Teachers for a New Era Pupil Assessment Phase I: Lessons Learned From a Town- Gown Partnership Jason Irizzarry, Ed.D. Teachers for a New Era Project University of Connecticut

Pupil Assessment Phase I: Overview Pilot a research methodology to be used in to collect pupil achievement data associated with Neag graduates Collect data that can be used to guide program enhancements

Context Neag Professional Development Center 65% of Pupils Free or Reduced-Price Lunches 70% Pupils Read Below Grade Level 29% Achieved Proficiency on CMT 3 Subgroups Didn’t Make Adequate NCLB Progress

Windham’s Intervention Reciprocal Teaching Lexile Framework for Reading Match Text to Reader Vocabulary Acquisition

Research Questions To what degree do the instructional practices associated with Windham’s literacy initiative predict pupils’ reading comprehension gains? To what degree do teachers’ education and training (regarding teaching reading) predict pupils’ reading comprehension gains? How are pupils’ Lexile scores related to their Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) test results?

Growth Curve Modeling Nested data with scores measured over time for each pupil, pupils nested within individual teachers, at different time periods T1 T2 T3

Data Collection Method DRP Oct, 2005 Videotaping Instructional Practices 2 weeks Lexile Math Self efficacy Jan/Feb, 2006 Videotaping Instructional Practices 2 weeks Lexile Math Self efficacy May, 2006 Videotaping Instructional Practices 2 weeks Lexile Math Self efficacy Mar., 2006: Focus group interviews

To Be Learned? Is Growth Curve Modeling an effective technique for assessing pupil learning growth? To what degree are the instructional practices of matching text to reader, providing a curriculum based on vocabulary acquisition, and employing reciprocal teaching methods associated with reading comprehension gains? To what degree are teacher backgrounds and training associated with reading comprehension gains?

Lessons Learned Developing/Nurturing Partnerships -Time -Similar interests and goals Difficulties with data collection -Teacher Participation -School Priorities -On site research coordinator

Lessons Learned Developing/Nurturing Partnerships - Time - Similar interests and goals Difficulties with data collection - Teacher Participation - School Priorities - On site research coordinator - Data availability