ARI Literacy Leadership

In every way, fall is a season of transformation — for students, classrooms, and educators alike. It is a time when teachers introduce new routines, implement strategies, and differentiate instruction based on assessments and other data. Professional learning communities and development opportunities give educators fresh tools and perspectives. It is a time to reconnect with purpose and passion. Fall is also a time to embrace change, reflect, and move forward with intention.

A school-wide literacy system can strengthen the path to reading proficiency. Each component of the school-wide system functions like a cog working with other gears in a complex machine. The components are critical for improving reading proficiency. They contain the criteria that inform practices, processes, and the overall strength of services delivered to improve reading achievement.

• Leadership and Implementation Teams
• Universal Core Instruction
• Intervention
• Data-Informed Decision Making
• Assessment
• Professional Learning
• Community and Family Involvement

• Share Alabama Literacy Act for Families information with the community.
• Continue to conduct science of reading-aligned literacy walk-throughs regularly.
• Analyze formal and informal data, and determine areas of need for professional learning.
• Facilitate a data team meeting to review benchmark results, grade-level reports, student work, and other data. Discuss progress toward goals and set intentional next steps with accountability.
• Use student data, hold data-informed conversations with teachers, and identify next steps.

The updated Assessment-to-Instruction Flowcharts are designed to support Alabama educators in making effective instructional decisions based on early years (universal screening) assessment data. The flowcharts provide a step-by-step process for analyzing results, identifying specific student needs, and helping teachers move beyond surface-level benchmarks to uncover the root causes of reading difficulties.

Key improvements include:

• Simplified navigation: Revisions streamline the “yes/no” decision points which in turn reduce confusion and make the flow easier to follow.
• Vendor-specific alignment: Each of the six approved assessment vendors now has its own tailored flowchart, using the exact subtest names and acronyms for clarity.
• Embedded resources: Clickable links within the flowcharts connect educators directly to diagnostic tools to help inform instructional next steps.
• Deeper data analysis: Revised guidance encourages educators to go beyond benchmark scores and drill down into specific areas such as decoding, encoding, phonics, and phonemic awareness.

By following the flowcharts, educators can identify precise gaps in foundational skills and access targeted diagnostic tools that point to the most effective evidence-based instructional strategy. This allows for instructional planning that is both student-specific and data-informed, ensuring that each learner receives the right support at the right time.

The updated flowcharts are available on the ARI website under the Assessment Cog. We encourage you to explore these tools, integrate them into your coaching and instructional planning, and share feedback so we can continue refining these valuable resources. Your ARI Regional Literacy Specialist is available to support the use of this resource by guiding local specialists and classroom educators in identifying root causes of reading difficulties and developing effective plans for targeted instruction.

Early Years Assessment Flowcharts - Google Drive

Dyslexia Awareness Month is observed in October each year. In 2025, Dyslexia Awareness Week will take place from October 6th-October 13th. This month aims to raise awareness about dyslexia and promote understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with this learning difference. Consider highlighting students with dyslexia by wearing red during Dyslexia Awareness Week. Please tag us on social media as you share your support for dyslexia awareness by wearing red on October 9, 2025.

Resources:

Dyslexia in the Classroom: What Every Teacher Needs to Know - International Dyslexia Association

Most Reading Difficulties Can Be Resolved or Diminished - International Dyslexia Association

Writing is powerful because it supports and strengthens reading. When students write about what they read, they are pushed to reflect, connect ideas, identify key points, paraphrase, and deepen their understanding of the text.

Writing, however, is demanding. It is the most complex and latest-developing language skill, which means it typically takes students longer to master than reading.

One challenge is teacher confidence and skill in writing instruction. Many teachers report feeling unprepared to model effective writing or to nurture strong writing habits in their students (Gilbert & Graham, 2010).

To better support students, it helps to remember that writing has two parts:

1. Basic skills (foundational writing skills) – the mechanics that allow students to get words onto paper.
2. Idea skills (compositional writing skills) – what students do with those words: generating, organizing, and clearly communicating ideas in writing.

This raises an important question: Does your school have structures in place for daily writing instruction starting as early as kindergarten? According to the Alabama ELA Course of Study, writing begins in kindergarten with foundational and compositional skills such as:

Foundational skills:

• Writing upper- and lower-case letters with correct strokes, formation, and line placement
• Encoding at the basic phoneme level
• With prompting and support, writing VC words, CVC words, and high-frequency words

Compositional skills:

• Participating in shared and independent writing experiences
• Creating narratives, opinion pieces, and explanatory texts

Beyond kindergarten, take a close look at your school’s writing instruction across grades K–3. Compare it to the Course of Study standards and identify any adjustments needed, starting in October, before too much of the school year has passed.

Reference: Writing Instruction and the Science of Reading (LETRS®, Volume 2, Page 231 & 233)

As teams begin to analyze benchmark data along with formative data and progress monitoring data to determine which students may need a Student Reading Improvement Plan (SRIP), they may review this informative session for guidance with entering SRIPs in PowerSchool.

ARI Informational Series: Student Reading Improvement Plans

Alabama's Guidance Manual for Problem-Solving Teams provides a framework for school building leadership to improve all tiers of instruction and intervention.

This manual offers educators and school leaders with:

• Overview of AL-MTSS and its relationship to PST
• Description of RTI and PBS models
• Protocols for implementation of the essential elements within the AL-MTSS framework
• Guiding questions, example modifications, and interventions to ensure success for all
• Vignettes of PST as a Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Every Child. Every Chance. Every Day.

Join members of the International Dyslexia Association-Alabama Branch at their fall conference, which aims to equip attendees with strategies to help students overcome literacy and math challenges associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia.

International Dyslexia Association Fall 2025 Conference

Presented by the Alabama Branch of IDA

Date: October 16-17, 2025

Location: Orange Beach Event Center at the Wharf

Registration: Fall 2025 Conference

As with any optional professional learning opportunity, you should review these choices to make sure they align with the needs and beliefs of your community.

Planning for summer learning begins now! School districts should now have a much clearer idea of funding available for summer reading camps, so this is the perfect time to begin dreaming big and shifting mindsets about how summer 2026 can look for students!

The ALSDE Office of Extended Learning (OXL) offers thought partnering opportunities, half-day and full-day professional learning sessions, and individual district coaching sessions. If you are interested in setting up a professional learning day at your Regional Inservice Center or partnering with nearby school districts to discuss summer learning, reach out to Jeff Norris, OXL Education Specialist, at oxl@alsde.edu. You may also contact him to schedule a virtual meeting

Is your district interested in diving deeper into before/after school tutoring? Supplemental appropriation funds allocated in August can be used for this purpose. OXL and ARI would love to visit before/after school programs to see current practices and learn how we can best support programs moving forward. Please contact Jeff Norris, OXL Education Specialist, at oxl@alsde.edu if you are interested in a visit.

In addition, guidance for summer and before/afterschool learning, training materials, and podcasts featuring innovative ideas are offered at the OXL site: https://oxl.alsde.edu

On August 22, 2025, the Alabama Reading Initiative launched the first Education Preparation Program (EPP) Collaborative Kickoff. During the kickoff, EPPs collaborated to set goals for the new year, reflect on the implementation of the new science of reading standards, and to share ideas as they problem-solved together. One goal EPPs committed to is building stronger partnerships with local districts and schools, as well as enhancing clinical experiences. The energy and passion for learning in this community of learners is AMAZING. We are excited about the work our higher education institutions are doing in the state of Alabama. We are thrilled to announce that our EPPs will engage in learning labs. EPP Labs will launch this fall, providing literacy professors an opportunity to learn from their peers in real time.

Dr. Tiffany Davis (RLLS) and Dr. Lauren Brannan (RLS) are ARI Regional Specialists that provide support and coaching to higher education institutions.

As the school year begins, many campuses are welcoming new and early-career teachers into their classrooms. These educators bring enthusiasm and fresh perspectives, but they also face the steep learning curve of navigating curriculum, instruction, and classroom management — often all at once.

In the book Moves for Launching a New Year of Student-Centered Coaching, author Diane Sweeney offers a few strategies for supporting new and early career teachers:

• Don’t Expect Full Coaching Cycles Right Away—Some new and early career teachers may not have the bandwidth to effectively engage with the local reading specialist (LRS) for this type of coaching support.

• Work With New Teachers to Develop Their Identities and Belief Systems—The LRS can support these teachers by cultivating strong relationships and guiding them in establishing their “why”.

• Explore the Standards, Curriculum, and Materials—Work with new and early career teachers to develop an understanding of how the standards progress, what the learning targets may be and how to formatively assess along the way.

• Create a Professional Learning Cohort – Create a cohort for new and early-career teachers focusing on professional learning to increase a sense of efficacy. Topics might include classroom management, student engagement or learning focused on effectively delivering solid Tier 1 instruction.

ARI Local Reading Specialists can make a significant impact by providing targeted support to build confidence and capacity. When this support is framed through a student-centered coaching model, the focus shifts from simply helping teachers survive to helping them thrive — all while keeping student learning at the core.

Results from the most recent NAEP administration indicated the need for increased exposure to poetry for Alabama students. During the first coaching community, ARI Local Reading Specialists gained a deeper understanding of how to use poetry and the Alabama ELA Course of Study. They explored evidence-based strategies for explicit, language-rich, Tier 1 literacy instruction. They also planned how to weave poetry into coaching cycles with K-3 teachers.

We are now inviting schools across the state to highlight how they are integrating poetry into literacy instruction. Use your social media sites to tell us how poetry is taking root in your school and helping readers and writers grow. Tag the Alabama Reading Initiative in your posts using #ALABAMAREADSPOETRY.

Let’s celebrate the harvest of literacy blooming across Alabama!

Literacy growth does not happen in isolation; it flourishes when families and schools grow together. The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family–School Partnerships reminds us that just as students need support to build skills and confidence, so do the adults guiding them. When families and educators are equipped with the right tools, beliefs, and networks, partnerships become stronger and more impactful for students’ reading success (SEDL, 2013). Below are four practical tips, framed by the 4Cs of the Dual Capacity Framework, with examples from ARI’s family engagement work that literacy leaders can apply in their schools and communities:

Capabilities: Build Skills and Knowledge

• Share practical literacy strategies families can use at home, such as read-aloud routines or word games. ARI provides family and community literacy resources. Ask your regional literacy support about what is available.
• Offer short trainings for staff and families on effective communication and creating welcoming school–family interactions. (SEDL, 2013, p. 10–11)

• Create opportunities for families to connect at events like Family Literacy Nights or through peer-sharing in newsletters. One Alabama school used “Conversation Starter Bingo Boards” to spark interaction among educators, families, and community partners.
• Establish consistent, two-way communication loops between teachers and families to build trust. (SEDL, 2013, p. 10–11)

Confidence: Increase Self-Efficacy

• Celebrate families’ efforts in newsletters and events, spotlighting their role in supporting reading at home.
• Encourage families to set small, achievable literacy goals with their children, and recognize progress. This can be done during the development of Student Reading Improvement Plans in collaboration with families and reinforced by tracking student growth together. (SEDL, 2013, p. 11)

Cognition: Shift Beliefs and Roles

• Reinforce families’ multiple roles as supporters, monitors, advocates, and collaborators in student learning.
• Use Family Literacy Nights, PTA/PTO meetings, and Parent Conferences to model and affirm that families are true partners in academic success. ARI’s Coaching a Better Reader Family Academy is designed for this purpose. Ask how this program can be implemented in your school. (SEDL, 2013, p. 11)

Reference

SEDL. (2013). Partners in education: A dual capacity-building framework for family–school partnerships. U.S. Department of Education.

For more information on growing stronger partnerships with families, educators may refer to:

A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family–School Partnerships

https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/documents/family-community/partners-education.pdf

Please use any resource links with discretion, as their position statements are their own and not necessarily representative of ARI and the ALSDE. Usage of any materials should be with adherence to rules and regulations of the Alabama State Department of Education.