THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

TO:	EMSC-VESID Committee
FROM:	Jean C. Stevens
SUBJECT:	Destination Diploma IV Forum
DATE:	June 8, 2006
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

SUMMARY

Issue for Information

As part of the New York State High School Initiative, the State Education Department (SED) co-sponsored Destination Diploma IV with the New York City Department of Education on May 8-9, 2006. The attached report provides a brief summary of highlights from the forum.

Reason(s) for Consideration

To inform the Regents as they consider policy relating to closing the achievement gap in high schools.

Proposed Handling

For information.

Procedural History

Not applicable.

Background Information

Destination Diploma IV: Literacy Now, Graduation Next was the fourth in a series of two-day statewide forums focusing on districts with high schools that have less than 70 percent graduation rate and are in improvement status. Building on the success of the previous three high school forums, over 750 educators and stakeholders came together to examine emerging strategies for improving adolescent literacy, graduation rates and performance on Regents exams. The Fifteen Elements of Effective Adolescent Literacy Programs delineated in the Reading Next report to the Carnegie Corporation was used to focus dialogue (see Attachment A).

Recommendation

Staff recommends that the Regents review the attached report to inform their ongoing discussions on identifying strategies to close the achievement gap.

Timetable for Implementation

Not applicable.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DESTINATION DIPLOMA IV HELD MAY 8-9, 2006

IN NEW YORK CITY

Destination Diploma IV: Literacy Now, Graduation Next was the fourth in a series of two-day statewide forums focusing on districts with high schools that have less than 70 percent graduation rate and are in improvement status. Over 750 educators and stakeholders examined emerging strategies for improving adolescent literacy, graduation rates and performance on Regents exams. The design of the forum created various opportunities for discussion among participants across districts and with their partners through presentations, in-depth and detailed roundtable discussions, discussions with students, school visits, and developing district action plans. The following provides a brief summary.

School Visits

Twenty school visits were conducted during the forum and participants identified a number of ideas that may be useful in their school, district or organization, such as:

· assigning cross-disciplinary research projects in all grades;

· scheduling double periods in all major subjects at least once a week;

· providing extensive support for 9th grade students, including concentrated guidance services and a double English language arts (ELA) period;

· engaging higher education partnerships;

· initiating dialogue between middle school and high school;

· scheduling common planning time for teachers;

· changing the structure of classrooms;

· establishing small learning communities;

· integrating technology to teach literacy across content areas; and

· focusing on literacy and writing throughout the curriculum, including math and science.

Discussions with Students

Participants engaged with students on an individual level and in a group setting at the site visits and some of their comments were:

· “Brought home the need to provide relevant text to students’ lives—both the reality and that which will give them hope to expand their horizons.”

· “It was enlightening, as it always is, to hear directly from those whom we intend to serve. We need to do it more often formally and informally.”

· “Reaffirms the power of quality adolescent-focused literature.”

· “Student involvement is key to the success of any program at the high school level.”

· “We all know that any student can be successful if given the right conditions.”

District Action Plans

School districts were asked to share a commitment to action during the final session of the forum. Those commitments had common threads directly related to the Fifteen Elements of Effective Adolescent Literacy Programs contained in Reading Next. Key points reported out by participants included:

· implementing small learning communities;

· examining feeder patterns specifically for Level 1 and Level 2 students;

· reading across the curriculum for every grade level;

· making productive use of qualitative and quantitative data to support learning;

· providing more professional development time for all staff by increasing allowable number of days;

· acknowledging both 4-year graduation and 5-year completion rates; and

· using the Cornell note-taking system as an effective way to take notes across grade levels and content areas.

Participants indicated that the most helpful aspects of the closing session were being able to formulate a plan that specifies what will be done at the district; the district’s commitment to action; hearing what other districts are going to do to address adolescent literacy issues; the sharing of ideas and the forming of networks with districts that have similar agendas; and the strong interest in and commitment to change expressed by the districts. The overall consensus was that the forum experience was informative, rewarding and an excellent opportunity to learn more about what districts across the State are doing to focus on improving adolescent literacy to increase the number of students graduating.

ATTACHMENT A

The Fifteen Elements of Effective Adolescent Literacy Programs

The Reading Next report delineates Fifteen Elements aimed at improving middle and high school literacy achievement.

Instructional

1. Direct, explicit comprehension instruction, which is instruction in the strategies and processes that proficient readers use to understand what they read, including summarizing, keeping track of one’s own understanding and a host of other practices

2. Effective instructional principles embedded in content, including language arts teachers using content-area texts and content-area teachers providing instruction and practice in reading and writing skills specific to their subject area

3. Motivation and self-directed learning, which includes building motivation to read and learn and providing students with the instruction and supports needed for independent learning tasks they will face after graduation

4. Text-based collaborative learning, which involves students interacting with one another around a variety of texts

5. Strategic tutoring, which provides students with intense, individualized reading, writing and content instruction as needed

6. Diverse texts, which are texts at a variety of difficulty levels and on a variety of topics

7. Intensive writing, including instruction connected to the kinds of writing tasks students will have to perform well in high school and beyond

8. A technology component, which includes technology as a tool for and a topic of literacy instruction

9. Ongoing formative assessment of students, which is informal, often daily assessment of how students are progressing under current instructional practices

Infrastructure

10. Extended time for literacy, which includes approximately two to four hours of literacy instruction and practice that takes place in language arts and content-area classes

11. Professional development, that is both long term and ongoing

12. Ongoing summative assessment of students and programs, which is more formal and provides data that are reported for accountability and research purposes

13. Teacher teams, which are interdisciplinary teams that meet regularly to discuss students and to align instruction

14. Leadership, which can come from principals and teachers who have a solid understanding of how to teach reading and writing to the full array of students present in schools