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Proven Practices
2009 Promising Practice Designee
"Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy"
Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy (PCL) is a school-reform model designed by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, dedicated to increasing student achievement in literacy. This model uses literacy as a basis for measuring school improvement in four areas: student learning, teacher perceptions, school climate, and school processes. The power of the PCL model is marked by the understanding that school change is a dynamic, continuous process that requires commitment and collaboration among administrators, teachers, support staff and students.
These key stakeholders recognize the importance of four essential components within our school: a classroom literacy framework, school-embedded professional development, intervention programs for struggling learners, and accountability paired with research. Honoring the ten features of the PCL Model, our school’s Literacy Coach monitors our literacy plan by working with adult learners, demonstrating and studying research that shows the strongest instructional approaches for literacy learning. This programs is designed to support systemic change by providing concentrated training in “focus” classrooms. These classrooms then become “model classrooms” for other teachers to observe the literacy plan in action. The training eventually provides the opportunity for all teachers in a building to be in a “focus” classroom, utilizing a sequence of specific activities and a graduated implementation schedule. Activities include weekly team meetings and collaboration, data collection and analysis, intervention meetings, professional development resources, common reading and writing assessments, student assessment notebooks, and cross-grade-level observations.
For additional information on implementing this Proven Practice Award-winning program in your school, contact:
Kevin Huffman
Robberson Elementary School
Springfield R-12 School District
1100 East Kearney
Springfield, MO 65803
417-523-1800
