Florida Academic Literacy Network

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Literacy Project began the Florida Academic Literacy Network in January of 2012 with a Convening in Tampa, Florida that brought 26 school districts from throughout Florida together to find out about the Literacy Design Collaborative and the approach to high quality instruction.

The Florida Academic Literacy Network (FALN) became a growing network of school districts and consortia that are at differing stages of implementing LDC modules in their schools. Under the direction of NLP, this network is now able to provide services to additional school districts interested in implementing LDC. NLP and FALN can provide the following support:

Professional Development for LDC Implementation
Visits to LDC Demonstration Schools/Classrooms
T2T Teacher-2-Teacher virtual chats, webinars, and video conferencing

The following school districts and consortia applied for starter grants allowing them to develop and implement LDC modules in their schools.

Cohort 1 (2012)

FLORIDA ACADEMIC LITERACY NETWORK SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EDUCATIONAL CONSORTIUM

Brevard County
Discovery Academy Middle School
Lake County
Pasco County
Wakulla County
Hillsborough County

NORTHEAST FLORIDA EDUCATION CONSORTIUM

P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School
Union County
Bradford County
Putnam County
Gilchrist County
Suwannee County
Hamilton County

Cohort 2 (2014)

DISTRICTS

Clay County
Dade County
St. Lucie County
Seminole County

HEARTLAND EDUCATIONAL CONSORTIUM

Glades County
Okaloosa County
Highlands County

PANHANDLE EDUCATIONAL CONSORTIUM

Washington County
Jackson County

For more information about joining FALN or to inquire about the available support, contact Dr. Judith Irvin at jirvin@nlproject.org.

The Kentucky Project

The National Literacy Project has partnered with the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) for their Literacy Innovations for Neighborhoods in Kentucky (LINK) initiative. Three NLP partners are working with 19 elementary schools across 8 districts in Eastern Kentucky on the Literacy Leadership Process to build literacy leadership capacity for systemic school improvement.

Initial Site Visits

NLP visits each school at the start of the project to collect data on currently implemented effective literacy practices on which to build.

Regional Meetings

NLP guide literacy leaders from each school through the literacy planning process and provided resources to continue the work at their sites.

Summer Conferences

NLP participate in the summer conferences facilitated by KEDC to offer targeted professional development and to further the work of each Literacy Leadership Teams.

Site Visits

NLP provides on-site visits to schools each fall and spring during the project to provide support in implementation and monitoring of the literacy action plan.

Virtual Support

NLP partners conduct several virtual meetings with each school to provide follow-up support in implementation and monitoring of the literacy action plan.

The Civics Project

Dedicated to maximizing student achievement in civics and literacy education, the Civics Project, directed by the National Literacy Project (NLP) and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, offers nineteen literacy-rich LDC civics modules for grades K-6. These modules were developed by a coalition of educators representing NLP, eight Florida districts, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, and the National Literacy Design Collaborative.

The Florida Civics Collection has been field-tested in four Florida school districts; the modules will be revised and ready for dissemination for the 2017-2018 school year. Professional learning in module implementation, literacy support strategies, and standards-aligned instruction is available through NLP.

Targeted Civics Instruction

Students gain in-depth knowledge of essential civics content and concepts.

Disciplinary Literacy

Students read informational text, including primary and secondary sources, and use evidence-based writing to address a task.

Use of Literacy Support Strategies

Students engage in literacy support strategies as they read, write, and think through issues in civics.

Professional Learning

NLP provides professional learning for teachers on disciplinary literacy strategies, the use of student work to inform instruction, and the instructional shifts needed to implement the Florida Standards.

Previous Projects

Jefferson County Schools, CO (2009-2012): Work in middle and high schools to implement the Taking Action Literacy Leadership Process and to build capacity among district level literacy coaches to sustain the work.
Boulder Valley School District (2011-2014): Work in one middle and one high school to develop and implement a literacy action plan.
Pinellas County Schools (funded by Helios Educational Foundation: 2009-2012): Work in six high-needs middle and high schools; training of all secondary Assistant Principals and district literacy coaches in the Taking Action Literacy Leadership Process.
Hillsborough County, FL (2011-2013): Work to align the Taking Action Literacy Leadership Process with teacher evaluation system and to implement LDC in high school science classrooms.
Mesa, Arizona: (2011-2014): In this three-year project, NLP has worked with five junior high schools to build teacher leaders and sustain a literacy leadership team that guides the continued improvement of students’ literacy skills. The project was funded by the Helios Education Foundation.
New Leaders (2010-2014): In this project NLP has provided the literacy instruction and support for educators during a residency year to become principals in high-need, urban schools.
FALN (2012-2016): NLP established the Florida Academic Literacy Network to support teachers in nine Florida districts and three consortia as they developed and implemented Literacy Design Collaborative instructional modules aligned with College and Career Readiness Standards. In addition, NLP partners worked with district and school-based administrators to improve instruction and help students meet the Florida State Standards for College and Career Readiness. This project was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Chicago Public Schools (2010): Work in two middle schools to develop literacy action plans.

We provide professional development activities that improve student literacy and learning.

Activities include team planning, group learning opportunities, demonstration lessons, and demonstration classrooms.