State testing has become a reality in our educational systems. The demands and pressures of high stakes testing are overwhelming for teachers and students. Poor test scores have motivated some districts to implement specific teaching methods and providing scripted lesson plans for teacher instruction. This type of involvement by districts, meant to better prepare children, has diminished the abilities of educators to develop and implement effective quality lessons. Consequently, testing has added undue anxiety on the part of educators, students, and parents. Teachers are being forced to teach to the test rather than to teach to individual student needs. Research indicates that a great number of highly qualified individuals are now rethinking their career choices due to these testing pressures.

Cornerstone's belief system may just have a solution to the testing dilemma. Cornerstone believes that by the end of third grade all students will achieve literacy. Students will be able to read, write, think critically, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. They also will be able to communicate effectively and solve queries systematically. Not only are these Cornerstone beliefs entrenched throughout the Literacy Framework, it also provides a solid foundation of teaching intention to help children achieve literacy by the conclusion of third grade. These intentions not only meet the standards set forth by most states, but exceed them!

Cornerstone is positively influencing state testing by equipping students with the strategies they need in order to compete in today's competitive world of testing. All students can achieve literacy by the end of third grade if teachers implement the Cornerstone Literacy Framework. State testing will no longer be looked upon as a dreaded week long of drudgery. It will be just another day of reading, writing, and thinking critically. The intricacies of learning how to communicate thoughts effectively and how to solve queries systematically will become part of their skill knowledge. The students will view testing as an extension of what they do during their scheduled daily literacy block. One of the third graders says it very succinctly, "It is just what we do everyday in reading class!"

Through ongoing professional development that teachers receive, teachers are implementing the teaching intentions of the Cornerstone Literacy Framework; thereby, they are subsequently preparing students for state tests and better yet, a life of literacy.

During reading crafting sessions, coaches and teachers are modeling deep and surface structure systems using a variety of genre at a more challenging text level. The writing crafting sessions focus on demonstrating the deep and surface structure systems used by proficient writers. Students have daily opportunities to apply these recently taught strategies during composing meaning time where they independently read and write for extended periods of time.

Reading and writing crafting sessions expose students to the strategies they need to become literate while composing meaning provides students the authentic opportunity to apply these strategies. These two portions of the Framework are critical in helping children learn to strategize, think critically, communicate effectively, and to work rigorously throughout the day.

The crafting and composing meaning portions of the Cornerstone Literacy Framework help to prepare students for state testing through modeling and exposure to a variety of texts and genre, thus allowing students to individually apply vocabulary and comprehension strategies that have been demonstrated. Through teacher think-a-louds, children have learned about the process of meta-cognition. They understand how to think about their thinking during reading and writing and are able to flexibly apply this strategy throughout their day.

Cornerstone is certainly impacting the results of state testing. Students are able to read, write, and think critically. They have learned to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. Students in Cornerstone schools are not only better prepared for state tests, but are ready to embrace a life of learning.