Issue #10Print Friendly Version (PDF)  

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Dr. Z-Coe's Corner

Dear FOR-PD Participant:

Greetings! Summer is already here; schools are out for some of you, and summer school is in for others. Over 1500 teachers have joined us so far this summer. We are excited that you chose to complete Competency 2 with us; we value you, your time, and your efforts, and we are here to help you succeed in your professional goals. Because summer is short and a teacher's life very busy, we advise you to take advantage of the many success tips we and your facilitator are offering to you. Time management and communication are key to your success in this course. Please be reminded that we have many resources and types of support available to you.

Our literacy newsletter continues to receive much attention at the sate and national level. This month's reading strategy is Reciprocal Teaching with an emphasis on questioning and summarizing. Reciprocal teaching helps to scaffold students' use of four comprehension strategies: predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing. Please examine our current reading strategy and the examples provided from elementary and secondary levels. Also, don't forget to share the strategy with your colleagues. Each month, we feature an effective reading strategy, explain the rationale behind the strategy, give directions on how to use the strategy with students, ideas for adapting the strategy to different content areas, ideas for assessing the strategy, and, of course, a printable PDF version of the strategy. Check out our Reading Strategy Archive to see past Reading Strategies of the Month.

Our literacy newsletter's focus for June is on Literacy Coaches. Many of you are literacy coaches. Many of our FOR-PD facilitators are also literacy coaches. Do you have a literacy coach at your school? Are you a literacy coach? As a literacy coach taking this course, what are some ways you plan to share what you are learning with your colleagues? Ongoing professional development for teachers and the development of literacy expertise are key factors to student success in all schools. In Florida (as well as nationally), there are many master teachers who serve as literacy coaches and provide essential literacy leadership. Literacy coaches "wear many hats" and develop, support, and monitor school-wide literacy programs. They work with teachers across the curriculum to help them implement and utilize strategies designed for student literacy development and success, they assist in assessment review and planning, and they conduct inservice training for colleagues. Literacy coaches are a key factor in a school's improvement plan. Please examine the many readings and resources that we include in this newsletter and share them with your colleagues.

I would like to encourage you to take some time this summer to read some children's or young adult literature-see sample ideas in this newsletter-and visit a public library. As teachers we are always busy! We need to expand our reading time and repertoire as we continue to search for ways to reach, teach, and motivate our students. Please let us know how we can better support you and help you grow professionally. Thank you again, for all of your work. Please free to contact me in case you have any questions or comments. You may reach me at vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu and/or 1-866-227-7261.

Best wishes,

Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator, FOR-PD
vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu

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Condition of Education 2005

-National Center for Education Statistics

The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated report that summarizes 40 indicators that reflect important developments and trends in education in the U.S. These indicators cover all aspects of education, from student achievement to school environment, and from early childhood through postsecondary education.  In addition, the Condition of Education includes a special analysis of data on teacher mobility.

The 2005 report shows that 17 percent of teachers in 1999-2000 started the school year as new hires at their school; but the majority of these new hires had previous teaching experience. Public school teachers in high-poverty schools were twice as likely as their counterparts in low-poverty schools to transfer to another school following the 1999-2000 school year. At the end of 1999-2000, about two percent of the workforce retired, while four percent left to take a non-teaching job, one percent left for family reasons, and one percent left for other reasons. New teachers who did not enter teaching right out of college were three times more likely to have neither a major nor certification in the subject they taught compared with teachers continuing to teach at the same school.

Public school enrollment has increased steadily through the early 2000s and is expected to peak at an all-time high of 50 million in 2014. As the U.S. population increases, so does its enrollment at all levels of public and private education. As immigration has increased, the learners have become more diverse than ever before with students who are members of racial/ethnic minorities or speak a language other than English at home making up an increasing share of the school age population. This trend is most evident in the West, which, in 2003, became the first region of the country where the minority public school enrollment exceeded the White public school enrollment.

The performance of elementary and secondary students improved nationally, though not in all subjects and not all grades:

• Between 1992 and 2003, the reading of 8th graders increased but the performance of 4th graders did not change.
• From 1990 to 2003, the mathematics performance of 4th and 8th graders improved steadily.
• However, in international comparison of mathematics literacy and problem solving, U.S. 15-year-olds performed below the average score of students in 29 industrialized countries in 2003.
• According to data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998, smaller percentages of children from homes with more family risk factors (poverty and primary language other than English) mastered complex reading and math skills by the spring of their 3rd grade compared to peers.
• Students in large central city public schools had lower average scores in reading and math than students in rural, urban fringe, and all central city schools (NAEP, 2003).

Students' rates of progress in completing high school remain uneven:

• Since 1972, the status drop out rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics (ages 16-24) have declined, but rates for Hispanics have remained higher than those for other racial/ethnic groups. (Status drop out rate represents the percentage of an age group that is not enrolled in school and has not earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.)
• Although the drop out rate declined for young adults over the 30-year period from 1972 through 2002, it remained fairly stable over the last decade (1992 through 2002).

Rates of enrollment in postsecondary education after graduation from high school remain the same overall, but vary for minorities.

• Between 1972 and 2003, the rate at which high school completers enrolled in college in the fall immediately after high school increased from 49 to 64 percent; but it has remained at about 64 percent since 1998.
• In 2003, 66 percent of White high school completers enrolled in college the fall immediately after high school, compared with 58 percent of Blacks and 59 percent of Hispanics.

The school environment is shaped by many factors, including curricular offerings, methods of instruction and assessment, scheduling, the configuration of classrooms and schools, and the climate for learning. Data on the school environment show that:

• The average number of required hours spent in school increased between 1987-88 and 1999-2000 at elementary, middle, and high school levels. On average, middle school students spent more time than elementary or high school students.
• In 2002, about 90 percent of 10th graders, in both high and low minority public schools, reported that students in their school make friends with students of other racial and ethnic groups.
• Sixty-three percent of 10th graders reported that when they work hard at school, their teacher praised their efforts.
• About half of 10th graders reported that students often got away with misbehavior at their school.
• The percentage of students' ages 12-18 that were victims of theft and violent crime was cut in half between 1992 and 2002.

Read the full report The Condition of Education 2005.

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Family Fun Reading Activities

Looking for fun and educational ways to keep reading "alive" during the summer? The Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Family and Community Outreach, and the Bradenton Herald have made available a collection of activities to support reading skills developed throughout the year. To get your copy of these activities, you can download the Family Fun Reading Activities booklet [pdf] or you can call 1-800-342-9271 and ask for product number F1009.

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National Education Technology Plan

"Over the next decade, the United States will face an ever increasing competition in the global economy. To an overwhelming extent, this competition will involve the mastery and application of new technologies in virtually every field of human endeavor. It is the responsibility of this nation's education enterprise-including policymakers-to help secure our economic future by ensuring that our young people are adequately prepared to meet these challenges. Today they are not. The National Education Technology Plan explores why and recommends steps to ensure that they will be. The technology that has so dramatically changed the world outside our schools is now changing the learning and teaching environment within them." (Executive Summary, National Education Technology Plan)

The National Education Technology Plan was undertaken by the Staff of the U.S. Department of Education in response to a request from Congress for an update on the status of educational technology. As the Department of Education fieldwork progressed, it became obvious that while the development of educational technology was thriving, its application in our schools was not. There has been an explosive growth in the availability of online instruction and virtual schools. New testing, reporting, and accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind are accelerating this trend.

Are we a nation on the move? Two decades ago, the U.S. Department of Education's National Commission on Excellence in Education published the seminal report, A Nation At Risk. This report made the case that students were not being challenged with high quality curricula and many students were not learning basic skills. Today, a majority of our secondary students still are not grade-level proficient in reading, math, or science. But there are dramatic changes taking place in the field of education. The digital age is changing how we learn, how we teach, and how the various segments of our educational system fit together. We must innovate our educational system for our country to succeed in global competition. The new realities of the digital marketplace, the rapid development of "virtual" schools, and a generation of students who are forcing schools to adapt and change in ways never before imagined are driving changes.

Over the past ten years, 99 percent of our nation's schools have been connected to the Internet with a 5:1 student to computer ratio. However, simply providing the hardware is not enough. Much of that hardware has been tucked away in a computer lab that is little used and poorly maintained. Today's students are leaps and bounds ahead of their teachers in terms of computer literacy. Students prefer to access subject matter on the Internet, where it is more abundant, accessible, and up-to-date. With increased use of new technologies and motivated students, in 10 years we could be looking at the greatest leap forward in achievement in the history of education.

Who are the millennials? Our students have demonstrated that they have a better understanding of the technological revolution than the current generation of teachers and administrators who did not have the advantage of growing up with the Internet. Below is some of the data collected on the millennial generation. This data suggests that the millennials are a generation for whom the Internet appears to have stimulated interest in learning and interest in researching and innovating using technology.

• 96 percent say that doing well in school is important to their lives.
• 94 percent say they plan to continue their education after high school.
• 88 percent say going to college is critical.
• 70 percent participate in community service or volunteer work.
• 76 percent want to learn about the world.
• 90 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 17 use computers.
• Teens spend more time online using the Internet than watching television.
• 94 percent of online teens use the Internet for school-related research.
• 24 percent have created their own web pages.
• The largest group of new users of the Internet from 2000-02 was 2-5 year olds.

What impact is No Child Left Behind having? Signed into law in 2002, NCLB set ambitious goals for the education system to improve the academic performance of all students. Since this time many states have reported significant gains in meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Data compiled by the Education Trust and the National Alliance of Black School Educators indicates that in nine states the proportion of schools making AYP increased by at least 10 percentage points. In addition to this data, the law has sparked debate over how to re-think and redesign educational models to raise standards, retrain educators, reapportion budgets, exploit new technologies and provide students with the technological and individual support they need.

The future is now! The National Education Technology Plan recommends seven major action steps.

Strengthen Leadership	The action plan recommends investing in leadership development of tech-savvy leaders at all levels. Include training in technology decision-making and organizational change in administrator education programs. Develop partnerships between schools, higher education, and the community. Develop creative technology partnerships with the business community. Empower students to participate in the planning process.
Innovative Budgeting	How will the funding focus on student learning and attainment of specific educational goals? Start with determining the total costs for technology as a percentage of total spending. Consider leasing with 3-5 year refresh cycles. Create a technology innovation fund to carry funds over yearly budget cycles.
Improve Teacher Training	There are more resources available to teachers through technology than ever before. The action plan recommends that teachers be taught how to use the technology. Ensure that every teacher has the opportunity to participate in online learning courses. Improve the quality and consistency of teacher education through measurement, accountability, and increased technology resources. Ensure that every teacher knows how to use data to personalize instruction.
Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools	There has been a significant growth in organized online instruction and virtual schools. This has made it possible for students at all levels to receive high quality supplemental or full courses of instruction personalize to their needs. The action plan recommends providing every student access to eLearning. Enable every teacher to participate in eLearning. Encourage the use of e-learning to meet NCLB requirements for highly qualified teachers. Develop quality measures and accreditation standards for eLearning that mirror those required for course credit.
Encourage Broadband Access	Most public schools, colleges, and universities have access to high-speed, high-capacity broadband communications. Imagine, though, what teachers and students could achieve with broadband access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The action plan recommends thoroughly evaluating existing technology infrastructure and access to broadband to determine capabilities and ensure reliability. Encourage the availability of adequate technical support.
Move Toward Digital Content	Textbooks are increasingly expensive, quickly outdated, and physically cumbersome. Teachers should move away from reliance on textbooks to the use of multimedia or online information. The action plan recommends ensuring that teachers and students are adequately trained to use online content. Consider the costs and benefits of online content, aligned with rigorous state academic standards.
Integrate Data Systems	Data systems are the key to better allocation of resources, greater management efficiency, and online and technology-based assessments of student performance. This empowers educators to transform teaching and personalize instruction. The action plan recommends establishing a plan to integrate data systems so that administrators and educators have the information needed to improve student's learning. Use assessment results to inform and differentiate instruction for every child.

Read the entire National Education Technology Plan. Also read, Meeting the Need For High Quality Teachers: e-Learning Solutions, FOR-PD appears as an example of an innovative e-learning program for educators.

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Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative

- Florida Department of Education Memorandum - May 31, 2005

The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative: Supporting Success is an effort to assist our nation's teachers through teacher roundtables, regional workshops, a national Research-to-Practice Summit, and electronic teacher updates. The initiative has brought together some of the nation's most effective teachers and education experts to share with their colleagues research-based practices and proven methods of using data to inform instruction.

The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, along with the Panhandle Area Education Consortium, has made available to teachers online professional development courses of Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops. These workshops were taped and converted to a video-streaming format. These workshops can be viewed either on-line or on the Florida Education Channel. Included in each on-line course are an overview, a course component, a video notetaking guide, a course assessment, follow-up activities, handouts, an implementation checklist, feedback form, and additional resources.

Florida teachers interested in participating in this online professional development need to be aware of the following information:

• The use of online professional development can be an acceptable professional delivery method as long as the component meets the criteria outlined in the Florida Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol.
• Before registering for the eLearning modules from the U.S. Department of Education Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, Florida teachers should contact their district professional development department to make sure the proposed activities meet the needs of the teacher (through your approved individual professional development plan) and the needs of the school district as specified in the school improvement plan.
• The approved component must meet all the criteria in the Florida Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol including appropriate follow-up to ensure transfer into professional practice and evaluation of the impact of the training upon student achievement.
• Each district has final authority regarding the awarding of inservice points for all professional development activities and must include them in their Master Inservice Plan.

Below are specific instructions for participating in the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative activities:

• Florida teachers must submit the Course Overview page for each session to their school district professional development offices prior to registration. This Overview page is required so that district offices may determine corresponding state codes.
• Upon completion, Florida teachers must submit the eLearning Certificate of Completion form to their school district professional development offices.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact you district office of professional development.

eLearning Modules Available

English/Language Arts	Additional Subjects
Beginning to Write Looking At Vocabulary Monitoring Comprehension Phonemic Awareness Phonics: The Building Blocks of Early Reading Reading in the Content Areas: It's Just Different	Math and Science Modules Building Teacher Leaders Differentiated Instruction Exciting Teachers and Improving Student Achievement With Standards-Based Data No Child Left Behind Standards-Based Education and Student Report Cards Turning Data Into Information

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Looking for Writers

The FOR-PD Project is calling all participants and facilitators who are interested in developing case studies. There are currently two case studies included in the FOR-PD course, one from a middle school social studies teacher and the other from an elementary teacher. Comments from teachers taking the course indicate that they like the addition and find them extremely helpful in thinking about applications to their classrooms.

Case studies provide a bridge between theory and practice and help strengthen understanding and enhance the participant's reflective skills while exploring new content. They allow the reader to peek inside a classroom to see how the teacher is using research to improve student reading. The case study reader is privy to the teacher's thinking about his/her students and their reading achievement.

Case studies can be seen as turning points. They provide a platform for professional conversations and invite the reader to listen in on the classroom conversations, professional dilemmas, problem solving, and change. A case study not only shows the teacher's mastery of the curriculum goals, but also shows a wealth of information about the teacher's knowledge, interests, strengths, reflections, challenges, questions, growth, and struggles. Case studies offer insights into the experience of teachers in a variety of context, and aims to help teachers build their literacy expertise.

If you are interested in writing a case study for FOR-PD please contact Catherine Glass at cc@orion.itrc.ucf.edu. For more information on writing a case study please read FOR-PD Case Studies [pdf].

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FOR-PD Open Enrollment Dates

Open Registration Begins	June 20, 2005
Open Registration Ends	August 15, 2005
Fall Courses Begin	August 29, 2005
Fall Courses End	December 5, 2005

Teachers wishing to register for fall courses will be able to do so from our homepage http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/forpd. Look for the registration link starting June 20th.

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Funding Opportunities

eInstruction's Engaging Kids to Learn: Bringing Technology to the Forefront
eInstruction makes real-time, interactive, wireless response pads for classrooms. They are making their technology available through grants to schools, and they are having a huge impact in classrooms around the world. The Classroom Performance System (CPS) is an easy-to-use IR response system that obtains immediate feedback from every student. The CPS system allows every student to enter answers on individual response pads. No one is embarrassed or shy about giving an answer.

Deadline: Open - Each quarter nine applicants are chosen (three elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools)
Funding: one 32-pad CPS system, CPS Chalkboard, and content containing thousands of CPS questions from Prentice Hall and Scott Foresman
Eligibility: Educators, whether already a CPS user or just learning about it
Contact: online application process
Web site: Engaging Kids to Learn Grant 2005

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Holidays, Happenings, & Events

FOR-PD Summer Session	May 16-August 22, 2005
FOR-PD Open Enrollment for Fall	June 20-August 15, 2005
2005 Literacy Through Leadership Conference Hilton Daytona Beach/Ocean Walk Village	July 12 - 14, 2005
Reading First, Reading Coaches Conference Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Orlando, FL Register through your district.	August 8-11, 2005
FOR-PD Fall Session	Aug. 29 - Dec. 5, 2005
Florida Council of Teachers of English 2005 Conference Orlando Renaissance Hotel Orlando, FL	Oct. 13-15, 2005
Florida Reading Association Annual Conference Wyndam Orlando Resort Orlando, FL	Oct. 20-23, 2005
Florida Association for Media Education 2005 Annual Conference Disney Coronado Springs Resort Orlando, FL	Oct. 19-21, 2005
2005 NCTE Annual Convention National Council of Teachers of English On Common Ground Pittsburgh, PA	Nov. 17-22, 2005
National Reading Conference 2005 Annual Meeting Miami, FL	Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2005
National Staff Development Council 2005 Conference Philadelphia, PA	Dec. 5-7, 2005
24th Southeast Regional Conference International Reading Association New Orleans, LA	Dec. 11-14, 2005
Plain Talk About Reading An SBRR Institute Center for Development and Learning Loyola University Campus New Orleans, LA	Dec. 12-13, 2005

Return to Top

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Many schools, both elementary and secondary, now have a reading or literacy coach on staff. The rapid proliferation of coaches is in response to increased attention on the reading achievement of all students in the United States. Federal dollars for professional development have targeted improved reading instruction. In the state of Florida, coaches work to empower teachers to learn more about reading and meet the reading needs of their students. The ultimate outcome of the coaching process is to impact students through teacher growth by providing an environment where students can acquire reading skills and subject matter knowledge. Our focus this month is on the reading or literacy coach and how they can help Florida teachers.

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Professional Development Through Coaching

The primary role of the reading coach is to provide professional development to the staff of a school. The reading coach works with teachers to improve reading instruction. A major emphasis of No Child Left Behind is the implementation of scientifically based reading research in the classroom. It is the reading coach's job to provide professional development on what constitutes scientifically based reading research and what strategies to implement in the classroom based on student data and need.

Reading coaches empower teachers to make effective decisions. The reading coach is 'the guide on the side' who allows the teacher to hone his/her craft while providing feedback. The specific impact that reading coaches provide can be seen through the work of Joyce and Shower's (2002). In order for professional development to impact student achievement, four elements must be present. First, teachers must work together to study and put into practice what the teacher is learning through professional development. Next, teacher development must center on curricular and instructional strategies that have been selected because of their high probability of affecting student learning. The strategies must be research based. And finally, the process of staff development must enable teachers to develop the skill to implement what they are learning. The degree through which the teacher is effective in applying new knowledge is determined by the design of the professional development.

Joyce and Showers (2002) studied four types of professional development to determine the effectiveness of each on concept understanding, skill attainment, and application in the classroom. Traditional professional development where the teacher sits and gets a presentation of theory typically leads to moderate concept understanding: however, just sitting and getting the information does not typically lead to attaining the skill or application in the classroom. Professional development that models the theory again typically leads to teachers understanding the concept being presented, but there is very little skill attainment or application in the classroom. When a teacher is able to practice what they are learning through professional development, the teacher typically understands the concept being presented and the teacher is able to reach a moderate level of skill attainment, but there is still typically very little application in the classroom. Coaching is the only form of professional development that supports teacher understanding of the concept, attaining the skills to use the concept, and then applying the concept in the classroom.

Impact of Coaching
(Joyce and Showers, 2002)

Components of Training	Concept Attainment	Skill Attainment	Application in Classroom
Presentation of Theory	85%	15%	5-10%
Modeling	85%	18%	5-10%
Practice and Low-Risk Feedback	85%	80%	10-15%
Coaching	90%	90%	80-90%

For professional development to make an impact on instruction, the teacher must have guidance and feedback on the implementation. The role of the coach is to provide that support, guidance, and feedback to the teacher. The coach is there to provide practical and useful suggestions, to demonstrate model lessons in the classroom, to listen as the teacher works through an analysis of their instruction, and to provide feedback on instruction being implemented in the classroom.

References:

Joyce, B. & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development. 3rd edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Benefits Of Having A Reading Coach

Coaching has the potential to contribute to teacher learning, to enhance the extent to which teachers use what they learn in professional development sessions, to increase teacher and administer collegial interactions around instruction, and to foster the development of a strong school learning community. Coaching has the potential to build instructional capacity in teachers, principals, and schools.

In order for coaching to build instructional capacity it must be part of the school's overall instructional improvement plan. When coaching is thoughtfully developed and implemented within the school's instructional improvement plan, it provides teachers with real opportunities to improve their instruction, it provides principals with real opportunities to improve their leadership, and it provides schools with real opportunities for school improvement.

Coaching can provide the following benefits:

• Professional development that addresses the learning needs of teachers, principals, and students.
  
• Teacher learning that carries over into classroom practice because the coach is there to help the teacher implement what they have learned.
  
• There is an increased willingness among teachers to share their practice with others and to seek learning opportunities from their peers. This leads to a collective responsibility for all student's learning.
  
• Improved principal leadership of instructional improvement.
  
• It creates a culture that is focused on instruction. Teachers and principals reflect on their practice and its impact on students.
  
• A focus on instructional decision making that is based on student data.

These benefits of coaching hold great promise for schools. Through coaching, schools can change the prevailing culture of isolation where teachers work in their classrooms not knowing what is going on across the hall. Schools can work collaboratively to improve instruction and student achievement.

Resource(s):
Neufeld, B. & Roper, D. (2003) Coaching: A strategy for developing instructional capacity. Aspen Institute and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

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What Does A Literacy Coach Do?

Below is a table of the many tasks literacy coaches complete at the school and classroom level. Administrators must ensure that the literacy coach is not used as a reading resource teacher, a substitute, administrator, or in any other capacity that takes them away from being a full time professional development resource in reading. Administrators should also ensure that time is provided for teachers to meet for professional development-grade level meetings, additional training, and one-on-one coaching sessions.

School-Level Tasks

Classroom-Level Tasks

Design and conduct professional development Guide curriculum selection Design and manage school-level assessment plans Summarize and share assessment data Plan school wide literacy focus with literacy leadership team Knowledge building

Observe, provide feedback, model (teacher professional development) Assist teacher with designing classroom instructional plan (whole group, needs based, and intervention) Assist teachers in using data to form and reform flexible groups Consider and reconsider how curriculum resources can best be used Assist teachers with implementing reading strategies in the classroom Conferencing with teachers Knowledge building

 

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Literacy Resources

Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence (FLaRE) Professional Paper: Coaching a Continuum of Professional Development [pdf, 4 paes] This professional paper by FLaRE provides information on coaching as a professional development model. It describes the nature of coaching and the characteristics of an effective coach.

Coaching: A Strategy for Developing Instructional Capacity [pdf, 46 pages] This paper is a product of Brown University's Annenberg Institute, the Aspen Institute Program on Education, and authors Barbara Neufeld and Dana Roper of Education Matters, Inc. This paper describes what coaching is, what coaches do, the kinds of supports that coaches need, and the potential benefits to both educators and students.

The Literacy Coach: A Key to Improving Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools [pdf, 34 pages] This document is produced by the Alliance for Excellent Education and authored by Elizabeth Sturtevant. It helps to develop an understanding of what works in successful programs as well as successful strategies for training effective literacy coaches at the secondary level.

International Reading Association (IRA) Position Statement: The Role and Qualifications of the Reading Coach in the United States [pdf, 4 pages] This position statement defines the role of the reading coach; describes what a reading coach should know and be able to do; and provides recommendations for policy makers, school administrators, reading specialists, reading coaches, and classroom teachers.

Secondary Regional Technical Assistance Meeting Presentation [pdf] This presentation is an update on secondary reading in the state of Florida.

Dole, J. (2004) The changing role of the reading specialist in school reform. The Reading Teacher, 57(5), 462-471.

Hall, B. (2004). Literacy coaches: An evolving role. Carnegie Reporter, 3(1), 11-19.

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FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month

This month, the Reading Strategy of the Month continues to focus on Reciprocal Teaching. Reciprocal teaching is an effective, research-based teaching strategy that scaffolds students' use of four comprehension strategies: predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing. The purpose of reciprocal teaching is to help students actively bring meaning to the written word. Last month FOR-PD focused on the two strategies of predicting and questioning. This month we focus on clarifying and summarizing. Included in this month's reading strategy is a discussion on how reciprocal reading can be used to prepare students for standardized assessments.

Check out the FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month to learn how to use Reciprocal Teaching. In July, we will bring all four strategies together and present a teaching sequence that has been shown to improve student learning.

Take a look at our current reading strategy and the examples provided from elementary and secondary levels. Try this strategy in your classroom and then email us and tell us how it worked (forpd@mail.ucf.edu). Also, don't forget to share the strategy with your colleagues. Each month we feature an effective reading strategy, explain the rationale behind the strategy, give directions on how to use the strategy with students, present ideas for adapting the strategy to different content areas, present ideas for assessing the strategy, and, of course, provide a printable PDF version of the strategy. Check out our Reading Strategy Archive to see past Reading Strategies of the Month.

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Literacy on the Web

Reading and Writing on the Web - Reading and writing online are rapidly becoming essential skills for students and teachers. To read strategies and resources on Internet and Web literacy, visit the NCTE Teaching Resource Collection.

Using Data to Make Decisions - This course focuses on the advantages and applications of using easily available information to guide educators through the selection of instructional strategies, school processes, and educational materials. Instructional change is based on data-driven decision-making that increases student learning.

The Internet: Ideas, Activities, and Resources - This site provides an overview of the Internet and includes curriculum integration ideas for Florida educators.

Integrating Literacy and Technology in the Curriculum - This site explains the International Reading Association's position on the importance of integrating technology into reading.

Book Reporter Network - The Book Reporter Network is a series of websites for teachers, librarians, and readers. Member sites provide original content about books, including author interviews, reviews and commentary; interactive elements such as polls, questions, and message boards; and reading group guides and other reader resources.

Young Author's Workshop - Links to websites on all aspects of the writing process for kids, including places to publish their writing.

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Books for Students

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
From the publisher:

In a Ya-Ya Sisterhood for teens, Peaches combines three unforgettable heroines who have nothing in common but the troubles that have gotten them sentenced to a summer of peach picking at a Georgia orchard. Leeda is a debutante dating wrong-side-of-the-tracks Rex. Murphy, the wildest girl in Bridgewater, likes whichever side Rex is on. Birdie is a dreamer whose passion for Girl Scout cookies is matched only by her love for a boy named Enrico. When their worlds collide, The Breakfast Club meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in an entirely original and provocative story with a lush, captivating setting.


Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer
From the publisher:

Jenna Boller is back from her life-altering trip to Texas, dripping with instant maturity. She's got a new job as assistant to Madeline Gladstone, Director of Quality Control for Gladstone Shoes, and a handsome protege named Tanner Cobb. But balancing all these responsibilities with the angst of junior year and her needy family isn't easy, especially when she's uncovering nefarious dealings at a mysterious shoe factory called Plant 453 and her protege happens to be a shoplifter. Jenna finds it difficult to trust Tanner, although his street smarts might be just what she needs when the going gets tough-filling so many shoes is a tall order! But Jenna's sense of humor keeps her grounded and helps her understand maturity is a work-in-progress.


Freddy and the French Fries #1: Fries Alive! by David Baldacci & Rudy Baldacci (illustrator)
From the publisher:

It all begins when Freddy Funkhauser, an offbeat nine-year-old with a knack for science, embarks on an ambitious plan to win new customers for the family business, The Burger Castle. But when his secret invention ends up working better than he'd ever dreamed, his plans go wildly awry as his kooky companions wreak havoc in every corner of Freddy's world.

Silverfin: Young Bond Series, Book One by Charlie Higson
From the publisher:

Announcing a brilliant new adventure series - an international publishing event! Before the name became a legend
Before the boy became the man
Meet young Bond

What does it take to become the greatest secret agent the world has ever known? In this thrilling prequel to the James Bond series, readers meet a thirteen-year-old schoolboy whose inquisitive mind and determination set him on a path that will one day take him all over the world, in pursuit of the most dangerous criminals known to man. When we're first introduced to young James, he's just started boarding school at Eton in the 1930s. His first adventure is set in the Highlands of Scotland, where James spends a holiday at a remote castle. Mysterious things start to happen-someone has disappeared; then James discovers that the dark waters around the castle contain a sinister secret and he becomes aware that a very dangerous mind is at work. SilverFin is the story of Young Bond's first mission to thwart a deadly foe.


Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr
From the publisher:

In Todd Parr's world, reading isn't something that just happens at school or at home-it can happen anywhere! In his trademark bright, bold pictures, Todd shows us all the fun ways we can read-from in the library and in bed to in the bathtub and on the road. Children are invited to read the main text as well as all the funny signs, labels, and messages hidden in the pictures.

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Professional Book Recommendations

Innovative Approaches To Literacy Education
editors Rachel A. Karchmer, Marla H. Mallette, Julia Kara-Soteriou, and Donald J. Leu, Jr.

Interested in understanding how the Internet can support literacy? This book combines two perspectives: findings from scholars who study the relationship between literacy and technology and the teachers who use the Internet in the classroom. This book will provide you with instructional ideas and resources that will help you meet the challenges that come with using this new literacy. (IRA, 2005) Read a sample chapter from this book.



One to One: The Art of Conferring With Young Writers
by Lucy Calkins, Amanda Hartman, and Zoe Ryder White

Clear, purposeful writing conferences are a powerful way to support young writers in a writing workshop. This book explains the practice and principles to creating effective conferences. Good conferencing, like good teaching, relies on the teacher's ability to communicate effectively with students. This book provides teachers with a conferencing framework, specific teaching methods, strategies for conferring with English language learners, ways content area teachers can use conferencing, and efficient record keeping systems. (Heinemann, 2005). Read a sample chapter on record keeping.


Notebook Know-How: Strategies for Writer's Notebook
by Aimee Buckner

Do you use a writer's notebook in your classroom? Writer's notebooks are an integral part of writers' workshop. It contains the brainstorming of topics, leads and endings that are being worked on, strategies that are being used during the revision process, or a writers foray into a new genre. This guide is packed with lessons, tips, and samples of student writing to help teachers make the most of writers' notebooks. Notebook Know-How shows how a smart and focused use of writers' notebooks enhances and deepens literacy learning. (Stenhouse, 2005) Read a chapter from this book.


Literacy Strategies For Grades 4-12: Reinforcing The Threads of Reading
by Karen Tankersley

This book explores classroom-reading strategies that are effective with English-speaking students in grades 4-12 and with English language learners of all ages. (ASCD, 2005) Read a chapter from this book.

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FOR-PD Literacy Log

The FOR-PD literacy log consists of thirteen reading/organizational strategies which are designed to help you interact with the course content, record your reflections on course material, and help you monitor your own learning and course progress. The literacy log also functions as a vehicle for exchange among yourself, other educators, your course facilitator, and your school district.

At the beginning of each FOR-PD lesson, you will be introduced to an effective reading strategy/organizer that you will use when reading the content of each lesson. Also included in the lesson are additional links to information and handouts on these strategies/organizers. FOR-PD encourages you to think of ways you can include these strategies/organizers in your own classroom.

Below you will find answers to common questions we receive about the literacy log.

• Where will I find the literacy log?

• Literacy logs can be found on the first page in lessons 2 -14; they are clearly marked with our literacy log icon. You are given a blank strategy/organizer and directions for completing the literacy log. Directly after the literacy log is a Try This box that contains resource links related to the particular strategy of the lesson.

• What do I do with the literacy log at the end of the course?

• At the end of the course, you should have a completed literacy log. Some districts require participants to turn in their literacy log in order to receive professional development points. We are in the process of surveying districts to see which require the literacy log to be turned in. We will post this information on our website once we have gotten complete information from each district. Until that time, it is the responsibility of the participant to find out if their district requires the log. We have a list of district contacts on our website. You can call or email your district's contact to see if you must turn in your literacy log.

• Do I need to send a copy to my facilitator?

• For the summer, you will need to turn your literacy log into your facilitator only if they request that you do so. We will be instituting a new literacy log policy in the fall. This new policy will be shared with all facilitators and participants in the coming months.

• There are guiding questions in the lesson. It tells me to respond to them. Where do I do that?

• Currently, we recommend that you respond to these questions on the discussion board in your course. These are excellent questions for creating discussion.
  
  Starting in the fall, the literacy log will be changed slightly to include a reflection piece. Participants will choose a question from the lesson and respond to a series of reflection questions. The intent of the reflection log is to get participants to think about what they have learned by reading the material in the lesson and then based on these new understandings, how they will implement instructional changes in the classroom.

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Tips For Getting Through The Summer

Oh, summer time! It is that time of year when you get to sleep in, relax, take a trip or two, and read that book that you have been meaning to get to. But wait, you have registered for the FOR-PD course. You think to yourself, why did I do that? You received the email explaining how to log in and get started. Your facilitator has even emailed you welcoming you to the course. You log in to check it out and think to yourself, I am not sure I can do this during the summer. You decide to give it a try.

We are so excited at the number of people that have decided to spend their summer with us. We know that this time of year is a challenge for anyone. We wish we, too, were at the beach relaxing under the Florida sun. For those of you needing to complete the Florida Reading Endorsement, the time is NOW! FOR-PD staff and facilitators are here to help you. With all those summer distractions, it is especially hard to stay motivated and focused on the course. Here are some tips that will help you make your summer commitment to complete the FOR-PD course.

• Make sure you are meeting the deadlines for your course. All due dates should be posted on the course calendar or in a discussion posted by your facilitator. We have also posted a Participant Expectations document in each course discussion area. This is a reminder of what you should be doing each week.

• If you plan on going out of town for a week or two and will be unable to access the course, please contact your facilitator. You should let your facilitator know when they will see your discussion postings and quiz submissions. If you know you are going to be gone, work a head one or two weeks to get what you will be missing done-that way you don't have to worry about it when you return. If you can't work ahead, print out a lesson or two to take with you. Communicating your summer plans to your facilitator is the key!

• All discussions are graded using the rubrics provided. Please make sure you look at the rubric before you complete your discussion posting. If you don't, you might be asked to revise your discussion.

• Weather is unpredictable this time of year. Make sure you have a back up plan in case you cannot log in. Suggestions include the public library or your school. Make sure you have your facilitator's contact information. Send them mail or even call them and let them know what is going on.
  
• Each lesson is available in PDF format. You can download the PDF to your computer and print it out. This will allow you to take copies of the lessons anywhere you are going.

• Give your facilitator all the information they will need to get a hold of you this summer, including personal email addresses, home phone numbers, cell phone numbers, and mailing addresses.

• If your facilitator emails the entire course or posts a message in the course discussion area, respond to them. Let them know you are still out there.
  
• Participate in the FOR-PD chats. The chat schedule for the summer is posted in this newsletter.

• Take a break. Use the faculty lounge to discuss an issue not related to the course. Share something new that you have read, personal triumphs, brag about that fabulous vacation you just got back from, or anything else you want to share with others.

• If you are having technical problems don't forget the Help Desk is available. Give them a call; they will probably be able to help you solve your problem.

During our quality assurance checks, we came across this discussion posting:

"I can positively say you will cover a lot of material in a short length of time. The trick is to not get behind. If you get behind you will miss out on participating in discussions. Doing your assignments in a timely manner, you are able to keep up with the pace of the course. I think you will all enjoy this online class because you get to 'think out of the box.' By this I mean you will use your thinking abilities in ways you didn't realize you could." (Participant posting in a Duval section.)

This participant has hit the nail on the head. This course is very extensive and covers a vast amount of research and instructional strategies. If you do not keep up with the pace of the course, you will fall behind. It is when participants start to fall behind that their motivation for completing the course wanes. Over the 14-week period, participants should be completing one lesson a week. There are participants who start out meeting this pace and then for whatever reason disappear only to reappear when the course is almost complete. When you don't keep up with the course, you miss out on the rich discussion of the course content and the sharing of ideas between your cohort members. It is this discussion and sharing that is core of the FOR-PD experience.

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FOR-PD Help Desk

Feeling frustrated? Can't figure it out? Don't forget the FOR-PD Help Desk is available. Summer Help Desk hours are:

Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

The phone number is 1-866-863-READ (7323) toll free, Florida calls only. For non-Florida calls only 407-249-4702. Technical support is also available through AOL Instant Messenger, screen name "forpdhelp".


You can also reach the FOR-PD Help Desk via email - helpdesk@orion.itrc.ucf.edu.
Make sure you state your name, section, problem, and how you can be reached (either through email or phone with a phone number).

Don't forget to check out the Tutorials and Troubleshooting Guide. Both of these resources provide a wealth of information on the tools used in the course and specific technology problems past participants have had along with solutions to these problems.


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Online Chat

Guidelines

1. When entering the chat, don't say hello to each other. Most chat systems inform everyone in the chat room that someone has entered the room. This will cut down on chat-message run-on.
   
2. Unless you have the floor, don't say anything; rather, ask to be recognized by the person who does have the floor by posting an !. This is unobtrusive and will let everyone know that you have a statement or question to make.
   
3. When you are done talking, end your last sentence with a # symbol.
   
4. If you specifically want to ask a question of someone or address them, type their name followed by a semicolon and then the message.

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