Wisconsin ’ s New Kindergarten Screening Tool

1. Wisconsin’s New Kindergarten Screening Tool A training for the administration and scoring of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening PALS-K

2. PALS Background Wisconsin Act 166 requires that an early literacy screener be administered to all kindergarten students beginning in 2012-13 DPI was charged with selecting a screener that met these criteria: • Is valid and reliable • Assesses phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge PALS was selected because it provides educators with information to guide instruction

3. Kindergarten Screening Windows • Fall • October 15 -- November 9 (data due Nov. 21) • Winter/Mid-Year (optional) • January 7 -- February 1 (data due Feb. 15) • Spring • April 29 -- May 24 (data due June 7)

5. PALS Connections to Wisconsin Initiatives • Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards • Response to Intervention

6. PALS Alignment with the Standards • PALS subtests are representative of the understandings, knowledge, and skills identified in the: • Reading Foundational Skills – Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS) • Early Literacy Standards - Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS)

7. Reading Standards: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten • Print Concepts • Phonological Awareness • Phonics and Word Recognition • Fluency

8. Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards: Early Literacy Developmental Domain: Language Development and Communication Performance Standards • Develops alphabetic awareness (C.EL.2) • Develops phonological awareness (C.EL.3a) • Develops phonemic awareness (C.EL.3b) • Demonstrates the use of strategies to read words (C.EL.4)

9. PALS Connections to Response to Intervention (RtI) • PALS meets the definition of a universal screening tool within an RtI framework: • A screener is an assessment given as one part of the screening process to establish a baseline of students’ strengths and needs, and thus, to align instruction according to these strengths and needs in each literacy skill area. • Universal screening data can be examined to determine whether changes in core curriculum and instruction are needed. • Data from the universal screening process are used to make decisions about interventions and about targeting specific literacy skills with which students are struggling.

10. PALS and Response to Intervention • Collaboration • High Quality Instruction • Balanced Assessment • Culturally Responsive Practices

11. PALS Implications for School Literacy Teams and Data Teams • Hold Data Meetings: • Following each screening window (Fall, Spring, and optionally, Mid-Year). • Review PALS data (reports) as a team, including classroom teachers, reading specialists/teachers, principals, special education teachers, ELL teachers, school psychologists, speech and language teachers. • Develop a plan for monitoring the progress of students showing areas of deficit and/or strength. • Share PALS assessment information regularly with your team

12. Think-Pair-Share • Discuss with a partner how you see PALS fitting into your current instruction and assessment plan at the kindergarten level.

13. PALS-K Teacher Set

14. Exploring the PALS-K Teacher Set • Contents include: • Administration & Scoring Guide • Student Packet (w/ little books & cards in back pocket) • Student Booklet (for two Group tasks) • Fall Student Spelling Sheets • Fall Student Summary Sheets • Fall Class Summary Sheet • Spring Student Spelling Sheets • Spring Student Summary Sheets • Spring Class Summary Sheet

15. PALS-K Administration & Scoring Guide • Jigsaw Activity

23. Examples of School-Level Reports

25. Plan Differentiated Instruction

26. Parent Communication One-page parent brochure available on the PALS Wisconsin Resource Center for districts to copy and distribute in the fall

28. Other Parent Communication Tips • Plan to share results from the fall administration at parent-teacher conferences, focusing on how the individual child performed on each task and how this is being addressed during classroom instruction • The Online Score Entry & Reporting System online course will assist teachers with interpreting student results. Further information about this will be posted on the PALS Wisconsin Resource Center.

29. More PALS ResourcesPALS Quick Checks • Used to monitor student progress and track student growth in specific literacy skill acquisition areas that have been identified by teachers based on a student’s scores on the PALS assessment. • Quick Checks may be administered between the established screening windows to gauge student response to instruction and/or intervention. • Quick Checks are provided in the areas of: • Alphabet Recognition • Letter Sounds • Beginning Sound Production • Concept of Word • K Spelling

30. PALS Quick Checks • Recommended to be administered every two to three weeks (allow time for your targeted instruction/intervention to work!) • Available as PDF files through the PALS Online Score Entry and Reporting System

31. Additional PALS Professional Development and Support • Using PALS Data to Drive Instruction Webinar • Concept of Word Webinar • Electronic Lesson Plans & Activities Database • Early Literacy Courses for teachers (Optional)

32. PALS SummaryThings to Remember • Complete the PALS-K Administration and Scoring online course by October 1st. It includes 5 modules and a quiz. Go to: pd.casenex.com • Share the Parent brochure prior to fall administration • Download the PALS Around the Year document for key dates. (This can be found on the PALS Wisconsin Resource Center.)

33. PALS Resources and Support • PALS Wisconsin Resource Center http://www.palswisconsin.info/ • PALS Toll-Free Hotline for District Assessment Coordinators: (888)728-7257 • PALS E-Mail Hotline for all teachers and District Assessment Coordinators: support@palshelp.com