Contemplation
Description
The district is working towards a district-wide cohesive vision of literacy for all and forms an ELA curriculum team. After analyzing assessment results and teacher surveys, the team studies the components of research-informed ELA instruction, acquires a deep understanding of Michigan ELA content standards and best practices within and across grade levels, and establishes the district’s vision of high quality instruction.
Action steps:
Equitable access to instructional materials, resources, communication, and professional learning is essential as districts engage these action steps.
- Create an ELA Team Application for potential team members
- Develop and administer a Reading and Writing Curriculum Survey
- Read and discuss the NCTE Resolution on the Critical Role of Teachers in the Selection and Implementation of Reading Programs and Policies
- Use a collaborative protocol to establish district-wide beliefs about teaching and learning
- Utilize a planning tool to develop a vision of high quality ELA instruction
- Sample of a District Vision of Literacy
- Study the MAISA GELN Literacy Essentials documents
- Revisit the Michigan K-12 ELA Standards
- Select a central location for curriculum materials (i.e., vision of literacy, pacing guides)
- some examples of central locations include Atlas Rubicon, Google Suite, SharePoint
Supports currently available through the Wayne RESA Literacy Team:
- See the Wayne RESA Professional Development Catalog for a comprehensive list of professional learning opportunities
- Consult with district/building leaders about the process of a curriculum review
- Guide the district in conducting a curriculum audit
- Advise the ELA curriculum team as they draft their vision of literacy
- Provide professional learning on
- the MAISA GELN Literacy Essentials documents
- data-driven instruction
- prioritizing and unpacking the Michigan K-12 ELA Standards
- Collaborate with Department of Literacy consultants to generate resources specific to this layer, such as slide decks, communication tools, applications and other forms and documents
- Additionally, districts/schools can request customized support by completing the Wayne RESA PD Request Form
Suggestions for engaging in this work remotely:
- Create a tentative timeline for the work
- Use an LMS, such as Google Classroom or Moodle, to house resources (i.e., documents, presentations, articles) and facilitate whole group discussions
- Consider digital platforms to inventory or audit the current curriculum
- Set firm deadlines for responses
- Use a virtual conferencing platform (i.e., Zoom or Google Meet) to review plans and/or achieve consensus
- Invite a Wayne RESA Literacy Consultant into all platforms for support
- Invite a Wayne RESA Culture and Climate Consultant into all platforms for equity support