BUSD’s Literacy Action Plan
At BUSD, we have the opportunity to continue building a comprehensive literacy program that is aligned with research and will support every student in reaching grade-level proficiency. The goal of the literacy action plan is to provide universal access to core curriculum, reduce inequities, align our systems, and promote partnerships between families and the school so that every student can flourish.
Four Goals of BUSD’s Literacy Action Plan
Goal 1: Develop Programs to Improve General Education Reading and Language Arts Achievement for all Students, especially those Students with or at risk for Reading Disabilities, including Dyslexia
Goal 2: Increase the Systematicity and Intensity of Tier 2 and 3 Reading and Language Arts Intervention of the MTSS Framework to Reduce the Achievement Gap for Students at risk for Reading Disability
Goal 3: Ensure Fidelity of Literacy Improvement Program Implementation through District Monitoring of Literacy Improvement Program and Staff Engagement. (Fidelity and Evaluation)
Goal 4: Special Education Programs: Increase Reading Achievement by Improving the Quality of IEP Goals and Section 504 Plan Development, Progress Monitoring, and use of appropriately intensive, Research-based Interventions. (SPED)
BUSD’s Literacy Framework
BUSD K-5 English Language Arts Curriculum Review and Adoption Process
In the Spring of 2023 a group of 13 Berkeley Unified Educator Stakeholders, District TSAs and District Leadership, under the guidance of Dr. Kimberly Gibbons conducted a research-based review of BUSD’s Elementary English Language Arts (ELA) curricula. The core ELA programs currently in use in our 11 Elementary Schools are Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Units of Study in Reading and Writing, and Success for All’s Fast Track Phonics which were both reviewed during this process. The purpose of the review was to examine the curricular materials to identify evidence that they promote instruction that is aligned with both the research on literacy acquisition as well as in the areas of Accessibility/Usability for educators and students, and Cultural Responsiveness. To read more about the process and results see here: BUSD K-5 English Language Arts Curriculum Review
In 2023-24, BUSD partnered with CORE Learning to deliver professional development and coaching on the science of reading and foundational literacy skills to K-8 teachers and site-based specialists. CORE has a long-standing history of prioritizing evidence-based practices rooted in the science of reading.
With professional learning experiences and school supports that equip educators with the tools they need to advance rigorous instruction, high-quality materials, and effective assessments, BUSD initiated a K-5 literacy curriculum adoption process in Spring 2024.
In addition to convening a pilot committee, BUSD has hosted three community engagement sessions, and three parent/family focus group sessions for our African American, Latinx families and families with students with IEPs since February 2028:
- February 28, 2024 – Literacy Community Engagement Session #1
- April 29, 2024 – Black/African American and SPED family focus groups
- May 6, 2024 – Latinx family focus group
- May 13, 2024 – Literacy Community Engagement Session #2
- This session included a presentation from Dr. Kim Gibbons about the review conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research for Educational Research Improvement (CAREI) that evaluated the existing national English language arts curriculum.
- September 25, Literacy Community Engagement Session #3
- This session included a presentation of Pilot #1 curriculum
2023-24 Highlights
- Provided year-long foundational reading PD through CORE Learning which resulted in shared language around reading development and productive conversations to develop a literacy framework for BUSD Language Arts Adoption.
- K-5 teachers completed 22 hours of reading training through the CORE Reading Academy; 6-8 teachers completed two days of Adolescent Literacy Solutions.
- Over 95 Practitioners in BUSD have been trained with structured literacy (Orton-Gillingham) resulting in over 300 students in the district receiving Orton Gillingham instruction
- Built systems for documenting and monitoring the progress of all students receiving special reading instruction.
- Established process for monitoring IEP goals for students with reading challenges.
- Conducted inventory and assessment of Middle School reading support data and instruction to inform supplements and improvements in 2024-25.
- Launched a language arts adoption process with stakeholders to select new high-quality materials for implementation in 2025-26.
Looking ahead to 2024-25
- Train and support classroom teachers to use a new evidence-backed reading assessment protocol to inform reading instruction in 24-25.
- Conduct a K-5 reading curriculum pilot, to bring a curriculum to the Board for approval in Spring 2025.
- Initiate the use of supplemental reading program for Middle School students in need of intervention.
BUSD’s Reading Diagnostic Plan
BUSD teachers and leaders will be using grade-level Reading Diagnostic Plans to ensure assessments are being used to collect high leverage actionable data to inform targeted Tier 1 instruction for students with unfinished learning in reading, and students are being progress monitored and identified for additional support if needed.
See here for BUSD’s evidence-backed reading assessment protocol by grade level.
Readable PDF of this image found here
How BUSD’s K-2 Students Learn to Read
As part of a comprehensive evidence-based literacy program, for our youngest readers in K-2 we target three important areas of early reading development; Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and High Frequency Word work. Our K-2 teachers are using the Fast Track Phonics program and Heggerty to provide this explicit instruction. Below are definitions of these skills and ways you can support your student in continuing to build them at home!
What does Phonemic Awareness mean? |
What is Phonics? |
What are High Frequency Words? |
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Phonemic Awareness is the ability to hear, isolate and manipulate individual speech sounds (phonemes). This is an important building block skill for reading and writing. For example being able to hear the first sound in “cow” as /c/. Or say the sounds in bat as /b/, /a/, /t/. |
Phonics is instruction in the relationship between letters and sounds, so that students are able to read and spell words. | High Frequency Words are words that show up all the time in texts (books, articles, etc). If students can learn these words, which sometimes have irregular spellings, this unlocks a lot of printed text for them! |
Phonemic Awareness Video Links for Families (English & Spanish)
What is Phonemic Awareness in Spanish |
Fast Track: FTP Home Links
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Recommended Lists to support students at home |
Literacy Assessments
BUSD is committed to helping each child become a powerful reader. As part of this commitment we assess all K-8 students three times per year with a quick reading test. The results provide a snapshot of each child’s development as a reader. School teams use this information to inform monitoring and additional support that might be needed in reading. For more information on reading screeners, and why they are important check out this link.
Getting More Information on Literacy Assessments
DIBELS
The front shows scores and descriptions of each subtest, and the back has support activities you can do at home.
- Parent Guide to Dibels Assessment English/Spanish
- Home Connect with Activities for families to do
- Dibels Tips for Families: explains risk categories & percentiles, gives tips on what parents can do if child is in risk category, Resource links & Terminology
STAR
Click the image to view a readable pdf.
- STAR Reports for Caregivers
Literacy Action Plan Reports
As part of a settlement agreement related to literacy support for students with reading-related challenges and disabilities, BUSD is required to take certain steps to refine and improve policies and practices to better serve students with and suspected to have reading disorders, in particular students identified with dyslexia or students who may have phonological processing challenges.
- Quarter 1 Report on October 12, 2022
- Monitoring Report on November 20, 2022
- Quarter 2 Report on February 1, 2023
- Quarter 3 Report on April 26, 2023
- Monitoring Report on June 7, 2023
- Quarter 4 Report on August 23, 2023
- Quarter 5 Report on October 18, 2023
- Monitoring Report on January 10, 2024
- Quarter 6 Report – January 24, 2024
- Quarter 7 Report – April 17, 2024
- Monitoring Report – June 12, 2024
- Quarter 8 Report – August 21, 2024
Literacy in the News
Hear from Superintendent Ford Morthel discussing BUSD as a District on the Move: On November 2, Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel had the opportunity to speak at the California Reading Coalition’s Reading Summit. Over 1,000 educators, advocates, and other change-makers came together to learn from leading experts, practitioners, and each other. The recap of the summit is here
BUSD Reading Lists
(Click the image to access reading lists).