This training and coaching project addresses the need of increasing the literacy skills of students in grades 6-12 in Canton Public School District, Columbus Municipal School District, Laurel School District, Leake County School District, Rankin County School District, and Walthall County School District by boosting the amount of support they receive in literacy throughout the school day. The need for this project was identified by the Mississippi Adolescent Literacy Partnership members based on grade 4 and grade 8 student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the performance of grade 4, grade 8, and students enrolled in English II (typically in grade 10), on the Mississippi English language arts assessment. The project is addressing this need by training content area teachers to incorporate evidence-based literacy practices into their courses, which may help students improve their ability to read and comprehend text, expand their vocabulary, and increase their skills in communicating orally and in writing. In addition, the project is providing training and coaching for administrators and coaches, so they are able to confidently identify evidence-based literacy practices when implemented in the classroom. If administrators and coaches are able to identify these practices in the classroom, they may be able to provide guidance and support to teachers. The project initially began with Canton Public School District, Columbus Municipal School District, and Laurel School district but expanded to the additional three district for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Professional Learning Community: Grades 4-12 Content Area Literacy tool will be based on the recommendations from the following practice guides: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices and Providing Reading Intervention for Students in Grades 4-9. These professional learning community materials will be designed to promote change in teacher practice and student outcomes by supporting English language arts, social studies, and science teachers to incorporate evidence-based literacy practices into their instruction. Professional learning materials will be provided for facilitators, teachers, and educational leaders, and will focus on the recommendations from the two practice guides. Additional resources will include self-reflection checklists, videos of classrooms in action, tools to aid in implementation and sustainability, and more.

This training and coaching project addresses the need of increasing the literacy skills of students in grades 4-8 in Canton Public School District, Columbus Municipal School District, George County School District and Laurel School District by improving the quality of instruction students working below grade level receive during intervention. The need for this project was identified by the Mississippi Adolescent Literacy Partnership members based on grade 4 and grade 8 student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the performance of grade 4 and grade 8 on the Mississippi English language arts assessment. To address this need, a professional learning series will be developed to improve interventionists’ knowledge and implementation of intensive reading intervention for students in Grades 4–8 who are performing below grade-level expectations. The content of the sessions will address working with multi-syllabic words and vocabulary and will be drawn from two IES practice guides, Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Intervention in Grades 4-9 and Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School. Sessions will also be provided for administrators, so they are better able to support interventionists in implementing evidence-based practices.