Time Line of Elementary Literacy Task Force Work

Essential Questions:

What should teachers know and be able to do in order to develop readers and writers in our district?

What do teachers need to know and be able to do to implement The Core Understandings and Common Practices for Literacy across our district?

1998 - 1999

· Literacy Task Force representing each school and departments assembled.

· Representatives collected data about teacher knowledge and current practices from each site.

· A draft of common practices was developed.

1999 - 2000

· Representatives described the practices in terms of understandings.

· The common practices were shared with staff and principals for feedback.

· School Board approves the Core Understandings and Common Practices for Literacy document.

· The District Reading Improvement Plan outlines strategies for literacy instruction and assessment that is reviewed by the Literacy Task Force.

2000 – 2001

· Literacy Committee recognized that the actual practices at the sites across the district and the practices outlined in the Core Understandings and Common Practices for Literacy are not aligned.

· Literacy Committee provides suggestions for a document that would articulate and align the Core Understandings and Common Practices for Literacy across our district and with State Standards.

· 10 Elementary Schools attend Leadership Seminar for Literacy to outline descriptors of readers and writers and describe the classroom environment that is needed to support the development of readers and writers.

· Literacy Committee determines the next steps for small writing team.

2001 – 2002

· Writing Team reviewed needs and purpose of a document that would support the Core Understandings and Common Practices for Literacy.

· Writing Team outlines a format for the support guide – the teaching learning cycle.

· Examples of practices for reading, writing, and spelling that follow the teaching and learning cycle were solicited from district teachers.

· A draft support guide was written and ready for the large Literacy Committee to review and assist in the implementation process.