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We are hosting an informational meeting on a LETRS cohort on June 10th at 3:30. If you are interested, register at http://merced.k12oms.org/83-250226 using code 4509.

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Check out this Real Estate Flyer designed by rwinters.

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Interested in LETRS? Merced Hub is forming a cohort for our LCRSET participants. Check out the flyer and click on the link to let us know you are interested.

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Check out this Real Estate Flyer designed by rwinters.

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Google folder containing example literacy plans from our schools. Use them to help your work, and share yours with us so it can help others!

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You can access all of the material (slide decks, notecatchers, etc.) from the Spring Professional Series Here

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Spring Professional Learning Series 2024

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Literacy Coach Job Description Shared Examples

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Literacy Coach Job Description Shared Examples

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Here is a collection of job descriptions for Literacy Coaches. Use these to help you as you are writing yours and share yours with us as it may help someone else.

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Literacy Coaches Example Job Desciptions

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Interested in more about the Science of Reading? Sign up for more training in one of the best programs , whether K-5 or Secondary. This program does meet the criteria for use of the Grant funds to cover to train your teachers, coaches, or administrators.

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Important learning dates free to you for 2024/2025

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Check out this design designed by rwinters.

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Great place to start. Especially pay attention to the information on allowable use of fund and required reports.

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Assembly Bill 181, Section 137 (Chapter 52, Statutes of 2022) and Senate Bill 114, Section 104 (Chapter 48, 2023) authorizes the Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists (LCRS) program. For 2022-23, the sum of $250 million was appropriated from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) for the LCRS Grant Program. Of the total funding, the SSPI allocated $225 million to eligible school sites to develop school literacy programs, employ and train literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists, and develop and implement interventions for students in need of targeted literacy support. Of the funds appropriated, $25 million is available for the LCRS Educator Training (LCRSET) grant. The SSPI, in collaboration with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (Commission), and subject to the approval of the executive director of the State Board of Education (SBE), selected a county office of education (COE), through a competitive process, to develop and provide training for educators to become literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists.

For the 2023-24 funding, Senate Bill 114, Section 104 (Chapter 48, 2023) , an additional sum of $250 million was appropriated from the General Fund to the SSPI to augment the LCRS program. Of the total funding, the SSPI allocated $248 million to eligible school sites for the same purposes as the first allocation. Additionally, of the funds appropriated, $2 million is available to the COE chosen to support sites receiving LCRS funds to provide additional training and to contract with an independent evaluator.

2022-23 Funding

Funds are allocated based on an eligible site's enrollment in kindergarten or any of grades one to three, inclusive, so that no local educational agency (LEA) shall receive less than $450,000 per eligible school site. Grant amounts will be determined using 2021-22 school enrollment data determined as of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Fall 1 Certification.

Funds may be expended during the 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 fiscal years. An annual report will be required every year. An interim report will be due on or before June 30, 2024, and a final report will be due on or before June 30, 2027. Any funds not encumbered by June 30, 2027, must be returned to the California Department of Education (CDE).

2023-24 Funding

Funds are allocated based on an eligible site's enrollment in kindergarten or any of grades one to three, inclusive, so that no LEA shall receive less than $450,000 per eligible school site. Grant amounts will be determined using 2022-23 school enrollment data determined as of the CALPADS Fall 1 Certification.

Funds may be expended during the 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28 fiscal years. An annual report will be required every year. An interim report will be due on or before June 30, 2025, and a final report will be due on or before June 30, 2028. Any funds not encumbered by June 30, 2028, must be returned to the CDE.

Allowable Uses of Funds

LCRS Funds may be used to:

Develop school literacy programs

Employ and train literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists

Develop an implement interventions for students in need of targeted literacy support

Expenditures for school literacy programs may include:

1. Developing a school literacy plan that includes goals and actions to improve literacy acquisition for pupils in preschool, if applicable, and kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3, inclusive. The plan shall identify metrics to measure progress toward the goals and actions.

2. Hiring at least one literacy coach or reading and literacy specialist per school to support educators and pupils in improving literacy instruction and pupil outcomes. To "employ" means that a local educational agency (LEA), to the extent feasible, will hire a new literacy coach, reading specialist, or both; train existing staff to become a literacy coach; or support existing staff in obtaining a reading specialist credential or authorization. Funds shall not be used to support the salaries of existing literacy coaches and reading specialists.

3. Increasing access to evidence-based literacy instruction, through strategies, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

Providing bilingual reading specialists to support dual language acquisition and English language development programs.

Developing and implementing culturally responsive curriculum and instruction.

Providing professional development for educators and school leaders in literacy instruction and the use of data to identify and support struggling pupils.

Providing professional development for educators and school leaders regarding implementation of English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework and the use of data to support effective instruction.

4. Establishing an evidence-based family literacy initiative, which may include but is not limited to, the following:

Family literacy plans that identify literacy and biliteracy goals, benchmarks, and roles for all family members.

Family literacy home visiting programs, including, but not limited to, "promotora" family literacy outreach specialists. LEAs may establish literacy and biliteracy home visits to engage families in how to best support their pupils and every family member in reaching their literacy goals.

Extended-day, summer, or weekend family institutes related to literacy and biliteracy. LEAs are encouraged to work with in-house expanded learning programs to establish literacy and biliteracy support programs and literacy enrichment programs during after school, weekend, and summer hours.

Public library family literacy partnerships, including, but not limited to, digital tools to support whole family literacy.

Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Educator Training Competitive Grant

The CDE, in consultation with the Commission and subject to the approval of the executive director of the SBE, awarded the sum of $25 million for the LCRSET grant to a COE, or consortium of COEs, with demonstrated success in improving literacy, especially among underperforming pupil subgroups. Additionally, priority was given to those COEs that are partnering with institutions of higher education (IHEs) with demonstrated success in providing statewide professional development for expert literacy practice. The goals of this grant are to develop and provide training for educators to become literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists, provide support for the LEAs that receive the 2022-23 and 2023-24 allocation, and to provide support in meeting the SSPI's goal of all California students reading by third grade by 2026.

Additionally, of the 2023-24 funds appropriated, $2 million is available to the COE chosen to support sites receiving LCRS funds to provide additional training and to contract with an independent evaluator.

Professional learning opportunities under this grant may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

1. Developing and implementing school literacy plans, including identifying metrics to measure progress toward goals and actions.

2. Developing the knowledge and skills necessary, including literacy knowledge and leadership skills, to become literacy coaches.

3. Attaining the required specialist credential and/or added authorization to become a reading specialist; attain, if qualified, their bilingual authorization; and participate in professional learning aligned to the Commission's literacy standards and Teaching Performance Expectations.

4. Developing knowledge and skills in literacy instruction, including implementation of the ELA/ELD Framework, the development and implementation of culturally responsive curriculum and instruction, and the use of data to identify and support effective instruction and struggling students and diverse learners, including early learners, English Learner (EL) students, pupils with disabilities, and pupils with dyslexia.

5. Developing knowledge and skills for appropriate identification and use of screening instruments, assessment strategies, and evidence-based literacy instruction, including biliteracy instruction, for diverse learners.

6. Implementing intensive intervention strategies for pupils struggling with literacy, including tutoring and small group strategies, and strategies for target pupil groups based on data.

7. Developing and implementing family literacy plans that identify literacy and biliteracy goals, benchmarks, activities, and roles for all family members, as well as promote the availability of the State Seal of Biliteracy

Eligibility and Funding

The application deadline for the LCRSET grantee has passed. For historical purposes, a Request for Applications (RFA) is still available on the LCRS RFA web page. Find more information on the LCRS Funding Profile.

Grant Timeline

The estimated timeline for the selection process is below. This timeline is subject to change.

Reporting

LCRS Expenditure and Reporting System
This is the reporting system LEAs should use to report data for the LCRS program. Annual reports are due by September 30 each year.

LCRS Expenditure and Data Reporting Template (DOCX)
This is a template for expenditure and data reporting.

Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Reporting Technical Assistance Webinar
This webinar was held on August 23, 2023, and provided an overview of the reporting requirements and how to submit a report.
PowerPoint Slides (PPTX) Recording (Video, 34:13)
Frequently Asked Questions and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions regarding LCRS.

Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Technical Assistance Webinar
This webinar was held on December 5, 2022, and provided an overview of the legislation, allowed expenditures, and reporting requirements.
PowerPoint Slides (PPTX) Recording (Video; 1:03:19)
Related Content
Assembly Bill 181, Section 137 (Chapter 52, Statutes of 2022) Assembly Bill 185, Section 57 (Chapter 571 Statutes of 2022) Senate Bill 114, Section 104 (Chapter 48, 2023)

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Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists 2022-27

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Provides funds to develop literacy programs, employ and train literacy coaches and reading specialists, and develop and implement interventions for students needing targeted literacy support.

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Join us for office hours with questions about the grant, help and weekly content related to work for the grant!

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Check out this Real Estate Flyer designed by rwinters.

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Use this document to determine who your main contact is, Debra or Richard.

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Assignments Merced COE - LCRS Cohorts 1 and 2.xlsx

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Main Padlet developed by the grant group.

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A list of further resources related to the grant designed by SCOE and NAPA COE.

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Literacy for All Recap: 10 Things All Lit Coaches Should Know

I am afforded many benefits in my job as the Advocating for Literacy Program Manager at Booksource, but one of the best is attending different literacy conferences and meeting teachers from all over the country. Each conference is different, but they all have one thing in common: determined and passionate teachers.

At the recent Literacy for All Conference in Providence, RI, several sessions and workshops (including one with Lucy Calkins, the Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project) featured important takeaways for a specific group of educators: literacy coaches. Since I attended several of these sessions, here's my recap of the conference's best tips and reminders for lit coaches working in today's schools and classrooms.

1. You need to get your principal on board. Whether you're advocating for professional development, curriculum changes or educational purchases, lit coaches play an important role in helping principals create a community that prioritizes literacy. Make it your job to sell your principal on what's best for your teachers and students. (Hint: research quotes work wonders.)

2. Part of your job is to develop a culture of learning-for everyone. Be at the forefront of creating a school culture where learning develops not only within the students, but within the teachers as well. Growth is crucial to all of us.

3. Change is difficult. Change is difficult for people in general, but it can be even more difficult for teachers. Empathize with those who are reluctant to change and adopt new ideas or practices. Offer support as often as possible.

4. Quality feedback is necessary for growth. Quality feedback helps teachers develop new skills and strength, but long bits of advice will often be defended or ignored. Providing feedback that is short and positive helps teachers maintain their autonomy.

5. Classroom visits matter. Lucy Calkins suggests that teachers, lit coaches and school leaders should visit classrooms together as a group. Watch what the other teachers are doing! Different people have different takeaways and different goals, and there's always an opportunity to learn something new.

6. Performance is better than demonstration. During classroom visits, encourage visitors to become engaged in the teaching that is taking place in the classroom. By participating in a read aloud, for example, they become part of the performance and transformative learning can occur. Sitting in the back watching a demonstration requires no processing.

7. Processing time should be a priority. Speaking of processing, classroom visits, or any professional development activity, will be superficial without time to talk about it. Teachers need time to talk about their process and face their challenges together.

8. You've got to get your best teachers on board. To optimize the value of classroom visits, gather your veteran teachers and help them develop an open-door policy where inexperienced teachers are always welcome to visit, participate and learn.

9. You need to visit other schools. As a literacy or instructional coach, it's easy to stay in your own school or district. But for true learning to occur, you too, should go outside your comfort zone. Visit other schools and districts to see what they are doing to help their teachers and staff develop and grow.

10. Treat teachers as you want them to become. This was a key point that Lucy Calkins emphasized in her session. If you treat individuals as they are, they will stay where they are. But when you see the potential in the teachers you work with and treat them as they could be, you inspire growth, development and positive change.

Did you attend Literacy for All? What was your favorite takeaway from this year's conference?

Kelli Westmoreland is the Advocating for Literacy Program Manager at Booksource. After a fulfilling career in the classroom, Kelli spends her days working with teachers across the country who are sharing ideas on implementing trade books in the classroom. As a new empty nester, she enjoys having to do nothing...or something amazingly fun if she so chooses. She is currently reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

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Literacy for All Recap: 10 Things All Lit Coaches Should Know

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I am afforded many benefits in my job as the Advocating for Literacy Program Manager at Booksource, but one of the best is attending different literacy conferences and meeting teachers from all over the country. Each conference is different, but they all have one thing in common: determined and passionate

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Coaches spend a lot of time thinking about communication--about how we listen and ask questions. We know that coaching happens in conversations and that we need to pay acute attention to the words we use. I am a big believer in planning coaching conversations, in scripting them out ahead of time--I know this results in conversations that tend to be more intentional and strategic. In this post I want to offer a few suggestions for how changing a few words we use can be transformational in coaching conversations.
The 65/35 Percent Factor
We communicate our thoughts and feelings through the words we use, as well as our body language, tone of voice, pace of speech and pitch. In fact, many experts say that our non-verbal cues (body language, tone, pace, pitch) are responsible for carrying some 65% of the message we communicate. The specific words that we select to make up only 35% of our message. As we read this, we probably know how true this is--that it's not about what you say, it's how you say it. You can read more about this idea and how to use it in coaching in this blog that I wrote.

Now, let's focus on the 35 percent. I'd like to suggest that there are three words that if we became acutely aware of--both in our own speech and that of others--we'd transform our conversations. These three are Why?, but, and should.
Why?
This is the first word to start paying close attention to your usage of. Asking questions that start with "Why?" often makes people feel defensive. It can push them to feel like they have to justify or rationalize something they did or thought. The tone of voice we use when asking questions matters a great deal as does the intention behind the question, and so sometimes "Why...?" might be usable. As a general rule, however, it's dangerous territory.

Your intention behind a "Why?" question might be that you want to understand. Perhaps you want to understand why a teacher responded to a certain kid's behavior in a certain way. Maybe you want to ask, "Why did you react in that way to that boy's behavior?" Here are some other sentence stems that can do the same:

* I'm curious about your thinking in that moment. Can you tell me more?
* I'm wondering what led you to react to his behavior that way?
* What was it about that boy's behavior that led you to react in that way?

Start with just noticing how often you ask "Why?" questions and what your intention is behind them.
But...
If you want to experience a powerful transformation in your communication, substitute every "but" with "and." A statement that includes "but" cancels out or discounts everything that came before it. For example, "I hear what you're saying, but I still think you could consider doing that..." The "but" is like a big fat eraser, wiping out all that comes before the comma, making what comes after the comma feel like the truth. It can also set up an argumentative tone.

Here's the remedy: switch out the "but" for an "and" the whole thing sounds and feels different. Try saying that statement aloud with both words. "And" creates openness and space for many truths.

Again, just start by noticing how often you use "but" in sentences. And then see what happens when you substitute a few "buts" for "ands." Of course, you'll simultaneously need to be exploring your feelings and intention behind your statements, and that exploration will shift the communication, and in the meantime, see what happens when you just start switching out the word.
Should
Should is a yucky word. Don't use it. Should is full of judgment and righteousness. I know this one well--I'm a recovering-Should-er. I used it all the time, about myself and others. Usually if we use it with others, telling them what they "should" do, we have a tendency to use it with ourselves, as in: "I really should stop telling other people what they should or shouldn't do." Here's the problem with should: it's controlling and over-directive and can generate feelings of guilt.

When you notice yourself thinking or using "should" see what happens if you substitute "could" for it. Could is a much more open word. It creates possibilities.
Words Create Worlds
A transformational coach pays close attention to the words he or she uses, as well as the words that the coachee uses. Our words offer great insight into our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. They are like little windows into who we are and where we are. As Ann Hartman wrote, "Words create worlds." I'd like to suggest that just shifting our usage of the words, "why?, but, and should" could help to create entry points into new worlds.

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Transforming Coaching Conversations by Focusing on Three Words (Opinion)

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Coaches spend a lot of time thinking about communication--about how we listen and ask questions. We know that coaching happens in conversations and that we need to pay acute attention to the words we use. I am a big believer in planning coaching conversations, in scripting them out ahead of time--I...

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Literacy Leaders NH - Learn about the research

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The Simple View of Reading was developed by psychologists Philip Gough and William Tunmer in 1986. Click here to read more about it.

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Award-winning, Science of Reading backed, online reading assessment of foundational literacy skills - phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, fluency, & more