Adolescent Literacy - Overview
Purpose
The Adolescent Literacy initiative will collaboratively develop a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based reading instruction and interventions to meet the diverse adolescent literacy needs of students in pilot secondary school sites in collaboration with national and state researchers and agencies within the framework of RtI in Florida.
This initiative is currently being developed by a cadre of professionals within the state of Florida and will continually add information, resources, and implementation updates.
Background and Rationale
In adolescent literacy, given 50% of SWDs ages 6-21 were served in a regular class (FDOE, 2007) and the current reported graduation rate of SWDs is 60.2% (FDOE, 2007), there is a critical need to improve student rates of learning (FDOE Strategic Imperative, 2007). Currently, 28% of students with disabilities in grades 3-10 were performing at or above achievement level 3 (on grade level and above) on FCAT Reading. This is an increase from 25% in 2005. Additionally in 2007, 51% of students with disabilities in grades 3-10 were performing at achievement level 1 on FCAT Reading. This is a decrease from 57% in 2005 and 52% in 2006 (FCAT data from FDOE, 2007). Realizing this need, members of the Advisory Committee of Project CENTRAL recommended expansion of the activities of the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) to address these needs in coordination with the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plans (FDOE, 2006). 
As a result, a comprehensive professional development plan, including instructional coaching and mentoring to assure access to SIM Professional Developers, has been implemented (65 of the 67 school districts), with more than 100 statewide, Master, certified professional developers in SIM. In addition, the quantity and quality of professional development has continued to increase, as more than 75% of participants in professional development complete all follow-up activities to become certified as Master professional developers (Project CENTRAL, 2008). Lastly, pilot projects measuring the student impact of professional development in adolescent literacy (specific to SIM), in conjunction with the School Improvement Plan and K-12 Reading Plan, have yielded improved student outcomes in reading within the least restrictive environment (Little & Hahs-Vaughn, 2007).
