Structured Literacy in Rdale

Robbinsdale Area Schools uses a Structured Literacy approach to literacy instruction rooted in the Science of Reading Research. We believe these evidence based practices will lead to academic success for all students. The Robbinsdale Area Schools Literacy Framework focuses on explicit instruction in the five components of Literacy.

Rdale uses instructional practices to achieve the following outcomes:

all students reading at grade level
all students develop and improve their literacy skills
enrich and accelerate literacy skills and ultimately all academic achievement
engage students using high quality, engaging teaching practices that are student centered
student mastery of the foundational reading skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, as well as the development of oral language, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills
all students will be college and career ready
all students will be equipped to write in multiple genres to improve communication, reading, and life skills

Group of students sitting at a table with books in a school library

Robbinsdale Area Schools Literacy Priority Outcomes

District Literacy Goal 2024-25

By the end of the 2024-25 school year, the percentage of students in Robbinsdale Area Schools that read at or above grade level as determined by meeting standards on the MN Reading MCA will increase from 40.3% to 50%.

Robbinsdale Area Schools Literacy Plan

Literacy Instructional Framework

Leader & Teacher Beliefs

We believe that employing evidence-based practices, rooted in the Science of Reading, will lead to academic success for all students in Robbinsdale Area Schools and all students are capable of reading at grade level.

Content-Specific Instructional Beliefs and Practices:

At Robbinsdale Area Schools, strong literacy instruction is grounded in the following beliefs:

The process of learning how to read is not innate and students require systematic and structured literacy instruction aligned with the “science of reading”
All students can be fluent readers when given high-quality foundational literacy instruction
Building foundational skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, print concepts) are essential for building strong readers
Literacy Instruction must be explicit, systematic, sequential and data-driven
Literacy skills (i.e. finding the main idea, drawing inferences) are text-dependent and should be taught within instruction on complex texts
Knowledge of the topic has a much bigger impact on comprehension than generalized reading ability (The Baseball Study (Recht & Leslie, 1988))
Students will continue to grow as readers through exposure to a wide range of texts with a variety of aspects of text complexity, including topics, language, and syntax

Leader & Teacher Instructional Practices

Therefore, we are committed to prioritizing the following instructional practices:

Identify and adopt a high-quality, research-based foundational literacy curriculum
Ensure all teachers, including special education teachers and English Learner teachers, get in-depth training on using the curriculum, including the curriculum organization, embedded instructional routines, assessment strategy, and guidelines for customization
Instructional coaching is a necessary element of fidelity in using any curricular resource, teachers need feedback, coaching, and support to build strong instructional practices
Ensure school schedules are structured to provide students in grades K-2 at least 30 - 45 minutes a day specifically focused on foundational literacy, and students in grades 3-5 at least 30 minutes
Teachers treat students' home language as an asset and make connections between English and students' home language(s) so that they can leverage each student's existing knowledge and skill
Teachers spend time in collective planning structures analyzing and discussing the aspects of text complexity, then planning for instruction based on these aspects
Teachers prepare and anticipate appropriate scaffolds and “just in time” interventions to support students learning of grade level concepts
Leverage culturally relevant teaching practices to include opportunities for students to write and speak about a text.

Student Outcomes & Actions

If we are successful, students in Robbinsdale Area Schools will demonstrate mastery of grade-appropriate MN academic standards and read at grade level by the end of each school year.

Students will meet this outcome by:

Practicing foundational skills with decodable texts
Engaging in text-based discourse, in English and/or their home language, to process meaning
Building knowledge around topics to increase their understanding of complex texts
Speaking, listening and writing about complex texts to develop their comprehension
Developing phonics skills to decode text, with a focus on multisyllabic words
Using phonics skills to encode and spell words correctly and read grade-level text fluently, with a focus on multisyllabic words
Reading, comprehending and synthesizing grade level text to discuss and write about what they have read
Acquiring content and academic vocabulary and using appropriately
Using morphological patterns to determine word meaning and appropriate usage
Reading with appropriate fluency, intonation and prosody

Overview of Science of Reading

LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling)

Rdale literacy is rooted in the Science of Reading research. In order for teachers and leaders to effectively teach students to read, they must be educated and knowledgeable about the Science of Reading.

Reading is not a natural skill. A child will not naturally develop reading skills through exposure to text as previously thought. In order for a student to become a successful reader they need to be taught by someone who understands the theories and brain science involved in reading. Teachers need to provide explicit and systematic instruction in all the various skills necessary to be a successful reader.

The Brain Research

There is no single “Reading Region” of the brain. Students need to develop and strengthen neural circuits across multiple brain regions in order to read. There are four main regions of the brain involved in the skills necessary to be a proficient reader. All four of these areas of the brain need to be activated and used to be an effective reader. Reading instruction needs to purposefully engage all these parts of the brain and require pathways to be built between them. Building of these pathways is most beneficial in early childhood and elementary school.

Four Part Processing Model

Based on brain research, scientists (Seidenberg and McClelland 1989) have developed a simplified model of the cognitive processes that are necessary to support reading. The Four Part Processing model explains that fluent reading is a complex mental activity that depends on multiple areas of the brain working in unison. The Four Part Processing Model demonstrates the various ways in which reading problems may develop and why reading instruction should purposefully target several types of skills.

The Phonological Processing System allows us to perceive, remember, and interpret and produce the speech sound of the language. The Orthographic Processing System uses the parts of the brain that are responsible for recognition and recall of written language symbols (letters). This processor allows the brain to decode the shapes of letters into what they represent. The Meaning Processing System interprets the meaning of words in and out of context. Once a word is named or recognized this processor attaches meaning to the word so that comprehension can begin. The Context Processing System’s job is to interact and provide support for the meaning processing system. Context provides the details for the meaning of the word and takes into consideration where the word is in a sentence, what the text is about and helps with multiple meaning words.

All four of these processors need to be stimulated and grown in order for a person to become an effective and efficient reader. Effective reading instruction needs to focus on activating all four of these processors to help build the synapsis in the brain.

Simple View of Reading

The two most important components of learning to read are accurate and automatic word recognition and language comprehension. Strong readers need well developed skills in both areas. Reading comprehension is the product of printed word recognition and language comprehension. If students can not process printed language they can not understand written language. If they can not comprehend spoken language they can not comprehend written language. When students have strong word recognition skills, they can quickly and accurately understand words. This allows them to focus on the meaning of the text. Readers also need strong language comprehension skills. Students need to be able to understand words and concepts in spoken language. These skills are key to understanding those same words and concepts in print. Effective literacy instruction requires adequate, explicit and systematic instruction in both of these areas.

The Reading Rope

After looking at the Simple View of Reading it is obvious that there are many skills that readers need to develop. The Reading Rope shows the specific skills that are in each domain of The Simple View of Reading. Fluent reading is the attainment of proficiency in various strands or subskills in both areas. Through explicit reading instruction of the strands of the Reading Rope, over time the reader will be skilled at using them all together. With repeated instruction and practice the strands will weave themselves together for students to read proficiently. Each domain includes strands that are definable, measurable, and somewhat independent.

The Five Components of Literacy

LETRS History and Implementation Plan

Robbinsdale Area Schools began providing LETRS professional learning in 2019. Throughout the last 5 years we have been providing LETRS units to our elementary teachers during professional development days and as extra duty learning options. In 2023, we began offering LETRS to EL and Special Education teachers in secondary schools.

Currently, we have the majority of our teachers either finished or in progress of completing the LETRS learning.

Phase 1: Educator Role	Total Number in District	Educators who have completed Training	Educators with Training in Progress	Educators who need Training
Pre-K Classroom and Part B/619 Early Childhood Special Education Educators responsible for early literacy instruction	24	19	0	5
K-3 Classroom Educators (including ESL instructors responsible for reading instruction)	166	101	55	11
Grades 4-5 (or 6) Classroom Educators (if applicable)	65	35	27	3
K-5 Reading Interventionists	26	17	8	1
6-12 Reading Interventionists	15	6	7	1
K-5 Special Education Educators responsible for reading instruction	44	15	15	14
6-12 Special Education Educators responsible for reading instruction	67	17	41	9
Pre-K through grade 5 Curriculum Directors	5	5	0	0
Pre-K through grade 5 Instructional Support Staff who provide reading support	90	0	0	90

Throughout the school year of 2024-25 we will continue to provide LETRS professional learning to all elementary, EL, and Special Education teachers. For teachers that have already completed all the units of LETRS we will be providing on-going support and learning opportunities on the implementation of SOR and Structured Literacy best practices (please see the district professional development plan for more details).

Build District Expertise in The Science of Reading

Building the knowledge and capacity of teachers in the Science of Reading provides a solid foundation for implementation of Literacy Instruction. Professional Learning for all teachers on the Science of Reading will continue to be provided.

Students holding books in a school library

Structured Literacy and Directives from MDE

The Rdale Literacy Plan has been developed and written using the guidelines provided from the Minnesota Department of Education and The READ Act. The plan will be updated to reflect any new legislation passed regarding literacy instruction.

The goal of the READ Act is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals Minn. Stat. 120B.12 (2023).

The Minnesota Department of Education promotes Structured Literacy as the statewide direction for all Minnesota Public schools. Structured Literacy is an approach to instruction that is beneficial to all students.

Structured Literacy has three essential qualities

Explicit- skills are taught so that all students demonstrate mastery of the skill or content, the teacher’s role is not just to explain and model, but also to check for understanding during instruction and provide feedback and instruction for students who aren’t immediately understanding
Sequential- skills and concepts are taught in a logical order, begin with simpler concepts and get more difficult, teacher provides support throughout each concept
Systematic- follows a well defined scope and sequence that guarantees students receive instruction in all areas, use high quality instructional materials, use evidence based practices, ensure sufficient instruction and practice, implement with fidelity, and differentiation is provided to meet students’ needs
Diagnostic- teachers will use data on their students’ learning progression to make instructional decisions. Teachers must provide individualized or small group instruction based on continuous assessment of student learning.

Robbinsdale Area Schools will model the Literacy Block around this model to provide systematic, sequential and explicit reading instruction to meet the needs of all students.

Cultivate District Leaders to Leading Literacy Changes

In Robbinsdale Area Schools we empower our principals and instructional leaders to continue the learning process with our teachers on an ongoing basis. Principals are a key component to building effective literacy instruction practices at their building level. Building leaders are responsible for setting building level priorities and focuses year to year. The knowledge of the Science of Reading is key to establishing appropriate priorities. Principals determine teacher hiring criteria and make school level hiring decisions. They help determine professional development opportunities for teachers and oversee and conduct teacher observations and evaluations. A strong understanding of The Science of Reading is crucial for building leaders to make appropriate decisions to support teachers in increasing literacy levels of the students.

Principals who engage in training on the Science of Reading and collaborate with other school leaders are more effective in addressing opposition, selecting evidence-based instructional materials and creating an environment that leads to greater literacy outcomes.

LETRS for Administrators

LETRS for Administrators is a professional learning opportunity specifically designed for building capacity of administrators and instructional leaders. This program provides a literacy framework that can be used to create a strong instructional plan. It helps leaders create efficient methods to analyze student data and establish effective literacy blocks. The program also includes tools and resources to support district and school literacy initiatives.

District elementary principals, elementary assistant principals and instructional leaders along with secondary reading teachers are participated in this professional development in April 2023 and August 2023.

Literacy Coaching

We know through educational research that ongoing coaching is critical for teacher success. Without ongoing coaching on implementation of the learning teachers are much less likely to change their practices in their daily instruction. Knowledge, training and observation are not enough to change practices in teachers, they need ongoing support and coaching. Ongoing instructional coaching has the highest impact on teacher practices.

Through Bridge 2 Read implementation, observation, feedback and coaching are an expectation. Building leaders (administrators, instructional coaches, MTSS support personal) will provide structured feedback to all teachers multiple times a year to improve literacy instructional practices. Through this process teachers that need extra support with science of reading and structured literacy implementation will receive additional instrucional support and learning.

Teachers who do not show proficiency in Science of reading training and implementation will receive ongoing professional learning through building and district professional learning. Extra coaching and feedback sessions will likely be required.

Literacy Focus in Early Learning

Language, literacy, and communication skills begin in the very first months of life and strong development of young children’s skills and abilities depends on interactions with families, teachers, caregivers, friends and stimulating environments. We recognize that young children are developing foundational knowledge and skills that will lead to more rigorous academic study in the elementary school years.

The Minnesota Department of Education’s Early Childhood Indicators of Progress includes a Language, Literacy and Communications domain, within the domain are components:

Listening and Understanding; Receptive Language
Communicating and Speaking; Expressive Language
Emergent Reading
Writing

While Early Learning programming supports and engages students in all of the Language, Literacy and Communications components, the following are specific early literacy sub-component concepts:

Phonological awareness
Letter recognition
Concepts of print
Comprehension of narrative text
Writing conventions

Literacy Block in Elementary

In Rdale we will provide clear grade level guidelines for how the reading block time should be spent with a focus on both word recognition and language comprehension.

The National Reading Panel identifies five key concepts of effective reading instruction. In Rdale base our instructional practices on these five pillars to ensure a well rounded literacy program for all students. Throughout the Literacy Block all five of the pillars are be addressed with systematic and explicit instruction.

Component 1: Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness is the ability to determine the individual sounds within a word. It includes the ability to manipulate the sounds of our oral language by deleting sounds, substituting sounds and changing the order of the sounds in words. Explicit and systematic instruction along with repeated practice is imperative in Literacy instruction.

Phonological awareness is critical in early phases of students' reading development. As students become more familiar with the sounds of the language the time allocated should gradually decrease and in turn phonics and comprehension instruction should increase. But even in the upper grades Phonological Awareness activities are crucial for all levels of readers.

Component 2: Phonics

Component 3: Fluency

Component 4: Vocabulary

Component 5: Comprehension

Use of Various Text Types

In Rdale we employ the use of different text types for different purposes. Decodable texts and books are used primarily in grades kindergarten and first grade before students are independent readers. Decodable books are made up of words that students can decode based on instruction they have already received. After first grade, leveled texts are introduced for students to use for independent, whole class, and guided reading to practice comprehension and vocabulary skills and build background knowledge on a variety of topics.

As students develop as beginning readers they progress through phases of development referenced by Ehri (image below). Ehri’s Phases of Word Reading Development are important background information for teachers to reference when providing literacy instruction for their students. Determining where a student falls within the progression of the phases can help to determine what their literacy needs are. A typical student will progress through these phases by the age of seven.

Sight word versus high frequency word

Sight Words are words that have been memorized by the reader. These words are decoded so fluently that it seems as if by sight. Everyone's sight words are different and increase as they become better readers.

High Frequency words are the most common words in the English language. These are words that occur most often and are generally sorted into two categories, regular and irregular.

In Robbinsdale Area Schools we focus on instruction of high frequency words. These words are taught using the phonetic rules of the English language according to a developed scope and sequence. If high frequency words in which the phonetic rule has not been taught are needed for students they are taught as heart words. Heart words are irregularly spelled words or words in which the phonetic rule has not been taught. The unfamiliar pattern is explicitly taught to students as a part of the word that must be memorized by heart. Providing instruction on high frequency and heart words begins in kindergarten and continues through second grade.

Elementary Literacy Block Format

Elements of Structured Literacy
The Rdale Literacy Block and Instructional format is based on the elements of structured literacy.

Structured Literacy is explicit.

Skills are taught in a way that all students can demonstrate mastery of skills and content
The teacher’s role is not only to explain and model, but to check for student understanding and provide feedback and instruction for students who aren’t immediately understanding
Students are not expected to advance to new learning on their own
Teachers clearly explain and model key skills

Structured Literacy is sequential.

Skills and content are taught in a logical order, beginning with simpler concepts and moving to more challenging materials
Instruction includes the use of support
Well organized sequence of instruction, with important beginner skills taught before more advanced skills
Children read books containing phonics word patterns that have been taught
Reading of texts and phonics instruction are coordinated so that student’s decoding skills develop

Structured Literacy is systematic.

Follows a well defined scope and sequence that ensures students receive instruction in all areas of state education standards
Uses high quality instructional materials that are aligned to state standards, incorporate evidence based practices and provide sufficient instruction and practice
The intended literacy program is implemented in ways that provide various types of instruction to each meet each students’ needs.

Robbinsdale Area Schools Literacy Theory of Action

A theory of action is a framework that is used to establish clear goals and outcomes for all involved in the process of learning to read. It includes strategies and interventions aimed at promoting literacy and involves identifying specific ideas and actions that will improve literacy outcomes.

Multilingual Learners

As outlined in the the Minnesota Department of Education’s recommendations for adhering to the LEAPS: Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success Act 2014, Robbinsdale Area Schools is committed to an asset-focused approach to multilingualism through which we “promote multilingual instructional strategies (PD, coaches, etc.) and equitable programming (e.g.: dual language programs, bridging with home languages, biliteracy models/literacy squared, etc.)” (1B). All English Language (EL) teachers have been trained in the Science of Reading through LETRS. Through professional learning provided by our literacy specialists and multilingual specialists, teachers build their repertoire of teaching strategies to ensure their instruction grows students’ language development and provides daily reading opportunities. Teachers also provide students with oracy development, daily low-stakes writing opportunities, and metalanguage skills to bridge their literacy skills from one language to another.

Special attention is paid to multilingual learners' needs, which include: reading for meaning, not just decoding, seeing their first languages and cultures valued in the classroom, and direct instruction in phonics, especially when students’ home language operates from a different phonological system.

Phonics and Word Study Curricular Resources

Robbinsdale Area Schools Utilizes the following curricular resources to support our instruction in phonics and word study:

Benchmark Curricular Materials
Bridge2Read Materials
Kilpatrick “Equipped for Reading Success: One Minute Activities”
Sound Wall Materials
Decodable Texts
UFLI- Intervention Only

Reading Corp and TLC

What is the Purpose of the Collaboration?

The goal is to combine resources and talent across Rdale and AmeriCorps to accelerate literacy learning.

2024-25 School Year

Schools with Reading Corp Tutors: FAIR Pilgrim Lane, Forest, Meadowlake, Neill, Noble, SEA, RSI,

Schools with Total Learning Classroom Model: Noble, Lakeview, Northport, Sonnesyn

Any student scoring below grade level targets on FastBridge screening assessments are eligible to receive Reading Corps tutoring. Students in Reading Corps receive 20 minutes of intervention per day during the school day. Students receiving Reading Corps services are progress monitored on a weekly basis using a standardized curriculum-based measure (FastBridge Test of Letter Sounds, Fastbridge Test of Nonsense Words English, Fastbridge CBM-R). These data are graphed to ensure that students are making progress in Reading Corps interventions. Reading Corps coaches use these data to guide intensification and modification to intervention sessions. Intervention modification and change decisions are reliant on regular, direct observation of tutoring sessions and the assessment and analysis of intervention fidelity data, dosage data and student engagement data. Students must have two of the last three progress monitoring data points above the upcoming seasonal benchmark target to exit from Reading Corps tutoring interventions. Students who exit from Reading Corps continue to be progress monitored weekly using a 1-minute FastBridge probe until the end of the school year.

Students Who Receive Special Education Services

Students in special education receive reading services in a variety of ways, as determined by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP)s. For students receiving specialized reading intervention through a resource or pull-out model, core literacy instruction takes place in the general education classroom and specialized reading interventions are delivered in a small-group setting. For students receiving specialized services in a self-contained setting, core curriculum may be supplemented with targeted intervention. In either setting, special education teachers, in collaboration with the student’s general education teacher, provide ongoing progress monitoring of reading performance to inform instructional decisions.

Special education staff are trained in the Science of Reading. In addition to the items listed below, students who have an identified disability in the area of reading will receive support in reading using a direct instruction model following the structured literacy model.

Using Data to Guide Instruction and Decision Making
Data Analysis

Using Data to Guide Instruction and Decision Making

There are different types of assessments that each serve a unique purpose in our educational system.

The state level of assessment serves an evaluative purpose and is used to ensure that all students have access to rigorous, standards based content. The information provided from state assessments is used to see statewide, districtwide, school, and classroom level trends. In Rdale the assessment used is the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA). Multilingual students are also assessed using the ACCESS test to determine their skill level of the English Language.

District level assessments are additional assessments that are used to monitor progress and allocate resources. These assessments are used to make district and schoolwide instructional decisions. District level assessments include Universal Screening Assessments that are used to gather evidence of students strengths and needs in specific skills to inform instruction. These assessments are useful to inform targeted instruction and intervention in a specific skill area. Assessments used are through FASTBridge, including earlyReading, CBM, Auto Reading and aReading assessments.

Teachers use classroom assessments to guide their instruction and communicate learning with students and families. There are various forms of assessment strategies that can be used at the classroom level, including formative and summative assessments. If a student does not perform at grade-level standards on district assessments, then a diagnostic assessment will be given to determine more specific academic needs for the student. Teachers also perform progress monitoring assessments to assess growth and determine progress towards academic goals.

Universal Screening Assessment
A universal screener measures the overall ability of critical skills and are known to be strong indicators that predict student performance in a specific subject. The data from the screening assessments help teachers plan for classroom instruction. The universal screening assessments listed in the Rdale Assessment Plan, are:

Reading: FAST earlyReading, FAST aReading, FAST CBMreading, preACT

For more detailed information on required screeners and administration of these screeners please reference the Rdale Assessment Plan.

Diagnostic Assessment
This is an additional assessment educators administer to gain more information about students’ learning. Diagnostic assessments are completed on students who are not demonstrating proficiency in Tier 1 instruction or on the Screening Assessments. Diagnostics are often performed on a one-to-one basis. Examples of diagnostic assessments are:

Reading: PRESS (K-5), PAST, LETRS Spelling Screener

Progress Monitoring Assessments
Progress monitoring assessments are assessments that are administered on a regular basis after implementing interventions. Multiple data points from assessments will determine the success of the instructional strategies implemented at Tier II. Progress monitoring should happen more frequently the more intensive the intervention. Examples of progress monitoring assessments within the Rdale Assessment Plan, are:

Reading: FAST CBMreading, earlyReading, PRESS formative and summative assessments, Bridge2Read Assessments and Mastery Activities

Grade Level	State Assessments	Districtwide Assessments	Classroom Level Assessments
Pre K		TS Gold
K	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL	FastBridge *earlyReading	PRESS Diagnostic PAST Diagnostic *FASTBridge Progress Monitoring Assessments Benchmark Unit Assessments Teacher created formative assessments
1	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL	FastBridge *earlyReading	PRESS Diagnostic PAST Diagnostic *FASTBridge Progress Monitoring Assessments Benchmark Unit Assessments Teacher created formative assessments
2	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading FastBridge CBM	PRESS Diagnostic PAST Diagnostic *FASTBridge Progress Monitoring Assessments Benchmark Unit Assessments Teacher created formative assessments
3	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading FastBridge CBM	PRESS Diagnostic PAST Diagnostic *FASTBridge Progress Monitoring Assessments Benchmark Unit Assessments Teacher created formative assessments
4	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading FastBridge CBM	PRESS Diagnostic PAST Diagnostic *FASTBridge Progress Monitoring Assessments Benchmark Unit Assessments Teacher created formative assessments
5	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading FastBridge CBM	PRESS Diagnostic PAST Diagnostic *FASTBridge Progress Monitoring Assessments Benchmark Unit Assessments Teacher created formative assessments
6	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading CBM Universal Screener	PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment WIN Skills Assessments Assessments StudySync formative and summative assessments
7	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading CBM Universal Screener	PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment WIN Skills Assessments Assessments StudySync formative and summative assessments
8	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA	FastBridge AUTO Reading aReading CBM Universal Screener	PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment WIN Skills Assessments Assessments StudySync formative and summative assessments
9	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL		PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment Teacher Created Formative Assessments
10	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL MCA		PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment Teacher Created Formative Assessments
11	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL		PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment Teacher Created Formative Assessments
12	WIDA *ACCESS for ELL		PAST Diagnostic Read Naturally Live Placement Assessment LEXIA Power Up! Placement Assessment Teacher Created Formative Assessments

**Kindergarten: Fall: letter naming, letter sound, concepts of print, onset sounds. Winter: letter sound, onset sounds, word segmenting, nonsense words. Spring: letter sound, word segmenting, nonsense words, sight words

First Grade: Fall: word segmenting, nonsense words, sight words, sentence reading. Winter: word segmenting, nonsense words, sight words. Spring: word segmenting, nonsense words, sight words

Data Analysis

Rationale:

Data-Driven Decision Making helps teams analyze their data, come to sound conclusions and build the team’s capacity to learn together and meet the individual needs of students. This is a cyclical process and the data process informs and supports the School Improvement Plan (SIP).

Phase 1: Predictions (5 min):
- I assume…
- I predict…
- I wonder…
  - Round-robin report-out of predictions (one item each person, one round only)
  - Predictions are recorded by the facilitator or note taker
Phase 2: Go Visual (10 min):
- Distribute and examine data - You may distribute an electronic file (Google Folder, Google Sheet, etc.) or perhaps display the data on a SmartBoard or television.
- Participants might organize their data by level of risk, demographics, class, etc.). This can be done in pairs or small groups depending on group size and amount of data.
- Observations - Round-robin report-out of observations
  - May be recorded (one item each person, continue rounds until new ideas are spent)
  - Additional Clarifying Questions, if necessary
  - Remind participants to focus on data and direct observations
Phase 3: Inference and Question (10 min)
- I believe the data suggests…
- Additional data that would help me verify…
- A conclusion I can make is…
  - Round-robin report-out of inferences
    - May be recorded (one item each person, continue rounds until new ideas are spent)
Phase 4: Confirm or Dispel Predictions (5 minutes)
- Is it fair to say that you believe…
- In looking at the data…
- The evidence I am seeing suggests something different…
  - Response from the Facilitator — What new thoughts are you having about the data now? What are our next steps?
Phase 5: Act - Implications for teaching and learning (20 minutes)
- We need to…
- We plan to (Our goal is)...
- We will (Our action steps)...
Progress Monitoring/Implementation Fidelity (5 minutes)
- Who will do what?
- What evidence will you collect?
- How often will you assess and with what measure?
- Determine next meeting date
Note: This protocol can be done in 2 sessions if desired. Participants can make inferences between meetings to allow for a deeper discussion of the results in the next session.

Communication with Families

Rdale strongly believes that a strong connection between home and school increases a student's academic success. Teachers are expected to clearly communicate with families about their students' academic skills and abilities. Grade level expectations are clearly laid out and available for parents/guardians. Teachers are also encouraged to provide at home activities that families can use to increase literacy skills to families.

After each assessment session, Rdale will post student scores on our Parent Portal website. We will send a letter to parents that indicates that the information has been posted and if they have any questions they should contact their child’s teacher. This communication will detail that students who are achieving below proficiency levels will receive extra support and intervention during the school day.

Conferences- Each school within the district holds parent teacher conferences two or three times a year. These are an opportunity for the teachers and the parents to formally connect about students academic and behavioral progress.

School Literacy and Family Nights- Many of the elementary schools within the district hold literacy and family nights around various topics. Parents are invited to attend with their children and increase the collaboration and community at each building.

Affinity Groups- Through the Achievement and Integration department in the district there are Affinity groups that focus on specific ethnic and racial groups of families. Within these groups they conduct meetings and events that focus on building community and increasing academic achievement. The Achievement and Integration team facilitates Robbinsdale Indian Education Parent Ccommittee (AIPAC) to ensure equitable opportunities for American Indian students.

Family and Community Engagement Specialists, also known as the FACE team work to support district equity work, host family engagement events and provide various types of support.. Our staff also assist with parent support at home, interpretation support and connect families with community resources.

Our FACE team leads our Parent Affinity Groups, where district families connect with other parents and learn about changes happening in the district. They also facilitate parent workshops that guide and teach families ways to engage with their student’s schools and academics.

Volunteer Programs- Robbinsdale has a robust volunteer program that consists of community members that volunteer to provide academic and social emotional support of students at all grade levels across the district. The curriculum and instruction department works with the volunteer program to provide strategies to use with students to practice literacy skills.

School and District Newsletters- Each school within the district has a weekly or monthly newsletter that gets sent to families to communicate important information about what is happening at school. The district also provides a monthly newsletter that communicates district happenings. There is a goal for next year that these newsletters will contain a section that focuses specifically on literacy skills.

Full Service Community Schools- Three of our district secondary schools, Robbinsdale Middle School, Sandburg Middle School and Cooper High School, are Full Service Community Schools. FSCS impact the district in many positive ways including increasing community partnerships, which provide students more resources and out-of-class opportunities. In addition, it provides families a space where they can navigate systems and connect with school staff in a positive environment.

Activities Families Can Use at Home

MTSS System

Dyslexia Plan

Through the district MTSS process, students identified as striving readers, including those who may have dyslexia or other medical diagnoses, are required to have access to diagnostic screening. Within the school setting, there is a variety of services and supports (known as the Multi-Tiered System of Supports- MTSS) designed to identify and intervene when students have reading difficulties.

This includes those who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or other medical conditions that may impact reading progress in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. At the base of this continuum, all students in Rdale have access to screening tools designed to identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulty.

At the Pre-K level, the TS Gold assessment is used. In grades K-1, it is the Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST) earlyReading assessments, and in grades 2-8, it is FAST CBM-Reading. For students who are identified “at-risk” through the screening process, an additional layer of diagnostic assessment is administered.

PRESS and LETRS phonics assessments are used to diagnose phonetic awareness and phonics needs. Similarly, the data gathered from this diagnostic tool will support staff in designing a targeted intervention plan.

After identifying areas of need, a student will be provided with alternate instruction through interventions that are multisensory, systematic, sequential, cumulative, and explicit. These interventions take place in addition to the reading instruction that all students receive daily. Intervention may be discontinued, modified or intensified in response to student progress.

Robbinsdale Area Schools Dyslexia Plan

Student Summary Level and Dyslexia Screening Data 2023-24 School Year

Grade	Number of Students Universally Screened in Fall	Number of Students Universally at or Above Benchmark Fall	Number of Students Universally Screened in Spring	Number of Students at or Above Benchmark Spring	Number of Students Screened for Dyslexia	Number Identified with Characteristics of Dyslexia
KG	677	302	692	342	677	44
1	707	317	723	420	707	54
2	753	345	769	372	784	59
3	695	372	693	330	712	57

Grade

Total Number of Students

Number of Students Identified as Not Reading at Grade Level

Number of Students Screened for Dyslexia

Number Identified with Characteristics of Dyslexia

Grade

Total Number of Students

Number of Students Identified as Not Reading at Grade Level

4

778

358

786

5

709

344

722

6

683

280

7

688

336

8

700

351

9

646

317

10

827

380

11

12

Elementary

Our elementary schools offer foundational learning for students based on the Minnesota state academic standards. This foundation is purposefully designed to provide learning in academic and social-emotional areas which will prepare students to be career, articulated skilled trades and college ready.

We embrace culturally relevant teaching and learning and strive to create authentic learning experiences for our students where they can see themselves in the learning and feel empowered to learn as much as they can to make the world a better place.

Our elementary students receive instruction in:

Literacy and Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Music and Art
Physical Education
Media and Technology
Health
Social-Emotional Learning

Middle School

Literacy Focus Reading classes in Middle School
Grades 6-8

Robbinsdale Area Schools at the Middle School level focus on providing intervention and extensions based on individual student needs. Students spend 45 minutes with their assigned reading teacher and 45 minutes in an intervention/extension group tailored to their individual needs, based on assessments. Students are continually assessed to determine progress in each group. Students are moved to different groups as data indicates.

Students learn how to think in, around and through text. This allows students to increase their comprehension, expand their thinking, and learn to read for enjoyment.

Reading Class Structures:

The learning environment consists of several types of instructional methods:

Whole Class Read Aloud
Silent Reading Time
- Students read books of their choice with assistance from the reading team/media center staff.
Opportunities to Discuss Text
Opportunities to Write About Text
Word Study
- Increased literacy demands in content area classes reflect the need to explore new ways of navigating these demands.
Intervention and/or Extensions (What I Need)
- Based on individual student needs
- Groups are flexible
- WIN Cycle is 6 weeks

Reading Comprehension Details

Daily Component of Structured Literacy	Contribution to the Outcome	Instructional Format & Approximate Instructional Time	Instructional Time	Materials to Support Instructional Practices

Reading Workshop

Mini-Lesson ALL students (no pullout should happen at this time)	- Provide explicit instruction, modeling and guided practice - Model skills of proficient readers - Instruction on comprehension strategies and skills - Vocabulary instruction - Fluency Instruction	Whole Group 10 minutes	- Aligned to MN standards - Delivered to whole group or as instructional video - Smaller portion of text, read multiple times	- Benchmark Mentor Text and accompanying lessons - LETRS Vocabulary Routine - LETRS Comprehension Planning Checklist
Self Paced Learning Small Group Instruction ALL students should receive small group with classroom teacher, if more support is needed student receives a second small group from a specialist (EL, SPED, MTSS) Choice Reading	- Provides collaboration and independence - Allows for differentiation in instruction - Allows students to extend their learning - Provides a structure for teachers to teach small groups - Practice of fluency, comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary skills	45 minutes	- Align to Minnesota State Standards -Use Mastery Based Grading -Use lesson classification - Students collaborate - Students are self paced - Provide differentiation and choice - Teacher provides prompt and targeted feedback to students	- Benchmark Curriculum - Word Work - Lexia Core 5- at least 10 minutes daily - Supplemental Materials from Core 5 - Bridge 2 Read support materials - Decodables

Mini-Lesson

ALL students (no pullout should happen at this time)

- Provide explicit instruction, modeling and guided practice

- Model skills of proficient readers

- Instruction on comprehension strategies and skills

- Vocabulary instruction

- Fluency Instruction

Whole Group

10 minutes

- Aligned to MN standards

- Delivered to whole group or as instructional video

- Smaller portion of text, read multiple times

- Benchmark Mentor Text and accompanying lessons

- LETRS Vocabulary Routine

- LETRS Comprehension Planning Checklist

Self Paced Learning

Small Group Instruction

ALL students should receive small group with classroom

teacher, if more support is needed student receives a

second small group from a specialist (EL, SPED, MTSS)

Choice Reading

- Provides collaboration and independence

- Allows for differentiation in instruction

- Allows students to extend their learning

- Provides a structure for teachers to teach small groups

- Practice of fluency, comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary skills

45 minutes

- Align to Minnesota State Standards

-Use Mastery Based Grading

-Use lesson classification

- Students collaborate

- Students are self paced

- Provide differentiation and choice

- Teacher provides prompt and targeted feedback to students

- Benchmark Curriculum

- Word Work

- Lexia Core 5- at least 10 minutes daily

- Supplemental Materials from Core 5

- Bridge 2 Read support materials

- Decodables

Reading Comprehension Curricular Resources

Robbinsdale Area Schools utilizes the following curricular resources to support our instruction in Reading Comprehension:

Benchmark Mentor Text and accompanying lessons
Benchmark Curriculum
Support Materials aligned to Minnesota Standards and Science of Reading
Benchmark Leveled Text
Benchmark Reader’s Theatre
FastBridge Interventions
FastBridge Progress Monitoring Tools
PRESS Interventions
Sound Wall Materials
Kilpatrick “Equipped for Reading Success: One Minute Activities”
Classroom library
School Media Center
Various online resources of electronic books

Writing Details

Daily Component of Structured Literacy	Contribution to the Outcome	Instructional Format & Approximate Instructional Time	Instructional Practices	Materials to Support Instructional Practices

Writing Workshop
20-30 min (K-5)

Direct Instruction Mini Lesson	-provide explicit, direct instruction, and modeling on writing skills	Whole Group 10 minutes	- Explicit instruction in writing skills including handwriting, grammar, the writing process - Modeled writing for students - Focused lessons on writing strategies	- Benchmark Writing Resources - Benchmark Curricular Materials - Other materials as aligned to standards
Shared/ Interactive Writing (beginning of unit or new skill) OR Independent Writing (once students have had explicit guided instruction	-provide guided practice and modeling on writing skills -provide differentiation -provide collaboration and independence -provide independent practice on writing skills -provide differentiation and student choice and voice	Whole Group or Small Group 15 minutes Independent 15 minutes	- Uses a “write aloud” process - Acts as a scribe (shared writing) - Guided practice on handwriting, grammar, the writing process - Follow along with writing by listening - Discuss the skill/strategy with a partner - Contribute ideas to the shared writing composition - Engaged participant - Think about how the mini-lesson helps you as a writer -Provides feedback and confer with students - Makes a teaching point and set student’s goals - Write independently or with a partner - Apply skill in writing and/or drawing - Build writing stamina - Reflect on writing goals	- Benchmark Writing Resources - Benchmark Curricular Materials - Benchmark Handwriting - Other materials as aligned to standards - Benchmark Writing Resources - Benchmark Curricular Materials - Other materials as aligned to standards

Direct Instruction

Mini Lesson

-provide explicit, direct instruction, and modeling on writing skills

Whole Group

10 minutes

- Explicit instruction in writing skills including handwriting, grammar, the writing process

- Modeled writing for students

- Focused lessons on writing strategies

- Benchmark Writing Resources

- Benchmark Curricular Materials

- Other materials as aligned to standards

Shared/

Interactive Writing

(beginning of unit or new skill)

OR

Independent Writing

(once students have had explicit guided instruction

-provide guided practice and modeling on writing skills

-provide differentiation

-provide collaboration and independence

-provide independent practice on writing skills

-provide differentiation and student choice and voice

Whole Group or Small Group

15 minutes

Independent

15 minutes

- Uses a “write aloud” process

- Acts as a scribe (shared writing)

- Guided practice on handwriting, grammar, the writing process

- Follow along with writing by listening

- Discuss the skill/strategy with a partner

- Contribute ideas to the shared writing composition

- Engaged participant

- Think about how the mini-lesson helps you as a writer

-Provides feedback and confer with students

- Makes a teaching point and set student’s goals

- Write independently or with a partner

- Apply skill in writing and/or drawing

- Build writing stamina

- Reflect on writing goals

- Benchmark Writing Resources

- Benchmark Curricular Materials

- Benchmark Handwriting

- Other materials as aligned to standards

- Benchmark Writing Resources

- Benchmark Curricular Materials

- Other materials as aligned to standards

Writing Curricular Resources

Interventions

Following the recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Education, students that score below the 15th percentile on the FAST Bridge Assessments are given a diagnostic assessment and receive small group or one on one interventions. These students receive FAST Bridge Interventions or PRESS Interventions to meet the students needs.

For more information regarding specific tiered support and interventions is provided in the Elementary MTSS Strategies and Interventions document.

The FASTBridge Screening to Intervention Report for reading provides recommendations for which type of intervention and instruction is needed for students. Teachers use this report to determine the intervention plan for each student who qualifies. In FASTBridge, there are 30 different reading intervention plans for teachers to use to meet each student's individual needs. Students with similar needs can be grouped together for instruction. Interventions are provided by the classroom teacher when at all possible. If a student has additional needs, the intervention can be provided by an MTSS specialist or interventionist.

PRESS (Path to Reading Excellence in School Sites) is another resource available for use with students who need specific phonemic skill instruction. This intervention was designed by Minnesota Center for Reading Research at the University of Minnesota and provides a framework to implement a systematic approach to reading intervention. PRESS focuses on data driven decision making, tiered supports, and supporting quality core instruction. PRESS interventions are designed to complement a school's core literacy curriculum.

While students are receiving interventions, they will be progress monitored using either the FASTBridge assessments or PRESS progress monitoring tools. Student progress is monitored and adjusted based on the students' individual needs.

Students who have been identified using district screeners as reading below grade level and/or demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia are provided evidence based reading intervention to accelerate student growth and reach the goal of reading at or above grade level by the end of the current grade and school year. If a student does not read at or above grade level by the end of the current school year, the district continues to provide reading intervention until the student reads at grade level.

Teachers Provide documentation and a personal learning plan for these students. This documentation includes:

History of reading screener results
Description of targeted instruction that is evidence based
Progress monitoring data to show student growth
Documented communication to parents of students literacy needs
Strategies for parents/guardians to use at home

The personal learning plan must be maintained and regularly updated until the student reads at grade level. This documentation and personal learning plan does not apply to students who have an individualized education program.

WIN (What I Need)

Students in grades K-8 participate in WIN. WIN stands for ‘What I Need,’ and is a Tier II model. WIN was developed based on students exhibiting many academic needs and our need to increase our efforts of acceleration, address learning gaps and the need for extension for students who have mastered standards. The goal of this model is to create a common and consistent model of intervention and extension across our district. The WIN model allows educators to provide targeted intervention and/or targeted enrichments as a team, based on the needs of the students in their grade level. The WIN model happens in rapid cycles (approximately 6 weeks).

Talent Development

Students in grades 3-5 who are reading at grade level or beyond or who have an intense interest in the current topic, are placed in the Aspire group during WIN time each day. Students in the Aspire group are supported by our Talent Development Specialists one day per week and by other staff during the other days of the week. Aspire students work on inquiry-based projects that are an extension of the reading curriculum. These projects encourage critical and creative thinking and team work among students.

Middle School students who have mastered specific reading skills for each six-week learning cycle also have the opportunity to receive enrichment during WIN time. These students work with our Talent Development Specialists to deepen and extend critical and creative thinking skills while working collaboratively with others.

Reading Groups Summary and Learning Targets
Curricular Resources used in Middle School

Reading Groups Summary and Learning Targets

Skill	Summary
Phonics	This is a small group administered intervention led by a teacher. Each student in the intervention is given a pre-assessment to document students' ability to decode multisyllabic words. At the end of the year, a post-assessment is given to show the students their growth, and to help inform pre-placement for the next school year. Students also actively participate in word study activities to understand how words are created through roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students successfully advance through the phonics program in Lexia: Power Up!, where they learn to correctly sound out words.
Fluency	Each student in this group is given a pre-assessment to determine what reading level they should be working on. Students listen to the passage being read fluently, and then proceed to read the passage themselves several times. When students have “mastered” the passage, they then record a hot time by reading one on one with their lead teacher. Students’ reading is monitored to determine if a level up or down is necessary, based on their hot (final) time recording. While students are monitored closely during the course of this intervention, they are also given a post-assessment at the end of the year to determine at what level they are reading fluently. Students focus is to accurately read text and respond to comprehension questions through the program titled Read Naturally Live. Students also actively participate in word study activities to understand roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students successfully advance through the grade level stories and proceed to achieve at or above grade level fluency.
Skills	Students are given formative assessments to assess their level of proficiency for reading skills. Teacher led instruction is used to support reading standards, content and vocabulary. A Blended Learning pathway is used to ensure students are moving at their best pace through the learning, practice and mastery of specific skills that will increase higher level thinking. Students successfully read and comprehend text at or above grade level. Station work is used to reinforce the skills taught as well as increase higher level thinking through writing prompts and word work activities. Students also actively participate in word study activities to deepen their understanding of roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Extensions	Students in extensions have shown mastery in a specific comprehension skill. Extensions class sessions are six weeks in length and will be based on deepening and extending students’ ability to use critical thinking skills to analyze and respond to fiction and non-fiction text while working collaboratively, independently, and with the Talent Development Specialist at their site.

Certain literacy-related abilities, such as being able to read and comprehend printed material, are required across all content area classes; however, as the complexity of content area learning increases, more specialized strategies are needed to comprehend texts and learn from them. A useful framework for showing the differences between these types of literacy strategies include:

Basic literacy (e.g., reading and writing)
Intermediate literacy that enables learning across all disciplines (e.g., using graphic organizers
Visualizing, predicting, asking questions
Disciplinary literacy, which involves “technical uses of literacy” within the academic disciplines. (Shanahan and Shanahan 2008)

Curricular Resources used in Middle School

Grade

Implemented ELA Curricula

Description of
Curricula Use
(e.g. comprehension, vocabulary, writing)

Instructional
Delivery Model
(e.g. class period length, block schedule, IB, AP)

6th

English Language Arts

McGraw Hill: StudySync

Comprehensive

RMS: IB School; Block Every other Day

FAIR-Crystal, PMS, SMS: 46-50 min a day

7th

English Language Arts

McGraw Hill: StudySync

Comprehensive

RMS: IB School, Block Every other Day

FAIR-Crystal, PMS, SMS: 46-50 min a day

8th

English Language Arts

McGraw Hill: StudySync

Comprehensive

RMS: IB School, Block Every other Day

FAIR-Crystal, PMS, SMS: 46-50 min a day

6th

Reading

Teacher/District Created

LEXIA PowerUP!

Students grouped by data: WIN time

RMS: IB School; Block Every other Day

FAIR-Crystal, PMS, SMS: 46-50 min a day

7th

Reading

Teacher/District Created

LEXIA PowerUP!

Students grouped by data: WIN time

RMS: IB School, Block Every other Day

FAIR-Crystal, PMS, SMS: 46-50 min a day

8th

Reading

Teacher/District Created

LEXIA PowerUP!

Students grouped by data: WIN time

RMS: IB School, Block Every other Day

FAIR-Crystal, PMS, SMS: 46-50 min a day

High School

Literacy Focus in High School

Grades 9-12

The world demands that a literate person possess and intentionally apply a wide range of skills, competencies, and dispositions. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with histories, narratives, life possibilities, and social trajectories of all individuals and groups. Active, successful participants in a global society must be able to:

Participate effectively and critically in a networked world
Explore and engage critically, thoughtfully, and across a wide variety of inclusive texts and tools/modalities
Consume, curate, and create actively across contexts
Advocate for equitable access to and accessibility of texts, tools, and information
Build and sustain intentional global and cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought
Promote culturally sustaining communication and recognize the bias and privilege present in the interactions; Examine the rights, responsibilities, and ethical implications of the use and creation of information
Determine how and to what extent texts and tools amplify one’s own and others’ narratives as well as counter unproductive narratives
Recognize and honor the multilingual literacy identities and culture experiences individuals bring to learning environments and provide opportunities to promote, amplify, and encourage these different variations of language (e.g., dialect, jargon, register).

Adolescent literacy is understood as the ability to read, write, understand and interpret, and discuss multiple texts across multiple contexts. (International Literacy Association Position Statement: Adolescent Literacy).

For those students who are still struggling with phonics and/or fluency skills, which impede comprehension, a reading course is offered to provide extra support.

Curricular Resources used in High School
Summary of skills

Curricular Resources used in High School

Grade	Implemented ELA Curricula	Description of Curricula Use (e.g. comprehension, vocabulary, writing)	Instructional Delivery Model (e.g. class period length, block schedule, IB, AP)
9th English Language Arts	District/Teacher created aligned to 2020 MN State ELA Standards	Comprehensive	45 minute classes
10th English Language Art	District/Teacher created aligned to 2020 MN State ELA Standards	Comprehensive	45 minute classes
11th English Language Art	District/Teacher created aligned to 2020 MN State ELA Standards	Comprehensive	45 minute classes
12th English Language Art	District/Teacher created aligned to 2020 MN State ELA Standards	Comprehensive	45 minute classes
9th Reading	Teacher/District Created LEXIA PowerUP!	Foundational/Knowledge Building	45 minute classes
10th Reading	Teacher/District Created LEXIA PowerUP!	Foundational/Knowledge Building	45 minute classes

Summary of skills

Skill	Summary
Phonics	This is a small group administered intervention done with a teacher leading the intervention. Each student in this intervention is given a pre-assessment to document students' ability to decode multisyllabic words. At the end of the year, a post-assessment is given to show the students their growth, and to help inform pre-placement for the next school year. Students also actively participate in word study activities to understand how words are created through roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students successfully advance through the phonics program in Lexia: Power Up!, where they learn to correctly sound out words.
Fluency	Each student in this group is given a pre-assessment to determine what reading level they should be working on. Students listen to the passage being read fluently, and then proceed to read the passage themselves several times. When students have “mastered” the passage, they then record a hot time by reading one on one with their lead teacher. Students’ reading is monitored to determine if a level up or down is necessary, based on their hot (final) time recording. While students are monitored closely during the course of this intervention, they are also given a post-assessment at the end of the year to determine at what level they are reading fluently. Students focus is to accurately read text and respond to comprehension questions through the program titled Read Naturally Live. Students also actively participate in word study activities to understand roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students successfully advance through the grade level stories and proceed to achieve at or above grade level fluency.

Curriculum & Literacy

Structured Literacy in Rdale

Robbinsdale Area Schools Literacy Priority Outcomes

District Literacy Goal 2024-25

Overview of Science of Reading

LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling)

Build District Expertise in The Science of Reading

Structured Literacy and Directives from MDE

Cultivate District Leaders to Leading Literacy Changes

LETRS for Administrators

Literacy Coaching

Literacy Focus in Early Learning

Literacy Block in Elementary

Robbinsdale Area Schools Literacy Theory of Action

Multilingual Learners

Phonics and Word Study Curricular Resources

Reading Corp and TLC

Students Who Receive Special Education Services

Elementary

Middle School

Literacy Focus Reading classes in Middle School Grades 6-8

High School

Literacy Focus in High School

Grades 9-12

Literacy Focus Reading classes in Middle School
Grades 6-8