
Helping children become literate is one of the biggest challenges in today's classroom in which ALL teachers are stakeholders. Effective teachers continuously:

• reflect on the theory and practice of instruction and assessment
• keep abreast of current research and apply best practices as life-long learners

2. Standards and Expectations

A second focus in Language Literacy is to define, develop and communicate standards and expectations in assessment, teaching and in data collection by looking at:

• Resources - What resources are needed to meet the outcomes in all district schools?
• Exemplars - What samples of work are needed to demonstrate levels of achievement?
• Context - What conditions are needed to achieve the expectations?
• Assessment Procedures - How will the achievement of the expectations be measured and assessed?
• District Protocol - How will the district communicate and monitor the standards and expectations?

3. Intervention Processes

In order to respond to the challenges of today's diverse classroom, the third focus of the action plan is to develop and communicate a Continuum of Intervention Processes that supports the classroom teacher, the school and the district. The Continuum of Intervention Processes will focus on several levels of Differentiated Instruction to develop teaching and assessment strategies to meet students' needs at the classroom, school and district levels.

LEVEL ONE Classroom Support

Professional development, specifically targeting topics in Differentiated Instruction which will support the classroom teacher with tools and experiences to help meet the range of classroom needs.

LEVEL TWO School Team Support

Developing a School Team support for the classroom teacher through the Site-Literacy Coordinator and Inclusive Intervention teacher will provide further support when needed.

LEVEL THREE District Support

Implementing Reading Recovery training across the district to provide instruction for 20% of the student population that is most difficult to teach in reading. District Special Education Programs are further support for those students with special needs requiring specialized programming.

The Language Literacy plan ensures positive learning experiences thereby enabling students with a desire to continue extending their knowledge, skills and interests.