School Vision: The staff of John F.

Ward Elementary School is committed to

excellence in education and ensuring all students leave their elementary years with a
balanced foundation that prepares them to meet the challenges of their secondary
years.
Goal: The goal of this action research project is to close the gaps of our struggling
readers and for teachers to have a deeper understanding of what causes these gaps
and how we can work together to refine our practice to ensure student success.

Outcomes Activities Resources/ Responsibilit Time Benchmarks/ Revisions to

SIP/PIP based
y Line Assessment
Research on monitoring
s
To Address and
Tools assessments
Activities
Needed
Analyze data Collect data The student’s All Language Aug. Teachers This will be
of students on 3rd-5th end of the Arts teachers 2010 will look monitored by
who are grade year DRA in grades 3-5 closely to keeping
reading struggling information analyze copies of all
below grade readers the and current the data end of the
level. first few DRA. collected previous
weeks of from past year and the
school. DRA’s and current DRA
current, scores in a
beginning common
of the year binder.
DRA’s.
Teachers will Teachers will Guiding All Language Sept. Teachers Monitor by
develop an discuss and Readers and Arts teachers in 2010 identify their keeping all
understandin develop a Writers by grades 3-5 students student’s
g of the personal theory Irene Fountas whom are current DRA
of learning. & Gay Su below grade scores whom
theory of Read and Pinnell level in are struggling
learning. discuss reading. readers and
Cambourne’s Teachers below grade
Conditions of Copies of will also level in one
Learning and Cambourne’s document central binder.
chapter 1: Conditions of their exiting This binder
Developing Learning reading will be kept in
Lifelong levels from the literacy
Readers and the previous library for
Writers year. principal and
literacy coach
to assess.
Teachers will Teachers will Current copies All Language October Teachers Walk-throughs
investigate the dissect the of the district’s Arts teachers in will reflect will be
2010
components of components of reading grades 3-5 on the conducted
the reading the reading curriculum specifics of during
workshop mini- workshop mini- their current teacher’s
lesson lesson and reading reading mini-
discuss why workshop lessons to
this is different and assess monitor and
from the themselves assess
traditional to see if all instruction.
reading of the
instruction. components
 are in place.
Teachers will Teachers will Articles on All Language Novembe Teachers Teachers will
investigate the work in groups guided reading Arts teachers r will reflect be videotaped
components of to jigsaw in the upper in grades 3-5 on their during their
2010
guided reading articles about grades guided guided
in the upper guiding reading reading reading
grades. in the upper groups and lessons to
grades. They bring data to assess as a
will discuss support how whole learning
how to group they group the
their guided grouped components
reading groups their that were in
and strategies students. place.
that help Teachers will
facilitate a have the
deeper opportunity to
understanding critique
of the text. themselves.
Teachers will Teachers will The Art of All Language Dec. Teachers Walk-throughs
research and jigsaw ch. 3 in Teaching Arts teachers in will bring will be
2010
develop an The Art of Reading by grades 3-5 evidence of conducted
understanding Teaching Lucy Calkins growth from during
of the purpose Reading by their below teachers
and importance Lucy Calkins to level interactive
of interactive discuss how readers. read-aloud
read- alouds. we engage our (DRA, times to
biggest conferring monitor and
strugglers notes, etc.) assess
through Teachers understanding
interactive will discuss .
read-alouds. what
strategies
have been
successful
so far in
their action
research
journey.
Teachers will Teachers will Teaching for All Language January Teachers Monitor by
understand the read and Comprehensio Arts teachers in 2011 will bring continuing to
importance of discuss n and Fluency grades 3-5 evidence of keep
extended Individual by Irene their conferring
reading time Instruction from Fountas & Gay individual notes in a
and the use of Teaching for Su Pinnell conferring binder and to
anecdotal Comprehensio notes to update the
notes as n and Fluency discuss and DRA binder
informal by F & P reflect on as with student’s
assessment a group on current DRA
that drives the ways scores to
conversations they used assess for
with readers these growth.
and decisions anecdotal
for future notes to
instruction. drive their
individual
instruction.
Teachers will Teachers will Individual All Language Feb. 2011 Teachers Last DRA of
continue to trade their reading Arts Teachers in will bring the year will
meet once a conferring conferring grades 3-5. evidence of be done by
month to notes with their the beginning
discuss and another notes. individual of May where
reflect on all teacher on a conferring all teachers in
teaching different grade notes to this group will
strategies level and reflect and chart the
discussed this discuss and discuss on growth of
year. reflect on the student each of their
individual growth. individual
student. Where struggling
do they take readers to
them next with determine
this what things
information? we have in
place are
promoting
student
success to
close the gap.
Analyze end of Collect and Reading All Language April-May Spring Analyze and
the year analyze data. benchmark Arts Teachers in 2011 reading chart growth.
reading scores and grades 3-5. benchmarks
benchmarks current, end of and current,
and DRA data. the year DRA. end of year
DRA.