Recently, in many trainings (various Science of Reading work, the Indiana Literacy Cadre, and LETRS by Lexia), I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what research tells us about learning to read. One of my biggest aha moments was reading that “all but 2-5 percent of students can learn basic reading skills in first grade, even in populations that are at greatest risk for chronic reading difficulties” (Mathes, Denton, Fletcher, Anthony, Francis, & Schatschneider, 2005). Other studies tell us that “Older students, in grades 3-5, can also improve to the average range and sustain those improvements if their remediation is sufficiently intensive, expert, and long term” (Torgesen, Alexander, Wagner, Rashotte, Voeller, & Conway, 2001). How does that happen? Through solid core instruction and a system of screeners, interventions, and progress monitoring data. The core instruction introduces the important skills students need, and with screeners, we can identify students who are falling behind, put into place supports that meet their needs, and track student work to see if our students are growing.
In January, the MTSS Leadership Team at the school where I work met with every grade level team. We talked about the importance of making sure that all those steps (screeners, interventions, and progress monitoring) are aligned. We also discussed designing goals for each student we had identified in our MTSS process as needing higher tiers of support. In other words, we want to make sure that we use interventions that meet the individual needs of each student. Then we want to use a progress monitoring tool that will appropriately measure data on the skills we are working on.
But alignment on those things is not enough to get all our students to reading proficiency. We also must be aligned in our mindsets. What does that mean? That’s where collective teacher efficacy comes in. The quote above is an important reminder. Through the unified efforts of your PLC, the MTSS Process, and the school, we can and will get our students to the level of proficiency that we expect for our learners.
The things I have learned about reading proficiency have caused me to reflect on some conversations over the years. One of the things that I have heard from teachers is a comment about how they “aren’t surprised” by the results of reading assessments when some students don’t show proficiency. I get it, as teachers, we believe in doing our best, moving kids as far as we can, and sometimes we don’t put a ton of weight on a standardized assessment score that is simply a snapshot in time for your learners. But when the number of students you “aren’t surprised” about is more than 5% of your class, maybe it should give you pause. Again, the research tells us that with explicit and sequential core instruction, reliable and valid screening, and interventions aligned with student needs, 95% of our students should be reading at proficiency by the end of third grade. And when I think about what an elementary school is here to do, teaching literacy skills to all should be job number 1. As Thomas Jefferson said:
“A nation of people who write and read is a nation with the attention span to earn an education and free society if they choose. Public education does not serve a public. It creates a public.”
When you see that research tells us all but 2-5 percent of our students can get to proficiency, what does that make you reflect on with your current students? Are there students in your class that probably should be at proficiency that aren’t? How can collective teacher efficacy help those students get to where they need to be? Remember, you aren’t going it alone! You have your PLC team, your MTSS team, your instructional coaches, and your leadership team to support you in these goals! But also know that a part of collective teacher efficacy is the belief that you can help your students to succeed. While it’s important to lean on your team around you, it’s even more important that you believe that you have the power to make a difference!
And there’s something else we must keep in mind – the research says that this 95% of students who can reach proficiency includes all subgroups – ENL, Exceptional Learner, Transient students, etc. With that in mind, should we ever be ok with feeling like we “aren’t surprised” if a student isn’t performing at the level that they should be based on standards and learning progression?
Through collective action, starting on the very first day that our students start with us – for most of our students that means starting in kindergarten – and continuing through the last day they are with us at the end of fourth grade (or whatever the grade breakdown of your school may be), we must be diligent in our work to recognize where our students are. If they are not meeting standards, or falling behind others, that must raise red flags for us. The sooner we notice, the sooner we can intervene. And the sooner we intervene, the sooner we can close gaps. On the other hand, the longer we wait, the harder it becomes for us to close the gaps because with each day those gaps grow wider. And while we can close gaps in grades 3-5, those students who get to proficiency will most likely always read at a slower rate.
This means we all must have a laser-like focus on our students. Research tells us that early intervention is the key to getting to our goal of 95% reading proficiency by the end of their third-grade year. What commitment can you make in this last portion of the year to help set your student up for success in their reading future? Do you need to set a new SMART goal for your student? Do you need to utilize a new screener to make sure that you are correctly supporting them? Do you need to review your progress monitoring tool to make sure that it is appropriately assessing the skill that you are working with them on? Let us know what you plan to do in the comments below!
The View from 518 