DPS Board of Education Update for Dec. 1, 2016 
for Senior, School Leaders

Please share with your teams and communities as appropriate -- DPS Communications
Board Hears Early Literacy Plan Updates

Watch a DPS Features Video on A Foundation for Success in School: Early Literacy in DPS
Watch a DPS Features Video on A Foundation for Success in School: Early Literacy in DPS
Because research shows that students who are proficient in reading by third grade are four times more likely to graduate, DPS is working to ensure 80% of our students meet this critical benchmark.  At tonight's Focus on Achievement session,  Board of Education members received an update on the district's  Early Literacy plan.

"We are working to ensure our kids are reading on target from the beginning because it is so important for their future," said Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Brette Scott. "With the complexity of teaching literacy, the instructional expertise of the teacher is fundamental --and it's important to understanding the emphasis we've put on professional learning."

The results of the Foundations of Early Literacy professional learning thus far show that  schools have made the most progress when they have:
  • Provided adequate release time for their early literacy specialist
  • Designated a highly-qualified literacy expert for the early literacy specialist role
  • Integrated their curriculum planning time with the Foundations of Early Literacy Training as part of their monthly professional development time
School-level training satisfaction rates have increased each month throughout the school year with overall participant satisfaction rising to 92% in November.

"Based on what we've learned so far, we are making two primary shifts to further support development of deep literacy expertise in all of our schools," said  Associate Chief of Academics and Innovation Erin McMahon. 

One change is to refine the early literacy specialist role and better integrate it with roles in the Teacher Leadership & Collaboration model. This would include developing higher intensity training with specific release time to execute their work, and to provide more comprehensive support and empower early literacy specialists as leaders in their schools. McMahon explained that teachers who are working full-time in the classroom need the additional release time to engage in professional development to ensure they aren't overwhelmed with the workload.  "We also want to ensure that every early literacy specialist is receiving a stipend in addition to the pay they receive for their teacher leader role," M cMahon said. "This extra duty pay also helps us pay for paraprofessionals to engage in this work." 

The other shift in the plan is to focus summer training on deepening literacy expertise for the early literacy specialist role and having specialists work with ECE through third-grade teachers in their buildings. 

A panel of early literacy specialists, principals, deans and Guided Reading Plus-trained teachers spoke with the board about their experiences. 

"Sam" Susan-Marie Farmen, an early literacy specialist and dean of instruction at Place Bridge Academy , said, "I don't know how I would do what I do well, and build capacity and coach my colleagues, and learn new things, without the time I've been given to do it. You really are having to learn something yourself and then turn and teach it to others."

"We just need more time for professional development. We've really struggled with when we're going to learn this content. We've tried to do it on blue/green days because the only other time we have is in the morning before the school day, and that's just not enough time to get in depth about much of anything," said Alison Hansen, early literacy specialist and classroom teacher at Dora Moore ECE-8. "If this is something we're really going to prioritize, we really need the additional time for it."

"The goal and emphasis on early literacy is the right place to be and I am really proud to work for a district where that is our focus," said Jessica Buckley, principal at Escuela Valdez.  "One of our strengths as a school is that we've identified the strengths of the people we have and we hire to complement that to create in-house expertise. I really support the idea of training early literacy specialists so we have site-based in-school expertise so we can continue to provide the supports needed to align with the diverse needs of our teachers."

Read the full presentation here. 
Supporting Students' Social and Emotional Learning  

Watch a DPS Features Video on Support for the Whole Child: A Denver Plan 2020 Update
Watch a DPS Features Video on Support for the Whole Child: A Denver Plan 2020 Update
The Board of Education tonight engaged in a discussion about the district's focus on the Whole Child and how that body of work supports students' social and emotional learning.

Board Member Happy Haynes said, "Everywhere we go we hear resounding support for our focus and work on the Whole Child, and I want to give kudos to our team because it feels a lot to our schools like support and not just another mandate."

DPS is leading the nation in the level of effort and attention around Whole Child supports because we know -- and research shows -- it will not only improve academic outcomes, but is critical to achieving our vision that  Every Child Succeeds.  In DPS, we are committed to providing equitable and inclusive environments where we ensure students are Healthy, Supported, Engaged, Challenged, Safe, and Socially and Emotionally Intelligent.

National research clearly shows behavioral health is intricately connected to academic and social success at school. Social and emotional intelligence is gauged by a student's competency in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decionmaking. 

Associate Chief of Student Equity and Opportunity Eldridge Greer suggested  a number of district actions that will ultimately strengthen students' social and emotional skills and asked the board for feedback on the district's theory of action.  Greer discussed investments being made in social and emotional supports resulting from passage of the mill levy override in November, including:
  • Providing all schools with additional funds to more meaningfully serve the social and emotional learning of their students
  • Expansion of Summer Academy to 185 hours for 2,500 students and ensuring 1,000 more students can attend other summer learning by providing a full-day camp for siblings ages 5 through 12
Greer said we are seeing dramatic increases in the use of social workers, nurses, psychologists and other behavioral health employees in schools, which is attributed to the realization that our students have social and emotional needs that must be addressed in order for them to be able to succeed academically. 

Schools will continue to have the flexibility to use their data to ensure school-based decisionmaking around social and emotional learning and Whole Child supports. Greer emphasized that the district will continue to focus efforts around "big bets" believed to best support social and emotional intelligence, specifically:
  • ECE-21 scope and sequence
  • Increased supports for elementary schools
  • Restorative practices
  • Community partnerships
  • Personal success factors
  • Trauma-informed practices

You can view the full presentation here. 
 
Copyright ©2015 Denver Public Schools. All rights reserved.

Note: We send many DPS communications via this platform. Please do not unsubscribe from these messages or you will not receive future and important messages. If a specific message doesn't interest you, simply delete it and stay tuned for a future communication that will be of more interest. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].