The way Dr. Linda Everett, principal of Putnam City West High School, sees it, the school has 100 literacy teachers.

Some are science or social studies teachers. Some teach drama, physical education or technology. But every teacher in the building, regardless of the subject they teach, is focused on improving their students’ abilities to read and write.

"We’re all literacy teachers," says Everett. "Students need to comprehend the information in textbooks and assigned readings. If they don’t, they can’t fully participate in classes or succeed in school. And if they don’t succeed in school, succeeding in life is a battle."

A literacy council has been in existence at the school for four years. The group of teachers has worked tirelessly to evaluate data, understand student needs and shape the right kind of academic programs and help.

As part of their efforts, this year Putnam City West became the first high school in the district to bring a literacy coach on staff. Claudia Smith, the new coach, will help bring reading and writing strategies into each classroom and also work with students on reading and writing skills. Because Smith has taught both middle school and college, Everett says, she’s uniquely qualified to understand the skills students bring with them to high school as well as the skills they need when they leave.

Before classes began this fall, teachers worked to gain new skills in teaching literacy. In August, every teacher at the school attended 1 ½ days of literacy training offered by nationally known reading expert Dr. Mark Forget (pronounced forzháy). The training was funded by the Putnam City Public Schools Foundation.

Throughout the remainder of the year, teachers will be employing Forget’s literacy-enhancing strategies in their classrooms. The techniques are designed to engage students in deeper learning while at the same time helping them acquire skills in listening and processing information.

After student questions are exhausted or a set amount of time runs out, the tables are turned. The teacher asks the questions while students, with books closed, must come up with answers.

"The idea of stumping the teacher motivates students to read and reread. The exercise as a whole gives students the chance to practice reading, speaking, listening and thinking skills, and it can be used in any class and with any subject matter," says Latin teacher Betty Ivich, who coordinates professional development in the school.

With the GIST technique, students write a short summary of a passage in the text. The summaries are posted around the room, and then students vote on which summary is the best. Pulling the essential ideas out of a passage requires careful reading and writing, Ivich says.

From an anticipation guide, students get a list of statements about a reading before they even do the reading. Students put a check mark in front of each statement they believe is true. During their reading, students may change or correct their answers. For all statements, they must mark down where in the reading they found information that supports their conclusion. The technique increases motivation and comprehension, Ivich says.

All of the techniques cause students to engage more deeply in reading than they otherwise might. That’s because reading and writing is about more than understanding letters and words and placing them in the right order, says Everett.

"Literacy also implies ideas and understanding. Literacy is listening and higher order thinking. It’s readily taking in information and processing it in a way that benefits you," Everett says.

"Children grow up with a lot more television, movies and video games than they used to. As a result, we have a higher number of students who read well enough to function day-to-day, and fewer students who are really ready for academic level of reading," she says.

By incorporating literacy activities into all classes, Evevett hopes to prepare students for their futures.

"The world is out there waiting for these students, and they need to be able to read and write at a level high enough to deal with its demands," Everett says.