…….

make music
with what we
have left!
We do very
difficult….
but vitally
important
work!
 •  To the extent that
people engage in
progressive problem
solving they work at
the edge of their
competence.
Working here is both
risky and taxing – but
it has the potential of
yielding superior
accomplishments.

pgraner@ku.edu
Setting
the
Stage
 The Challenge for Our Nation

3 of every 10 students don’t graduate!

> 50% who graduate are not college- and work-ready!

Source: EPE 2007; Greene 2002

 Skills /
Demands

Years in School

The Performance Gap
2013-2014

2 1/2Yrs

Skills and
Demands

9 th

5 th

Years in School 9 th
2005 NAEP Reading Results
Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced

•  Below the Proficiency level

–  69% of 4th graders
–  70% of 8th graders
Only 30% of all
secondary –  64% of 12th graders (2002)
students are 89% of Hispanic
proficient readers
•  Below the Basic level & 86% of African
–  37% of 4th graders American
–  27% of 8th graders students read
below grade level
–  26% of 12th graders (2002)
As Others Rise to the Challenge, U.S. Advantage Drops
Percent of Population with HS Degree or Equivalent

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Switzerland
Germany

Ireland

Greece
Norway

Russian Fed.3

Slovak Republic

Finland

Netherlands

EU19 average

France
Iceland
Belgium
Poland

Italy
Chile2

Mexico

Brazil2
Israel

Spain
Korea
OECD average
Estonia

Austria

UK
Slovenia

Turkey
United States
Czech Republic

Canada
Denmark

Sweden

Hungary

New Zealand

Luxembourg
Australia

Portugal
Notes: 1) Excluding ISCED 3C short programmes; 2) Year of
reference 2004; 3) Year of reference 2003. 4) Percent
population recieviing a HS degree in each decade is
approximated by the age cohort typically recieving
diplomas at that time; e.g. 1960s is approximated by the
proportion of 55-64 year olds with a high school diploma. Source: OECD 2008
There is no censorship so perfect,
so complete as that imposed on
the non-reader. !
Jonathan Kozol

Jonathan Kozol
Question
•  List the 3 biggest barriers to closing the gap.
•  With a neighbor, designate an “A” and a “B”
•  “A” share your 3 factors with “B”
•  “B” share your 3 factors with “A”
•  Discuss the 6 factors and select the top one
•  Information explosion/Instructional time
dilemma
Information Explosion................
Instructional Time Dilemma
1960

Time

1980 Content

2000
•  Information explosion/Instructional time dilemma
•  “I don’t do toilets!”
You want me
to do what?
•  Information explosion/Instructional time dilemma
•  “I don’t do windows!”
•  Change fatigue
 Attempt

Abandon Attack
•  “as the number of changes multiplies, and
as the time demands increase, people

a dysfunction
approach

threshold, a point where they

lose the capacity to implement changes”
--Darryl Conner, Managing at the speed of change
•  Information explosion/Instructional time dilemma
•  “I don’t do windows!”
•  Change fatigue
•  Information explosion/Instructional time dilemma
•  “I don’t do windows!”
•  Change fatigue
•  Structures not in place
•  Fragmentation
 From
10,000’
 The Performance Gap
l
• Demands
• Skills 12

11

10

Years in School
 The Performance Gap

Grade Level
• Expectations
• Demands
• Skills Infrastructure
Supports

Existing
Support

Years in School
 The Performance Gap
SYSTEM LEARNING
/ SUPPORTS

•  Protocols/time for
observing, describing,
Grade Level analyzing practice
System Learning
• Expectations Supports •  Protocols/time for co-
• Demands planning &
• Skills Infrastructure collaboration
Supports
•  Instructional Coaching
Current Supports
•  Internal accountability
mechanisms

Years in School
 The Performance Gap

Instructional
Core
Grade Level
System Learning
• Expectations
Supports
• Demands
• Skills Infrastructure
Supports

Current Supports

Years in School
Questions
On the
ground
 The Performance Gap
/

Instructional
Core
Grade Level
System Learning
• Expectations
Supports
• Demands
• Skills Infrastructure
Supports

Current Supports

Years in School
• Tiered
• Integrated
Building Blocks for
Content Literacy
HIGHER
ORDER

SUBJECT MATTER

STRATEGIES

SKILLS

LANGUAGE
•  Background knowledge

•  Text/knowledge structure

•  Vocabulary

•  Learning strategies

•  Fluency

•  Sight word vocabularies

•  Word recognition
How many words a year do 5th graders
read who read at the 50 percentile?
th
How many words a year do 5th graders
read who read at the 10 percentile?
th
How many words a year do 5th graders

read who read at the 90

th
percentile?

(A) 1,800,000
(B) 2,500,000
(C) 3,000,000
(D) 4,000,000
 Begin by….
Getting a profile of the
literacy performance of
students in your school
•  Word analysis skills
•  Fluency
•  Comprehension
•  Vocabulary
 Possible Tools
•  Group Reading Assessment &
Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE)
•  Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests
•  Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency
 What are the implications?

•  Jefferson HS •  Prairie View HS

3+ Yrs below grade 3+ Yrs below grade

•  Word Recognition 5% •  Word Recognition 27%

•  Comprehension 22% •  Comprehension 43%

 Then ask…..
Five questions
about literacy
supports
1. What’s in place in core classes to ensure that
students will get the “critical” content in spite
of their literacy skills?
2. Are powerful learning strategies embedded in
courses across the curriculum?
3. What happens for students who know how to
decode but can’t comprehend well?
4. What happens for those students who are
reading below the 4th grade level?
5. What happens for students who have language
problems?
 Finally….
Use a “content
literacy” framework
to determine an
action plan
Building Blocks for
Content Literacy
HIGHER
ORDER

SUBJECT MATTER

STRATEGIES

SKILLS

LANGUAGE
 HIGHER ORDER

A Continuum of Literacy Instruction

(Content Literacy Continuum -- CLC)
SUBJECT MATTER
Level 1: Enhance content instruction (mastery of critical
content for all regardless of literacy levels)

STRATEGIES
Level 2: Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave
strategies within and across classes using large group
instructional methods)

Level 3: Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific

strategies using intensive-explicit instructional sequences)
SKILLS
Level 4: Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry
level literacy skills at the 4th grade level)
LANGUAGE
Level 5: Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language
underpinnings of curriculum content and learning strategies)
•  Background knowledge

•  Text/knowledge structure
Level 1
•  Vocabulary

•  Learning strategies
Level 1, 2, 3
•  Fluency

•  Sight word vocabularies

Level 3, 4, 5
•  Word recognition
Questions
 LEVEL 1
•  Cue
•  Do
•  Review

LEVEL 2
•  “I do it!” (Learn by watching)
•  “We do it!” (Learn by sharing)
•  “Ya’ll do it!” (Learn by sharing)
•  “You do it! (Learn by practicing)
•  There are unique (but very important) roles for
each member of a secondary staff relative to
literacy instruction
–  While every content teacher is not a reading
teacher, every teacher instructs students in how to
read content.
–  Literacy coaches may be necessary but aren’t
sufficient
•  Some students require more intensive, systematic,
explicit instruction of content, strategies, and skills
•  Is a framework for guiding
–  Staff dialogue around literacy
–  Professional development
–  Resource allocation
–  Decision making
•  Integrates instructional programs
–  From silos to synergy
Continuum of Literacy Instruction

CONTENT CLASSES CONTENT CLASSES

Level 1. Enhanced Content Level 2. Embedded
Instruction Strategy Instruction

SUPPLEMENTAL CLASSES
Level 3. Intensive Strategy
Instruction

SUPPLEMENTAL CLASSES
Improved
ONE-TO-ONE Level 4. Intensive Basic Skill
Literacy Instruction
Level 5. Intensive
Therapeutic Intervention

KU-CRL CLC- Lenz, Ehren, &Deshler, 2005

 Sample
interventions
Building Blocks for
Content Literacy
HIGHER
ORDER

SUBJECT MATTER

STRATEGIES

SKILLS

LANGUAGE
SMARTER Planning around critical content is essential!

SMARTER Planning

Selecting the critical questions.

Mapping content structures.
Analyzing learning difficulty based on:
Quantity Complexity
Interest Background
Relevance Organization
Abstractness

Reaching enhancement decisions by

selecting powerful...
Teaching Devices

Teaching strategically through

explicit... Teaching Routines

Evaluating enhancements
Revaluate outcomes
 Hierarchical ANALYSIS DISCRIMINATING
PRIOR of characteristics
CATEGORIZATION EVALUATION
KNOWLEDGE

CONCEPT DIAGRAM
➂ Key Words ➀
CONVEY CONCEPT
➁
➀
➁
OFFER OVERALL
CONCEPT
Civil War armed conflict
U.S. Civil ➂ NOTE KEY WORDS

War ➃
CLASSIFY
CHARACTERISTICS

Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present

Northern
Ireland
• Groups of citizens economic War between
•Within a single nation religious nations
citizens About distribution of ethnic
power
one nation social
political
ethnic

many nations ➄ EXPLORE EXAMPLES Examples: Nonexamples:

United States war
social rights between the States World War I
Northern Ireland American World War II
Desert Storm
Revolutionary
in Kuwait
1990’s crisis in the War
Balkans “Desert Storm” in Kuwait

➅
PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE

➆
TIE DOWN A
DEFINITION
A civil war is a type of armed conflict among groups of citizens of a single
nation that is caused by concerns about the distribution of power.