Vilseck Elementary Literacy Project

(VLP)
Purpose
Vilseck Elementary School will construct a systemic structure to have
Balanced Literacy fully implemented in all Kindergarten through Grade Five
classrooms by School Year 2016-2017. This implementation is based on
the tenants of the DoDEA Pacific Literacy Project (PLP). Many of the
features of the PLP will be utilized in the Vilseck Literacy Project:
Balanced Literacy framework
Instructional Support Specialists (ISS) functioning in the Literacy
Support Specialist (LSS) and Literacy Facilitator (LF) fashion.
Literacy Partnership meetings with VES Administration and ISSs on
a bi-weekly basis.
Professional Development for the ISSs on all eight components of
Balanced Literacy and Literacy Coaching
Professional Development for Classroom teachers and Specialists
involved in the teaching of English Language Arts about all eight
components of Balanced Literacy
A gradual roll out of the program with K-1 in the first year of
implementation (2014-2015), Grades 2-3, and Multiage, (2015-2016)
and Grades 4-5 the following year (2016-2017).
The Response To Intervention (RTI) framework based on tiered
interventions.
Data tracking to support the RTI to move students in and out of
services or within the service continuum
Differentiated Professional Development

SY 2013-2014
(Pre-Implementation for K-1)
Resources Needed
Substitute Days for .5 day of training
8 (6 Kindergarten, 5 First
in May 2014
Grade, 2 LI teachers, 1 ESL
teacher)
3 Literacy Facilitators/Literacy
Support Specialists will
participate without substitute
coverage
.5 VES FRS

Total Substitute Allocation

.5 for Trainer (Erica Finlay,

GES)
9 Days

Target the VES ISSs with Balanced Literacy framework as well as

VLP goals, vision, and philosophy
o Lay groundwork of VLP with overview of the philosophy,
methodology, best practices to the 8 components of Balanced
Literacy
Reading: Read Aloud, Shared, Guided, and Independent
Writing: Shared, Interactive, Writer Workshop,
Independent
o Bring the three VES Instructional Support Specialists (ISS) into
vision and planning of VLP
o Have ISSs visit Graf ES, Erica Finlays classroom, to observe
Balanced Literacy in action
o Develop deeper understanding of Balanced Literacy via
observation, reading, videos, etc.
o Identify Best Practices of Balanced Literacy existing within
Vilseck ES.
Explore and identify observation opportunities for VES
teachers to observe this practice in SY 2014-2015

o Start PR about Balanced Literacy and the vision for VLP at

VES.
o The VES ISSs will take on responsibilities of being a Literacy
Facilitators and coaching/modeling for K-2 teachers all
components of Balanced Literacy
This will be done via collaboration, conferencing, etc. of
interested faculty to develop a pool of educators
interested in learning more about Balanced Literacy
SY 2014-2015
(Implementation Year for K-1)
Resources Needed
Substitute Days for two .5 days of
14 (6 Kindergarten, 5 First
training
Grade, 2 LI teachers, 1 ESL
teacher)
3 Literacy Facilitators/Literacy
Support Specialists will
participate without substitute
coverage
1 for VES FRS

Total Substitute Allocation

1.0 for Trainer (Erica Finlay,

GES)
16 Days

Target Grades K-1 with training administered by Erica Finlay and

Scott Finlay
o Half day training in September 2014 to:
Define Balanced Literacy
Overview Framework of VLP and the 8 components of
Balanced Literacy. Utilize video clips, readings, to model
Balanced Literacy
o Half day training in January 2015 to:
Discuss implementation of VLP, Balanced Literacy, and
progress

Revisit Best Practices of Balanced Literacy

Based on 2014-2015 Manpower Voucher requesting 16 Full Day
substitutes (utilize 8 full days for September 2014 training and 8 full
days for January 2015 training) to provide Professional Development
of VLP components
ISSs provide direct services to Tier 1 and 2 students.
ISSs and VES Administration hold weekly/bi-weekly meetings to
discuss student progress
o Discuss movement in and out of literacy services
o Discuss movement within Tier 1 and 2 services
Provide a differentiated Faculty Meeting each quarter to provide
Balanced Literacy training to the K-1 teachers.
o Other members of the staff (Grade 2-5 and Multiage teachers
and Specialists) will have choices of other Professional
Development opportunities.
Continue PR and monitoring of VLP
SY 2015-2016
(Implementation Year for 2-3, MA

Resources Needed
Substitute Days for two .5 day of
14 (6 Kindergarten, 5 First
training
Grade, 2 LI teachers, 1 ESL
teacher)
13 (3 Multiage, 4 Second, 4
Third, 1 LI Teacher, and 1
Gifted Education Teacher)
3 Literacy Facilitators/Literacy
Support Specialists will
participate without substitute
coverage
1.0 VES FRS

Total Substitute Allocation

1.0 for Trainer (Erica Finlay,

GES)
29 Days

 Build off of successes in K-1

o Continue with Professional Development in all 8 components of
Balanced Literacy
o Half day training in August 2015 for all new teacher to VES in
grades K-1
Incorporate Grades 2-3 and Multiage in VLP
o Half day training in August 2015 for Grade 2-3 and Multiage
teachers to model Balanced Literacy, its philosophy, rationale,
etc.
o Half day training in January 2016 to continue modeling and
exposing the educators to Balanced Literacy practices.
Provide a differentiated Faculty Meeting each quarter to provide
Balanced Literacy training for all Classroom teachers.
o Other members of the staff (Specialists) will have choices of
other Professional Development opportunities.
SY 2016-2017
(Implementation Year for 4-5)
Resources Needed
Substitute Days for two .5 day of
14 (6 Kindergarten, 5 First
training
Grade, 2 LI teachers, 1 ESL
teacher)
13 (3 Multiage, 4 Second, 4
Third, 1 LI Teacher, and 1
Gifted Education Teacher)
6 (3 Fourth, 3 Fifth)
3 Literacy Facilitators/Literacy
Support Specialists will
participate without substitute
coverage
1.0 VES FRS
1.0 for Trainer (Erica Finlay,
GES)

Total Substitute Allocation

35 Days

Resources Needed
Substitute Days
SY 2014-2015
o 20 Professional Development days requested
15 K-2 classroom teachers
Incorporate 5 specialists (Special Education, ESL, etc.)
into the training
Training will consist or 2 half days of trainings in August
and January.
SY 2015-2016
o 35 Professional Development days requested
10 Third through Fifth Grade teachers
25 days to be utilized for further Professional
Development for the K-2 teachers that launched VLP in
SY 2014-2015.
Remaining days to be used for new K-2 teachers to VES
that will require differentiated Professional Development
to meet their needs and catch up with the Balanced
Literacy practices introduced to K-2 in SY 2014-2015
SY 2016-2017
o 35 Professional Development days requested
All K-5 classroom teachers and specialists that work with
Balanced Literacy will continue to receive differentiated
Professional Development based on needs assessments
These trainings will be held in half day increments based
on then needs of the staff
Different grade levels educators or specialists will
attend sessions based on their Professional
Development needs throughout the school year.
Utilization of the Bavaria District Instructional Support Specialist

 Provide resources and guidance to VES

Provide differentiated Professional Development to the VES staff
during the implementation of the VLP
Provide materials to support Balanced Literacy (books, DVDs, etc)