Expectations Diverge

How do we create literacy goals and plans in an uncertain world?

Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash

This summer, I have been trading emails with members of our instructional leadership team about our building goals for 2021-2022. Here was my start:

“Right now we are looking at accelerating readers and reducing the number in the intervention/urgent intervention category (moving to on watch or at/above benchmark) in grades 3-5. 20% reduction?

Still playing with that number. We would compare last spring's results to next spring's using STAR and benchmark assessments. As well, student writing samples may be a third data point to measure student transfer of literacy skills.”

The teacher leaders responded in kind.

• “Writing is such an important area to focus on…I would love to see a more natural progression between grades.”

• “I would like to see another goal that focuses on early literacy skills. This is the building block for all literacy.”

• “What if we developed a PK-5 scope and sequence of evidence-based skills and strategies? We can also include all curricu…