Supporting Adolescent Literacy Instruction in California
California has made significant gains in literacy achievement with many of the efforts to improve literacy being focused on grades K-5. As a result, middle and high school educators often have limited access to instructional resources designed specifically for adolescent learners. To sustain literacy gains and more effectively support adolescent learners, California is now working to expand resources tailored for secondary contexts.
The California Department of Education (CDE) is collaborating with the West Comprehensive Center (West CC) to provide support and consultation to increase access to high-quality literacy resources to support adolescent learners.
West CC will support CDE by:
- Reviewing and providing feedback on drafts of CDE’s grades 6–12 literacy content blocks;
- Codesigning and delivering a 1-hour overview webinar to orient educators and leaders to adolescent literacy resources and evidence-based practices;
- Codesigning and facilitating three half-day regional in-person summer literacy institutes to build local capacity and support sustainability through applied learning; and
- Codesigning and delivering a three-part webinar series focused on implementing adolescent literacy practices.
Through these collaborative efforts, CDE will increase statewide awareness of and access to evidence-based adolescent literacy resources for grades 6-12 educators to improve secondary reading outcomes.
