Literacy Framework Boosts Teacher and Student Success

November 4, 2015

CEI delivers Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) training and support to K-12 educators around the state who are asking how they can better help students meet the Colorado Academic Standards.

“LDC uses rubrics grounded in the Colorado Academic Standards. It’s a tool that’s been created by teachers for teachers,” said CEI’s Professional Learning director Amy Spicer. “Teachers can measure in real time their students’ growth against what they have been teaching in the classroom.”

The instructional tool helps teachers use proven content literacy teaching strategies in the classroom. LDC.org houses templates for teachers to use plus a catalog of sample instructional modules and lessons.

Teachers credit LDC for enhancing student work and writing skills. “It’s a true backwards design where there are no assumptions about your students’ skills,” said Mountain Range High School teacher Mandy Byrd. “You’re making sure that you’re helping students build the required skills they need to successfully complete the end result — those needed skills are in your mind from the very beginning of your lesson plan.”

Byrd said students are receiving very few low scores because the LDC instruction is supporting students. “With LDC instruction, students are moving from partially proficient to advanced because they work their way through the learning process and can illustrate the skills better,” she said.

Local LDC school districts include Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Denver Public Schools, Jeffco Public Schools, and Thompson School District in Loveland. LDC is expanding across the United States and CEI has trained more than 2,500 Colorado educators in 25 school districts. CEI is also connecting LDC to Colorado’s District Sample Curriculum Project and training teachers on how to review each other’s modules. Learn how CEI can connect schools, districts, or BOCES with LDC trainers, technical assistance, and other resources.