ANOKA-HENNEPIN SCHOOLS

LOCAL LITERACY PLAN

Updated July 1, 2019

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Goals and vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Continuum of literacy
• Core instruction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
• Identification process . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
• Literacy interventions and services . . . 6

Annual reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Parent communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Professional development . . . . . . . . . 10

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2 Anoka-Hennepin Schools ahschools.us/LLP

 GOALS AND VISION
Reading proficiently no later than
the end of grade three, MN
Statute 120B.12.
Literacy Goal: 2017 MN Education
Bill requires all school districts to
adopt a local literacy plan to have
every child reading well by the
end of grade three.
The law requires that district plans attend to four specific areas: identification and reporting, parent notification
and engagement, intervention, and staff development. Legislation requires the district to post its literacy plan on
the official school district website and submit a report with a K-2 summary of reading data and identify students
in grade three or higher who demonstrate reading difficulty. This plan is available to view at: ahschools.us/LLP.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools
mission and vision statement

Mission statement
It is the primary mission of the Anoka-Hennepin School District to effectively educate each of our students
for success.
To fulfill this mission, the school district is accountable for:

• Providing a caring, highly trained, and • Acknowledging parents' roles as their

effective staff who use research-based
best practices.
• Providing learning opportunities that meet the
individual learning needs of each student.
• Monitoring student achievement to maximize
each student's learning.
• Promoting high achievement for all students.
children's primary educators and partnering
with them to increase student success.
• Improving connections with the community
to foster public involvement with and
understanding of our educational programs.
• Providing a safe and respectful
learning environment.
• Using all resources efficiently
and effectively.

Vision statement
It is the vision of the Anoka-Hennepin School District to be a public school system of
excellence, with high quality staff and programs and successful graduates.

ahschools.us/LLP Anoka-Hennepin Schools 3

 CONTINUUM OF LITERACY
During the 2015-16 school year, a comprehensive review of the Anoka-Hennepin reading curriculum was conducted.
There was an urgent need to evaluate and change the district’s instructional practices in the area of literacy. Thus, the
adoption of a new curriculum, McGraw Hill’s Reading Wonders. During the 2017-18 school year, McGraw Hill’s
WonderWorks and Wonders ELD programs were adopted. These programs are aligned to the Minn. state standards.

Core literacy instruction

Anoka-Hennepin is committed to ensuring success in reading for all students by:
• Implementing the research-based Reading Wonders 2017 curriculum that is fully executing the 2010 Minn.
K-12 academic standards in English language arts (ELA) to include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
vocabulary development, and reading comprehension. Reading Wonders is composed of the following

• Close reading
instructional practices yielding high leverage effects including:

• Complex text
• Increased rigor
District continuous improvement model

• Collaborative conversation 4. Follow the 1. Assess Program

• Providing a gradual release of Improvement Plan Effectiveness
responsibility framework: teach a. Identify input and a. strengths
and model, practice and apply, feedback loops b. weaknesses
differentiate for acceleration, and b. engage stakeholders c. opportunities
assessment of student application. d. challenges
c. monitor progress
• Ensuring all students are provided
access to grade level standards
through guided whole group and
differentiated small group instruc-
tion. Students are not pulled during
this block.
• Enacting a core Reading and Writing
Workshop model built through 3. Create an 2. Identify need for
connected ideas, fully implementing Improvement Plan Improvement
collaborative conversations and
a. collect data a. curriculum
close reading of complex text which
focuses on the quantitative, qualita- b. identify action steps b. assessment
tive, and matches the reader to task. c. plan professional development c. professional
d. develop budget development
• Applying all writing standards
from genre to process to research e. develop an evaluation plan d. program change
by giving daily instruction and
opportunities for application.
• Providing print and digital
access to the ELA standards
for instruction and practice.
• Developing school improvement
plans which address reading goals
at every site by literacy teams.
• Following the district continuous
improvement model.
• Participating in Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs)
with a focus on improving literacy
instructional practices for teachers.

4 Anoka-Hennepin Schools ahschools.us/LLP

Identification process
Research, evaluation and testing:
Assessment data is used to determine students’ level of reading proficiency. Assessments are one component of
the educational program provided by the Anoka-Hennepin School District. Students take a variety of assessments
including classroom, nationally normed, and state required. Each have a specific purpose designed to give the
teacher, student, and family information about the academic performance and progress of the student. The types
of assessments given to Anoka-Hennepin elementary students are described briefly below.
Grade K-1 Assessments
Fall Winter Spring
FAST
Kindergarten Grade one Kindergarten Grade one Kindergarten Grade one
Letter Sounds Letter Sounds Letter Names CBM Letter Names CBM
Letter Names Nonsense Words Letter Sounds Nonsense Words Letter Sounds Nonsense Words
Nonsense Words Nonsense Words
Wonders
Reading Wonders Assessments Reading Wonders Assessments Reading Wonders Assessments
Wonders Progress Monitoring Wonders Progress Monitoring Wonders Progress Monitoring

● Weekly and Unit assessments (formative, summative) ● Weekly Progress Monitoring (formative)
Reading Wonders Assessments Select Students:

● Progress Monitoring (baseline, end of trimester 1, 2, 3) ● Phonological and phonemic awareness (diagnostic)
● FAST subtests (diagnostics)
● Running Records (diagnostic, formative)
● Phonics Survey (diagnostic, formative)

Grade 2 Assessments
Fall Winter Spring
NWEA MAP (screener) Reading Wonders Assessments Reading Wonders Assessments
Reading Wonders Assessments CogAT-Cognitive Ability Test Oral Reading Fluency
Oral Reading Fluency Oral Reading Fluency

● Weekly and Unit assessments (formative, summative) ● Weekly progress monitoring (formative)
Reading Wonders Assessment Select Students:

● Progress Monitoring (baseline, end of trimester 1, 2, 3)
● Phonological and phonemic awareness (diagnostic)
● Phonics and decoding survey (diagnostic)
● Informal reading survey (diagnostic)
● Running records (diagnostic, formative)
● NWEA MAP- winter and spring (diagnostic, formative)

Grade 3-5 Assessments

Fall Winter Spring
NWEA MAP (screener) Reading Wonders assessments Reading Wonder Assessments
Reading Wonders Assessment Oral Reading Fluency Oral Reading Fluency
Oral Reading Fluency MCAs

● Weekly and Unit assessments (formative, summative) ● Weekly Oral Reading Fluency (formative)
Reading Wonders Assessment Select Students:

● Oral Reading Fluency (baseline, end of trimester 1, 2, 3)
● Phonological and phonemic awareness (diagnostic)
● Phonics and decoding survey (diagnostic)
● Informal reading survey (diagnostic)
● Running records (diagnostic, formative)
● NWEA MAP- winter and spring (diagnostic, formative)
● MTAS

Assessment data is used to determine district needs and provides guidance for upcoming professional develop-
ment. It is also used to determine instructional needs at the classroom and student level. If students are not
demonstrating proficiency, teachers administer additional assessments, including diagnostic and formative, to
determine next instructional steps (listed in the chart above under the heading of “Select Students”). There are
many tools available to monitor student progress indicating effectiveness of interventions and instruction.
English Learners’ needs are determined through a number of assessment data points which include: ACCESS,
Reading Wonders weekly and unit assessments, MCA, MAP, and the students’ report card. All teachers collabo-
rate weekly to discuss data, student progress, and plan interventions when necessary.

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 CONTINUUM OF LITERACY
Interventions and
Tier III:
instructional supports
Students
The Anoka-Hennepin School with greater
District offers a variety of needs receive
academic supports for more intensive
students at every academic support. Instruction
level. occurs more frequently and
has a low student-to-teacher ratio.

Tier II:
Students not making adequate
progress in the core curriculum are
provided with increasingly intensive
instruction matched to their needs.

Tier I:
All students receive high quality reading instruction in
whole and small group. Whole group provides equal access
to grade level standards and small group provides differentiation
to meet student needs.

Literacy supports, services and interventions:

Possible Description Provider Frequency Student Communicating

intervention selection progress to
criteria parents
Classroom teacher Students receive additional Licensed 2-5 times FAST, MAP, MCA, Conferences,
Reading Wonders Tier II:
● Phonemic Awareness K-5
instruction with Wonders’ teacher per week weekly/unit report cards,
Reading Wonders Reading Wonders
● Phonics K-5
Tier II resources identified
through Reading Wonders’
● Fluency K-5
Assessments school-home

● Comprehension K-5
assessments and progress feedback

● Writing 3-5
monitoring

● Vocabulary K-5

Supplemental programs Students receive additional Licensed 4-5 times FAST, MAP, MCA, Progress is
teacher and LIT (literacy instruction with Wonders’ teacher per week weekly/unit communicated
Reading Wonders
● Reading Wonders Tier II
intervention teacher) Tier II resources identified through the
through Reading Wonders’ assessments classroom teacher
assessments and progress
monitoring

6 Anoka-Hennepin Schools ahschools.us/LLP

Literacy supports, services and interventions (cont.):

Possible Description Provider Frequency Student Communicating

intervention selection progress to
criteria parents
Supplemental programs Students receive additional Licensed 4-5 times FAST, MAP, MCA, Progress is
teacher and LIT (literacy instruction connected to teacher per week weekly/unit communicated
the core Reading Wonders Reading Wonders
● WonderWorks Tier III
intervention teacher) through the
and foundational skills. assessments classroom teacher

● Approaching and ELL

Tier II skills practice Students receive additional Licenced 2-5 times Reading Progress is
practice connected to Tier II teacher per week Wonders communicated

● Your Turn practice

reproducibles instruction provided AND Assessments through the
identified through Reading classroom teacher

● Teacher resource book

reproducibles Wonders’ assessments
and progress monitoring.

● Workstation activities
(passages, word sorts, etc.)

Reading Corps Research-based early Reading 20 minutes, Reading Corps Daily “Read at
literacy practice. Corps 3-5 times assessment data Home” folder
trained per week
tutor

● WonderWorks
Special education Instruction targeted to Licensed As determined Meets criteria for Progress monitor-

● WonderWorks
student’s individual needs as special by IEP team a categorical ing reports three
indicated by an Individual education disability based times per year,
on comprehensive
foundational skills kit Education Program (IEP) teacher including the
evaluation and
and qualification guidelines. has learner-based annual IEP review
needs in reading.

Targeted services extended Targeted instruction based Licensed Before or FAST, MAP, MCA, Varies by program
day on the needs of at-risk teacher after school Reading Wonders
learners. varies by assessments
school

Targeted services summer Reading Wonders Tier I and Licensed 4-5 weeks, FAST, MAP, Mid summer and
school Tier II instruction is extended teacher 90 minutes MCA end of summer
into the summer to assist per day progress report
qualifying students in reach-
ing grade level standards.

Extended school year (ESY) Skill specific instruction Licensed 4 weeks, As defined in End of summer
for qualifying students to teacher 5 days per IEP progress report
maintain progress towards week
SPED IEP goals/objectives.

In addition to receiving core instruction in the mainstream classroom, ELs receive supplemental language support with an
EL teacher. The Wonders ELD curriculum develops speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through differentiated
instruction. WonderWorks supports struggling readers and writers through research-based, data-driven, systematic
instruction. These programs are aligned to the core reading instruction and is designed to ensure equity of access to
core content.

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 CONTINUUM OF LITERACY
Tier I, II and III Talent Development instruction
The Anoka-Hennepin School District’s Talent Development (TD) program provides a continuum of
curriculum services. It supports enrichment opportunities that respond to the varied needs of our
academically advanced learners both during and outside school hours.
Talent Description Possible activities Student selection criteria
Development
Intervention

Tier I Enrichment opportunities for all ● Anoka-Hennepin Community Open to all interested students
students Education courses (grades 1-5)

● Challenge Reading
● Math Plus
Tier II Enrichment for select students Students are teacher selected based

● Creativity festival
based on academic strengths and on academic strengths and interests

● Young Authors Conference

interests

● North Suburban Summer

Academy

● Primary Thinking Skills (PETS)

● Talent Development ELA
Tier III Exploring advanced skills such as Students qualify for these
logical, analytical, critical, creative interventions

● Clustered Talent Development

and inventive thinking classes

● Transition Math

ANNUAL REPORTING
On an annual basis our school district submits a World's
Best Workforce Report that details our academic and
student performance data. This report includes all data
related to language arts instruction and programming.
The Anoka-Hennepin School District's Board of Educa-
tion, as well as district and community stakeholders
review the data, and it is published on our website at
ahschools.us/annualreports.

Click the link below to access additional reports.

Research, evaluation, and testing.

8 Anoka-Hennepin Schools ahschools.us/LLP

 PARENT COMMUNICATION
AND ENGAGEMENT
Schools provide on-going communication and support about Building opportunities
literacy instruction connected to state standards.
Family and community engagement opportunities:
School to home communication and Schools provide families with ideas for accelerating and
student achievement enhancing literacy at home. Some events may include: open
Family conferences: house, meet and greet, curriculum nights, “I love to read”
events, Kindergarten round-up, and parent engagement
Family-teacher conferences are held in the fall and winter to
nights. Interpreters are provided at various events to ensure
provide communication on student progress and reading
equity of information for all families.
assessment information to deepen families’ understanding of
student progress and grade level expectations. Interpreters Parent teacher organization - an opportunity for parents to sup-
are provided to families as needed. port schools for student learning, fundraising, and involvement.
Topics of conference:
District opportunities
• Progress monitoring data
• Progress towards the 2010 ELA Minn. state standards
Anoka-Hennepin creates opportunities for community mem-
bers’ feedback regarding curriculum through the various
• Assessment data
• Data to support student performance
community groups below.
• MCA World’s Best Workforce Advisory Committee
• MAP This committee provides recommendations to the School
• Diagnostic Board regarding rigorous academic standards, student
• Weekly and unit assessments achievement goals, district assessments, and program evalu-
• FAST (K-1)
ation. Members include students, parents/guardians, other
• Student work community members, teachers, and support staff.
• Summer school qualifications - Targeted services
Community Curriculum Advisory Committee (CCAC):
or extended school year (ESY)
CCAC is a district-level, K-12 parent involvement committee.
• Interventions for student to accelerate student progress
toward grade level The purpose of this committee is to provide feedback on
the accessibility and usefulness of the district’s intervention
• School to home connection
• Ways to support student achievement
structure.
• K Skillbuilders
• Challenge reading
Resources
Online resources, aligned to the 2010 ELA Minn. state standards,
Students participating in Reading Corps will bring home a
are available for families to access. The McGraw-Hill Reading
collection of reading passages to share with families. Ongoing
Wonders website is available for student use at home. Within
student progress will be shared with families.
the Reading Wonders website, families can find specific infor-
Classroom teachers may send home classroom newsletters mation about what students are learning as well as weekly
and activities to encourage literacy at home. assessment results.
Report cards: Curricu-links provides families with digital resources aligned
Report cards are sent home three times a year (December, to report card indicators and ideas for working with students
March, and June) to show students’ progress toward 2010 ELA at home.
Minn. state standards. Along with report cards, MAP test, and A district newsletter, Focus, is sent to all Anoka Hennepin
CogAT (grade two only) results are sent home with students residents three times a year to communicate accomplishments
in grades 2-5. For students in special education, IEP progress of students and staff throughout the district.
is reported three times per year through two written reports
and the annual IEP review.
On the Anoka-Hennepin School District website, additional
information is provided for families on how to help their child.
There are documents available online to families called:
Understanding your child’s report card. They define the benchmarks
toward grade-level proficiency at the end of a marking period.

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 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Scientifically-based reading professional development is provided to teachers at both the district and building levels. Literacy specialists and grade-
level teacher leaders are provided with training opportunities at the district level. Together they facilitate professional development and provide
support to the staff back in their buildings. Through this “train the trainer” model, professional development is efficiently delivered to relevant staff.
All educators take responsibility for the academic and language development of ELs in our district. Professional development is provided to all
teachers at the building and district level. Trainings focus on understanding diverse needs of English learners in the classroom and effective
strategies for teaching English learners.
Staff Occurrence Level of staff Topics Key factors to determine
development professional development

● Classroom
Teachers: August Districtwide Writing to Sources Teacher survey

● Special education
October Collaborative Conversations Data

● Supplemental
April Feedback/Reteaching
Online Resources
● Literacy specialists
Progress monitoring
Dyslexia screening
Close reading grades 3-5

● Classroom
Teachers: ½ day PLCs Classroom teachers Small group Teacher survey
September districtwide Data Data
January Writing
Pacing
Foundational skills
Weekly PLCs Building and district level Topics vary by site

Grade level teacher August Districtwide Write to Sources Teacher survey

leaders (GLTLs) and September Using Data to Drive Instruction Data
literacy specialist November

Train the trainer

Literacy specialists August Districtwide ENVoY Implementation of new

October Literacy Coaching curriculum
Train the trainer November Writing/Research Teacher needs
January FAST Data driven
March
April
May
Principals August Districtwide Interventions Data
October Small group Principal Feedback
November WonderWorks Building needs
January WondersELD
March Wonders observation tools

All staff On demand Districtwide Reading Wonders online Teachers select based on
Professional development individual needs

Talent development August Districtwide Depth of Knowledge Data

teachers October Higher order thinking skills Teacher feedback
December Wonders extended text
January Collaborative conversations
February Writing to multiple sources
March Vocabulary
April Extensions

Special education leads October Districtwide Foundational skills Teacher feedback

and supplemental teacher January Assessments
leads March Adaptive learning
Instructional routines
Data dashboard

EL teachers August Districtwide Wonders ELD Lesson Planning Teacher feedback

September Newcomers Data
October Progress Monitoring
November Writing
January
April

10 Anoka-Hennepin Schools ahschools.us/LLP

 APPENDIX OF TERMS
CogAT- Cognitive Abilities Test -- a group-administered
K–12 assessment intended to estimate students' learned
reasoning and problem solving abilities through a battery
of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal test items.
Core -- The instructional strategies that are used with all
students in a general education setting are considered 'core
instruction.' Standard outcomes are delivered and students
show understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary
for literacy development. It is essential to form the founda-
tion of MTSS academic support.
Curriculum-based measures (CBM) -- Measurement that
uses direct observation and recording of a student's
performance to gather information for teachers to make
instructional decisions.
Diagnostic -- A distinct form of measurement. Its purpose
is to ascertain, prior to instruction, each student’s strengths,
weaknesses, knowledge, and skills.
Differentiation -- An extension of core instruction tailored to
meet the needs of students.
English learners (EL) -- Students who often come from non-
English speaking homes and backgrounds and who require
specialized or modified instruction in the English language
determined by an English language proficiency assessment.
ESY -- Extended school year for students receiving special
education.
Formative assessment system for teachers (FAST) -- A
formative assessment system for teachers used to screen
students.
Formative assessments -- Assessments aimed at under-
standing and improving learning along the progression
of students' studies. It involves gathering and interpreting
evidence of student learning.
Individualized education program (IEP) -- A written state-
ment of the educational program designed to meet a child's
individual needs. Every child who receives special education
services must have an IEP.
Intervention -- Instructional supports that address academic
holes preventing students from being successful at grade
level.
Measures of academic progress (MAP) -- Computer
adaptive achievement tests in Mathematics and Reading.
The computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions so
that each student takes a unique test used to determine
students’ instructional level.
Minnesota comprehensive assessment (MCA) -- An adaptive
assessment in reading, mathematics and science (grade 5)
that helps schools and districts measure students’ progress to-
ward the state’s academic standards.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) -- Within Anoka-Hennepin
Schools is a framework to improve outcomes for all students that
uses research-based instruction and intervention/enrichment,
systemic and data informed problem solving processes, and is
matched to individual academic, and social/emotional/behavior
student needs.
ahschools.us/LLP
Professional learning communities (PLC’s) -- Collaborative
teacher teams meeting to discuss student data and
progress.
Progress monitoring -- Used to assess students’ academic
performance, to quantify a student’s rate of improvement
or responsiveness to instruction, and to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of instruction.
Minnesota Reading Corps (MRC) -- An initiative of
ServeMinnesota, demonstrating how service and science
can accelerate improvement in both students and systems.
MRC tutors provide literacy interventions and data-based
assessments to children from age three to grade three.
Reading proficiency -- The level at which students are able
to understand and make meaning of text, based on reading
level achievement scores on the Minnesota Comprehensive
Assessment and the Anoka Hennepin Report Cards.
» Does not meet: When interacting with literature and
informational text, students at this achievement level
demonstrate the ELA standards inconsistently and
with minimal accuracy.
» Partially meets: When interacting with literature and
informational text, students at this achievement level
demonstrate the ELA standards with limited consis-
tency and accuracy.
» Meets: When interacting with literature and informational
text, students at this achievement level demonstrate the
ELA standards consistently and accurately.
» Exceeds: When interacting with literature and informational
text, students at this achievement level demonstrate the
ELA standards with a high degree of consistency and
efficiency.
Minn. state standards -- Guidelines for the knowledge and
skills students learn in each grade.
Standards are used to assess students' academic performance,
to quantify a students’ rate of improvement or responsiveness
to instruction, and to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.
Screener -- A brief measure designed as a first step in
identifying children who may be at high risk for delayed
development or not achieving academic outcomes,
academic failure, and in need of further diagnosis of their
need for special services or additional reading instruction.
Summative assessment -- Refers to the assessment of the
learning and summarizes the development of learners at a
particular time.
Targeted services -- Program that helps below grade level
students before or after school to improve their math and/or
reading abilities.
World’s Best Workforce -- Bill that was passed in the 2013
Minnesota State Legislature to ensure every school district in
the state is making strides to increase student performance.
Anoka-Hennepin Schools 11
 ANOKA-HENNEPIN SCHOOLS

LOCAL LITERACY PLAN

Updated July 1, 2019