1. Read the vignette in the introduction of this book about Liberty High School. As each person reads, list all of the structures school leaders put in place to make this a literacy-rich school. For example, a schoolwide vocabulary program was in place as were literacy-rich service learning projects. Then, as a group, contribute all that you have listed to make a “master list” and write each structure on a sticky note (3×3 notes work best). You will need one note per structure. Then, take your sticky notes and group them into four groups on a chart that looks like the one below.

1. Take a moment and celebrate what your school does well in terms of literacy-rich structures and processes now in place (listed in Column 1).
2. Talk about ways to make the items in Column 2 more pervasive throughout the school.
3. Have each group member prioritize the items in Column 3. Take the top 2–3 items and talk about action steps you could take to begin implementation of these in your school. You may wish to group the items under columns 2 and 3 by placing sticky notes all together that relate to one type of topic (such as improving vocabulary or increasing the amount of reading completed by students).

Chapter 1: Student Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement

When students are motivated, they engage in learning and subsequently (with good instruction and feedback, and opportunities for guided and independent practice) they achieve. Look at Figure 1.1: The Literacy-Engagement Instruction Cycle to help teachers and administrators understand the relationships between different aspects of the cycle.

1. When students are really engaged in learning, what are they doing? What are teachers doing? What is the classroom environment like?
2. Read the vignette about Carly. Make a list of all of the things that Ms. Warren did to break the cycle of failure for Carly. Discuss what teachers can do to motivate students to read and write.
3. Read the dream team vignette. This is an example of students engaged in learning for an authentic purpose. While this vignette describes what students are doing, list all of the things that teachers did to support this level of student engagement.

Chapter 2: Integrating Literacy and Learning Across the Content Areas

Why are content-area teachers the best ones to support student literacy learning? Do teachers in your school understand this rationale? How can you begin to have a broader conversation about the roles and responsibilities of content-area teachers regarding the support of students' literacy development?

1. Read the vignette about Alesha and make a list of what a proficient reader does. How can you use this list to help non-proficient readers become stronger?
2. Read the vignette about Ms. Dean and make a list of the actions that teachers can take to support the literacy development of all students. How can you use this list to help teachers support students' literacy development? Vignettes from three different content areas are available in Appendix A. You may wish to use these vignettes to discuss these issues with teachers in different departments in the school.
3. Read the Ms. Ramirez vignette and make a list of what Ms. Ramirez did to begin a literacy improvement initiative in her school. What makes her methods effective? What else might she do to get everyone on board with the literacy initiative? How is this similar or different to what is happening in your school or district?

Chapter 3: Integrating Literacy and Learning through Literacy Interventions

1. What literacy interventions do you offer students in your school? Who are they for? How do students get placed in them? What data is used to place students? Do they work? How are they monitored?
2. Read the vignette about Mr. Duncan and discuss ways that he could have helped each of the struggling students in the class.
3. In what ways are special education students supported in literacy in your school? ELL students?
4. Read the vignette about Kathy Lowry and discuss ways that she planned for the literacy support needs of students who needed literacy interventions. What did she do well? What else could she have done?

Chapter 4: Sustaining Literacy Development: School, Parent, Community, and District Support

1. What is your school mission statement? How does it support literacy development?
2. What policies and practices are in place in your school that support literacy? What might hinder literacy development?
3. Read the vignette about Ralph Dearden and make a list of all the things he did to create a literacy-rich school. Which things were effective? What else could he do? What would happen to the school's literacy effort if he left the school? How could a decrease in literacy support be avoided?
4. Read the vignette about Christine Quinn and list the things that she did to begin a literacy initiative in her school district. What does your district do to support literacy development at the school level?

Chapter 5: Develop and Implement a Schoolwide Literacy Action Plan

1. Does your school have a literacy action plan? If not, why not? If so, is it current? What data was used to develop this plan? What aspects of the plan have been implemented? What are the next steps?
2. Read the vignette about Tim Hancock (it is in three different parts in the chapter) and note and discuss what the principal and the literacy team did to create a literacy action plan. What suggestions would you make to this literacy team? How did they use data in the following areas:
   1. Strengthening literacy development across the content areas?
   2. Literacy interventions for struggling readers and writers?
   3. School policies, structures, and culture for supporting literacy?
   4. Building leadership capacity?
   5. Supporting teachers to improve instruction?

Chapter 6: Support Teachers to Improve Instruction

1. In what ways does your school support teachers to improve instruction? How does your list compare with the eight points made in the chapter?
   1. Read the vignette about Mike Dennis and discuss ways in which Ms. Rundel and others supported a new teacher to integrate literacy and learning. How does your school induct new teachers to support students with literacy development?
   2. Use the Classroom Observation Guide located in the Appendix C in the book to observe in a classroom. You may wish to use the use the guide to discuss the observation with a colleague. What did you learn?

Chapter 7: Use Data to Make Decisions About Literacy Teaching and Learning

1. What types of data are used in your school? For what purposes?
2. Look at the chart titled “A General Guide for Using Data for Placement Decisions.” Can you classify students in your school into the categories of this chart? If so, how is there progress as readers and writers monitored? How does the level of support match up with the level of support suggested in the chart?
3. Read the vignette about Washington High School and list the ways that Washington High School used data to make instructional decisions. Compare this list with what you do in your school.
4. If you are currently reviewing assessment options for your school or district, use the Assessment Review Tool to help you decide on an appropriate reading assessment.

Chapter 8: Build Leadership Capacity

1. Ask teachers in your school to complete the Teacher Knowledge Inventory found in Appendix A and review the results. What are areas of collective strength? Where is professional development needed?
2. Make copies of the glossary found in Appendix B in the book. Have teachers in your school rate their knowledge for each word on a scale from 1 to 3 (1= don't know this word at all; 2 = have heard of the word; 3 = could explain this word to others). Compile the results. What conclusions can you draw about what teachers and administrators in your school need to learn about literacy?
3. Read the vignette about Madison High School and list the things that this literacy team does to promote literacy development in the school. Does your school have a literacy team? How does this list compare to the activities of your literacy team?
4. Read the vignette about Brandon Browning and make a list of how Brandon builds leadership capacity in his school. Do you have a literacy coach? What are the activities she or he engages in? If you do not have a literacy coach, how could some of these roles and responsibilities be carried out by others?
5. What role does each person play in the literacy development of students?
   1. School administrators
   2. Curriculum coordinators
   3. Reading specialists
   4. Library/media specialists
   5. English language learner/Special education teacher
   6. Department chairs or team leaders
   7. Content-area teachers
6. Every school has teachers who resist integrating literacy support in their content-area instruction. They usually resist for good reason. Study the Resister's Chart. What do you feel are the primary reasons that teachers resist a schoolwide literacy improvement effort at your school? Based on the chart, what are some key messages that you could develop to respond to resistant teachers?
7. Read the vignette about Jalma Baker and make a list of the things that Jalma did to help everyone in the school get on board for the literacy initiative. What are some other things she could have done?

Chapter 9: Allocate Resources

1. Think about how your school uses available resources to support literacy. Compare your list with the resources listed under each section in the book.
   1. Time
   2. Space
   3. Personnel
   4. Professional development
   5. Materials
   6. Technology
   7. Funding
2. Read the vignette about Allewan Regional Middle School and discuss how Allewan Middle School allocated and reallocated its resources to support literacy.

Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy: An Implementation Guide for School Leaders was written by Judith L. Irvin, Julie Meltzer, and Melinda Dukes. This 270-page, 7" × 9" book (Stock #107034; ISBN 978-1-4166-0541-6) is available from ASCD for $23.95 (ASCD member) or $30.95 (nonmember). Copyright © 2007 by Judith L. Irvin. To order a copy, call ASCD at 1-800-933-2723 (in Virginia 1-703-578-9600) and press 2 for the Service Center. Or buy the book from ASCD's Online Store.