ARI Literacy Leadership

The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-3 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will prepare all students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards. The goal of the ARI is to significantly improve reading instruction and ultimately achieve 100% literacy among public school students.

The expression “Blaze a Trail” is used to talk about leading the way or clearing a path toward progress. Our latest ACAP Reading data speaks volumes about our literacy efforts clearing a path toward progress. Thank you, Alabama literacy leaders, for DOING the work. Your hard work and dedication to do what is best for children is making a DIFFERENCE. Through literacy achievement, you are blazing a new trail. To succeed, we must stay open to new possibilities and perspectives, and help each other move forward. We salute you and encourage you to continue working hard as we move higher together and move forward together!

Media Headlines and Quotes

Alabama’s Third Grade Reading Scores Better Than Expected

91% of Alabama’s Third Graders Reading At or Above Grade Level

The Alabama Educators Association says these numbers show Alabama is putting in the work in getting those numbers where they need to be.

"Mackey said that the scores were better than expected after last year’s test, which showed 17% of third graders – those currently finishing fourth grade – were reading below grade level."

“I think it’s a massive improvement in reading over the last five years,” State Representative Terri Collins said Tuesday on WVNN. “I think we’ve seen gains since 2019 that we’ve never seen before. And I’m very proud of those gains. Our teachers, our literacy specialists, our regional specialists have really worked hard. I’ve seen them and there’s no one more excited about it than they are.”

“That’s a product of our educators working very hard, our administrator leaders providing resources that our teachers need and time to focus on reading, our parents are working with our children at home, children are working hard, so it’s good to see, those numbers are absolutely moving in the right direction,” said William Tunnell, the Northern Region Manager for the Alabama Educator’s Association.

#LiteracyMatters

#AlabamaAchieves

#BetterTogether

Trailblazing leaders lead by design. Leading by design means creating an environment where your team can take the lead and be a part of the decision-making process. Being a leader means constantly pursuing balance – not just doing things quickly, but doing the right things.

Preparing for the 2024-2025 school year requires intentional planning by design around the Circles of Influence. Each area is essential to the literacy success of your students. Meeting the needs of all learners can be quite challenging in isolation. Taking a team approach is an effective way for leaders to tackle the complex decisions that must be made in a school. Leaders should prioritize tasks and deadlines so you can focus on what matters most: Student Learning. The July Leadership Tasks is a collaborative list from OSI and ARI. For a detailed list of monthly tasks, check out the OSI Principal Calendar Checklist.

ARI and OSI July Leadership Tasks:

• Plan for ACAP Supplemental Reading results and portfolio record keeping for students not promoted.
• Edit/revise email groups for staff members (grade levels, various teams, departments - EL, SPED)
• Collaborate with other admins in district feeder patterns to review/revise daily start/stop times, bus schedules (if buses are shared among campuses)
• Replace/revise any signage/documents/social media to include new staff for the upcoming year.
• Prepare an initial calendar of events for the entire year to distribute to staff at the initial staff meeting to help with grade level/department planning. This is distributed with the understanding that this schedule is subject to change and changes will be distributed through email.
• Ensure cumulative folders have been made for new students. Ensure all necessary documentation has been collected during registration to establish the new cumulative folders.
• Support the team that will enter reading intervention plans and summer data into Unified Insights.
• Plan a faculty meeting to discuss upcoming goals for implementation of the Alabama Literacy Act.
• Use the Q4 Structures Generate Behaviors tool to ensure that essential structures are in place for the new school year.
• Lead data meetings to analyze end of year assessments to identify areas of potential growth to be targeted in the upcoming school year.

Reflective Questions:

1. Which Circle of Influence will require more support in the 2024-2025 school year?
2. How will you focus attention on this Circle of Influence in order to achieve your desired results?
3. Do you have the right people on your leadership team?
   

Summer is the perfect time to encourage your teachers to catch up on their LETRS course work and makeup any face-to-face sessions that they may not have been able to attend with the busyness of the school year. If you want to know where your participating staff is on their journey through LETRS, you can contact your LEA contact, RLS or RLLS. Many of them are course managers and can look up that information for you.

Please share the LETRS summer sessions with your staff and encourage them to sign up for the units they need in their region. THIS IS ONLY FOR THOSE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN LETRS. If you have teachers or staff who would like to sign up for the new cohort, they can do so by completing the form attached in the button below. The deadline to sign up is August 30, 2024.

The Alabama State Board of Education approved cut scores for the ACAP Summative Reading Subtest on September 14, 2023. Those approved scores are 455 for Grade 2 and 435 for Grade 3. These cut scores will be applied to the results of the 2024 test administrations. The summer ACAP Supplemental Reading Test windows and score report dates are detailed in the chart below:

Alabama educators are blazing new trails as they kick off summer learning camps this month across the state. According to the Alabama Literacy Act, each LEA shall provide summer reading camps to all K-3 students with a reading deficiency as described in subsection (b), (ALA, page 16, lines 20-22). All students with a reading deficiency should receive a Student Reading Improvement Plan (SRIP). All students with an SRIP should receive an invitation to summer reading camp. Additionally, any student not scoring above the cut score on the ACAP Summative Reading assessment should be invited to summer reading camp.

Summer Learning Guidance Document

As you are entering SRIPs, portfolios, and preparing your staff for summer learning, these resources may be helpful in providing you with information and tutorials.

🎉 Calling all Alabama educators from PreK to higher ED! 🎓 Don't miss out on this incredible professional learning opportunity presented by the ALSDE and the Alabama Reading Initiative! Dive into the Neuhaus Structured Literacy Modules, designed to equip you with the tools for evidence-based, structured literacy instruction. These modules offer a deep dive into the essential components of structured literacy, backed by solid research grounded in the science of reading. Discover why these components are crucial for nurturing skilled readers and learn practical strategies for implementing them effectively in your direct instruction. The best part? You have the flexibility to complete each module in any order, making it easy to fit into your busy schedule. Each session lasts approximately one hour, including a posttest to solidify your understanding. Ready to level up your teaching game? Sign up now using the provided form and get ready to receive your invitation directly from Neuhaus within seven days. Plus, with a generous 90-day window to complete the course work, you can learn at your own pace. But wait, there's more! Earn PowerSchool credit upon completion, with 1 credit hour awarded per module. Don't let this opportunity pass you by—join us in unlocking the secrets to effective literacy instruction and empowering your students to become confident, proficient readers! 📚🚀 *This professional learning is not intended to replace LETRS for Alabama K-3 educators. Instead, it is intended to provide ongoing professional learning to those who have already completed LETRS. In addition, this opportunity is provided for educators serving students beyond grade 3. This professional learning can also be used to support educators in unique situations (long-term certified substitutes, upper elementary, higher ed, or an introduction to the SOR).

Starting the new school year off right includes establishing strong partnerships and relationships. The following recommendations from Diane Sweeney's Moves for Launching a New Year of Student-Centered Coaching may assist you in your launch:

• Plan to be visible the first few weeks. The goal is for everyone to not only know you but also to understand the role of the coach. This might include conversations while helping teachers set up their classrooms and schedules, as well as greeting students and families. This investment will pay off as the school year shifts into high gear.
• Consider creating a welcome letter. This can serve to introduce yourself and build excitement around coaching. Every year introduces new members of the school community, and returning staff may benefit from knowing more about you and your coaching role.
• Be a Learner. Seek opportunities to spend time in classrooms and show your learner mindset. This is a wonderful way to make connections with veteran teachers as well.
• Offer mentoring support to new teachers. There are differences between mentoring and Student-Centered Coaching, but an LRS can provide differentiated support to teachers who are new to the profession, school, or district. This builds relationships for future coaching.
• Take action early to create opportunities. Consider creating and sending out sign-ups for joining grade-level collaboration or supporting new teachers. These opportunities build the relationships that are the bedrock of your work.
• Establish how you will work as a principal and coach team this year. Establish or reestablish norms for working together this year- including when you will meet, what your roles will be, and how you will communicate the work that is taking place. ARI recommends meeting weekly as an administrator-LRS team and scheduling a specific day and time for the meeting to provide accountability and consistency.

  
  

The beginning of each year brings a new opportunity to envision what your work will look like and how you will deepen the impact it makes on teacher and student learning (Diane Sweeney, Moves for Launching a New Year of Student-Centered Coaching). Keep in mind that student learning is the foundation of our partnerships with teachers and school leaders. We look forward to supporting you in your coaching role and planning alongside you this school year.

The Alabama Literacy Act states that parents or guardians shall be provided strategies and resources to be used at home to help the student succeed in reading (HB 388, p.15). The Alabama Reading Initiative is excited to share literacy activities with families. Take a look at these exciting literacy activities to keep your students engaged during the summer. The Family and Community Support Resources below also provide ongoing literacy activities throughout the school year.