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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.
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