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.

WELCOME BACK TO 2022! The Alabama Reading Initiative hopes you are having an enjoyable week getting settled back into your schools. We know your students are happy to see your faces and to be back with you. As you know, school is a safe haven for so many of our students. We are so happy to welcome you back to a successful year. Let's FINISH STRONG TOGETHER!

As leaders, many of you are in the process of reflecting and adjusting the goals that were set at the beginning of the year. Now, what? Are you ready to LEAP forward? The year, 2021, is in our rearview mirrors! We encourage you all to take a GIGANTIC LEAP into unlimited possibilities. Start by using your mid-year data to plan for your desired end results.

"There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate LEAP in the opposite direction."

Anonymous

Your leadership has made a great impact on literacy achievement in your school up to this point. How will your leadership continue to move your school forward this semester? How will you increase your leadership support? What steps will you take to stay focused on the MAIN THING this semester? Stay encouraged and do not underestimate the power of your leadership. YOUR LEADERSHIP MATTERS. YOU MATTER.

As we move into the new year, completing mid-year assessments should be a priority. Trust the process! Your faculty, staff, local reading specialist, and students have worked extremely hard. Be confident that you will see growth and gains from your mid-year data. After your testing window closes, the ARI will support each of you in planning your data meetings and/or attending your data meetings.

"It always feels too soon to leap but you have to. Because that's the moment between you and remarkable." Seth Godin

Happy New Year,

Your ARI Family

The Circles of Influence will continue to drive our work this semester.

• How has your leadership impacted each of these areas?
• Has your school experienced growth in each of these areas?
• During the fall semester, in which of the five circles of influence has your district/school witnessed the greatest growth/accomplishment? Which circle was the most challenging?
• How will you plan to improve in each circle of influence as you move forward?
• How can ARI support you? Your school?

Our work this semester will consist of digging deeper into each Circle of Influence as we use the mid-year data to inform our actions. It is important to remember the circles do not operate in isolation. All circles should be in motion simultaneously to improve student achievement.

Please reference the Alabama Administrator Organizational Guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LHSgNc9b42sKBS9ZUWtWGxEG6gc-YSO6/view?usp=sharing for specific administrative tasks that should be completed each month for literacy success.

January Tasks:

• Determine Summer Reading Camp support needed (funding, parent notification, staffing).
• Provide intervention services (community support, 70+hours, resources).
• Develop strategies and resources for the parent or legal guardian to use at home to help the student succeed in reading with consideration of home language.
• Facilitate mid-year data meeting to analyze data and effectiveness of instruction and interventions.
• Utilize mid-year data results to guide Tier 1, 2, & 3 instructional adjustments.
• Schedule a data meeting.

Leadership Resources:

School Leaders: The Key to High-Quality Reading Instruction

Literacy Leaders: What Do You Need to Know?

Practice Guides for Literacy Leaders | Lead for Literacy

Mid-Year Sample Agenda:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VZHiiZs2ugIPnvA-JLKNWqppQSPloM_n/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107563275250874283080&rtpof=true&sd=true

Mid-Year Sample Data Tool: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FmYMRy00e_pYWpZoTDkH46WPPi0fpI6G/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107563275250874283080&rtpof=true&sd=true

Analyzing and Interpreting Standards-Based Assessment Data:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rjF4LR_8vaOnjbG5v2HlkOrPKHv-H-x_/view?usp=sharing

Using Phonics Assessments to Inform Instruction: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rdlj147NsQ3M0peTrEGd2riQ8FJqmO3u/view?usp=sharing

It is hard to believe that winter is here, and we are halfway through the current school year. As we begin second semester, it is important to remember that just as every snowflake is unique and different, so are our students. What does their mid-year data reveal about them? Keep this in mind as we take a deep dive into mid-year data.

What implications do you identify schoolwide? Are there unique needs in specific classrooms and individual students? As school leaders, we play a vital role in these important conversations. As you lead your teams while data driven adjustments are made, don’t forget to focus on the accomplishments as well. Remember to keep the focus on students and student growth.

These conversation starters are great reminders that there is POWER in our words. This is true for leaders, teachers, and parents alike.

· “Let’s analyze how our students are doing on__________”

· “How did the students do compared to the last benchmark assessment?”

· “What practices helped students become successful?

For more great conversation starters, take a moment to review this data tool guide.

Implementing Structured Data Meetings: Full_Handbook.pdf (meadowscenter.org)

How we say things makes all the difference! Language influences thought and action!

Watch this short video and reflect on the impact of your words. Are your words motivating? Do your words spark positive change? Are you asking the right questions?

John Hattie’s research review in Visible Learning, indicates that feedback has a significant impact on increasing student achievement. Therefore, it makes sense that using words powerfully to craft effective feedback is fundamental to improving student performance.

Visible Learning For Teachers:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1joURfvH0foVpKe-UKb9Brn9VziZC0LW9/view?usp=sharing

How Do You Know You Are Having Success As A Coach?

• Coaching must impact student learning.

• Relationships are a critical component but not the end goal of our work.

• We need a tangible system for measuring our impact.

There is POWER in our words! What we say to students and teachers and how we say it—is one of our most powerful teaching tools. The Results Based Coaching Tool is the narrative for the work we do collaboratively with our partners in teaching and learning. Consider utilizing the guiding questions found in Diane Sweeney’s Coaching Logs when engaging with teachers using the Results Based Coaching Tool. When using this tangible system for measuring our impact, our words can impact the partnership and student learning!

COACHING CYCLE LOGS THAT ALIGN WITH THE RESULTS-BASED COACHING TOOL:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fZQd2pJMDjYxpIsMBSgK5Yq8bkXLY43z?usp=sharing

Choose your words to encourage reflective dialogue by asking open-ended, probing questions, and using paraphrasing techniques rather than simply giving the teacher answers during each phase of your coaching work.

Consider Your WORDS for the following:

Pre and Post Assessing:

Pre and post assessments are critical components in measuring the impact of coaching cycles. They are efficient, provide descriptive insight into student thinking and understanding, and are aligned with the learning targets and goals for students (Sweeney & Harris, 2017, pg 136).

Possible Guiding Question: How will we assess the students to measure growth across the coaching cycle?

Ongoing Formative Assessment:

Are you monitoring formative assessment and effective feedback to develop next steps in your coaching efforts? Do you use evidence to see where students are relative to the goal? Continuous formative assessment to understand our impact is necessary. Noticing and Naming and You Pick Four are formative assessments that can be utilized to obtain an understanding of where students are in their learning (Sweeney & Harris, 2017).

Possible Guiding Question: How will students demonstrate their understanding of the target?

Reflection:

John Dewey says we do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experiences. This is a very important component of the Results Based Coaching Tool. Although we are being intentional about keeping the focus on student achievement, teacher growth is also important. We are building capacity in teachers and they are indeed acquiring new learning that will impact students for the remainder of their careers. Teachers are taking risks. How powerful is that! The results from the reflection will also help us to continually grow in our practice as literacy coaches.

Possible Guiding Question: How did the coaching cycle support the students’ learning?

ARI Science of Reading PLU

• Date: January 27, 2022
• Times: 10:00, 12:00, or 2:00
• ARI is providing a PLU opportunity that is centered around the implementation of the Science of Reading. Consultants from the Region 7 Comprehensive Center (R7CC), who serve Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi are the lead facilitators.
  

ALSDE C & I Meetings

• South: Tuesday, January 25, 2022 – SARIC; Mobile, Alabama
• Montgomery Area: Thursday, January 27, 2022 – Troy University Montgomery Campus; Montgomery, Alabama
• Birmingham Area: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 – Shelby County Instructional Services Center; Alabaster, Alabama
• North: Wednesday, February 2, 2022 – Athens State McCandless Hall; Athens, Alabama
• Time: General Session: 9 – 12:00 & Afternoon Breakout Sessions

AASCD Winter Conference: Instructional Best Practices Virtual Event

• Date: January 24-25, 2022
• Visit the event page at http://www.clasleaders.org/aascdwinter22 for the latest information!

ALA-EL Winter Conference: Striving for Excellence

• Date: January 19-20, 2022
• Location: Bryan Conference Center, Tuscaloosa, AL
• Join the Alabama Leaders Advocating for English Learners’ (ALA-EL) winter conference and learn effective strategies for bridging the gap for English Learners in Alabama schools.
• Visit the CLAS PL landing page CLAS and Affiliate Events and Online Programs (clasleaders.org) for additional information.

Cognia Innovate, Elevate, Transform – Alabama Conference

• Date: January 12-13, 2022
• Location: Frazer United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama
• Overview: You’ll learn from experts, build strong connections with peers, and share best practices with colleagues and friends from across Alabama. Click here for more information!
• For additional details, contact Jeff.Wooten@Cognia.org or Jeff.Langham@Cognia.org

MISSED A NEWSLETTER? VISIT THE ARCHIVED ARI LITERACY LEADERS NEWSLETTERS

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1njAGGWSKBhF1c5egKgQ6tqcJ1JtyqAkY3R13fn4rv4k/edit?usp=sharing

Alabama Reading Initiative

We would like to encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Click on the icons above to like, follow, tweet, and join us today. Be sure to check out our new website at HOME - Alabama Department of Education (alabamaachieves.org)

Website: https://www.alabamaachieves.org/
Phone: 3346944900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaDepartmentofEducation
Twitter: @AlabamaArchives

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.