Case Studies – RWMP

Linden School, Wellington

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This is an account from one of the schools, or clusters of schools, that have received funding from the Reading, Writing and Mathematics Proposals Pool (RWMP) to support programmes in reading, writing and mathematics for students years 1 to 6.

The issues

When Linden School assessed its students' Written Language achievement levels, it found that while most students were achieving, there were identifiable groups of students not meeting benchmark expectations.

Principal Donna Watson says data showed that Pacific Island students and students with English as a second language were over-represented in the underachieving groups. Data also showed that there were twice as many boys as girls needing intensive support at year 4 level and beyond.

And in common with many other low decile schools, Linden School had a high student roll-turnover rate (49 percent in the year to date).

The data became the impetus for a concerted push to develop a school-wide written language programme.

The planning

"Our vision was for staff, with the assistance of a literacy expert, to develop a "tool kit" of skills and resources which teachers could use to quickly identify student needs in written language, and to determine appropriate programmes to meet these needs.

"And if teachers were refining their skills in delivering high quality written language programmes to 'at-risk' students, then obviously there would be spin-offs for other students as well.

"Because of our high student roll-turnover, part of the motivation behind the Written Language programme was also to develop school-wide approaches that would enable all students to make progress in Written Language, no matter what their starting point, and regardless of whether they were at our school for a shorter or a longer time."

Donna Watson, principal

Linden School was already involved in the Literacy Leadership Enhancement programme when it successfully applied to the Reading, Writing and Mathematics Proposals Pool. This enabled an intensive school development programme to be put together which supplemented the enhancement programme and which in turn led to the school's involvement in the English Exemplars project. Implementation of the programme is now at the halfway stage.

The actions

Proposals Pool funding has provided for in-depth support from literacy consultant Murray Gadd. He works closely with Donna and Literacy Leader Donna Beechey, providing professional development for the school's 10 full time and part time teachers through workshops and individual teacher guidance, including observation, feedback, and modelling.

Staff workshops have covered a range of topics – motivating students as writers, modelling, conferencing, and giving feedback to students. As well as reinforcing the essential elements of a quality Written Language programme, workshops have also looked at "best practice" approaches to planning, assessment, and evaluation. Staff are also taking part in a school-wide action research project – Giving Feedback to Students – under the Literacy Leadership Enhancement programme.

Under the umbrella of the English Exemplar project and supported by Murray, teachers are currently focusing on persuasive writing over a period of four weeks. In the senior school for instance, teacher Steph Burgisser leads a group discussion on arguments for and against the Goosebumps books. Various arguments are brainstormed and summarised on charts which can be referred to again later. The students then argue their personal view through their own writing.

In the new entrants' class Literacy Leader Donna Beechey has her ten students forming opinions about fairy tales such as The Three Little Pigs – something that many teachers might have thought was beyond students in junior classes.

Donna will first read a picture book version of the Three Little Pigs to her class having told them that they will each be choosing a character they like, to write about. After some intense discussion about the story – the characters, events, and themes – the students are encouraged to make a list of the good characters, to each choose one and to articulate why they have chosen that character. Meanwhile Donna is recording key ideas and phrases on her whiteboard.

The students will then construct a sentence in their writing books, using the framework: "The... is a good pig because...". With their alphabet cards in front of them and knowing they can check with Donna's whiteboard, they begin to write their sentences. All are working independently around the table with Donna guiding where necessary. She is constantly prompting, praising, reminding, and directing and will sometimes ask for help from other students if one child has forgotten their sentence.

There is a buzz of activity with students helping each other, asking questions of Donna, sounding out letters, moving to the whiteboard, checking their cards, or searching the room for the right words.

Once they have finished, Donna checks each child's writing, provides verbal feedback, and notes progress in their writing books using easily understood symbols. (This represents the "Giving Feedback" goal that she has set herself to develop with her class.)

For instance, she records that they have sounded a letter correctly by drawing an ear, or she draws a finger to indicate the need to space words. Donna says her notations can be used later for assessment purposes.

The students then move away from the writing table to complete their accompanying illustration, which was started before the writing exercise. While the students draw, animated discussions about the writing task continue.

Donna says her expectations of students have been raised significantly. "I now expect them to use more sophisticated vocabulary and I expect them to take greater risks. I am now using more pre-writing instruction and brainstorming, something I had assumed previously would be too difficult for 5-year-olds. But they love it!"

Like other teachers at the school, Murray is giving Donna individual support, in addition to the whole-staff workshops. Murray encourages the teachers to reflect, self-evaluate and to discuss their goals. Teachers also seek feedback from colleagues and provide it in return.

The results

Principal Donna Watson says that while the project is very much a "work-in-progress", the impact on the school has already been positive. "Teachers have been able to act on new insights and students are constructively engaged."

She says it has been a vital part of the programme to have all teaching staff involved and learning together.

"School leadership must also be part of this commitment, if the programme is to have a long-term effect.

"It has been tremendously helpful to have input from experts like Murray, and the Proposals Pool funding has enabled us to provide extra release time so that teachers can receive detailed feedback after in-class sessions."

The data that teachers are gathering will help to direct teaching strategies in later stages of the project.

The future

The next stage involves consolidating the gains from intensive workshops and in-class work, and focusing on student development. Ultimately the school's goal is to have a school-wide Written Language programme that significantly raises the level of Written Language achievement and refines teaching, learning, and assessment practices. And throughout the programme students are involved in varied, innovative and exciting activities, which meet their specific needs and also meet national requirements.

2001

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