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.

Each component in the school-wide system for literacy is like a cog working with other gears in a complex machine. The components are critical for improving reading proficiency. They contain the criteria that inform practices, processes, and the overall strength of services delivered to improve reading achievement.

The school leadership team, which includes teachers from various grade levels and administrators, will lead efforts to embed essential components of reading instruction into all school structures, including developing and updating professional development related to literacy assessment and instruction.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

December is the ideal time to CELEBRATE. Celebrating collaborative accomplishments and learning lifts up and empowers a school family to accomplish even more. Celebrating student learning has a significant and positive impact on student achievement. It instills a love of learning. The right celebrations can propel students and adults forward on their educational journey. What are you celebrating as you wrap up the first semester? We encourage you to share your WOW moments.

Some areas to consider celebrating:

• Science of Reading Training: Are the majority of your K-3rd grade teachers LETRS trained? Are they implementing these practices in classrooms?
• Student Data Gains: What growth from Early Years Assessments can be celebrated from beginning of year (BOY) to middle of year (MOY)?
• Student Centered Coaching: Are there celebrations in the pre-data and post-data comparison?

December is the perfect month to REFLECT on the progress made first semester. Take a moment to celebrate successes and look forward to where you are headed. As you look forward, analyze processes and procedures that yielded great returns, as well as processes that still require some refinement.

Some areas of reflection to consider:

• Instructional Leader-Local Reading Specialist Weekly Collaborative Meetings: Are your weekly meetings occurring consistently? Are your collaborative conversations centered around student data and coaching efforts?
• Data-Based Decision Making: Are you preparing to analyze middle of year (MOY) data and make data- informed instructional decisions? Are we continually progress monitoring to ensure that the instruction provided is effective?
• Student Reading Improvement Plans: Are you ensuring that SRIPs have been developed for students who have a consistent deficiency and that appropriate interventions are being provided?
• PowerSchool Analytics & Insights: Are you ensuring that student SRIPs and interventions are being entered, monitored and updated?

• Collaborate with your leadership and/or data team to plan middle of year (MOY) data meetings.

• Schedule and conduct classroom instructional walk-throughs based on identified look-fors from student data, transfer to practice from coaching cycles, and science of reading.

• Collaborate with your ARI Local Reading Specialist weekly to analyze data, reflect on tiered instruction, and plan next steps.

• Analyze progress monitoring data with your grade level teams.

The Alabama Reading Initiative is committed to ensuring all students can read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. Science of Reading Spotlight School and District visits bring lab experiences to leaders and implementation teams in K-3 schools so they can see and implement science of reading aligned structures to increase student reading outcomes.

Bryan Elementary School

Bryant Park Elementary School

Buhl Elementary School

Carver Elementary School

Chilton County, Spotlight District

Corley Elementary School

Demopolis City, Spotlight District

Isabella High School

Little Ridge Intermediate School

Oneonta Elementary School

Piedmont Elementary School

Pinedale Elementary School

Spencer-Westlawn Elementary School

Tallassee Elementary School

Tharptown Elementary School

Woodland Elementary School

Spotlight visit information for the 2024-2025 school year will be released soon. Watch our social media platforms and contact your ARI regional specialists for more information. We encourage you to view the Science of Reading Spotlight video featured below.

The Alabama Reading Initiative invites you to view the new ARI website! The website will be continually updated with information, details, and links for:

• The Alabama Literacy Act
• Coaching
• Cogs for Success
• Struggling Readers Beyond Grade 3
• Institutions of Higher Education/ Educator Preparation Programs
• ARI News and Updates

Improving literacy achievement is incumbent on discussions about the current state of literacy achievement. Discussions regarding literacy data must become a regular part of the school climate.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

The ARI Data Inquiry Protocol was introduced to leaders at our recent Strong Leader, Strong Reader sessions. This tool can be utilized in your data-informed planning. It is adapted from LETRS for Administrators (2022), The Alabama Guidance for Problem-Solving Teams (2023), and the Alabama Data Inquiry Protocol (2024).

The following steps are included and explained in depth in the tool:

Step 1: Celebrate and Review Goals

Step 2: Analyze Data and Identify Needs

Step 3: Select Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies

Step 4: Evaluate Strategies, Resources, and Responsibilities

Step: Set, Review, and/or Revise Goals

Your ARI Regional Literacy Leadership Specialist is available to sit alongside you and review this tool.

As you begin to plan and prepare for MOY data meetings, it is important to consider the following areas to ensure that your meetings are data-based. The following questions can be used as a guide:

• Is there a specific time dedicated to analyzing student data collaboratively?
• Do you have a clear and consistent data protocol to guide data analysis at the student, classroom, and building level?
• Do you have a digital data-collection system in place that offers short-and long-term reports?
• Do teams demonstrate a sense of urgency for improving student achievement?
• Do you, as the instructional leader, regularly lead data meetings and collaborate with your Local Reading Specialist to plan for data meetings?
• Do you create end-of-year reading goals and monitor progress toward these goals throughout the year?
• Do you know the reading achievement levels for each grade level and use necessary reports, teacher evaluation, and professional learning to ensure an increase in student achievement occurs?

Adapted from LETRS for Administrators, Rubric Appendix B 9.

Evidence substantiates that every student is receiving effective, differentiated Tier 1 core literacy instruction from high-quality research-based curricula and instructional strategies aligned to state standards.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

Explicit instruction is a highly effective teaching method. By directly teaching and practicing new concepts, educators ensure that students understand and master literacy skills. This method emphasizes:

• Direct Teaching: Clearly explaining and demonstrating new concepts.
• Guided Practice: Providing opportunities for students to practice with support.
• Immediate Feedback: Correcting mistakes right away to prevent misconceptions.

See LETRS for Administrators, Unit 4, Session 4 for more information about the critical elements and application of explicit instruction. A resource for reading more about explicit instruction is Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching, Archer, A., Hughes, C. A. (2011).

Provide students with the gift of vocabulary, and it will be a lasting benefit!

Why is vocabulary instruction important? Research shows that strong vocabulary knowledge accounts for approximately 50-60 percent of the variance in reading comprehension among fourth graders. While recognizing words is a vital initial step in reading, decoding becomes ineffective if the meanings of the words are not understood. LETRS 3rd Edition Volume 2 Unit 5, emphasizes effective strategies for teaching the meanings of individual words. (LETRS for Administrators Unit 3, page 137)

It is common for schools to include vocabulary lists as part of their curriculum. However, teachers may wonder whether the words selected are truly the most effective for instruction. Numerous reading scholars agree on several guidelines for prioritizing words for direct instruction across all stages of reading—before, during, and after literacy activities:

1. Select words that students are unfamiliar with.

2. Choose words that are essential for understanding the text or passage being read.

3. Include words that are likely to appear in other readings across different content areas.

4. Teach words that are abstract and challenging to grasp without explicit instruction.

5. Aim to focus on 3 to 5 words for each reading passage.

(LETRS for Administrators Unit 3, page 142)

The Explicit Vocabulary Routine can be found in LETRS for Administrators, Unit 3, page 145. Detailed steps can also be found in LETRS 3rd Edition, Volume 2, Unit 5, page 37.

Valid and reliable screening instruments and progress-monitoring assessments of reading achievement are used. These tools are clearly specified and used to guide instruction.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

As the semester comes to a close and we begin to think about our return in January, there is no doubt that ACAP testing will be on the minds of educators. The ACAP Practice Test is a perfect tool to assist schools with focusing on student achievement. Administering the assessment, analyzing the results, and planning and implementing instruction that speaks to the needs of students are crucial tasks. With only a few short months before testing, it's imperative that we respond to data and plan with intention and purpose. Additionally, the ACAP Instructional Supports and Item Specs are tools at educators' fingertips. Utilizing these tools in intentional and purposeful planning can assist educators in authentically preparing students for success on ACAP. Alabama students have met the expectations set before them over the past several years. The utilization of the tools provided can ensure success again this year!

In October, the Alabama State Board of Education voted to approve a three-year increase in the cut score for On Grade Level reading for Grade 3 to 444 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years and to 454 for the 2026-27 school year. Similarly, for students in Grade 2, the cut score for On Grade Level reading will rise to 463 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years and to 471 for the 2026-27 school year.

Additional instruction designed to meet students' specific needs is provided, while at the same time, accelerate growth toward grade-level benchmarks. Students needing acceleration also receive appropriate interventions to close the gap with grade-level expectation.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

All students must have equitable access to a tiered continuum of supports, regardless of their achievement level. A layered continuum of supports ensures that all students receive equitable access to foundational wellness, behavioral, and academic supports. Each layer of support increases in intensity from universal (ALL students) to targeted (SOME students) to the most intensive supports (FEW students). This systematic, tiered model approach supports all learners through the selection of evidence based instructional practices and interventions in response to both academic and behavioral needs based on universal screening methods for early identification. The system includes ongoing progress monitoring of the effectiveness of instruction.

The Foundational Literacy Tiered Levels of Instruction graphic below depicts this model.

The Prevention and Intervention to Support Student Learning resource provides best practices in early literacy policy and implementation. Eighteen elements have been identified that make effective literacy policies, and Alabama is utilizing all eighteen elements to support our literacy work. They are PREVENTION and INTERVENTION driven.

A PowerSchool Analytics & Insights Review was recently released. Topics include:

• Updates to Analytics Dashboards
• Updates to Interventions
• Updates to Student Plans

Ready to sharpen your skills and tackle hot topics in PowerSchool? Join our expert-led virtual training sessions this December! There are flexible dates and times. Sessions are offered multiple times to fit your bust schedule. Registration: Search PowerSchool Course #321125.

Professional learning is an integral part of the schoolwide system for increased literacy achievement. Professional learning includes the skills and knowledge needed to improve teaching and is aligned to research-based principles and instructional practices.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

Prepare for an inspiring experience at the Literacy Reimagined Conference 2025, March 6-7, at the Daphne Civic Center on the beautiful Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay! This year’s theme, "Optimizing Outcomes: Reimagining Literacy for the Future," promises to spark impactful conversations.

Confirmed Speakers:

• Dr. Antonio Fierro
• Dr. Deb Glaser
• Dr. Jan Hasbrouck
• Melody Ilk
• Dr. Pam Kastner
• Dr. Maria Murray
• Dr. Stephanie Stollar
• Laura Stewart
• Dr. Anne Whitney
• Dr. Tracy Weeden

We are thrilled to showcase the video vignette series, which is located on the Alabama Reading Initiative YouTube Channel. These resources are designed to support ARI Local Reading Specialists, classroom teachers, and instructional leaders with practical strategies and insights into foundational literacy instruction. This three-part series also features a special video focused on family and community engagement, highlighting ways to extend learning beyond the school day.

The following professional learning videos have been created to provide information about foundational literacy skills:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency

The ARI YouTube Channel also contains informational videos, including the following:

• Universal Literacy Screeners
• The Alabama Literacy Act
• The ACAP Summative

A resource was created to help support you as the new Principal Act and Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS) program for principals and assistant principals is being implemented this school year. A link is provided below. Search for available ARI Professional Learning by choosing “Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI)” in the drop down menu.

For questions, you can contact Anna Shepherd-Jones at anna.jones@alsde.edu.

LETRS Cohorts 6, 7, and 8 participants who have not yet completed their LETRS journey:

Are you new to LETRS? Do you know how to log onto the LETRS platform? Do you know who to contact for support? Do you have questions about the LETRS Session Calendar or how to find sessions in PowerSchool? Do you know how to receive CEU or PLU credit in PowerSchool? Do you want to know where your certificates of attendance or completion are located on the LETRS platform?

We are here to help you! We will be holding a series of LETRS Technical Assistance Office Hours to answer your questions. Please join us at 3:30-4:00 p.m. CST to ask your questions on one of the following dates: November 19, December 3, or December 12. No Reservation Required (This is an open session!) Link to join a session.

The Alabama Coaching Framework sets the standard for how coaches in any content area conduct their work in Alabama. The coaching cycle is a standard process coaches and educators use to implement professional learning to improve student outcomes and educator practices. ARI uses a student-centered coaching model to guide the work. This coaching model was developed by Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris and always keeps students at the center of coaching.

- The Student-Centered Coaching Guide for K-3 Literacy in Alabama Schools, page 10

K–3 literacy coaching in Alabama is a differentiated, job-embedded professional learning composed of side-by-side, intentional support built on collaborative work to implement evidence-based literacy instructional practices. This focus is to ensure all students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. Alabama believes literacy coaching provides all teachers with a thought partner. Coaching practices are intentional and designed to build educator capacity.

Our focus is to ensure ALL students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. With this in mind, the November Coaching Communities included a deep dive into two components of the Alabama Structured Student-Centered Practice Profile- Goal Setting and Using Learning Targets. Learning targets support the attainment of our goal and provide directional steps to arrive at this goal. As you support teachers with explicit instruction during coaching cycles, consider the exemplar coaching actions for the core component Using Learning Targets.

Exemplar Coaching Actions for the Core Component- Using Learning Targets:

• Co-creates student friendly "I Can Statements".
• Co-plans for delivery of instruction and formative assessments for the standard.
• Specifies (explicitly- by naming) the learning targets ("Students will be able to") that are achievable, measurable, and time-bound.
• Revisits the learning target and has students self-assess their own learning.

Partnership Agreements are an essential component of a coaching cycle that help to establish norms, expectations, and schedules for the duration of the cycle. Page 33 of the ARI Student-Centered Coaching Guide provides Diane Sweeney's Sample Partnership Agreement for a Coaching Cycle, and page 41 of the ARI Student-Centered Coaching Guide includes this practice during the Pre-Planning Meeting Agenda during week 1 of the coaching cycle.

Partnership Agreements include the following tasks:

• Decide what the focus or goal for student learning will be.
• Choose options for how you will work together, collect student evidence, and reflect on the work and student growth.
• Make collaborative decisions for weekly co-planning sessions.

Have your made entering into partnership agreements part of your coaching practices? Consider the value of this practice and its impact on coaching cycles and student achievement.

Both community and family are involved and actively contributing to the social, emotional, physical, academic, and occupational growth of students.

- Adapted from LETRS for Administrators

The Alabama Reading Initiative supports the collaboration of schools, communities, and families to improve the literacy achievement of Alabama students. Students benefit when both community and family are involved and actively contributing to their social, emotional, physical, academic, and occupational growth. The resources below can be shared with families to enhance this support.

The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) has created the Video Companion Guides for Families for Phonics and Phonemic Awareness, which coordinate with the ARI videos for families. We hope these will serve as useful guides to support students in foundational literacy skills.

Phonics:

Video Companion Guide for Families for Phonics

Phonics Family Engagement Information and Ideas Video

Phonemic Awareness:

Video Companion Guide for Families for Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic Awareness Family Engagement Information and Ideas Video

Have you provided the Alabama Literacy Act for Families 2024 Module yet? This module will assist you in providing information so every K-3 family can understand the Alabama Literacy Act and ways to support their student. ARI can partner with you in turning around this training to families. We want to provide an opportunity for EVERY family to attend a training by December. Here are a few ideas:

•This can be coupled with an event already scheduled or a solo event.

•Consider presenting this alongside your LRS or with support from ARI regionals.

•Consider inviting community agencies to support students before or after school, so they will be equipped as well.

As we work to eliminate language barriers that could hinder families' access to information about the Alabama Literacy Act, we would like to share the updated Spanish version of the Alabama Literacy Act for Families and Communities Module.

Spanish Alabama Literacy Act for Families Module 2024

The Alabama Literacy Act for Family Communication Tool links are included below:

ALA Family Communication Tool

ALA Family Communication Tool, Spanish Version

Let’s give every family a chance to have this learning the first semester of school!

We are thrilled to share the latest edition of the ARI Family Newsletter with you! This newsletter contains valuable family and community literacy resources designed to engage and support student learning before and after school or during the winter break.

We encourage you to take the time to review these resources and share them with others in your community. Please let us know how we can assist you with your family and community literacy initiatives this school year. Together, we can achieve more!

The information included in this document is done from the perspective of improving LITERACY instruction for students and is only intended to outline support that directly relates to literacy instruction. Please use any resource links with discretion, as their position statements are their own and not necessarily representative of ARI and the ALSDE. Usage of any materials should be with adherence to rules and regulations of the Alabama State Department of Education.