Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Resources for English Language Arts

What are SLOs and why are they important?

Primary Measures of the EES Teacher Practice Student Growth and Learning Classroom Observations Core Professionalism Tripod Student Survey Working Portfolio (non-classroom only) Hawaii Growth Model Student Learning Objectives Hawaii’s EES consists of measures to evaluate professional practices and responsibilities, and student growth and learning components of the system. These measures are: Framework for Teaching Observations, responses from the Tripod Student Survey, student growth percentiles generated by the Hawaii Growth Model, and measures of student learning as evaluated by Student Learning Objectives. This training will provide an overview on the last component: Student Learning Objectives. Educator Effectiveness Data Improved Student Outcomes

SLO Process 1. Identify the learning goal 2. Develop or select assessment(s) 3. Establish targets based on data 4. Plan instruction 5. Receive initial approval 6. Implement the SLO 7. Revise targets if necessary 8. Analyze assessment results 9. Rating of SLO 10. Determine next steps In order to develop and rate SLOs, we recommend a process that allows for SLO development, which includes the learning goal, assessment selection, and establishing the targets; planning for instruction; receiving initial approval; implementation of the learning goal; target revision, if necessary; analysis of assessment results; providing a teacher rating; and finally determining next steps for the teacher and students. In addition, this process includes reflecting on: enduring understandings and content standards Use of formative instruction and strategies use of assessments monitoring student progress data to set targets and to determine next steps for student success.   As schools engage in setting Student Learning Objectives as part of the Educator Effectiveness System, they will need to: 1) clearly communicate the elements of a high quality SLO, 2) provide opportunities to practice writing an SLO, and 3) opportunities to evaluate an SLO. The remainder of this professional development session will provide guidance for understanding the SLO template, including the meaning of each question, the process for developing a cohesive and acceptable quality SLO, and successfully using the SLO rubric for evaluating and improving the different aspects of the SLO. Hawaii Department of Education Copyright: The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (2013)

Student Learning Objective Cycle Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate the Results Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate the Results Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate the Results Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate the Results This graphic shows one way SLOs might be related to a school’s data team cycles, if the teacher chooses to use the content from the school’s data team work to drive his/her SLO. The SLO should encompass, or provide an umbrella for several data team cycles. The data team cycles will also inform the teacher’s learning objective. Data Team Cycles

Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Are teacher designed content-driven goals set at the beginning of a course that measure student learning through an interval of time (i.e. one school year or one semester). Therefore, Student Learning Objectives are teacher designed, content-driven goals set at the beginning of a course that specifically measure student learning through an interval of time (e.g. one school year or one semester). It supports the achievement and growth of all students that aligns to daily instruction and progress monitoring with specific prioritized goals.

Student Learning Objectives: support the achievement and growth of all students that aligns to daily instruction and progress monitoring with specific prioritized goals

Assessments, Scoring & Criteria Learning Goal Assessments, Scoring & Criteria Expected Targets Instructional Strategies SLO Components These are four main components that make up an SLO. To have a strong SLO, all four components should be aligned.

What is a learning goal and where can I find resources for it?

Interval of Instruction A Learning Goal has 5 Sub-Components Learning Goal Big Idea Standards Rationale Interval of Instruction The learning goal component consists of five sub-components: Learning Goal Big Idea Standards Rationale Interval of Instruction

Big Idea A declarative statement that describes a concept or concepts that transcend grade levels in a content area and represents the most important learning of the course. One of the things the Student Learning Objective Calls for is for teachers to identify a Big Idea. This is a time for the classroom teacher to think about the most important concept or concepts they wish for their students to gain. These are not specific to a particular grade level or may not be specific to a single content area. Here is time for me to situation the goal I want for my students in a larger and more global goal that we are all working towards in order to ensure out students are college and career ready.

CCSS Portrait of a College and Career Ready Student They demonstrate independence They build strong content knowledge They respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose and discipline They comprehend as well as critique They value evidence They use technology and digital media strategically and capably They come to understand other perspectives and cultures The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Literacy provide a portrait of a student who has fully met the standards for all grade levels and is therefore college and career ready. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literature individual. These can provide a place to look to think more deeply about the Big Ideas. Page 7 of the Common Core State Standards and http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/students-who-are-college-and-career-ready-in-reading-writing-speaking-listening-language http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/students-who-are-college-and-career-ready-in-reading-writing-speaking-listening-language

“Big Idea” Resources for (Content Area) The Common Core State Standards Page 7 provide a portrait of a college and career ready student: This is just a screen shot of what the portrait of a college and career ready student looks like on page 7 of the Common Core State Standards

Big Idea Example: Using the Portrait of a College and Career Ready Student College and career ready students are able to cite specific evidence when supporting their own points in writing and speaking. (CCSS – Introduction to ELA/Literacy) This is an example of a learning goal that comes from the portrait provided on page 7 of the CCSS. A college and career ready Student “Values Evidence” . In order to write this as a concept I have written, “College and career ready students are able to cite specific evidence when offering an oral or written interpretation of a text”. This is something that is not specific to a single grade level or even content area. We want students at the earliest grade levels to begin to practice this skill and we continue to value this in college and careers. This isn’t a skill that is specific to English language arts but rather is applicable across many content areas.

Big Idea CCSS ANCHOR STANDARDS Reading- 10 anchor standards Writing- 10 anchor standards Speaking and Listening- 6 anchor standards Language- 6 anchor standards Another place to turn to help think about and build Big Ideas is the Common Core State Standards Anchor Standards. The anchor standards are identical across all grades for ELA and across the literacy standards. These can be considered the College and Career Readiness Standards and all other standards are backwards mapped from these. There are 10 in Reading and Writing and 6 for Speaking and Listening and Language. They can be found in the standards document fronting each section.

This is a screen show showing the 10 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading.

Big Idea Example: Using the Anchor Standards A college and career ready student is able to assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. (Anchor Standard R.6) This Big Idea is based on anchor standard 6 for reading. It is an important concept that cuts across grade levels and subject areas.

Big Idea Example: SBAC As a part of this evidence-centered design of assessments, Smarter Balanced established four “claims” regarding what students should know and be able to do to demonstrate readiness for college and career in the domain of ELA and literacy. http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/EnglishLanguageArtsLiteracy/ELAGeneralItemandTaskSpecifications.pdf The third resource for Big Ideas comes from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The Assessment will be designed to provide evidence of these four big areas.

Claim #1: Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts. Claim #2: Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences. Claim #3: Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences. Claim #4: Students can engage in research and inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

Big Idea Example: Using the SBAC Claims College and career ready students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics and to analyze, integrate and present information. (SBAC Claim #4) This is an example of a Big Idea that comes from the SBAC claims. It is again an important goal for students across grade levels and even content areas.

The Learning Goal A statement that thoroughly describes what students will know, understand or be able to do by the end of the interval of instruction The learning goals is A statement that thoroughly describes what students will know, understand or be able to do by the end of the interval of instruction.

The Learning Goal http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us The first resources to turn to when crafting a learning goal are the standards for your grade level. Which standard or group of standards will you select for your SLO?

Example: Grade 5 Big Idea: College and career ready students can engage in research and inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate and present information. Learning Goal: Students will be able to write short research papers integrating and citing specific evidence from several sources. Standard: W.7.5: Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. In this example I have used the Big Idea that was inspired by the Portrait of a College and Career Ready Student. I have decided to focus on standard seven which asks students to cite specific evidence for a short research project. The learning goal desribes that students will be able to write short research papers citing specific evidence from several sources. As students will be looking across several to find information about their topic and cite specific evidence this learning goal is a DOK 3.

Depth of Knowledge Reminders SLOs should be at a minimum of a DoK level 2; If there are DoK level 3 targets for the course or grade level, those should be selected.

Depth Of Knowledge Norm Webb

Where can I find resources for assessments?

“Assessments, scoring & criteria” Resources for ELA urls Sample tasks and items Rubrics Open Education Resources Sample Passages Reading and Writing Project Assessmetns http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/ http://www.smarterbalanced.org/?s=rubrics http://oercommons.org http://www.readworks.org/ http://readingandwritingproject.com/resources/assessments.html Here are some resources for finding assessments and scoring criteria for ELA. The SBAC website listed first has sample items that might be used as assessments. The link below takes you to the SBAC rubrics that you may want to use with your students. The Open Education Resources link takes you to a large database of Open Education Resources, These include lesson plans and tasks that can be used as assessments. There are sample nonfiction passages with questions especially incorporating scientific materials at he readworks site and finally the reading and writing project has a collection of assessments you might find useful.

Where can I find resources for instructional strategies?

Instructional Strategies College Board: SpringBoard There are instructional strategies that are common across all disciplines and there are those that specific to English language arts and literacy. These strategies listed here are all incorporated into the state adopted core curriculum materials for secondary ELA, SpringBoard’s Wonders. You will notice that many of these such as K-W-L charts, marking the text ,graphic organizers, manipulatives and jigsaw are quite familiar and often used across subject areas.

Instructional Strategies McGraw Hill Wonders Ask and answer questions Graphic Organizers Think Aloud Summarize Compare and Contrast Collaborative Conversations Repeated reading Echo reading Close reading Predicting Visualizing Read aloud Modeling Many of the same strategies are highlighted throughout the Wonder’s curriculum.

Instructional Strategies- Resources List of Strategies Used in SpringBoard http://research.collegeboard.org/publications/engaging-strategies-all-students-springboard-example Author’s White Papers on Strategies Used in Wonders http://mhreadingwonders.com/authors/ Expository Reading and Writing Course Assignment Template Appendices Contain Strategies for Reading and Writing http://www.calstate.edu/EAP/englishcourse/piloting_packet/Assignment_Template.pdf Another excellent place to look for strategies is the third link here, the Expository Reading and Writing Course Assignment Template, the appendices to the template provide a compendium of some of the highest leverage strategies for English language arts. This Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum is an exemplary curriculum developed by the California state University System to help prepare students for success with the type of reading and writing they need to do in college. We have Expository Writing teachers across the state of Hawaii using this curriculum but regardless of whether someone is using the curriculum there is a list of excellent strategies included in the appendices.

Success for ALL Students: Multi-tiered System of Supports Tier 3: Intensive, Individualized Interventions Individual students Assessment Based High Intensity Intense, durable procedures Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at risk) High efficiency (e.g. target skill instructions with progress monitoring) A multi-tiered system of supports for ALL students includes a full range of interventions, programs, supports and/or services of a continuum of integrated and proactive supports to improve students’ academic and behavioral performance within and beyond classroom instruction – so every student has the opportunity to succeed. This system may include: Tier 1: Universal (80-90%) All Students, All Settings High quality core instruction School-wide positive behavior supports Differentiated Instruction All students screened and monitored 3x year Tier 2: Targeted (10-15% ) Some students Small Group Targeted Skill instruction Behavior support interventions Progress monitoring Tier 3: Intensive, Individualized Interventions (1-5%) Few students at this level Small groups or individual Increased intensity and duration Specialized, individualized and intensive interventions More frequent progress monitoring. Tier 1: Core, Instructional Interventions All Students, All Settings Preventive, proactive support (e.g. school-wide behavior support, high quality core instruction, differentiate instruction, universal screening)

Multi-Tiered System of Instruction and Intervention Tier 3 INTENSIVE 1-5% Few students Small group or individual Increased intensity and duration Specialized, intensive interventions for high-risk behavior Progress monitoring weekly or more Tier 2 TARGETED 10-15% Some students Small group Targeted skill instruction Positive behavior group interventions Progress monitoring every other week Tier 1 UNIVERSAL 80-90% A multi-tiered system of interventions provides guidance for delivering comprehensive, quality instruction for all students. The tiered Response to Intervention model is characterized by more intensive interventions and more frequent data collection as students move up the tiered continuum. An RTI framework is designed to provide evidence-based instruction and targeted interventions that lead to student success. Schools that develop their own multi-tiered system of interventions can benefit from developing a common language based on shared beliefs and perspectives. All Students High quality core instruction School-wide and classroom discipline rules in place Differentiated instruction All students screened and monitored 3x year Academics Behavioral

Instructional Strategies (Marzano et al., 2001) Recommendations for Classroom Practice Identifying Similarities and Differences Use the process of comparing, classifying, and using metaphors and analogies. Summarizing and Note Taking Provide teacher-prepared notes using a variety of formats, and graphic organizers. Teach students a variety of summarizing strategies. Engage students in reciprocal teaching. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition Teach students the relationship between effort and achievement. Provide recognition aligned to performance and behaviors. Homework and Practice Establish and communicate homework policy. Design assignments that support academic learning. Provide timely feedback. Nonlinguistic representations Provide students with a variety of activities such as creating graphic organizers, making physical models, generating mental pictures, drawing pictures and pictographs, engaging in kinesthetic activity. Here are some additional general strategies that have been found to be highly effective with students across grade levels and disciplines. These can also be incorporated into the SLO as appropriate.

Instructional Strategies Recommendations for Classroom Practices (Marzano, et al., 2001) Recommendations for Classroom Practices Cooperative learning Use a variety of small groupings (e.g. think-pair share, turn and talk, numbered heads together, jigsaw). Combine cooperative learning with other classroom structures. Setting objectives and providing feedback Set and communicate objectives that are specific and flexible. Include feedback elements of both positive interdependence and individual accountability. Generating and testing hypotheses Engage students in a variety of structured tasks such as problem solving, experimental inquiry, and investigation. Ask students to explain their hypotheses and their conclusions. Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers Use explicit cues. Ask inferential and analytical questions. Use stories, pictures, and other introductory materials that set the stage for learning. Have students skim materials before the lesson. Use graphic organizers.