• Establishing through a careful choice of curriculum a strong foundation for students’ learning in reading, writing and math;
What is the new system-wide instructional approach?
The new instructional approach has three major components:
• Establishing through a careful choice of curriculum a strong foundation for students’ learning in reading, writing and math;
• Providing teachers and students with additional materials, including classroom libraries in Kindergarten through 9th grade in every school;
• Giving teachers the support and tools they need through enhanced professional development, including the assignment of trained reading and math coaches in every school.
The new approach takes best practices that are proven to raise student performance and applies them across the school system. In sum, the new instructional approach ensures that the resources that characterize high quality programs – classroom libraries and reading and math coaches and excellent instructional materials are available to every school and every teacher and every child in the New York city school system.
Why is the Department of Education implementing a new system-wide approach to reading, writing and math?
The new system-wide approach was developed specifically to address concerns about low levels of student achievement in these core areas. Parents, students, community members, teachers, principals, superintendents and school staff – many of whom attended the numerous Children First meetings held across the city in the past months shared their dissatisfaction with the quality of our schools in meeting these basic learning needs. Math and reading experts from New York city and around the nation offered helpful advice that factored into the design of the new approach. The new citywide instructional approach answers the calls we heard from all these constituencies for greater consistency and for a rich curriculum that also provides a solid grounding in the basics.
The approach is designed to help our schools take students to the highest levels of achievement. Students need to know not only the “basics” they need to learn how to think critically and analytically. This new approach helps get them there. It is demanding. It develops conceptual thinking skills and teaches children how to solve complex problems.
It provides the foundation for strong learning, but at the same time allows teachers to tailor learning to individual student needs to identify what a student needs to learn, spot when he or she is struggling academically, and employ proven strategies and materials to help the student meet high learning standards.
A key component of the comprehensive approach is enhanced professional training the new approach will provide stronger support to teachers and principals so that they can succeed in ensuring that the children in their schools master essential reading, writing and math skills.
The New York city public school system currently uses approximately 30 different reading programs and 50 different math programs. The extraordinary mobility of the students in New York city’s school system makes the current patchwork of curricula unworkable.
Similarly, less than half of all middle school teachers are teaching in the same school they were teaching in two years ago. Currently, students and teachers have to adapt to new instructional approaches and curricula each time they change schools. It takes time to master different programs and interrupts the learning process. Implementing a consistent system-wide approach will address this problem and benefit both students and teachers.
What is the new instructional approach to reading and writing?
The new approach ensures that students not only learn the “basics” of reading and writing – it also teaches them how to think critically and analytically. Each day, students will spend time reading under the guidance of their teacher, reading by themselves, and reading and sharing books and the ideas in them with their classmates. Children learn how to read and write through the use of engaging books from classroom libraries and through carefully structured lessons that integrate basic reading skills (decoding sounds and letters) and comprehension and writing. The new instructional approach to reading and writing will include:
• Daily practice in three major areas: reading, writing and word study (lower grades word study is called “phonics”);
• Large blocks of time daily for reading and writing instruction in small groups (90 minutes in grades K-8 with an additional 20-45 minutes of phonics instruction daily in grades K-3);
• Use of classroom libraries of children’s literature and non-fiction books instead of commercial reading textbooks; and
• Use of scientific, research-based instructional practices proven to raise student achievement and aligned with state and national standards.
What is phonics and why does the new comprehensive approach dedicate time to phonics instruction on a daily basis?
Phonics instruction is a way of teaching reading that stresses the acquisition of letter-sound correspondences and their use in reading and spelling. The primary focus of phonics instruction is to help beginning readers understand how letters are linked to sounds to form letter-sound correspondences and spelling patterns and to help them learn how to apply this knowledge in their reading. Systematic phonics instruction in the lower grades is recommended by the National Reading Panel because research has shown that it helps students decode, spell, and comprehend what they read.
Which specific reading/writing texts/programs will be required under the new instructional approach to reading?
Grades K-9; NYC Literacy Framework supplemented with Additional Word Study.
Grades K-3: A systematic phonics program will be implemented daily; existing classroom libraries will also be utilized.
Grades 4-9: New classroom libraries with a variety of age-appropriate children’s literature and nonfiction books.
What are the components of the New York city reading and writing framework?
New York city is implementing its own reading and writing framework, which is based on the Primary Literacy Standards developed by the National Center for Education and the Economy (NCEE). NCEE’s Primary Literacy Standards are New York State’s standards and clearly establish what students in grades K-3 need to know and be able to do in reading and writing. All teachers in the school system have these standards and use them as a guide for planning instruction. In addition, teachers will be provided with tools for interim assessments and the following supports:
1. Supplementary Books/Texts
A variety of decodable texts
Repetitive books
Leveled texts
Big books for shared reading
Trade books
2. A Curriculum Guide for Teachers
Lesson plans
Pacing guide
Scope and Sequence
Samples of Student Work
Interim Assessments
3. Supplementary Materials
Alphabet cards – oversized for teacher modeling, and individual sets for every student
Various charts illustrating letter/sound correspondence, common onsets and rimes, blends, digraphs, etc.
Chart paper pads for Shared Writing activities
Manipulatives (e.g., magnetic letters, words cards)
Pocket charts
Word frames
Oversized blank books
Word Wall materials
All necessary photocopies of classroom materials
Why are classroom libraries important to the learning process?
The effective use of classroom libraries has led to increased student achievement in school districts across the country and in many districts here in New York city (including CSD 2, 10, and 15). Children learn how to read and write best by practicing these skills every day with engaging books. Classroom libraries that include a wide range of engaging books encourage students to read and write about topics they know and like.
What is the new instructional approach to mathematics?
The new math curriculum is designed to ensure that every child in the school system acquires the fundamental math skills and comprehension of math concepts that he or she needs for college and the job market. The new instructional approach will:
• Provide students with a strong foundation in basic math skills – the ability to accurately add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents; and
• Develop students’ ability to solve complex mathematical problems, reason mathematically, and apply math concepts to real-world situations.
The math curriculum will be implemented every day in focused classroom sessions. Children in grades K-2 will be required to spend one hour each day on math. In grades 3-8, children will be required to spend 75 minutes each day on math.
The textbooks and supplementary materials selected for the math curriculum will provide children with a strong foundation in basic math skills as well as the ability to take basic math concepts and apply them to complex problems. The math programs and supplements utilized will align well with New York State standards and exams by:
1) promoting the mastery of basic skills and
2) developing the higher-order and conceptual math skills that are needed for the state math exams and success in the job market.
The selected programs include strong supports for teachers and also provide materials that will enable parents to help their children with their math studies at home.
How did the Department of Education select this approach?
The staff of the Department of Education solicited advice from people across New York city and from all over the country including superintendents, principals, assistant principals, professional developers, teachers, education experts, parents, students, and community members. Department staff also examined best practices in New York city and urban schools in other cities. Using this input and research, the range of programs available was surveyed. Those that were best suited for the diverse needs of New York city – and that met and went beyond federal requirements and state standards and tests – were selected for the new curriculum.
Given that the new instructional approach is adding extra math and reading time to school’s daily schedules, will schools be teaching less of other subjects?
There are a variety of scheduling options available to schools to ensure that they continue to teach all the subjects in their curricula, while also ensuring that students spend the time they need to master reading, writing, and math skills. Many schools in the system already devote the same amount of time to reading, writing, and math as is required under the new instructional approach without compromising instruction in other areas.
When will the new curriculum be implemented in schools?
Beginning in September 2003, schools will implement the reading and writing program for grades K-9. For the math program, K-5 schools will have the choice of implementing the program in the fall of 2003 or 2004. The new math program for grade 6 will be implemented this fall, as will the Math A high school curriculum.
Will every school be expected to use the same reading, writing, and math programs?
The only schools that will not be required to implement the new instructional approach are those that have received a waiver from the Chancellor based on designated performance criteria in reading/writing and math. The list of schools that have received a waiver is posted on the Department of Education Web site.
Is the Department of Education providing professional development for the teachers who will be required to implement the new instructional approach?
Yes. The new organizational structure is specifically designed to provide high-quality professional development and support for classroom instruction. In each school, reading and math coaches will work with the principal to identify teachers’ professional development needs and deliver training that meets those needs in line with the school’s goals. The coaches will also facilitate learning and sharing of best practices in the school and organize teacher study groups, set up classrooms for other teachers to observe, work with small groups of teachers during planning time, and coordinate other critical training experiences that currently do not take place consistently in every school.
The Department will use a train-the-trainer model developed by Deputy Chancellor Lam and the 10 Regional Superintendents to ensure consistency and coherence throughout the school system. Professional development will include coaching strategies, content knowledge, facilitation, and other skills training in line with the selected reading, writing and math programs. Professional development will occur through intensive summer training followed by sessions throughout the academic year.
What will the reading and math coaches do?
The reading and math coaches will work with principals to identify teachers’ professional development needs and deliver training that meets those needs in line with each school’s goals. They will work to facilitate learning and sharing of best practices in their schools by, among other things, organizing teacher study groups, setting up lab classrooms for other teachers to observe, and working with small groups of teachers during planning time.
