Focusing on Literacy: Multidisciplinary Approach to Reform in One Urban High School

• In Event: 31.092 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Three - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 31.092-9 - Multidisciplinary Approaches in Secondary School: Explorations of Reform and Transformation

Abstract

This paper describes how one urban high school labeled “persistently struggling” attempted to improve the teaching and learning of literacy in a novel university/school partnership. This paper brings together the diverse methodologies and epistemologies of long term participatory ethnography with practitioner research using traditional quantitative school data and ethnographic data to describe the literacy program and interpret its outcomes. Our research question asked: what sort of literacy program is needed to support the full range of literacy needs in an 6-12 urban high school? Analyses indicated that generative frictions produced changes in the literacy program and in the literacy team’s understanding of student needs. School data indicate the literacy performance improved on standard measures, but more authentic assessments were needed.

Authors

• Joanne C. Larson, University of Rochester

• Jennifer Rees, East High School

• Jessica Anderson, East High School