Natomas is focused on literacy through writing for all students across the district. Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, listen, and think critically in order to build knowledge and communicate thoughts, ideas, and understanding of learning.

Why writing?

• Teaching students about the writing process improves reading comprehension
• Teaching students spelling and sentence construction skills improves reading fluency or the ability to read with speed, with accuracy, and with proper expression
• Reading fluency helps students understand what they are reading
• Writing provides a way for students to be reflective about their learning
• Writing provides a way for students to demonstrate their understanding of what they have read
• Better writers become better readers

Process
Natomas Unified began the literacy through writing work in 2021-2022. NUSD conducted a summer writing pilot, facilitated a literacy plan workgroup throughout the year, gathered teacher feedback and family input, and ran a small group spring writing pilot to develop Phase I of the Literacy Plan to be implemented in 2022-2023 focused on informational writing. The data collection and analysis to inform Phase I included gathering feedback from teachers, students, and families about the needs of an effective literacy plan and using that feedback to develop next steps.

Throughout the process, NUSD has gathered feedback from teachers. It was clear through the voice of our teachers that staff wanted additional supports on how to teach writing with specific requests for support in the following areas:

• Common district wide assessments
• District rubrics TK-12
• Shared writing language
• Graphic organizers by writing genre (i.e. an organizer to help a student prewrite for an informational essay on the effects of water pollution would be different than an organizer to help a student prewrite for an argumentative essay on the best method for solving water pollution) that teachers and students could utilize to support instruction.

Teachers piloted prompts, rubrics, and family communication templates in a Spring 2022 writing pilot to determine what would be the most effective for students and families. Teachers provided feedback on the rubrics so that adjustments could be made as needed.

The 2022-23 Pilot Phase I is providing NUSD with valuable information that allows teachers to identify students’ writing needs and work with them to improve their writing. As NUSD moves through the pilot this school year, we are engaging staff, students, and families in feedback so that we can continue to adjust and make improvements to the process. Our goal is a long-term approach to student growth in literacy.

In fall of 2022, families and students answered targeted survey questions on learning recovery and of those that responded 62% of families and 54% of students indicated they need “a little bit” or “a lot of” help with writing. The collective data from families, students and teachers is fully aligned with literacy through writing as a district wide area of focus.

Writing Glossary
Free 24/7 Tutoring and Essay Review Available through Varsity Tutors
NUSD Rubrics
Annotated Rubric Grade 3
Informational Writing Prompts
Research Materials for writing grades 3-12

Student Reading Materials

• PreK – Grade 1
• Grades 2 – 4
• Grades 5 – 6

Literacy Timeline
Professional Development Opportunities
Literacy Board report 8/30/23
Literacy Board Report 7/26/23
Literacy Board report 3/8/23
January 2022 Board Report

 

 

1. August 18, 2023

Literacy will continue to be a major area of focus for Natomas Unified. While families may hear more about writing, it is important to know that reading and writing go hand in hand and when paired together, they strengthen student’s reading, comprehension, and writing. We look forward to our literacy journey this year and sharing updates, and tips for families to support our efforts at home.

2. August 4, 2023

This past week, some teachers attended an argumentative writing workshop in direct support of our focus on Literacy. The workshop will help educators teach students skills such as presenting evidence to back up theories, citing sources, and making informed decisions based on research. In addition, 51 teachers participated in a literacy training workshop where they reviewed grading rubrics and student writing in grade level teams on July 31st. Both workshops will continue to be offered throughout the year, among many others, all in support of the district’s efforts to increase literacy skills for students.

3. May 12, 2023

Maria Cortez’s Classroom and the Step Up to Writing Program
Our district has been focused on honing students’ informational writing skills. In Maria Cortez’s class, her students have been using the Step Up to Writing program to help them write topic sentences, detailed sentences, and the conclusion. Watch this video to hear from Cortez and students.

4. February 24, 2023

Author Brittany Green, who has written books such as “Little Black Girl” and “Little Black Boy”, read her books with students at Jefferson K-8 School and H. Allen Hight Elementary School over Zoom. Her stories highlight African Americans’ contributions to American culture and encourages students to leave their own mark. After reading the books aloud, the students discussed the themes of the book. Then the students were assigned to write what they learned from Green, the books, and what makes them unique/special.

5. December 1, 2022

As part of our continued effort to keep our families and staff updated about our progress in supporting students in the area of literacy, we are excited to share some promising growth for our students. Prior to the Thanksgiving break, we administered a second writing assessment at all sites, with the exception of Discovery High School, for grades TK-8, 9, and 11. These informational writing assessments were scored on a district-wide rubric in five areas as well as given an average score. We shared in a previous communication what a rubric was and how we utilized it in NUSD. For a refresher or if you missed it and would like to access it, click here.

Based on initial findings, here are a few successes to celebrate so far:

• 13 schools showed increases in rubric scores from the pre to the post.
• Overall, in a preliminary analysis of average change in scores from pre to post, there was an increase in students scoring a 2, 3, or 4 on the post-assessment, which means more students have improved in their writing.

These successes are directly tied to the work our teachers are doing in the classrooms, and we want to take a moment to recognize our teachers for this accomplishment. We know that this is a journey that will take time, and we’re committed to the work that is necessary to continually improve literacy for our students through improving writing.

What is a writing Rubric?

NUSD’s Literacy Efforts, Part 1: Focus on Informational Writing

NUSD’s Literacy Efforts, Part 2: Breaking Down Rubrics from the ’Main Topic’ to Grammar

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Night at NUSD K-8 Schools

 

Family Literacy Digital Badge

As part of NUSD’s efforts to recognize and acknowledge families for their commitment to supporting their student’s success in literacy, families have an opportunity to earn a Literacy Supporter Digital Badge for the 2023-2024 school year. All you have to do to earn a badge is show evidence of supporting literacy with your student by attending an event related to literacy, reading, or writing with your student, visiting a library or bookstore, and more. Take a photo and send it to us, and we will be happy to send you your digital badge to display as you wish. Please email [email protected] for your badge.

Reach out to [email protected] with questions or feedback.