English II Benchmarks September 24, 2014 Sara Overby, Coordinating Teacher for Secondary Literacy soverby@wcpss.net

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Benchmarks No Case 21 assessments at the high school level English has been given permission to try using Performance Tasks as the benchmark assessment

Performance Tasks as Benchmarks for English II Authentic, deep, transferrable Aligned to CCSS and NC EOC Spiraled learning throughout semester Integrated Reading, Writing, Language

Implementation Phase One- Fall Semester Department Chairs PLT Leaders Align standards Plan implementation PLT Leaders Plan for details Train PLT Conduct Rater Reliability Norming Both Teacher Leaders Gather data at school level Interpret data Assess effectiveness and efficiency at school level Phase Two- Spring Semester Department Chairs Adjust implementation plan PLT Leaders Adjust details Revise teaching and learning interrelationships Conduct Rater Reliability Norming Both Teacher Leaders Report data to district level Interpret data Respond to district plans for next steps

21st Century Testing Conditions Selected Response Technology Enhanced Response Constructed Response Performance Tasks

Project-based learning structures increased long-term retention and improved problem-solving ability while improving students’ attitudes towards learning . Strobel 2009 ...one study of PBL implementation showed a positive effect on low-ability students, who increased their use of critical-thinking skills including synthesizing, evaluating, predicting, and reflecting by 446% while high-ability students improved by 76% . (Horan, et al., 1996) Students using the Co-nect program, which emphasizes project learning and technology use , improved test scores in all subject areas over a two-year period on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System. The Co-nect schools outperformed control schools by 26 percent. (Center for Research in Educational Policy, 1999)

Secondary students using PBL structures in American studies did as well on multiple-choice tests as students who received a traditional model of instruction-- and they showed a deeper understanding of content. Gallegher and Stepien ,1996 Geier, R., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Fishman, B., Soloway, E., & Clay-Chambers, J. (2008). The authors concluded that when the curriculum is highly specified, developed, and aligned with professional development and administrative support, the use of standards-based, inquiry-science curriculum can lead to standardized achievement test gains in historically underserved urban students.

Determine the Standards Common Core Standards for Reading, Writing, and Language Sample Performance Task

Sample Performance Task Benchmark What does it assess? What are the parts? Is it “enough”? Should there be “more”?

Implementation How much? When? How? Feedback? Data Reporting

Google Doc Collect the Will of the Group Make decisions Make plans https://docs.google.com/a/wcpss.net/forms/d/1Vuf54j8aLla3NoAzOzeQ87YhJlkhaYXSwBHS4yjLVJw/viewform

Focus: Writing District Rubrics Performance Tasks

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Prior Approval for Texts Clearly align the text to standards. How will this text facilitate student learning better than other texts? Make sure all texts, particularly those that may have potential challenges, are listed in the syllabus that goes home to parents. Have a clear plan to address the sensitive material in the text. Make sure the form is approved by your principal and on file in your school.