Kindergarten Entry Assessment Construct Practice

Overview Video Video: John Pruette, Executive Director of the Office of Early Learning http://r5k3formativeassessmentsupport.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Kindergarten+Entry What new information did you learn? What questions do you still have?

Educating the Whole Child: 5 Domains of Learning and Development The K-3 Formative Assessment Process focuses on the whole child. This means that it addresses five domains of learning and development. Research clearly indicates the importance of attending to and supporting children’s growth and development in all of these areas especially since children’s development in one area impacts their development in other areas. Many of our NC Standards fall within these domains. For example, Math, Science, Social Studies and the Arts fall within the Cognitive Development Domain.

K-3 Formative Assessment Process Domain Constructs Approaches to Learning Engagement in Self-Selected Activities Cognitive Development Object Counting Emotional-Social Development Emotional Literacy Health & Physical Development Fine Motor Development Crossing Midline Language Development & Communication Book Orientation & Print Awareness Following Directions Letter Naming While there are many aspects of each of the 5 domains that are important to student success, the NC Think Tank and the NC Assessment Design Team carefully selected these constructs, or concepts, within each domain to focus on within this formative process. The team based these decisions on various aspects including what research identified to be most critical for long term student success, what K-3 teachers found to be important, and alignment to the NCSCOS. NOTE: This list identifies current constructs. Based on feedback from the field and other factors such as NC SCOS revisions, these constructs and the assessment tools to support this process will be revisited and enhanced over time.

2015-2016 Required Constructs Domain Constructs Approaches to Learning Engagement in Self-Selected Activities Cognitive Development Object Counting Emotional-Social Development Emotional Literacy Health & Physical Development Fine Motor Development Crossing Midline Language Development & Communication Book Orientation & Print Awareness Following Directions Letter Naming NCDPI listened carefully to the validity pilot participants and used their feedback to make decisions. During pilot, teachers found it overwhelming to learn the new assessment content (construct progressions including student performance descriptors, sample assessment situations and assessment tasks) in addition to learning the assessment process and the use of the new web-based platform and digital tools. To address this challenge, the Office of early Learning worked with the General Assembly to narrow the number of constructs to be assessed during initial statewide implementation. By focusing on these 2 highlighted constructs that are familiar to teachers and administrators and for which current assessment methods currently exist, a greater amount of attention can be placed on strengthening formative assessment practices and learning the technical aspects of the web-based system used to capture and collect evidences of learning. Therefore, in 2015-2016, Kindergarten teachers will be required to focus on Object Counting and Book Orientation & Print Awareness.

2015-2016 Optional Constructs Domain Constructs Approaches to Learning Engagement in Self-Selected Activities Cognitive Development Object Counting Emotional-Social Development Emotional Literacy Health & Physical Development Fine Motor Development Crossing Midline Language Development & Communication Book Orientation & Print Awareness Following Directions Letter Naming NCDPI recognizes the importance of focusing on the whole child. Therefore, during the 2015-2016 school year, materials for other areas of development will also be available for use as determined by the district, school, and classroom teacher (Emotional Literacy, Engagement in Self-Selected Activities, Fine Motor, Following Directions, Letter Naming, & Mid-Line Motor Development). Districts, schools, and teachers are encouraged to explore and become familiar with the other constructs during the 2015-16 school year so they will be well-prepared for 2016-17, when Kindergarten teachers will be required to address all highlighted constructs.

Reviewing the Constructs Divide the two constructs, “Object Counting” or the “Book Orientation & Print Awareness”, between you and a partner. Read the construct you selected Explain the progression to your partner Discuss classroom examples

Sample classroom observation: Kim Harshaw, Orange County During center time, a child was able to tell the number of pretend playdough pancakes she created in this scatter arrangement without recounting or saying the numbers aloud. When asked how many, she counted in her head and told me “10”. When asked how she knew, she said, “I counted them in my head.” “I didn’t have to say the words.” In Kim’s classroom within 15 minutes during center time, evidence of student learning was gathered for all domains of learning for several students. Once the evidence is gathered…we can interpret it using the construct progression. Object counting Student’s current learning status for Object Counting is level F.

Sample Classroom Observation Jeremy and James are working in pairs during a math lesson. Each has 10 objects to count. The teacher asks them to pull one more out of the bag and asks, “How many do you have now?” James says 11 without recounting the objects. James’s current learning status for Object Counting is level G. Let’s continue to practice with this sample. Object Counting

Sample classroom observation: Kim Harshaw, Orange County A child demonstrated Book Orientation skills as she was pretend reading to two other students in the book center. She sat with the book in her lap and turned some pages as she told the story using the pictures. Student’s current learning status for Book Orientation is level C.

Sample Classroom Observation While reading a big book to a group of students, the teacher asks, “Where do I begin reading?” Elaine volunteers to help, comes up to the big book, and points to the first word on the page. Elaine’s current learning status for Print Awareness is level E. Let’s continue to practice.

Learning targets are selected with students using the next step along the construct progression. Adapting and responding to learning needs based upon construct progression. Performance descriptors are used to develop criteria for success for learning targets.   The child’s learning status is located on the construct progression by interpreting the evidence of learning. Use of multiple assessment means provides insight into skills along the construct progression. Briefly provide description and then examples using the construct progression as a tool within the process of formative assessment – with handout. Let’s use the example from earlier where we noticed a student in the literacy center point to the words rather than the picture when pretend reading to her friends. This is eliciting evidence of learning. Perhaps I took notes about this skill. What else could I have done to elicit evidence of student learning about print awareness? (picture, video, etc) Next, we interpret the evidence – let’s find the student’s learning status along the learning progression. This student’s current learning status is D based upon the evidence noted during literacy center. Then, we adapt/respond to learning needs – during a small group, the teacher demonstrated where to begin reading on the page as she reads aloud to the group. Next, she asks the child to use a pointer (or her finger) to demonstrate with her book as well. This is intentional planning, prompting, probes, etc to respond and adapt to students’ current learning status. Selecting learning targets – using the construct progression, the teacher engages the student to set a learning target based upon the current learning status – level D. The learning target would be the next step – level E. Developing criteria for success – using the performance descriptors, the teacher provides clear examples of what success looks like for the learning target. For example, the teacher models and asks the child to demonstrate and prompts for the behavior. The teacher could also have illustrations at learning centers, student work samples posted for students to view, etc. Adapted from: Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Applying the FA Process View the video clip of Annabelle in a Math Station: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1606285 Use the “Reflection Template” to record your observations of each component Facilitator’s Guide (p. 41) http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1606285 Live Binder: Using Construct Progressions: March 2015  Video Clips  Math Center Object Counting

Applying the FA Process View the video clip of the Literacy Morning Meeting: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1606285 Use the “Reflection Template” to record your observations of each component http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1606285 Live Binder: Using Construct Progressions: March 2015  Video Clips  Morning Meeting Literacy Activity

Leveraging Our Current Practice What opportunities exist for teachers to observe student learning? Object Counting Book Orientation & Print Awareness

Formative Assessment Self-Reflection Use the reflection tool to evaluate your school’s formative assessment practices. Identify specific areas of improvement. Teachers will use the reflection tool to evaluate and reflect on their own classroom practices.