PC+Literacy+Plan+DRAFT

DRAFT - WORK IN PROGRESS

Draft Document for Team Review as of January 23, 2013
Note that we will be working on the most important section, the action planning, at the January Lit Team Meeting. =PC Comprehensive Literacy Plan= Section 2 – Mission and Vision statements PCSD – Mission Penn Cambria School District will prepare productive citizens in a safe and positive environment that promotes excellence in academics, the arts, and athletics.

PCSD – Vision Penn Cambria School District shall deliver the highest standards of teaching to ensure student proficiency and achievement for all students.

PCSD – **//Literacy//** Mission Statement In order to prepare students to be productive citizens, PCSD must provide students with the varied literacy skills needed to thrive, not only in academics but also in all aspects of their lives.

PCSD – **//Literacy//** Vision Statement The PCSD literacy plan will provide direction and guidance for literacy efforts encompassing birth through grade 12 within the school district communities. The plan will include a description of current district literacy initiatives, an analysis of strengths and weaknesses as well as goals and specific action plans for the future of literacy efforts at PCSD.

In order to be productive citizens in the 21st century, students need comprehensive literacy skills and the ability to communicate effectively through reading, writing, speaking and listening. These skills are needed not only in preparing students to be college and career ready, but also to prepare them for life in as a member of a democratic community. PCSD will use the literacy plan process to ensure that the highest standards of teaching are provided and that all students obtain proficient literacy skills.

=** Section 3 – Guiding Principles **=
 * Guiding Principle #1 ** ** Literacy is a critical foundation for all learning and serves as a “keystone” for opportunity and success. The Standards for literacy must promote high level learning for all students to ensure that they are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Because literacy is an important skill in itself and serves as a tool for learning, it is essential at all levels (Birth-Grades 12). Moreover, to enhance literacy learning of students, there must be shared responsibility of educators, parents and caretakers, and the broader community. **

At Penn Cambria School District, this means…
 * Being truly literate includes not only comprehending but also the ability to use higher order thinking skills including analyzing, conveying, synthesizing, and evaluating information.
 * Since literacy begins at birth and continues throughout life, we must lay a solid foundation, incorporating the building blocks of literacy, and then reinforce and build upon this foundation at all subsequent levels of learning and in all content areas.
 * All teachers have a responsibility to strengthen the content-specific literacy skills of their students using consistent and aligned instruction.
 * The literacy curriculum must include a focus on both task-based and skill-based instruction to best prepare students for the authentic literacy tasks faced in adulthood.

__ Section 4 – Needs Assessment – Standards and Curriculum __ Scope and Sequence K-4
 * (Possible Literacy Strategies)**
 * Writing – **
 * 1) Elementary – Framework
 * 1) Rubric based on assessment


 * Reading – **
 * 1) More professional development
 * 2) Online resource


 * Speaking – **
 * 1) Encourage talking/communication
 * 2) Promote available programs
 * 3) Use parent nights
 * 4) “Talk to your Child” - promotion

__Assessments__

Meeting #3 – Wednesday Oct. 3

Below are the suggestions that were made for //district wide literacy improvement in the area of assessments.//

==4. Create a grade level team that would analyze existing assessments and adjust or create assessment items that measures specific curricular objectives. This would also be true for secondary teachers organized by department as opposed to grade level.==