Middle & High School: School-Wide Literacy Planning

This month’s post is an updated version of an article I originally wrote in 2011. Unfortunately, since that time, the literacy skills of adolescent students have not improved. This is evident in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading results, which show that only 31% of Grade 4 students and 30% of Grade 8 students are performing at or above the proficient level. Literacy skills are more essential than ever for success in college and the workplace, as well as for managing the everyday demands of an increasingly complex society and global economy.

An increasing number of middle and high schools are beginning to acknowledge the need for a school-wide approach to literacy instruction that includes multiple tiers of instruction. Tier 1 instruction consists of content-area literacy instruction for all students and is delivered within subject area classes such as history, science, math, and English. Tiers 2 and 3 provide supplemental and intervention instruction for struggling readers and writers, delivered partly in regular content classes and partly in intervention settings, including extended English/language arts blocks and individual or small-group instruction.

My new book, The Essentials of Adolescent Literacy: Integrating Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Instruction in Grades 5-12, was recently published alongside Keys to Literacy’s companion Keys to Adolescent Literacy professional development course. Together, the book and course help secondary educators understand the unique aspects of adolescent literacy, offer practical instructional suggestions for teaching reading, writing and discussion skills across all subjects, address the needs of adolescents with learning difficulties, and present a secondary literacy assessment model that supports individualized, data-driven reading interventions.

A school-wide approach to adolescent literacy that incorporates the instructional and assessment suggestions described in the book and course requires committed literacy leadership. Effective leaders understand adolescent literacy and can develop and guide a comprehensive school-wide literacy plan that includes the structures and processes needed to meet the diverse needs of middle and high school learners.

A Literacy Planning Model

An effective middle and high school literacy plan should address the following six components:

1. Establishment of a literacy planning team
2. A screening, diagnostic, and progress-monitoring assessment plan to identify students’ needs and guide instructional decisions
3. A content-area literacy curriculum that addresses reading, writing, speaking, and listening in all subjects
4. Interventions for struggling students that address all components of reading and writing based on individual student needs
5. Flexible scheduling that allows for grouping based on instructional needs
6. Professional development planning

A key first step is assembling a literacy planning team that represents the major stakeholders responsible for implementing the literacy plan. Team members should include teachers from all subject areas, intervention educators, literacy coaches and specialists, administrators, and parents. It is important to recognize that literacy planning is a process, not a single event. As with most school-wide initiatives, developing and executing a literacy plan requires time and sustained effort. Planning teams should expect to spend a year developing the plan, followed by another year or two for full implementation.

Once the planning team is assembled, the first task is to take stock of what is already in place in relation to the six components. This includes gathering information to answer questions such as:

• What assessments are currently used to identify proficient and struggling readers and writers?
• How is assessment data used to inform instructional decisions across multiple tiers of instruction?
• What effective literacy practices are already occurring in content-area classrooms, and what gaps exist?
• What interventions and supplemental literacy programs are currently available for struggling students, and what is missing?
• What additional professional development do content-area teachers need to address all components of reading and writing effectively?
• What additional professional development do intervention educators need to deliver effective intervention instruction?
• Is the school schedule flexible enough to support a variety of grouping patterns for intervention instruction?

After gathering this information, the planning team can set and prioritize goals and action steps for each of the six components. Some action steps may be “low-hanging fruit”—easy to accomplish quickly and with minimal cost. Others will require more time and resources. A concrete plan for addressing these action steps over the next one to two years is essential for sustaining progress.

The six planning components are interrelated. Action steps for one component should align with action steps for others. For example, decisions about all tiers of instruction should be based on assessment data, as should decisions about how to group students and schedule supplemental instruction. Plans for professional development should reflect the needs of teachers who will embed literacy into content instruction and the intervention goals addressed by specialists.

A literacy assessment plan is central to successfully implementing a school-wide adolescent literacy initiative. Screening assessments identify which students are struggling, diagnostic assessments determine why they struggle, and progress-monitoring assessments measure whether instruction is effective in both Tier 1 content classrooms and Tier 2 and 3 supplemental instruction. Read my November 25, 2024 blog post titled Reading Assessment Model, Grades 5-12 for recommendations.

Literacy Leadership

Middle and high school administrators must play a key role in improving adolescent literacy outcomes. They must prioritize the development of literacy skills and allocate instructional time for reading and writing within the school schedule. Administrators must also support flexible scheduling and grouping practices that enable a multi-tiered model of literacy instruction across both content classrooms and intervention settings. Ongoing professional development for both content-area teachers and literacy specialists is essential to support these efforts.

Although the time, effort, and expertise required to develop a school-wide literacy plan can be challenging for many middle and high schools, the investment is well worth the effort. There is an urgent and ongoing need to strengthen the literacy skills of adolescent learners.

References:

Sedita, J. (2011). Adolescent literacy: Addressing the needs of students in grades 4–12. In J. R. Birsh (Ed.), Multisensory teaching of basic language skills. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Sedita, J. (2026). Essentials of adolescent literacy: Integrating evidence-based reading and writing instruction in grades 5–12. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Sedita, J. (2025). Keys to adolescent literacy professional development course. Keys to Literacy.

Literacy Planning Services:

Contact Keys to Literacy to learn about literacy leadership support services and consulting.

Additional Resources:

Rissman, L. M., Miller, D. H., & Torgesen, J. K. (2009). Adolescent literacy walk-through for principals: A guide for instructional leaders. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

Smith, K. G., Dombek, J. L., Foorman, B. R., Hook, K. S., Lee, L., Cote, A.-M., Sanabria, I., & Stafford, T. (2016). Self-study guide for implementing high school academic interventions. (REL 2016–218). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.

Smith, K. G., Dombek, J. L., Foorman, B. R., Hook, K. S., Lee, L., Cote, A.-M., Sanabria, I., & Stafford, T. (2016). Self-study guide for implementing literacy interventions in grades 3-8. (REL 2016–224). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.

St. Martin, K., Harms, A., Walsh, M., & Nantais, M. (2023). Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory Secondary-Level Edition. (Version 2.2). Michigan Department of Education, Michigan’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports Technical Assistance Center