Language and Literature

Honors-Level Literacy For All

Our goal is to provide students with research-based, rigorous reading and writing instruction focused on enrichment and inquiry, regardless of the classroom they are assigned. In past practice, only a handful of teachers were responsible for literacy intervention and practices included some that were remedial and segregated, contributing to unsatisfactory outcomes for students. Although pull-out remediation may seem like an easier way to get the results we want, literacy outcomes are complex. A student’s literacy identity is connected to expectations that we have for them as a reader and writer, as well as their success in literacy and the ways they see themselves in the curriculum.

The 5 Pursuits of Culturally Relevant Literacy
Teachers approach the student experience and our classes through the 5 pursuits listed below. These pursuits are part of the St. Louis Park Public Schools strategic plan. Enrichment isn’t always about offering students with high skill levels more work, it’s also about helping students find joy, work on criticality, and deepen their discovery of all of the pursuits. While some students are strong in each pursuit, others accelerate in some pursuits more than others. Enrichment isn’t always about offering students with high skill levels, more skills, it’s also about helping students find joy, work on criticality, and deepen their discovery of all of the pursuits. Rigor comes from and through all of the 5 pursuits.

Identity - students discover who they are, who others say they are, and who they desire to be
Skill - students demonstrate proficiency in reading (decoding, vocabulary, phonics, etc.)
Intellectualism - citing textual evidence and writing and expression of ideas
Criticality - critical thinking, students understand power, humanity, inequities, oppression, anti-sexism and anti-racism
Joy - students express happiness and a love for learning

Secondary Literacy and the Redesign of the Middle School Experience
Student Voice on Literacy

Secondary Literacy and the Redesign of the Middle School Experience

All students get research-based, rigorous reading analysis and writing instruction focused on enrichment and inquiry, regardless of the classroom they are assigned. Therefore, we have redesigned the middle school experience so that honors-level learning can move students seamlessly into high school prepared to take honors-level courses. Expanding rigorous literacy for all students and eliminating regular Language and Literature classes allows us to dedicate more time to exploring further learning experiences. It is important to understand that we are not eliminating or decreasing any learning experiences, rather, creating opportunities for honors-level work in every class. The course changes will occur over the next three school years, beginning with 6th grade next school year, 7th grade in 2024-25, and 8th grade in 2025-26.

Imagine a hedge maze. Students enter the class together, but how each student experiences their learning is completely different. Embedding differentiation practices through choice, enrichment, multiple perspectives, and a variety of instructional methods, teachers guide students to accelerate their individual learning.

All middle school students will continue to engage in enrichment opportunities as part of the IB Middle Years Programme. Language & Literature enrichment opportunities also exist in the electives of Creative Writing, Film Studies, Musical Theater, Fantasy Literature, Humanities, and Digital Storytelling. Additionally, we have a Spelling Bee, Newspaper Club, Maslon Uplift, and Debate, amongst other things.

Students are expected to study and show proficiency in analyzing texts, organizing ideas, producing text, and using language to express themselves. These are the four different IB Criteria for Language & Literature. Extended learning occurs when students learn and demonstrate understanding of the criteria at a sophisticated, perceptive, and extensive level.

High School English teachers are utilizing professional development to collaboratively create new units and create enriched learning opportunities in all classes. College in the Schools and a writing center will be added to the high school next year. The High School offers more than 40 Advanced Placement (AP), IB and Concurrent College courses, significantly more than most Minnesota school districts.

Student Voice on Literacy

One of St. Louis Park Public Schools' literacy principles is making sure all students have access to high interest books that they are able to read. Special attention is given to culturally relevant practices and those that maximize gifts and talents of all of our students. The approach provides more student choice of materials and how students show their knowledge, a staple of enrichment programming.

Krychell Smith is an 8th grader at St. Louis Park Middle School. “When I was really small I felt like reading was a burden and that reading was taking time away from fun things, like playing with my friends. Now, reading and writing are more of a learning process for me and are interesting compared to what it was before. Reading is really fun for me and helps me learn different things about the world,” she said. Krychell’s all time favorite book is an LGBT realistic fiction book, They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera.

Krychell’s middle school Language and Literature experience helped her realize her love for writing, which is why she enrolled in Creative Writing this year. “I feel like when you're reading or writing you can find yourself in the situation and really feel something that's different...it can change your mind, like if you are not in happy place, you can find yourself in such a happy situation that makes you genuinely happy.”

FAQs

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Did SLP eliminate advanced literacy classes?

Under the new literacy model, we provide rigorous literacy for all students. In reality, we’ve eliminated regular Language and Literature courses, which resulted in remediation and incremental growth. It is important to note that we are not eliminating or decreasing any learning experiences by offering expanding rigorous literacy for all students. In fact, doing so allows us to dedicate more time to exploring further learning experiences.

We are focused on student learning and achievement. By leveraging our IB Achievement Descriptors and Rubrics for Language & Literature, we have clearly articulated what it means for students to "sufficiently" meet a skill or understanding. This has been "regular" Language and Literature because it is the expectation that all students are achieving at grade level. Additionally, it is articulated how to "thoroughly" and "extensively" master a skill, which is achieving at an "advanced" level. This new structure would allow any student in any class section to achieve at the expected grade level or beyond for each skill.

How do students access enrichment, support, and intervention when needed?

Our instructors strive to be motivating and supportive to keep students engaged. Teachers receive professional development in different settings in order to build the capacity of all of our teachers in the science of reading and all aspects of culturally relevant literacy.

Our ongoing development of differentiation helps teachers determine when the instruction is not sufficient to meet the needs of individual students. With robust student libraries, students are able to select not only different levels of reading books but also a variety of genres to provide them with perspectives that they are seeking. Differentiation opportunities continue in the summer through our school offered programming.

Our intervention guidelines help teachers determine when core instruction is not sufficient to meet the needs of individual students. Classroom teachers, enrichment teachers, multilingual teachers, special education teachers, and literacy specialists support students not yet at grade level in a wide variety of ways, including small group interventions. Some interventions take place right in the classroom with their teacher or a literacy specialist, while others may be before or after school or part of a summer school program.

Does the International Baccalaureate programme support this change?

What research, strategies and practices are the literacy changes based on?

The research-based frameworks SLP literacy changes are based on include: International Baccalaureate (IB) Framework, LETRS Training, Meaningful Phonics and Word Study, Shifting the Balance, Minnesota Reading Association, NCTE, and Amplify Science of Reading Podcast.

The changes are also based on the research, teachings, and literature from the following educational leaders: Dr. Miah Daughtery, Dr. Cynthia Lewis, Dr. Jennipher Frazier, Author Rosa Higgs, Educational Leader Marva Collins, Educational Leader Kareem Weaver, Dr. David Kilpatrick, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, and Dr. Yvette Jackson.

Since there are students currently in honors, how will they be integrated into the overall classroom experience and how will learning and development be measured?

Will Advanced Language and Literature be no longer offered at the middle school?

Why does this literacy plan claim that all teachers are receiving LETRS training when it is only a small fraction of educators who have received the training?

More than 40 elementary teachers, which is over 50 percent of our teachers K-5 are currently enrolled in LETRS training. It is our goal that all K-5 classroom teachers take LETRS training and have offered four paid release days for any teacher who is enrolled in the course. We also have LETRS trained Literacy Specialists providing professional development and coaching to all staff throughout the school year.

Will the high school be offering honors English classes next year and moving forward?

Why does the local literacy plan list and refer to balanced literacy?

The Local Literacy Plan has only been updated to include definitions of the Science of Reading and our work around the strategic priority of culturally relevant literacy. Balanced Literacy was a hallmark of St. Louis Park’s reading program for more than a decade. Most of the Literacy plan still honors the work that has been done in the past while we continue to develop our teachers in LETRS training, structured literacy skills, and other changes in our core curriculum and instruction. The Literacy Design Team and classroom teachers will help craft an updated plan for 2023-24.