Partnering for Progress in Urban Education

Proven Success with KAT

100% STAAR passing rate in first year of implementation

As an educator with 14 years of experience, I have always searched for ways to improve my reading instruction. The KAT strategy has completely changed how I write and instruct reading lessons in my classroom. I am thankful to now have a proven strategy that is showing great success for all students in building their reading comprehension.

Small-Group Success

My small group focuses on what students need. Sometimes, text structure is used as a focus skill, but many times, it is spiraled in and used to support other focus skills, such as author’s purpose.

The Power of Text Structures & Inference Skills

Drs. Kacee Lambright & Marianne Rice discussed the KAT Framework and inference skills as guests on “The Literacy View Podcast.”

Turning Hate into a Love of Reading

If you buy into this, if you’re 100% committed to this, it’s going to be successful. I met student success in a phenomenal way. I had a student who was in my class last year, and I also teach him this year. On the first day he told me, “I hate you. I hate this class. I hate reading. I’m going to flunk every assignment you give me. And I’m going to fail the STAAR test.” Well, I kept working with him all school year, I kept working with him with the KAT strategies. I would pull him in for a little extra time during intervention time and no, he did not fail the STAAR test. No, he did not fail my class. He actually mastered the STAAR test, and he is one of my shining students this year.

KAT + Elevate & Empower: 9/11 Resilience

Ms. Pilar Sierra shows how to leverage the main idea, summary, and thinking structure of KAT to address multiple comprehension standards using the book This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11 Resilience and Regrowth.

BME Doesn't Work

Ms. Pilar Sierra demonstrates how using the KAT Framework helps students select correct answers, whereas the BME strategy misleads students.

Taking Ownership of Comprehension

I have taught reading for nine years using various modes of instruction. KAT text structures have given my classroom a systematic way to evaluate texts and determine meaning and importance. Using these text structures and sentence stems, students have shown amazing progress as measured by district benchmark testing. I am so impressed with how students are able to take on ownership of their comprehension using the supports provided through the KAT structure.

Powerful Resources for Families

Ms. Ashley Stack manages our parent outreach through the ACE Literacy Project, designed to bring the KAT Framework to families through free interactive podcasts in English & Spanish.
Spotify: English | Spanish
Episode Workbook: Episode 42: Biblioburro

Fidelity & Sustainability Are Key

We wanted to make sure we were implementing this with fidelity, we wanted to make sure we had sustainability, and we wanted to make sure we had on-going support for our teachers. As a district, we incorporated the lesson guides into our pacing guides so our teachers knew they had access to all of the texts available in our curriculum. We had curriculum writers develop student resources, and all of this has helped with gradual release of responsibility to our students.

Building Confidence with KAT

I have never felt more inspired by my students than I do this year. Seeing their growth and mastery of main idea and summary at times has me speechless. By implementing the KAT strategies into my daily lessons, I feel more confident as a teacher while explaining two of the most difficult reading skills. This confidence translates to my students when they are practicing these skills in our lessons and as they prepare for the STAAR test. Who could ask for more? Working with this group of educators within my alma mater makes me proud to be an Aggie! WHOOP!

Astronomical Improvements

Mr. Javier Garza discusses the successes the KAT Framework brought to his school in Brownsville.

Everyone Should Know This!

I have to tell a story about a little girl that was sitting next to me. I was sitting in a class observing, and she turned around and said, “Do you know about this thing called the KAT strategy?” and I said, “Yeah, I do.” And she goes, “Well, everybody should know this, because I didn’t know how to read before, and now I can read. You should just teach this to everyone.” It’s really about our students becoming readers — they have a process now for reading.

Growth Is Achievable for ALL Students

KAT has changed the way our students process all types of reading. We are using it across all content areas and have seen great strides for students comprehending and internalizing texts. Students are seeing patterns when reading, are making connections to other content areas, and understand texts that are complex in nature. In 6 months of application with KAT during the 2021–2022 school year, our students grew upwards of 30% in all three reporting categories for STAAR. Our success and hard work with the KAT framework proves that results are achievable and that students are confident and successful!

Illuminating the Power of Explicit Comprehension Routines

Drs. Kay Wijekumar & Kacee Lambright discussed how the KAT Framework creates explicit, systematic comprehension routines in the classroom, transforming instruction for all learners.

KAT Took Us Beyond STR

As we have been implementing the Science of Reading over the past few years, teaching comprehension has been the missing piece we've desperately needed. The KAT framework has finally provided efficient tools that teachers and students can use to identify main ideas. My students are now able to summarize with discernment rather than simply retell. The framework comes with built-in scaffolds that enable teachers to make comprehension both accessible and challenging for students of all levels. The Texas A&M team has been right there with us along the way, always going above and beyond to explain, equip, and encourage teachers as we grow in our own confidence with the framework. As an added bonus, we have been thrilled with how many ways the concepts can be applied – students use it as a testing strategy as well as a planning strategy for writing. I can't imagine teaching without it!