Differentiated Instruction and Literacy Training Initiative

DEPARTMENT OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Differentiated Instruction
and Literacy Training Initiative

Overview

The school division has implemented a data-driven, research-based staff development model that has prepared teachers to analyze student achievement data, implement strategies designed to narrow achievement gaps, promote increased literacy, and understand the need to differentiate instruction for all students. With the foundation firmly established, the 2011-2012 school year will mark the fifth year of the school division's focus on differentiated instruction and literacy.

2011-2012

The 2011-2012 training initiative will enable teachers to enhance daily educational experiences for all students through multiple tiers of instruction, intervention, and support. The school division's Enhanced Student and Teacher Assistance Teams (ESTAT) will be utilized to support a tiered instructional model that will address the learning and behavioral needs of students at all levels of instruction.

To support literacy, the citywide Literacy Panel will schedule visits in host schools across the city. In collaborative settings, principals and school-based literacy leaders in neighboring schools will engage in focused dialogue on ways to achieve higher levels of success. Specific attention will be given to each school's lowest reporting categories on the Reading SOL and Writing SOL. Ongoing emphasis will be placed on embedding effective literacy strategies across the content areas.

In continued support of the school division's training initiatives, The Staff Developer will advertise a variety of workshops and college-credit courses addressing topics such as differentiated instruction, literacy, gifted education, diverse populations, bullying prevention, technology integration, and content standards. All instructional personnel are encouraged to take advantage of these training opportunities.

At the building level, schools will identify their Standards of Learning and other instructional needs and then provide training for faculty to address those needs. All school-based training should be included in the staff development portion of the school's Student Achievement Improvement Plan (SAIP). Based upon test data and other evidence of need, the training should be designed to help meet annual school goals. Along with the SAIP, each principal will submit a training plan for Monday, January 30, which is a designated in-service day for all teachers.

Chesapeake's training model is aligned with the priorities of Learning Forward, the national organization for staff development. One of the priorities is to ensure that educators engage in effective professional learning each day so that all students achieve. This is supported by Virginia's Standards of Quality (SOQ), which require all instructional personnel to participate annually in the school division's professional development program. In the coming year, teachers should take advantage of every available opportunity to participate in school-based and citywide training that will enhance their professional growth and address needs identified at the building level.

2010-2011

(An overview of stimulus-funded training for the final year of stimulus funding is provided below.)

Title I ARRA Funds (Stimulus-Funded Training) - Title I Training
One of the United States Department of Education's spending priorities for school divisions was to use effective teachers as coaches. Seven Title I Staff Development Instructional Coaches were assigned to Title I schools to support core content areas through activities such as training, peer coaching, and lesson modeling. Since this was a two-year coaching model, stimulus funding for these positions ended at the conclusion of the school year.

State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (Stimulus-Funded Training)
A portion of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF) was designated for professional development. These stimulus funds were directed toward workshops and college-credit course offerings in The Staff Developer, as well as training on topics such as differentiated instruction, literacy, READ 180 and System 44, gifted education, special education, and Enhanced Student and Teacher Assistance Teams (ESTAT). In addition, these funds were utilized to provide specialized offerings through the division's training academies and to support various school-based training needs. Training on new technology was conducted by the technology integration specialist in each school and implemented through the school's Student Achievement Improvement Plan (SAIP).

Title II-D ARRA Funds (Stimulus-Funded Training) - Technology Training
The Enhancing Education Through Technology ARRA funds provided tuition for college-credit technology integration courses. Courses were offered exclusively for Chesapeake teachers, or slots were purchased in previously established university courses. Course content focused on the effective integration of technology in the classroom. Topics ranged from digital storytelling to iPods and podcasting.

2009-2010

(An overview of stimulus-funded training for the 2009-2010 school year is provided below.)

Title I ARRA Funds (Stimulus-Funded Training) - Title I Training
The United States Department of Education indicated that one of the spending priorities for school divisions was to use effective teachers as coaches. This year, seven Title I Staff Development Instructional Coaches were assigned to Title I schools primarily to support reading, writing, and mathematics through activities such as training, peer coaching, and lesson modeling. In accordance with the concept of obtaining "long-term benefits" from "short-term money," these positions were funded for a maximum of two years.

Title VI-B ARRA Funds (Stimulus-Funded Training) - Special Education Training

· September 1, 2009 - All special education teachers attended a mandatory half-day training on the citywide In-service Day. Kathy Mehfoud, a nationally recognized special education attorney, presented IEP compliance issues related to the recently approved Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia. Implications of recent court cases and special education litigation were discussed.

· September through December - The Office of Special Education provided a one-day training for all general education teachers working with students with disabilities in inclusive instructional settings. Topics included the eligibility process, characteristics of disability categories, the responsibilities of general education teachers in developing and implementing IEPs, legal issues in special education, and strategies for increasing student achievement and promoting positive behavior in the general education environment. Since the training sessions were scheduled during the school day, school administrators secured substitutes, as needed. (Substitutes were funded by Title VI-B stimulus funds.)

· January, March, and June - Lisa Dieker, a national consultant and professor at the University of Central Florida, provided a one-day training on effective inclusive educational practices and powerful schoolwide and classroom strategies to promote the success of all students. This same training was planned for three different dates. All special education and general education inclusion teachers were expected to participate in one of these sessions. Teachers attended the training during non-contract hours and were paid a stipend, and licensed personnel also earned licensure points for their participation. The Department of Staff Development advertised these workshops in The Staff Developer.

2007-2011

Schools Participating in the Differentiated Instruction

and Literacy Training Initiative

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Butts Road Intermediate

Butts Road Primary

Camelot Elementary

Carver, G. W. Intermediate

Cedar Road Elementary

Chittum, E. W. Elementary

Crestwood Intermediate

Deep Creek Central Elementary

Deep Creek Elementary

Georgetown Primary

Grassfield Elementary

Great Bridge Intermediate

Great Bridge Primary

Greenbrier Intermediate

Greenbrier Primary

Hickory Elementary

Marshall, Thurgood Elementary

Norfolk Highlands Primary

Portlock Primary

Southeastern Elementary

Southwestern Elementary

Sparrow Road Intermediate

Treakle, G. A. Elementary

Truitt Intermediate

Western Branch Intermediate

Western Branch Primary

Williams, B. M. Primary

Wright, Rena B. Elementary

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Chesapeake Alternative

Crestwood Middle

Deep Creek Middle

Great Bridge Middle

Greenbrier Middle

Hickory Middle

Indian River Middle

Jolliff Middle

Owens, Hugo A. Middle

Smith, Oscar Middle

Western Branch Middle

HIGH SCHOOLS

Center for Science and Technology

Deep Creek High

Grassfield High

Great Bridge High

Hickory High

Indian River High

Smith, Oscar High

Western Branch High

2008-2009

The 2008-2009 training model included both citywide and school-based components. For the citywide component, the instructional supervisors provided the next phase of differentiated instruction training for all teachers. In addition, Dr. Marcia Tate conducted training sessions for teachers who had not yet participated in Differentiation and Literacy Strategies That Engage the Brain. For the school-based component, schools identified their Standards of Learning and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) training needs and then provided training for faculty in order to address those specific needs.

Citywide Component

(Target groups and training sessions described below)

For Administrators Only

· Differentiated Instruction and Literacy ~ August 2008 Special sessions on the first day of the annual Preschool General Conference provided the next level of training on differentiated instruction and continued the focus on increased literacy for all students. On the second day, all instructional administrators participated in a full-day training on Literacy Matters: Strategies Every Teacher Can Use and How to Differentiate Learning. This training was conducted by national consultant Robin Fogarty.

· Monitoring Elementary Gifted Instruction ~ October 2008 Elementary building administrators and elementary instructional supervisors participated in training on monitoring effective elementary gifted instruction. Sessions were offered through the Administrative Leadership Academy.

· The Bridge Between Instruction and Assessment: Drilling to the Skill ~ December 2008
Offered through the Administrative Leadership Academy, new building administrators in addition to at least one administrator per building, attended this training.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION TEACHER TRAINING ACADEMY

For All Elementary Teachers

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Elementary Classrooms ~ Fall 2008
This session provided the next level of differentiated instruction training for all teachers. Instructional supervisors provided training for core teachers at a central location during the school day. Principals provided professional leave for this purpose. Due to the limited number of non-core (resource) teachers at each site, training by content area was provided at a central location after the school day.

The Department of Staff Development processed school registration forms for each training session and awarded licensure points for this required training.

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Elementary Classrooms: Follow-Up Session ~ Spring 2009
Due to the 2008-2009 budget shortfall, the spring 2009 instructional supervisors' training was cancelled.

For All Secondary Teachers (Middle and High)

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Secondary Classrooms ~ Fall 2008
This session provided the next level of differentiated instruction training for all teachers. Instructional supervisors provided training for core content and selected special education teachers at a central location during the school day. Principals provided professional leave for this purpose. The Department of Staff Development processed school registration forms for each training session and awarded licensure points for this required training.

Training for non-core teachers was either centralized or site-based, depending upon the content area. Licensure points for centralized training were awarded by the Department of Staff Development. Site-based training was offered during planning bells (optional) and after school to provide scheduling options for teachers. Building principals and instructional supervisors established the training schedules for site-based training. Licensure points for school-based training were awarded through the school’s Student Achievement Improvement Plan (SAIP).

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Secondary Classrooms: Follow-Up Session ~ Spring 2009
Due to the 2008-2009 budget shortfall, the spring 2009 instructional supervisors' training was cancelled.

For Selected Elementary and Secondary Teachers

· Elementary Gifted Education Curriculum Training ~ August 2008
The Department of Curriculum & Instruction coordinated training for 4th grade teachers of gifted students. Each principal identified teachers to participate in this training. Licensure points were awarded for this training.

· Accelerated Reader (AR) Training ~ August-September 2008
To ensure consistent citywide implementation of the Accelerated Reader Program, the Department of Curriculum & Instruction coordinated AR training for school media specialists. This training was aligned with the guidelines presented in the Accelerated Reader Task Force Report (approved by the School Board in April 2008).

· Differentiation and Literacy Strategies That Engage the Brain ~ November 2008
This session was conducted by Dr. Marcia Tate, author of several books including Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites and Reading and Language Arts Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites: 20 Literacy Strategies That Engage the Brain. Each principal identified school faculty (core and non-core) who had not previously participated in the training and then provided professional leave so that they could attend. The Department of Staff Development awarded five (5) licensure points for all teachers who participated in this training.

Note: This same training was provided for literacy leaders during the 2006-2007 school year and for approximately 2,400 other teachers during the 2007-2008 school year. Remaining faculty were scheduled to attend in November 2008.

· Differentiation and Literacy Courses/Workshops ~ August 2008-June 2009
A variety of non-college-credit and college-credit classes were advertised in The Staff Developer. Presenters included national, state, and local consultants (e.g., Marcia Tate, Ron Nash, Barbara Bloomfield), as well as CPS instructors. All instructional personnel were encouraged to take advantage of these training opportunities.

School-Based Component

(Target groups and training sessions described below)

For Selected Elementary and Secondary Teachers

· Accelerated Reader Training ~ August-September 2008
To ensure consistent citywide implementation of the Accelerated Reader Program, school media specialists provided AR training at the building level. Participants were identified by building principals. Licensure points for presenters and participants were awarded through the school’s Student Achievement Improvement Plan (SAIP).

For Literacy Leadership Teams

· 2008-2009 Literacy Leadership Team
Each principal established a Literacy Leadership Team that functioned at the building level. The size and membership of the team was determined by the principal, thus allowing for the inclusion of one teacher per grade level or content area, in addition to the principal, assistant principal of instruction, and reading specialist (if applicable). Licensure points for activities at the building level were awarded through the school’s Student Achievement Improvement Plan (SAIP).

· Literacy Leadership Team Meetings ~ October 2008 & February 2009
A fall meeting at each level (elementary, middle, and high) provided the opportunity for building-level literacy leaders to give a status report on the progress of deficient readers, to share successful literacy strategies, and to collaborate with other schools. The Department of Staff Development processed licensure points for all literacy leaders who participated in this meeting.

The midyear meeting provided the opportunity for building-level literacy leaders to be trained by a national consultant. Robin Fogarty focused on literacy across the curriculum and how to differentiate learning. The Department of Staff Development processed licensure points for all literacy leaders who participated in this meeting.

2007-2008

Citywide Component

(Target groups and training sessions described below)

For Administrators Only

· Overview of Differentiated Instruction and Literacy Initiative ~ August 2007
Special sessions at the annual Preschool General Conference defined differentiated instruction and continued the focus on increased literacy for all students.

·      Monitoring Differentiated Instruction & Mapping to the Skill ~ October & November
     All building administrators, instructional supervisors, and special education
     administrators participated in training on monitoring differentiated
     instruction, and at least one administrator per school attended training on mapping to
     the skill. Sessions for elementary and secondary administrators were offered through the
     Administrative Leadership Academy.

For Selected Elementary and Secondary Teachers

· Differentiation and Literacy Strategies That Engage the Brain ~ November 2007, January 2008, February 2008, & April 2008
This half-day session was conducted on various dates throughout the year by Dr. Marcia Tate, author of several books including Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites and Reading and Language Arts Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites: 20 Literacy Strategies That Engage the Brain. Each principal identified a portion of the school faculty (core and non-core) to participate in the training and provided professional leave for this purpose.

Note: This same training was provided for literacy leaders during the 2006-2007 school year; therefore, other teachers were selected to participate in this training. Remaining faculty was scheduled to attend in November 2008.

· Differentiation and Literacy Courses/Workshops ~ August 2007-June 2008
A variety of non-college-credit and college-credit classes were advertised in The Staff Developer. Presenters included national, state, and local consultants (e.g., Gayle Gregory, Ron Nash, Beth Estill), as well as CPS instructors. All instructional personnel were encouraged to take advantage of these training opportunities.

School-Based Component

(Target groups and training sessions described below)

For All Elementary Teachers

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Elementary Classrooms ~ Fall 2007
This session provided site-based differentiated instruction training for all teachers. The training was provided after school. Elementary supervisors defined differentiated instruction and modeled its use for the classroom. Building principals and instructional supervisors established their training schedules.

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Elementary Classrooms: Follow-Up Session ~ Spring 2008
Training continued with all teachers participating in a follow-up session that reinforced the definition and concept of differentiated instruction. Building principals and instructional supervisors established their training schedules.

For All Secondary Teachers (Middle and High)

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Secondary Classrooms ~ Fall 2007
This session provided site-based differentiated instruction training for all teachers. The training was offered during planning bells (optional) and after school to provide scheduling options for teachers. Secondary supervisors defined and demonstrated differentiated instruction. Building principals and instructional supervisors established their training schedules.

· Differentiation of Instruction in All Secondary Classrooms: Follow-Up Session ~ Spring 2008
Training continued with all teachers participating in a follow-up session that reinforced the definition and concept of differentiated instruction. Building principals and instructional supervisors established their training schedules.

For Literacy Leadership Teams

· 2007-2008 Literacy Leadership Team
Each principal established a Literacy Leadership Team that functioned at the building level. In accordance with requests from building administrators, the size and membership of the team was determined by the principal, thus allowing for the inclusion of one teacher per grade level or content area. Each team membership included the principal, assistant principal of instruction, and reading specialist (if applicable).

· Literacy Leadership Team Midyear Meetings ~ January 2008 & February 2008
A midyear meeting at each level (elementary, middle, and high) provided the
opportunity for building-level literacy leaders to give a status report on the progress of deficient readers, to share successful literacy strategies, and to collaborate with other
schools.