BPS Literacy
Planning Committee 2020
The Bedford
Public Schools is committed to making literacy a priority. With that as our
shared commitment, we have created a Literacy Planning Committee that has
representation from K-12 faculty from all content areas. The committee will
work on creating a literacy plan that represents a continuum of instruction,
curriculum, assessment, and intervention services for our students K-12.
Our MCAS scores
have demonstrated that we have made some progress, yet we still have room for
improvement. Several different cohorts have made gains; however, our students
are not performing at the levels we would like them too. At no grade, and in no
subject tested, did we have greater than 81% of our students Meeting or
Exceeding Expectations in 2019. Some grade levels and subjects, such as Grade 7
ELA (YOG 2024), where only 60% of students are Meeting or Exceeding
Expectations, are even more concerning. Furthermore, there are significant gaps
in the achievement and growth percentiles between students in several subgroups
and all students.
In addition to
addressing our assessment data, as the literacy demands of learners continue to
increase, it is imperative that we develop assessment and intervention plans
(including a scope and sequence of developmental outcomes) that lead all
students to acquire the literacy skills necessary for the 21st century. With
this in mind, we will develop a literacy plan that will serve a variety of
purposes:
● To inform
instructional leaders and teachers about current, researched best practices for
literacy assessment, instruction, and intervention.
● To develop
a comprehensive, system-wide plan for literacy assessment, instruction,
curriculum, and intervention, including a literacy scope and sequence that
builds on students’ skills as they develop K-12.
●
To address the unique considerations necessary to
bridge the gap between students’ current literacy abilities and grade-level
expectations by accelerating learning.
●
To inform the professional development goals and needs
of the district in the area of literacy.
● To inform
the development and implementation of curriculum for specific courses,
programs, and differentiated plans of instruction and intervention.
We have 29
Bedford educators that have joined our Literacy Planning Committee. This
skilled group in collaboration with many stakeholders will create a district
plan that ensures that ALL students in the Bedford Public receive appropriate
literacy instruction to prepare them for college and career and life beyond
Bedford Public Schools. The committee will work with subgroups throughout the district on the following
categories:
● 6-12 Core Literacy Instruction
● Literacy Intervention Program
● Literacy Assessments and Use of Data
● Literacy Professional Development
● Resources, Funding, and Staffing
● Literacy Leadership and District Structures Supporting Literacy
● Scheduling and Grouping
The committee
will be meeting several times throughout the spring. The goal will be to share
the Literacy Plan at the end of August, and have this plan become an integral
part of the overall district plan and each individual school-based School
Improvement Plan. The committee will meet for their first meeting, on Friday,
January 31st. This is a very exciting time for teaching and learning in
Bedford. The response to creating a Literacy Plan, and implementing it
collaboratively as K-12 system, has been enthusiastic and well supported. Look
for updates as we begin to finalize a comprehensive plan.
Tricia Clifford, Ed.D
Assistant Superintendent of
Schools
