K-12 Literacy Mission

To develop independent, skillful, and confident readers, writers, communicators and thinkers by providing every student with authentic and rigorous learning experiences through a balanced and disciplinary literacy approach and culturally responsive lens.

Belief Statements

We believe it is the responsibility of all District stakeholders to guarantee that students are given:

• Extended stretches of time to read authentic texts, write for authentic situations, write the kinds of texts seen in the world, and to write for varied audiences.
• Access to direct, explicit instruction and practice at or above grade level.
• Access to texts diverse in culture, complexity, genre, topic, etc.
• Opportunity to choose what to read and writing topics meaningful to the writer.
• Opportunity to observe a proficient readers and writers as they read and think aloud.
• Opportunity to read like writers; to study and emulate a wide variety of mentor texts written by a diverse group of authors.
• Opportunity to cycle through the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
• Opportunity to enhance understanding through talk.
• Timely, descriptive feedback tailored to specific strengths and crystal clear goals
• Demonstration of what it means to live a richly literate life.
• Routine word study or grammar instruction and multiple opportunities for practice in context.

-Above Belief Statements Adapted from Lucy Calkins