Literacy Collaborative

Literacy Collaborative: Building Teacher Expertise
The Literacy Collaborative blended (face-to-face and webinar) professional development model focuses on building in-district and in-school capacity for improving the literacy achievement of all students. The rigorous curriculum is based on a comprehensive language and literacy framework that includes a wide range of individual, small-group, and large-group reading, writing, and word study instruction guided by ongoing assessment.

The Literacy Collaborative model helps schools significantly improve literacy achievement through:

• Tiered instruction meeting the requirements of Response to Intervention (RTI) and aligning with the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts.

• A comprehensive instructional literacy framework for grades PreK–8 that includes readers' workshop, guided reading, writers' workshop, and language and word study. Based on decades of language and literacy development research, our student-centered approach emphasizes language development and student talk as the foundation for reading and writing. Our curriculum addresses the essential components of literacy instruction, including phonics and phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension strategies, and student engagement.

• Training for a school-based literacy coach who will provide professional development and coaching to teachers at the school site. Through ongoing professional development and coaching, teachers learn to differentiate instruction to meet the individual needs of students, improve their teaching practice, and create a more cohesive professional community and student learning environment.

• Development of a school leadership team that supports and facilitates the school improvement process. The team analyzes student achievement data, monitors program implementation, evaluates program results, and communicates with the greater school community.