Literacy Planning and Initial Work

--- Published on November 04th 2022 ---
A Father And His Boy Reading A Book

In the summer of 2021, work to develop our Literacy plan began with a summer school program focused on writing. During this summer school pilot, teachers used rubrics and taught informational writing to students, providing an opportunity to identify student writing needs and begin formulating the next steps around their needs.  Work continued throughout the 21-22 school year. Natomas Unified staff gathered feedback from teachers, families, and students on the structure and implementation of the plan. A literacy plan work group was formed; teachers K-12 from each site were invited to participate in this initial work. Teacher feedback on the pilot of the Literacy Plan as well as the recently developed rubrics and common tools was positive and provided key information to guide our next steps in refining and implementing the Literacy Plan district-wide.

Based on the summer work/pilot around informational writing, feedback from the literacy group and pilot process, teacher survey, family feedback, and the spring pilot, key needs were identified to support literacy through writing in the district:

Districtwide common rubrics (or documents that explain how students can improve writing – used for scoring writing

Districtwide common language across all grade level

Example papers to provide models of writing for families and students at each grade level

Immediate results of assessments in order to plan writing instruction so that teachers can focus on students’ areas of need

Writing results and student areas of growth areas to be communicated to students and families so families can be partners in helping with writing at home

This year, as we pilot the literacy plan throughout the district, we are continuing to gather data and feedback from teachers, students, and families, so that we can adjust the plan to meet the needs of all of our students. In our next communication, we will be sharing specific information about our rubrics and how they can be used to help your students become better writers.