Literacy Intervention Teacher Team
Santa Clara Unified School District
The program referred to as Literacy Intervention Teacher (LIT) Team consists of 16 highly trained intervention teachers who are deployed in teams of 3 or 4 to provide individual (Tier 3) and small group (Tier 2) instruction at multiple sites. The goal of the LIT Team is to assess, design targeted instruction, problem solve, and accelerate the literacy learning of the lowest achieving first and second graders. The framework ensures that at-promise students have multiple expert “eyes on kids” to accelerate their learning, in addition to and in conjunction with the classroom instruction. Intervention is daily, short term, intensely focused, based on multiple student assessments to identify needs, and encompasses all aspects of literacy development. LIT teachers not only focus on instruction of students but also include support for classroom teachers as well as sites they serve. (See link below: SCUSD LIT Early Intervention to Support Literacy)
Program Summary
The team was designed to distribute resources in a more equitable way and develop a sustainable system for literacy intervention that supports the lowest achieving students in first and second grade. As outlined in our LCAP (1.3) our team provides short term interventions that focus on acceleration, move students closer to grade level expectations and allow students to better access classroom instruction. An intentional pillar is that students are rarely in intervention all year. LIT teachers work in teams to provide intervention at multiple sites. This collaboration allows LITs to design, teach and facilitate the most growth possible, enabling the team to focus on a cycle of observation and instruction. Schools with the highest need receive intervention services at the deepest level (Tier 2 and Tier 3). Teams are responsible for ongoing communication with the administration and teachers to review assessments, teaching procedures, support structures and determine next steps. Priority is given to students who have high academic needs as well as multiple demographic considerations. A child with more needs may be given higher priority for intervention services. LITs have been trained in a variety of literacy programs which allows tailored instruction based on the needs of the students. Our program is designed to embody the components and goals of the Quality Schooling Framework (@cde.ca.gov/qs/) such as professional learning, assessment, instruction and equity.
Program Goals
The one thing kids say more than anything to the LITs is, “Is it my turn yet?” The eagerness of students in class to join in the fun, including some who don’t need intervention, is a clear indication of the positive energy which surrounds LIT. The program serves 25-30% of 1st and 2nd graders at sites selected. Selection is based on students with highest academic need, prioritizing students who are English learners, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and foster youth. We have had a positive impact on students’ early literacy achievement over the past three years. In 2023-24, 69% of students served in 10 weeks of small group (Tier 2) intervention made between 18-24 weeks of growth on our District text level reading assessment. Students are closing the text level gap, growing faster than a classroom peer. In addition to text reading, students are assessed and demonstrate mastery on multiple foundational skills including Letter Identification and Sounds, Phonological Awareness, and Writing. In Tier 3, students receiving 1:1 instruction, on average accelerate 10.25 months in a 5 month period, or 8.1 months growth in a 4 month period respectively. Based on survey data, 80% of teachers and administrators saw growth in students’ oral language, writing, reading, and confidence. 75% of teachers felt that students were able to transfer their skills to the classroom and the majority of teachers and administrators see the LIT Team as crucial members of the site’s student success teams.
Impact on Students
The redesigned LIT Team is in the fourth year. The team is sustained and funded in the three year LCAP, 2024-27, which requires community and staff input, as well as board approval. In the development of the LCAP, SCUSD conducts town hall meetings to gather input to determine priorities and goals. Early literacy intervention has repeatedly and consistently been supported as a top priority for classroom teachers, TOSAs, administrators, and parents. In response to data metrics required by the LCAP which are shared in Criterion 1 and 6, the Team collects both academic progress data on students, as well as survey feedback from classroom teachers, TOSAs, and administrators. The majority of respondents asked that program staffing be increased to expand support and replicate the program in the upper grades. Teacher anecdotes mirror the positive academic results students experience, and illustrate the soft skill growth of our intervention students. As a team, the data is culled, positive trends are shared as well as areas with suggestions for improvement. One reason this program has maintained and sustained for the last 4 years is our ability to remain flexible and open to feedback. In the early years feedback led us to increase our involvement in SST meetings, district professional development offerings, and development of student intervention data reports that are easily accessible by staff. Lastly, the sustainability of this program is also due to the focus on depth not breadth.
Sustainability
In 2020, an evaluation of resources revealed a disparity across schools. Intervention was provided equally, not equitably. All schools had one intervention teacher, regardless of size, demographics, or level of need. There was inconsistency between schools in the instruction provided, the amount of intervention students received, and student outcomes. What we thought was a systematic approach, in actuality, was arbitrary. The current LIT Team is a dynamic, flexible, and complex program based on these key design principles:
Data driven decision making
Prioritize schools with the highest need
Team approach serving multiple sites
Highly trained teachers
Support sites’ multi-tiered intervention system
Provide instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, reading, writing, and oral language
10-20 week cycles; 30-45 minutes 5 days a week
Collaboration and ongoing professional development to strengthen our practices
As with any innovative program, there were challenges as sites had to adapt to the increase or decrease in support. LITs had to shift to working in teams as interventionists, as well as being “deployed,” like Navy SEALs, to multiple and perhaps new high-priority sites. This meant building new communication structures, new data collection systems, and instructional alignment across schools. To respond to these challenges, ample professional development and collaboration time is allocated annually for the team to work in a continuous cycle of improvement.
Innovation
The components of our program are easily replicated at a single site, across several sites, or an entire district. The foundation of the program is creating a team of highly qualified teachers who collaborate and teach together. The instructional program and materials used in Tier 2 (RISE) small group instruction are published and available to any district. The instructional program/model used in Tier 3 (Reading Recovery®) is also available to districts who either have trained teachers or are willing to train teachers. These two components provide tiers of intervention instruction and can be combined to meet school’s needs by constructing literacy intervention teams. A district can replicate the team approach if there is willingness to shift control from individual sites to the central office. The roles, responsibilities, and expectations can be found in the following document that would support replication. The biggest obstacle a district might face is securing FTE salary funding and the required training. Initial costs for training SCUSD teachers in Reading Recovery® have been covered by grants, district funds, site funds or currently through a California grant called Project Clear. Project Clear will cover the cost of graduate coursework, teacher textbooks, and student books and materials. This model also requires teachers to commute between sites, so travel is an additional expense a district may incur.
Replicability
Supporting Data & Info
Video of Program
