Addressing the Instructional Needs of Diverse Learners

1. Addressing the Instructional Needs of Diverse Learners with Strategic Teaching Presented by Amy Scheuermann Bowling Green State University January 11, 2008

2. Everyday……. More than 3000 adolescents dropout of school……that’s 540,000+ per year!

3. Some Pressing Problems • Higher performance standards • Increased accountability • Greater academic & cultural diversity • Larger class sizes • Learning is difficult for many students • Unrealistic planning expectations • Greater sense of “disconnectedness”

4. Content Explosion Dilemma

5. Skills The Performance Gap NCLB2013-2014 / Demands The “Gap” Years in School

6. About theCenter for Research on Learning Founded in 1978, their mission is to...dramatically improve the performance of students considered to be at-risk for school failure through research-based interventions.

8. Goal: Success Across HALO Levels • High Achieving • Average Achieving • Low Achieving • Other Achieving (including students with Specific Learning Disabilities)

9. Lion • Nissan • Orange • Saturn • Whale • Ford • Monkey • Banana • Apple • Toyota • Cherry • Dog • Lemon • Snake • Volvo

11. Non-Strategic Learners • Do not use effective & efficient study procedures • Spend inordinate amounts of time on assignments • Have difficulty distinguishing the important from the unimportant • Do not organize information appropriately for learning • Have difficulty setting and attaining goals • Often fail to take advantage of prior knowledge when facing new problems • Use no systematic approach to solving problems

12. Skills / Demands Learning Strategies (∆ the student) Years in School The Performance Gap

13. Learning & Applying • Pretest • Describe • Commitment (student & teacher) • Goals • High expectations • Model • Practice and quality feedback • Controlled and advanced • Posttest & reflect • Generalize, transfer, apply

14. The Word Identification Strategy Discover the context Isolate the beginning Separate the ending Say the stem Examine the stem Check with someone Try the dictionary

15. Students with LD

16. Self-Questioning-2003 n= 133 7th Grade Science Class: Growth Scores

17. Learning Strategies Curriculum Expression of Competence Sentences Paragraphs Error Monitoring Themes Assignment Completion Test-Taking Acquisition Word Identification Paraphrasing Self-Questioning Visual Imagery Interpreting Visuals Multipass Storage First-Letter Mnemonic Paired Associates Listening/Notetaking LINCS Vocabulary

18. But…..we learned that trying to “change” the students as learners wouldn’t be sufficient to close the performance gap. So…..

19. While Research Findings told us • The most effective interventions for students with and without learning disabilities are … • Graphic organizers • Direct, intensive, systematic instruction in learning strategies • In order for transfer and maintenance of these skills to significantly increase instruction must occur across settings

20. The Performance Gap Content Enhancement (∆ the teacher) Skills / Demands Years in School

21. Content Enhancement Routines(Creating “learner-friendly” classrooms) • A way of teaching academically diverse classes in which • The integrity of the content is maintained • Critical content is selected and transformed • Content is taught in an active partnership with students

22. SMARTER PlanningKey Planning Principles • Teach truly critical content • Know what makes the critical content difficult • Use Teaching Routines that make critical content accessible • Teach strategies that will help students learn critical content • Share plans about how you will teach critical content • Know the critical content

23. Thinking About the Curriculum... Knowledge

24. Thinking About the Curriculum... Knowledge Critical Content Course

25. Thinking About the Curriculum... Knowledge Course Unit

26. A Unit Content: Facts, Concepts, Definitions, Propositions ALL Content Manipulation MOST Generalization & Problem Solving SOME

27. Content Enhancement • A way of teaching an academically diverse group of students in which • Both group & individual needs are valued and meet • The integrity of the content is maintained • Critical features of the content are selected and transformed in a manner that promotes student learning • Instruction is carried out in a partnership with students

28. A Powerful Teaching Device: Is an instructional tool that: • is used under teacher guidance • focuses attention on important outcomes • identifies critical content features • prompts elaboration on critical points • helps make relationships concrete • is designed to enhance student... ...organization ...remembering ...understanding ...responses ...belief in the value of the content

29. Explicit Linking Steps Guide the teacher in ways to: • present the device effectively • involve students in using the device • elicit student prior knowledge • focus student attention on learning

30. A Structured Cue-Do-ReviewSequence: The overall instructional process that guides use of the Teaching Device and Linking Steps. Cue • The teacher announces the Teaching Device and explains its use. Do • The teacher and class collaboratively interact with the device using a set Linking Steps that “connect” the content to the needs and goals of students. Review • Learning is reviewed and confirmed.

31. Content Enhancement Teaching Routines Planning & Leading Learning Course Organizer Unit Organizer Lesson Organizer Teaching Concepts Concept Mastery Routine Concept Anchoring Routine Concept Comparison Routine Exploring Text, Topics, & Details Framing Routine Survey Routine Clarifying Routine Increasing Performance Quality Assignment Routine Question Exploration Routine Recall Enhancement Routine

33. CONCEPT DIAGRAM Vertebrate 1 3 Key Words Mammal 3 CONVEY CONCEPT 2 1 2 OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT elephant 3 NOTE KEY WORDS Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present 4 CLASSIFY CHARACTERISTICS: O cold-blooded warm-blooded + walks on 2 legs human walks on 4 legs + nurse their young swims in water has hair + warm-blooded can fly nurse their moves on the ground young 5 Examples: EXPLORE EXAMPLES Nonexamples: whale human snake bird elephant alligator shark duckbill shark whale platypus walks on 4 legs bat bird can fly 6 PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE cold-blooded A mammal is a warm-blooded vertebrate that has hair and nurses its young. 7 TIE DOWN A DEFINITION Concept Diagram

35. How well does ContentEnhancement really work? • Each routine has been studied in secondary content-area classes characterized by diversity. • In each study, teachers learned the routine easily and student learning gains were observed by both teachers and researchers. • In each study, students gained an average of at least 10 to 20 percentage points on tests or tasks that required students to demonstrate learning. • In general, the greatest gains were seen in classes where teachers had the highest expectations for student learning and were consistent in their use of the routine over time.

36. R e se a rch S ta t i s t ic s - Con t ent Enha n c e me n t R outine ADD RESSES RE SE A RC H D ATA Unit O r g ani z er Plann i ng a n d L ead i n g - s tr u ct u re a n d + of 10 t o 2 0 pe r ce n t a ge poi n ts o n unit tests relat i on s hip s of t h e c o nt e nt Les s on O r gani z er Plann i ng a n d L ead i n g - - pa r a p h r ase th e + of at l e ast 10 to 20 p e rc e nt a ge po i nt s on less o n, fi t c o nt e nt t o g et h er tests or tasks Clarif y i ng R o u tine E x plor i ng - t opic a n d d etai l s in co n te xt + 14 to 30 p e rc e nt a ge po i nts Fr a m i n g R out i ne E x plor i ng - r elat i on s hip s b et we en m a in + 10 to 15 p e rc e nt a ge po i nts on t e st s o r idea s a nd de t ails tas k s Surv e y E x plor i ng - f i nd ke y i nf o rmati o n a n d + of 10 t o 1 5 pe r ce n t a ge poi n ts o n unit tests stru c tu r e Con c ept T e achi n g c on c ep t s - c o n n ects pr i or an av e r a ge + of 7 t o 2 7 p er c e n ta g e p o i nts Anch o ri n g k no wl ed g e t o ke y c on c epts on t ests o r tasks Con c ept Ma st e r y T e achi n g c on c ep t s - d e fin e c o nc e pts Both LD a nd NLD st u de n ts m a de s ub st antia l incr e as e s o n u nit t est s ( + 10 po i nt s ) Con c ept T e achi n g c on c ep t s - c o m p ar e a n d LD a nd Lo w a c hie v ers Compar i son con t ras t c o nc e pts + 15 to 24 p e rc e nt a ge po i nts Recall I nc r ea s ed p e rf o rman c e - fo c us e s o n LD + o f 2 1 p er c en t a g e p oin t s Enh a nc e m e nt critical i n f o r m at i on NLD + of 2 9 pe r ce n ta g e poi n ts Voca b ul a r y I nc r ea s ed p e rf o rman c e - vo c a b ul a r y LD P r ete s t 5 3% Pos t tes t 77% L I NCi n g k no wl ed g e NLD P r ete s t 8 4% Pos t te s t 9 2% Con t rol P re t est 86% P o stt e st 8 5%

37. But…..we’ve now learned that while individual interventions (or packages of interventions) are necessary to close the gap, they aren’t sufficient (AYP realities). So…..

38. Content Literacy Continuum 2. Weave strategies across classes 1. Mastery of critical content Students not making AYP in reading 4. Intensive basic skill instruction Intensive strategies instruction 5. Intensive clinical Intervention

39. CLC- A Continuum of School Action Level 1: Enhance content instruction(mastery of critical content for all regardless of literacy levels) Level 2: Embedded strategy instruction(routinely weave strategies within and across classes using large group instructional methods) Level 3: Intensive strategy instruction(mastery of specific strategies using 8-stage instructional sequence; individual Strategic Tutoring) Level 4: Intensive basic skill instruction(mastery of entry level literacy skills at the 4th grade level) Level 5: Therapeutic intervention(mastery of language underpinnings of curriculum content and learning strategies) Tutoring: Strategic Tutoring(extending the instructional time “box” through before or after school tutoring)

40. Building Blocks for Academic Competency SUBJECT MATTER STRATEGIES SKILLS LANGUAGE

41. Instructional Continuum Teacher- Mediated Instruction Student- Mediated Instruction • Heavy Scaffolding • Dependence • Limited Scaffolding • Independence

42. Ebb and Flow

43. Students and Instructional Focus Level 1 Presenting Critical Content for Mastery Level 2 Introducing Strategy Building Level 3 Intensive Strategy Instruction Level 4 Skill Building Level 5 Therapeutic

44. Significant gains occur when we…… • use well-designed interventions -- regularly, with fidelity, with intensity • combine an ‘instructional core’ with key ‘infrastructure supports’ to create a critical mass of activity focused on student outcomes

45. The Performance Gap • Instructional Core • Continuum of literacy instruction • Direct/explicit instruction • Engaging/diverse materials • Motivation/management systems • Formative/summative assessments Skills / Demands Instructional Core Existing Support Years in School

46. Learning Expressways Community Building Strategies Teaming & Problem Solving Strategies Possible Selves Cooperative Thinking Strategies Self Advocacy Strategy SIM Student Success Learning Strategies Curriculum Content Enhancement Routines Supports

47. Engaging & Diverse Materials • Below frustration level • Responsive to wide range of abilities • Broad array of engaging topics • Relevant to student backgrounds (SES, culture, etc.)

48. Avoid Fragmentation • Coordinated, sustained, targeted instruction across • Teachers • Classes • Grades • Schools

49. The Course Organizer Teacher: Student: Time: Course Dates: This Course: FUSION Reading is about Course Questions: Grading Procedures learning to apply ADVANCED reading strategies to a variety of text structures in order to improve reading comprehension Agenda & Warm-ups: 10% Assignments : 70% (in class/outside of class) projects practice activities reading application Tests & Quizzes: 20% 1. How does thinking about your hopes, expectations and fears change the way you approach learning? 2. How do you use reading comprehension strategies to help you understand and learn from what you read? 3. How can studying word structures and word meaning help you become an advanced level reader? 4. When reading text, why is it important to read fluently? 5. How and why do expert readers integrate and apply reading strategies?

50. This Course: Student: Course Map includes Tasks/Activities Classroom Expectations for: Learning Routines Critical Concepts Learned in these Units FUSION Reading Intensive Learning Classroom Procedures Daily Agenda/warm-up Feedback Sessions Progress Charting Teamwork Respect Voice Choice Effort Quizzes Peer Teams Discussions Products Classroom Learning Procedures Classroom Learning Procedures Focus on What is Possible Expert Reading Strategies Supportive Learning Experiences Explicit Instruction The Summarization Strategy Launching Thinking Reading The Prediction Strategy Possible Selves The Bridging Strategy Book Study such as such as Vocabulary Advanced Phonics Fluency Strategy Integration such as Decoding Word Recognition PASS the Test Strategies