Page 44 - EdViewptsSpring2017

to improve instruction, sharing properly schedule students in the school community, especially our
instructional strategies/tools/best learning environment that best suits students, and may only in part meet
practices, discussion of curriculum their individual academic needs. the needs of other schools or districts.
and pacing, and common assess- • Davies Developmental Time However, a culture of literacy is also
ments/use of rubrics. (DDT):To help support literacy constantly evolving, not necessarily
• Digging Deeper with Data: In throughout Social Studies, ELA because literacy itself is evolving, but
addition to using Reading Inventory and SS teachers meet once a because education itself continues to
(RI) to track Lexile growth, Phonics week to plan for a supplemental progress. “Possession of education,”
Inventory (PI) to track phonological class (DDT) on how to best is also a phrase that directly relates to
growth, and our in-house Data deliver fundamental literacy skills. literacy and is a powerful reminder and
Analysis reports, we can dig Developing a culture of literacy is notion that literacy is the foundation for
deeper with additional reports a complex process that not only an overall measure of one’s success.
through the Read 180 and System takes years of development, but also
44 data management program resources and support. It is also a
(SAM). These reports allow us to framework that functions well for our

References:
About Read 180 Universal. Blended Learning Program - About READ 180 Universal - HMH. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.
About Reading Counts! Reading Program – Reading Counts – HMH. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.
Literacy. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2017.
The Most Proven Effective Foundational Reading Program for Grades 3–12. Foundational Reading Program for
Struggling Readers | System 44. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

About the Authors

Stephen Santilli is the Lead Learner (Principal) of the William Davies Middle School in Mays Landing,
NJ, where he has served in this capacity for the past six years. Prior to his principalship, Stephen served
as the Vice Principal in the same building. His career began as a Social Studies and Life Skills teacher in
Grades 6-8 in the Hammonton Public School System. Stephen is also the recipient of the 2014 Bammy
Award from the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences for Middle School Principal. Stephen maintains
his Deliberate Practice blog at http://deliberatepractice-edu.blogspot.com/ and is an active member of the
educational Twitter community @SPSantilli.
Amy Carter has been teaching Special Education English Language Arts for 21 years, 17 of those at
the William Davies Middle School in Mays Landing, NJ. Amy is one of the Special Education Department
Chairs, focusing on ELA, and serves as a liaison between staff and administration. For the last four years
she has had the honor of teaching, supporting, and encouraging some of the school’s most struggling
readers in a READ 180 classroom. She has been recognized as an HMH READ 180 Educator Finalist
in 2015 and also as a 2015 Bammy Award Finalist in the field of Special Needs Educator. She is an avid
reader and hopes her students can find that same magic on the pages of the books they open. You can
follow Amy on Twitter @amylynnecarter.
Rachel Robinson has been teaching English Language Arts at the William Davies Middle School for
15 years. Over the years, Rachel has brought literacy to life in a variety of classroom settings, including
basic skills instruction and special education inclusion. She has worked collaboratively to transform an
isolated reading and writing curriculum into a balanced literacy framework. Recently, Rachel adopted the
role of English Language Arts Coordinator for the Davies School, working to implement that curriculum
across grade levels and literacy at large across content areas.

Educational Viewpoints -42- Spring 2017