College
High launches a Literacy Initiative for student achievement from three perspectives, self, school, and
society. The overarching goal of the Literacy Initiative is to develop a
comprehensive plan for students, parents, and teachers, with the support of
administrators and community members, to provide opportunities for academic enhancement,
self-empowerment, and self-advocacy. In this initiative, “self”, addresses
physical, intellectual, emotional, and social aspects of the student, “school”,
focuses on trandisciplinary literacy in the core subject areas of history, English,
science, and math while simultaneously honoring the content area material of
these subjects, and “society”, draws on historicity and establishing global
connections within student personal networks. Prioritizing literacy instruction
in the school directly addresses individual achievement on a broader scale as
well as creates a viable space for articulation among all staff members. The existence
of prevalent school wide literacy spaces opens up lines of communication and
instigates conversations that help to suture past wounds responsible for the
present day deficit mindset concerning underachieving achieving students. The
Literacy Initiative is designed to improve the literacy environment of the
school and promote a collaborative framework among all staff members for the
purpose of overall academic achievement.
The
Literacy Initiative involves using scaffolding experiences in an on-going quest
to reframe the “what is” reality of the school system. These experiences are
introduced to student learners and support teachers in addressing the immediate
literacy needs of all students. As a result, instructional time benefits are
magnified and literacy discourse is emphasized.
The
Literacy Initiative helps to build teacher confidence in the delivery of
content area material and increases the possibility of students embracing new
material with better understanding. It assists teachers in implementing literacy
techniques and strategies while taking into consideration the unique
personality of each class as well as honoring the expertise of each teacher and
most importantly addressing the individual needs of each student. Cultivating
an inclusive affirming mindset stimulates a well-rounded learning environment
and circumvents the “one size fits all” mentality.
The
Literacy Initiative is cost effective because it uses on-site materials and
expertise. The procedure focuses on students, non-tenured teachers and/or
veteran teachers, parents, community members, and administrative supports.
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