Elementary School Literacy

Partnership
2nd Meeting with the University of Minnesota
and Robbinsdale Area Schools
Date: Friday, May 13, 2016
Attendees: RAS Michael Favor, Executive Director of Student Services & Secondary Schools
Aviva Hillenbrand, Program Director of Community Enrichment & Engagement
(CEE)
Jill Kaufman, Volunteers In Partnership (VIP) Coordinator
Melissa Kivi, Teaching & Learning Specialist
Dr. Richard McGregory, Executive Director of Strategic Communication
& Achievement Accountability
Jessica Rich, Program Assistant in Early Childhood
Stephanie Skelly, Program Director of Teaching & Learning

Univ. of MN Dr. Lori Helman, Director of Minnesota Center for Reading Research, CE+HD
Anne Ittner, PRESS Research Assistant, CE+HD

Purpose:
To identify key components for development of elementary school literacy model with emphasis on
creating pilot
To evaluate alignment between current RAS Elementary Literacy Framework and ELA standards and
PRESS curriculum
To determine if there is agreement from both partners to move forward; if so, to identify next steps

Welcome, Introductions

Recap of Previous Meeting, Areas of Interest

U of MN
PRESS (Path to Reading Excellence in School Sites) focus
o Incorporates quality core instruction, data-driven instructional decisions, interventions, and meaningful
professional development to support systemic change
Able to provide research expertise
Seeking research opportunities
Monitors and evaluates pilot
Grant potential
Whole class approach for interventions when 50% or more students fall below benchmarks
U of MN students in School of Education as initial volunteers

RAS
Proposal meets Unified District Vision (UDV) goals
#1: Implement policies and practices that open pathways to academic excellence for
all students
o Strategic priority of all staff teaching standards
#3: Engage family and community members as partners
Alignment with strategic priorities for kindergarten readiness and 3 rd grade reading proficiency
Pilot Focus: kindergarten
Alignment with current literacy framework regarding:
o Skills currently assessed in K: onset sounds, letter naming, letter sounds, print concepts
o MN ELA standards
o Quality Tier 1 instruction and support
U of MN students in School of Education as initial volunteers
VIP coordinates onboarding process of volunteers in compliance with district policies
Eventual auxiliary support from broad spectrum of volunteers across the district

-2-
Considerations for Developing a Model
 Pilot and possibility for longer term collaboration
FACE (financial, academic, communication, expectations)
Early Childhood alignment for kindergarten readiness focus
Family Engagement to develop family as partners in literacy achievement
Site selection:
o Student achievement/performance data
o Relatively lower levels of mobility
o Leadership and staff support
o Early Childhood program on site with established connection to K-5 in place (Great Start,
Creative Play)
o Ability to absorb additional volunteers beyond current and/or anticipated numbers
Control vs. experimental groups
Volunteers: how many to recruitment for pilot, training, frequency of visits, duration of visit at
site
Social/Emotional support
Onset of pilot: targeting fall 2016
Length of study
Evaluation: criteria, results

Proposed Outcomes for Partnership

Next Steps