AUSD has begun (in collaboration with the community AND using state guidelines and research) to develop a clearly articulated framework for literacy that will support the adults in our system to have a shared understanding of effective literacy instruction that will support our students' wide range of literacy needs so that students can experience success at reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking.

The literacy framework will codify the definitions of the 5 pillars of literacy (Sheffelbein): word recognition & fluency, academic language, skills & conventions, reading comprehension, and writing. In addition, it will articulate the purpose of assessments (screeners, diagnostics, benchmarks, formative and summative), research-based instructional strategies, and alignment with current adopted and supplemental materials. For each of the pillars, we will have engaged and applied feedback from stakeholders and this framework will guide our teacher professional learning and future literacy adoptions.