# St. Pius X Catholic School Indianapolis, Indiana 

## Ted Caron, Ph.D., Principal

## Kathy Taber, Middle School Literature Teacher

## 

# School Facts

## **Catholic School serving students in grades K-8**

## **430 Students (150 middle school students)**

## **Northeast side of Indianapolis---part of Archdiocese of Indianapolis**

## **26 credentialed staff and 11 supporting staff**

## **Emphasis on research-based teaching strategies and utilizing technology effectively as a teaching tool.**

## **ISTEP+ (Indiana state test); Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment; locally-constructed math and writing assessments**

# Creating a Context for Student Engagement: A Research Base

## **NAEP data reveals that highly engaged readers evidence higher achievement than less engaged readers (Campbell, Voelkl & Donahue, 1997)**

## **Students benefit when provided opportunities to select from a wide variety of texts (Morrow, 1996).**

## **Students' achievement and motivation to learn increase when presented opportunities to explore texts in conjunction with outside resources (Morrow & Young, 1997; Guthrie, Schafer, Von Secker, & Alban, 2000).**

## **Social collaboration and discourse among students fosters interest and active learning over time (Zahorik, 1996; Nolen & Nicholls, 1994).**

## 

# A School's Philosophy About Reading

## **An effective teacher...**

## **values reading and helps students to value reading**

## **helps students to select relevant and interesting literature from a classroom library**

## **provides time for self-selected reading**

## **models good attitudes and behaviors related to reading**

## 

## 

# Micro-Curricular Reading Strategies

## **Varying novels**

## **Teacher read-alouds**

## **Partner reads with reflective writing**

## **Participating member of Young Hoosier Book Award Program (Association for Indiana Media Educators)**

## **Reading to younger students**

## **Collaborative projects**

## **"Rocking Chair Reads"**

## 

# An Authentic Approach to Literature Instruction

## **Interviews**

## **RAFT Writing**

## **Newspaper Editorials**

## **Character Poems**

## **Postcards**

## **Interview Responses**

## **Using Webquests (Handout 1)**

## **Panel Discussions (Handout 2)**

## 

# Macro-Curricular Reading Initiatives

## **Valuing reading in a school's curriculum planning**

### **DEAR time**

### **Great Books Seminar**

### **Summer Reading Books**

### **Using novels and small group experiences in earlier grades**

## **Ipod Initiative**

## **Book Clubs**

## **Reading Incentive Program (younger grades)**

## 

# Results

## Since 1999-2000: Average of 96.5% proficiency rate among 8^th^ graders on Eng/LA portion of state assessment

## Overwhelming majority of middle school students rank in the 95^th^ percentile of students on statewide assessment

## Attendance at after-school book club sessions

## Qualitative data suggests positive support from parents and students

# Key Learnings

Philosophy and values, Macro-curriculum, and Micro-curriculum all
overlap.

# ***[Challenges]{.underline}* **

## **1) How do we continue to integrate technology to** 

## **further promote a culture of reading (e.g. blogs,** 

## **Wikis, podcasts)?**

## 

## **2) Foundational Reading Skills** 

## ****

## **Love of Reading**