Page 24 - ela
P. 24
English Language Arts Department Program Review
· · ·
Implementation Timeline (Anticipated Start/Finish): August 2020 - On-Going
Key Personnel: K-12 ELA Teachers; Special Education Teachers, Reading Specialists, School
Psychologist, Intervention Specialists, Assistant Superintendents for Elementary and Secondary Education;
Intermediate Unit consultants, University partners
Major Action Steps: (1) Identify essential expectations (horizontal and vertical) in writing and grammar for
all disciplines and deliver instruction using research-based best practices; (2) Develop a style manual, posters,
and other print/digital materials to articulate and ensure a common experience for all stakeholders (teachers,
students, and parents) across all disciplines; (3) Utilize writing portfolios for writing instruction and
assessment across disciplines, and to increase student awareness of their individual strengths and areas for
improvement, and to foster a deep understanding of the manner by which clear written communication applies
to all aspects of life; (4) Establish internal benchmarks of writing expectations (considering standards and
developmental expectations) at each grade level and create an electronic repository of resources (including
exemplar responses and common rubrics) to communicate examples; (5) Reflect, evaluate, and continuously
revise the curriculum as vertical teams and grade levels.
Estimated Budget/Resources: Costs would include on-going professional development (including travel and
training), consultation , local printing costs for possible style guides, posters, and other common planning
resources
Potential Implications (Short-Term and Long-Term): (1) Writing expectations will need to be
communicated and measurement systems will need to be developed to ensure consistency exists across
classrooms; (2) Feedback rubrics for student writing will need to be developed with a focus on
age-appropriate common-language across a variety of writing types; (3) Time allocated for frequent student
writing and feedback will need to be integrated into the scope and sequence of each course.
23
