Informational Text SLO Goal Next Steps PD Session

1. Informational Text SLO GoalNext Steps PD Session Presented by J. Lima Boyle and K. Erinakes 1.15.13

2. What Are Our Next Steps in the Effort to Help Kids become Better Readers at CHS? Today’s Session Objectives: • Take stock of where we are with the Informational Text SLO goal • Deconstruct the language and expectations of the generic assessment and rubric • Consider ways to target learning gaps and tailor instruction according to student need • Identify “go to” strategies for annotation and text analysis • Identify how this work connects to the required case study documents

3. Where Are We with this SLO Goal? • Perhaps feeling a bit like this guy??? • Each teacher here, with the possible exception of electives teachers planning to do so in semester two, has given a baseline assessment and has scores for the ONE class selected to be used as part of the Informational Text SLO. • Each teacher has considered the results of the baseline assessment and has adopted strategies to address learning needs of the class. • Each teacher has been instructing on informational text strategies whenever appropriate/possible.

4. We Recognize that the Cart Has Been a Bit ahead of the Horse with this SLO Goal… • For example, after the September 18th PD, we selected informational text strategies to use in our class before we truly had a clear understanding of the strengths/ weaknesses of our students. • We know that the varied texts we are selecting to assess students are cause for consideration. Are they too hard? Too easy? What if my results are skewed? • As other components of the evaluation system are clarified, such as the case studies, the gaps in support and choreography of this school-wide goal draw attention to themselves. • But there just may be a way forward.

5. Let’s Be Strategic in Our Efforts Here We should each ask ourselves a few questions: • Have I looked at my baseline assessment results and made instructional decisions based on them in the interest of my students? • What are some of my conclusions? • Am I planning instruction differently for individual students in my class? How? • Have I selected the two students about whom I will compose case studies for this SLO goal? • How might I document some of the interventions I have made for these two students? • If I cannot affirmatively or fully answer each of the above questions, where can I get support to do so?

6. Consider the Two Parts of the Informational Text Rubric • One way to identify students’ needs and to shape decisions on instruction is to look at how well kids are doing with annotation and analysis questions. • These two skills are rated separately on the CHS Informational Text Reader Response Rubric. • FOCUS ACTIVITY: • Find in your packets the sheet labeled “Examining Assessment Results Quick Activity” and follow the directions provided.

7. Part ONE of the Rubric: ANNOTATION

8. What Can I Do to Help Kids when Annotation Is the Challenge? • Start small- try the Punctuation Strategy (See handout) • Step it up- provide them more detailed guidelines on annotation and have them practice using them. IE The Science Dept’s “Annotation Guidelines” (See handout) • Go large- practice using Cornell Notes (See handout)

9. Part TWO of the Rubric: TEXT ANALYSIS

10. What Can I Do to Help Kids when Text Analysis Is the Challenge? • Start small- use the “Elements of Informational Text” Graphic Organizer (See handout) • Step it up- Adopt the Q.A.R strategy to encourage students to categorize different types and levels of questions (See handout) • Go large- Practice using the double entry journal to examine both explicit and implicit ideas and how the author advances his/her point of view (See handout).

11. This Work Connects to the Case Study Requirements • We all must complete case study documents connected to our SLO and PPPR goals. • For the Informational Text SLO, we must complete one case study sheet on two different students in the class we identified as our target class. The case study asks us to consider the following: What interventions were employed as a result of the baseline data? Why did you choose the intervention(s)? What formative assessment strategies were employed? Did you change the intervention at any point? If so, why? If not, why did you continue to employ the same intervention? If student DID NOT meet the target, what would you do differently next time? How did you arrange this student’s grouping patterns based on formative assessment and interventions?

12. Examine a Sample Case Study- Work Backwards Case Study Form (Evidence:2E, 2F, 2G, PDP, SLO) What intervention(s) were employed as a result of the baseline data? Why did you choose the intervention(s)? The baseline data showed that Jane struggled equally with annotating the text and responding to the questions. Based on this data I used strategies with Jane to help her learn how to analyze text (identify main ideas, supporting details, authors’ purpose, etc.) in the form of a graphic organizer and then implement these strategies to “read for a purpose.” I then modeled how to use the read for a purpose strategies to annotate the text accordingly (underline main ideas, question supporting details, agree/disagree with content/authors’ purpose, etc.). These interventions were appropriate as a means to not only help Jane increase her comprehension of the text, but also to articulate her strengths/weaknesses with such comprehension as annotations within the text. Jane could then more narrowly focus her understanding of the material on her own annotations rather than trying to re-read the entire document. What formative assessment strategies were employed? Why? Elements of Info. Text graphic organizer, punctuation strategy, and reading for a purpose. As stated above the baseline data revealed equal weaknesses with annotation and responding to questions. The above listed strategies provided Jane with a concrete means to comprehend the text and annotate it in terms that she could understand and refer back to for continued comprehension. This also helped Jane realize what she did not understand in the text and allowed her to focus her questions on her gaps of knowledge.

13. Sample Case Study Continued Did you change the intervention at any point? If so, why? If not, why did you continue to employ the same intervention? The interventions did not change because they were proving to be successful, but the frequency of specific interventions did. For example, Jane demonstrated after two formative assessments using the Elements of Info. Text graphic organizer that she was comfortable and competent doing so, but needed more time with effectively using the punctuation strategy (4 formative assessments) and reading for a purpose/annotating (4 formative assessments). Other students in the class may have needed more work with previewing text and less with the punctuation strategy. If student DID NOT meet the Target, what would you do differently next time? Jane met the target  How did you arrange this student’s grouping patterns based on formative assessment and interventions? I initially put Jane in a group of six students who all struggled with both annotation and responding to questions. As I modeled for the group and she became proficient at previewing text, she then became a peer tutor for other students who struggled in that group. Jane was next placed in another group with students who excelled at annotation so they could model for her. I changed Jane’s groups based on her formative assessment results to rotate through groups where she could “teach” others at times, and then at other times “be the student” of her peers. This simultaneously built confidence in her strengths while addressing her weaknesses.

14. Our Next Action Steps- Short Term • Meet in departmental groups during CPT tomorrow to complete “Questions to Consider Before Proceeding” Sheet and then work with colleagues to plan instruction needed based on your assessment results. • Assess students formally using the generic assessment according to the departmentally-based timeline Last week of January- ELA and SS Second week of February- WL, SCI, and Business Last week of February- PE, UA, ULSS, and Career Center/Vocational

15. Our Next Action Steps- Longer Term • IF the three percent improvement goal is NOT reached by the second formal assessment, plan to give another assessment by the second week in March. • Remember that we have the half day with kids on March 26th and then the rest of that day (through 3PM) devoted to work on the evaluation documents. • Collect samples of student work/assessments to be used as evidence and reflected upon in the case study documents.

16. Thank you for your time, patience, and attention.