Literacy Strategy - Nova Scotia Department Of Education
Nova Scotia Provincial Literacy StrategyNova Scotia ProvincialLiteracyStrategyJanuary 2017
Nova Scotia Provincial Literacy StrategyLiteracy Strategy P-12What is Literacy?Literacy is the foundation for all learning. When we are literate, wecan acquire new knowledge, connect it to our world, and use it. ForNova Scotia students, literacy learning is about acquiring, creating,connecting, and communicating meaning in a wide variety ofcontexts through listening, speaking, reading, and writing.Why Does Nova Scotia Need a Literacy Strategy?Over the past two decades, technology has dramatically changedthe way we acquire, use, and share information. It has changed oureconomy and how we work, both here in Nova Scotia and aroundthe world. Technology and social media now play central roles in ourstudents’ lives. Nova Scotia students must have strong multimedialiteracy skills to keep pace with these changes and meet the demandsof employers, society, and the economy, both now and in the future.In Nova Scotia’s public education system, we have talented studentsand skilled teachers who are committed to student success. However,keeping up with shifts in technology and the rapid growth of information has been challenging for everyone. Student outcomes in literacyachievement show that our entire education system needs to do moreto support our students and their teachers. This literacy strategy identifies how we will do that, and how we will measure our success.Our Vision for Literacy in Nova ScotiaNova Scotia students will excel in literacy and graduate with theliteracy skills they need to succeed in school, the workplace, and theircommunities.Our Goal for All Children and YouthNova Scotia students will achieve a high level of literacy so that theycan thrive in school and beyond.Literacy in Every Grade, Every Day, as per the Action PlanIn Nova Scotia’s Action Plan for Education, we detailed how and why weare placing a greater emphasis on literacy learning.We will focus on reading fluency and comprehension, and on writingskills in all grades. Those skills develop over time and become morecomplex. To support the development of these skills, we will focus ondifferent priorities as students progress in their learning. All teachers,in all subject areas and at all grade levels, will support studentlearning through classroom data and assessment to drive decisionmaking about literacy instruction. The following represents areas forgrowth and success.1
Phonological awareness is theability to hear sounds that makeup words in spoken language.This includes recognizing wordsthat rhyme, deciding whetherwords begin or end withthe same sound, understandingthat sounds can be manipulatedto create new words, andseparating words into theirindividual sounds. Linking letterswith sounds and understandinghow those letters and soundsmake up words are veryimportant steps inunderstandingwhat is read.Grades Primary–3: Strong FoundationsChanges in these early grades will stress the basics of literacy. This isa non-exclusive list. Students will learn:phonological awarenessoral language developmenthow to sequence words in a sentencedifferent types of sentenceshow to follow directionsan expanded vocabularyhow to use prefixes and suffixeshow to use reading, writing, and oral language strategieshow to form questions and make commentsGrades 4–8: Innovation and ExplorationAt this level, students will increase their skills in reading, writing,speaking, and listening. They will have opportunities to develop theircreativity and problem-solving skills, and to be innovative. Studentswill learn:literacy across subject areas, such as science and social studies,so that they will learn how to use reading, writing, and speakingskills in different settings and deepen their understandingwriting rules that will make their writing clear, accurate,sequential, and easy to understandto effectively communicate using a range of methods, such asprinting, cursive writing, and multimediaenhanced content-area-specific vocabularywriting conventions, including spelling, sentence formation,punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and usageGrades 9–12: Ready to LaunchIn high school, students are getting ready to move on to postsecondary learning or to join the workforce. Strong literacy skills willbetter enable them to engage in and deepen their understanding ofthe world. Instruction in these grades will help students improve andsharpen the specific literacy skills they need for success after theygraduate from the public school system. Students will learn andpractice:research skillsreading skills to support successful transition to post-secondarystudies and the workplacereading and writing skills across subject areaswriting for different purposes, e.g., lab reports, English essays,journalsoral and written presentation skills2
Nova Scotia Provincial Literacy StrategyHow We Will Measure SuccessBy 2020, Reading and WritingThe target goal for reading and writing will be an increase of 8 per centin the number of students who perform at or above expectations, asmeasured by the following provincial assessments:Reading and Writing in Grade 3 (RW3)Reading, Writing, and Mathematics in Grade 6 (RWM6)Reading, Writing, and Mathematics in Grade 8 (RWM8)the Nova Scotia Examination (NSE), English 10Literacy achievement will be maintained or increased as studentsprogress through the grades.There will be consistent monitoring of specific measures throughthe Literacy Steering Committee and the Literacy Working Group. Thiswill include reviewing results from Reading Recovery, early literacy instruction, mentors, and achievement data. This information will informprovincial intervention, support, and the implementation strategies.Why 2020?We are making changes now in the way we will teach and focus onliteracy. However, it will take time to see the effects of these changes.We believe assessments in 2020 will show measurable success withstudents performing at or above the expectations in reading andwriting.Supporting All StudentsEssential Graduation CompetenciesThese are attitudes, skills, and knowledge that prepare students tosuccessfully participate in lifelong learning and in life and work-relatedtransitions. They include citizenship, communication, creativity andinnovation, critical thinking, personal-career development, andtechnological fluency. These competencies were introduced in 2015,and as curriculum is renewed they will be connected to outcomes inall courses, for all grades. Empowering students to incorporate theFrench language and Acadian/francophone culture is required sothey can contribute positively to their community. This is anotheressential graduation competency required for French first languagestudents. Our vision for Nova Scotia students in literacy will bestrengthened through explicit connections to these competencies inour classrooms.3
Individual Program Plans (IPPs)are developed for students forwhom the curriculum outcomesare not applicable or attainable.Program Planning Teams (PPTs),which include parents or guardians, track and monitor studentprogress on adaptations and individualized outcomes at the school,school board, and provinciallevels. This informs the development of ongoing programmingto meet the student’s individuallearning needs. Student progressin meeting literacy outcomes isreported at the standard reportingperiods, and parents have theopportunity to meet with PPTs asnecessary.An adaptation is a documentedstrategy or resource that accommodates the learning needs of anindividual student. An adaptationis planned, implemented, monitored, and evaluated to enablea student to achieve the publicschool curriculum outcomes.4Cultural DiversityOur schools are made up of diverse and vibrant groups of students.Our students come from different cultural and socio-economicbackgrounds, and they have different levels of ability. Further, ourprovince has both English and French-language school boards, eachwith unique aspects. In Nova Scotia’s Action Plan for Education, wecommitted to implementing a province-wide Achievement Gap Initiativeto address the differences in results that identified groups have withrespect to literacy. We are committed to raising the achievement ofstudents of African descent and of Aboriginal heritage. We are alsocommitted to narrowing the gap between their literacy achievement andthat of their peers by 5 per cent by 2020. Specific literacy interventionstrategies will be implemented as part of the Achievement Gap Initiative.Student ServicesWe will monitor students with Individual Program Plans (IPPs) andstudents who require adaptations to meet the expected outcomes tosupport them in achieving their highest level of literacy.How We Will Reach Our GoalsOur students will achieve a higher level of literacy, and this willrequire a team effort. We all share responsibility for literacy learning.Our collective efforts to improve literacy among our students will beguided by the following principles:Every student has the right to learn in an equitable learningenvironment and to engage with an innovative, culturallyresponsive curriculum that honours and builds on their livedexperiences.Every francophone student has the right to instruction thatrespects the principles of minority-language pedagogy, in orderto strengthen their cultural identity.Literacy is the foundation for all learning.Literacy instruction is rigorous and supports high expectationsfor all students.Literacy learning is a collaborative responsibility.Purposeful assessment drives instruction and positivelyaffects learning.Professional learning in literacy is continuous and responsive tostudent needs.School administrators, as instructional leaders, have the knowledgeand skills to evaluate and support literacy instruction.In order to support increased literacy in our schools, research hasshown that we require:High quality teaching, strong leadership, andpositive learning environmentsStrong partnerships
Nova Scotia Provincial Literacy StrategyHigh Quality Teaching, Strong Leadership, andPositive Learning EnvironmentsAs outlined in Nova Scotia’s Action Plan for Education, teachers requiresupport, time, and structure to allow them to focus on student learningand student achievement. We will develop performance standards forteachers and administrators to support opportunities for theirprofessional learning. We will also work with teachers to clearlydefine literacy learning expectations and promote positive learningenvironments. We will:Provide students with a full range of literacy instruction andassessment in grades P–12provide clear expectations for speaking and listening, reading andwriting, or other ways of communicating at each grade levelliteracy instruction at all grade levels will include explicitteaching of targeted skills, starting with oral language andphonological awareness in P–2literacy instruction will be tailored to meet students’ needsstudents will be taught and their work assessed in a manner thatrespects how they learn and that is appropriate for themschools will provide a wide range of programming and services toassist literacy learnersSupport literacy leadershipprovide support to school boards for literacy leadershipImplement a culturally responsive pedagogyprovide all teachers with professional learning opportunities sothat they have a common understanding of culturally responsivepedagogy and its importancedevelop curriculum and resources so that each student can relatetheir learning to their life experiences and cultural backgroundsprovide students with instruction and assessment based on aculturally responsive pedagogypromote common instructional strategies in minority-languagepedagogy and support research in the area of minority-languagepedagogy and literacy learning and achievementCulturally responsive pedagogy isteaching that connects a student’ssocial, cultural, family, or languagebackground to what the studentis learning; nurtures that culturaluniqueness; and responds bycreating conditions in which thestudent’s learning is enhanced.Monitor and track the literacy development of all students in P–12and provide timely support as neededencourage a “whole school approach” in which teachers,resource teachers, principals, and other related experts andliteracy specialists work together to continuously monitorstudent progress, and respond as necessaryprovide a range of literacy supports for students in P–12,including student resources, Reading Recovery, early literacyteachers, and literacy mentors/coaches5
Incorporate literacy instruction in all subjects in P–12define the literacy expectations in each subjectembed literacy skills and strategies in all subjects across thecurriculum in P–12Use technologies, as appropriate, to help with literacy learningin all grade levelsidentify technologies that support student learningfacilitate student access to a wide range of educational technologyBuild capacity for high quality teaching in literacy throughprofessional learningpromote varied opportunities for professional learning in literacyfor teachers in all subjects and all gradesStrong PartnershipsLiteracy learning does not just happen in schools, and it does not justbegin in primary and end at Grade 12. Literacy learning happens inmany ways in our communities. We all have a responsibility to supportliteracy learning for children in this province. We will:Build partnerships with community groups, parents, and guardiansto support student literacysupport the Early Years Branch at the Department of Educationand Early Childhood Development todevelop a collaborative plan on how children transition intoprimary with key partners, such as Nova Scotia Hearing andSpeech and Early Childhood Development Intervention Servicesinclude a focus on oral language development in the EarlyYears Curriculuminclude literacy development as a core competency in theStandards of Practice for Early Childhood Educatorsidentify what literacy tools and supports are currently available inour communities for parents, guardians, and caregivers, and developan online resource where these tools and supports can be foundProvide opportunities for collaborative practices within theDepartment of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD),across government departments, school boards, and Nova Scotiauniversitieswork collaboratively to monitor implementation of the literacystrategy and achievement of the goalsdevelop a communication plan for the literacy strategyidentify and meet with key partners to inform them about thestrategy and determine how they can support it in their work6
Nova Scotia Provincial Literacy StrategyNext StepsThis strategy is designed to strengthen the public school systemby advancing the literacy achievement of our students. Long-termchange and success will be achieved through a series of policies andactions that support each other, as identified in Nova Scotia’s ActionPlan for Education, such as the Assessment, Evaluation and ReportingPolicy, the Homework Policy, Teaching and Leadership Standards, andthe Achievement Gap Initiative.Some of the actions outlined in this strategy are already underway.Others will need time to be developed and put in place. All of theactions in this strategy target increased student success.ImplementationThe strategy will be implemented by a Literacy Steering Committeeand a Literacy Working Group (consisting of Board Literacy Leads,with representation from the Department of Education and EarlyChildhood Development) using a research-based approach toimplementation.This strategy represents a multi-year commitment to increase theliteracy of Nova Scotia students. Through implementation, we willwork with teachers to determine their professional learning needs. Ourliteracy strategy will be responsive to identified needs, and it will bemonitored and adjusted based on student progress.7
to support our students and their teachers. This literacy strategy identi-fies how we will do that, and how we will measure our success. Our Vision for Literacy in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia students will excel in literacy and graduate with the literacy skills they need to succeed in school, the workplace, and their communities.
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