Welcome Back to School Reading Coaches/Contacts FAIR-FS Professional Development August 12, 2014

AGENDA FAIR-FS Overview System Specifications PMRN Single Sign-On PMRN Manager’s Role Coach’s Log FAIR-FS Assessment Scoring & Reports FAIR-FS Instructional Implications 2

Assessment and the FAIR-FS: An Overview 3

Student: Am I accomplishing what my teacher expects? How am I doing compared to other students? Administrator: Are a majority of our students succeeding with our curriculum? Teacher: Are my students making progress? How do I differentiate instruction? Parent: Is my child making the necessary progress? 4

Functions of Assessment Is Stanley responding to the curriculum? How is Stanley doing in reading compared with other students his age? Is Stanley gaining the skills necessary to be a good reader? Is Stanley making appropriate progress to graduate from high school? Is Stanley demonstrating skills that represent the Language Arts Florida Standards? Did Stanley understand the concept presented in class yesterday? Report Cards Progress monitoring End of Year test Screening Formative Assessment 5

Integrated Assessment Evidence base for data-based decision making  Screening Assessments (FAIR-FS)  Diagnostic Assessments (FAIR-FS)  Formative Assessments (classroom-based)  Writing and Oral Response Task (ORT)-optional  Probability of Literacy (PLS)  Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) 6

The FAIR-FS is a comprehensive system designed to: Predict students’ literacy success Diagnose weaknesses – Research-based teachable skills Set instructional objectives Monitor literacy growth 7

Components of Reading Comprehension Word Recognition Language Comprehension (vocabulary knowledge; syntactic knowledge) World Knowledge Motivation Cognitive Abilities (e.g., working memory, executive functions) 8

Efficiency & Reliability The FAIR-FS utilizes Computer Adaptive functionality to: – Maximize the amount of information provided – Maximize reliability – Minimize testing time Results in scores that can be used to – Target instruction – Monitor growth in specific skills 9

Fixed Item vs. CAT 10

System Specifications 11

System Specifications Desktop, Laptop, Netbook & Thin Client / Virtual Desktop Infrastructure – Input Device Requirements Keyboard, Mouse – Headphone/Earphone Requirements 3-12 requires one set of headphones per computer 12

System Specifications Browser Specifications – Internet Explorer (IE) Version 9, 10 – Firefox Version 26 – Safari Version – Flash Player Version 10 Do not use Google Chrome or Internet Explorer 11.0 for now 13

Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network (PMRN) Overview 14

Section Topics What is the PMRN? New URL (available after August 15) PMRN Technology Requirements Security PMRN v3 and v4 Differences 15

What is the PMRN? Tool (web-based data management system) for facilitating the use of reading/language arts data to inform instructional decisions The PMRN facilitates this process through: – Setting the calendar for administering screening assesment – Rostering students in grade levels at schools with assigned teachers – Summarizing and reporting specific data points for use in instructional decisions – Authorizing educators to access student data – The PMRN houses the Professional Development Log for Reading/Literacy Coaches, which is required by State Board Rule 6A a and is a tool that is used to identify the critical roles of a reading coach that will impact the reading program at a school and to guide the performance of the Reading/Literacy Coach.” 16

New Address 17 Will be Available August 15, 2014

PMRN Technology Requirements Browser Minimum Requirements – Internet Explorer (IE) Version 9, 10 – Mozilla Firefox Version 26 – Apple Safari Version Monitor Resolution – 1024 x

Enhancements to the PMRN NO EXCLUSIONS Since no students can be excluded from testing they should not be rostered in the PMRN. If they are rostered, withdraw them from the PMRN. Support Specialists cannot invalidate scores. Students can be withdrawn from a school in the middle of a task. Scores will automatically copy to a new school when a student transfers. 19

Enhancements to the PMRN Assessment Calendar – Three equal Assessment Periods (AP) AP1 = Instructional Days 1 – 60 AP2 = Instructional Days 61 – 120 AP3 = Instructional Days – No Norming Periods – No Lockdown Periods 20

Enhancements to the PMRN Invalidation and Withdrawal – Score invalidation is no longer available – Support Specialists unable to invalidate scores – Students not completed with task may be withdrawn – Student may continue with task when enrolled in new school that they left off of in previous school 21

Enhancements to the PMRN Copied Scores – Scores from previous school will transfer automatically when student is enrolled – School Level Users and teachers do not have the option to copy or not copy scores 22

Enhancements to the PMRN PMRN v4 User’s Guide – v4 User’s Guide currently in development by FLDOE – v3 User’s Guide It is recommended that Users use the v3 User’s Guide until the v4 User’s Guide is available – Major functions of the two applications are similar 23 Will be available in the Fall

Enhancements to the PMRN 3-12 Web-based Assessment Module (WAM) Transfer Function – Data from the PMRN can ‘sync’ to the WAM – User can now add students to a class in the PMRN and instantly assess them via the WAM 24

Service Center Information Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Integrated Education Network Service Center – Provide support via the PMRN v4, K-2 AIR, 3-12 WAM, and FAIR-FS Operational Hours – Monday – Friday – 6:00 AM – 7:30 PM ET Contact via Phone or – – 25

Single Sign-On 26

What is Single Sign-On? The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Single Sign-On (SSO) provides a simpler way for educators to access several state resources with one username and one password. Website: 27

Who can use Single Sign-On? Essentially, everyone can use FLDOE SSO, however, the resources you can access depend on your role and the permissions you have been assigned. 28

How to Login to SSO Your path to logging into FLDOE SSO depends on whether your organization selected Federated or Hosted. FederatedHosted Your login credentials are the same as your local network logon. Your login credentials are provided to you via . 29

Federated 1.Go to 2.Click the yellow Log In button on the right side. 3.Use the drop down list to select your organization, and then click Continue to Sign In. 4.Enter the username and password used to sign into the network and proceed to log in. 5.Then, the secure FLDOE SSO page is displayed with your name and authorized resources. 30

Need Assistance? For additional assistance managing your Single Sign-On account refer to the SSO Support Page on how to contact your district/organization’s help desk. 31

Single Sign-On & PMRN Key Terms – Authentication is the process of identifying an individual – Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to a network resource As it relates to the PMRN – Single Sign-On credentials authenticate users who need to access the PMRN. – Users will need authorization granted from within the PMRN by their Principal (SL1), or Reading Coach (SL2) to access PMRN resources. Once a User has been authorized – The User’s authorization in the PMRN must be linked to the SSO account. – The two are linked within the PMRN. 32

Single Sign-On & PMRN To access the PMRN through the Single Sign-On Portal use your SSO credentials at 33

Teacher Resources on SSO CPALMS - Collaborate, Plan, Align, Learn, Motivate, Share eIPEP - Electronic Institutional Program Evaluation Plans ELFAS - English Language Arts Formative Assessment System IBTP - Items Bank and Test Platform FSL - Florida School Leaders PMRN - Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network 34

Single Sign-On & PMRN Once you have signed into the Single Sign-On Portal you should see the PMRN link under the Curriculum & Assessments header. – If the link is not available you will need to contact your district’s Help Desk for additional authorization. 35

Single Sign-On & PMRN You can also Log In to the PMRN using your SSO credentials at

Single Sign-On & PMRN If you attempt to access the PMRN website and you receive the following error page you will need to contact your Local Education Agency (LEA) for additional assistance in obtaining your SSO authentication for accessing the PMRN 37

For Federated Users Only Logging In 38

PMRN Manager’s Role 39

Topics PMRN Manager Sign In PMRN Access Levels Adding Users – Removing Users Adding Teachers – Removing Teachers Creating Classes – Adding, Deleting, Assigning Enrolling Students – Enrolling, Adding, Removing, Withdrawing 40

PMRN Manager Sign In To access the PMRN via SSO – SSO Portal Home Page – Click Log In button 41

PMRN Manager Sign In 42

PMRN Manager Sign In Organization Selection page Hosted Users – From drop-down menu, Select “SSO Hosted Users” Federated Users – From drop-down menu, select User District Click Continue to Sign In button 43

PMRN Manager Sign In Federated User Via the District SSO Sign In Page – Enter User Name – Enter Password – Click Sign In or Login 44

Administrative Users Administrative User Abilities – Enter or remove Users – Enroll, remove, or withdraw students – Create classes – Receive official communications from PMRN Administrative User Access Levels – School Level 1 User - Principal – School Level 2 User – Reading coach or principal’s designee (PMRN manager) – School Level 3 User – Administration individual to assist SL2 user) 45

School Level 1 (SL1) Abilities A principal is the only SL1 User at a school SL1 User Abilities – Have access to all information for school in PMRN – Add and Remove Users School Level 2 User Coach’s Log Users Beginning of School Year – School Configuration page 46

School Level 2 (SL2) Abilities Each school may only have one SL2 User – Added by principal (SL1 User) Responsible for day-to-day PMRN administration SL2 User Abilities – Add and Remove Users – Enroll, Remove, or Withdraw students – Create classes – Receive official communications from PMRN 47

School Level 3 (SL3) Abilities One SL3 User per school is allowed Assist SL2 Users with PMRN administration SL3 User Abilities – Add Teachers – Enroll, remove, or withdraw students – Create classes SL3 Users may only add new Users if creating a Reading or Resource class 48

School Level 4 (SL4) Abilities There may be eight (8) SL4 Users per school SL4 User Abilities – View PMRN Reports School, Teacher, Class, and Student levels – No PMRN administrative functions 49

Reading Level Abilities Reading Teachers Provide primary reading instruction to a class Reading User Abilities – Assess their students via the FAIR-FS assessment applications – View PMRN Reports Teacher, Class, and Student levels 50

Resource Level Abilities Resource Teachers Provide additional reading instruction to a class Resource User Abilities – Assess their students via the FAIR-FS assessment applications – View PMRN Reports Teacher, Class, and Student levels 51

Coach’s Log (CL) User CL Users submit coaching hours every two (2) weeks to the PMRN Only SL1 Users can add a Coach’s Log User 52

Assessment Team Member (ATM) ATM Users administer FAIR-FS via: – 3-12 WAM ATM Users have no access to reports in PMRN 53

Public vs. Non-Public Public schools have ability to add all Users Non-Public Schools may only have the following Users: – School Level 1 User – School Level 2 User – Reading Users 54

Users and Access Levels Access LevelNumber Allowed WhoResponsibilities / PrivilegesCan Access K-2 AIR Can Generate Key for 3-12 WAM School Level 1 (SL1)1PrincipalRegisters and Configures School, Assigns Users, Manages Classes/Periods, Views School Reports, School Level 2 (SL2)1Reading CoachAssigns Users, Manages Classes/Periods, Views School Reports School Level 3 (SL3)12 nd Reading Coach or an individual assisting with PMRN administration Manages Classes/Periods, Views School Reports School Level 4 (SL4)8School Administrator or an individual who needs access to school-wide reports Views School Reports Coach’s Log (CL)8Reading CoachEnters Coach’s Log Hours and Narratives Reading Teachers (RT) UnlimitedTeacher that delivers primary Reading instruction Views Class/Student Reports, Assesses students Resource Teachers (RT) UnlimitedTeacher that provides intervention or extra support Views Class/Student Reports, Assesses students Assessment Team Members (ATM) UnlimitedAny individual who needs to test students on the K-2 AIR or 3-12 WAM Administers the FAIR-FS using the K- 2 AIR or 3-12 WAM 55

PMRN Manager’s Responsibilities Click Users tab. Click on teacher’s name. Enter teacher’s . In left column: Click boxes to allow access levels. In right column: Click boxes to allow access to the PMRN. Click Submit. 56

Activating Users 57

Adding Users Click Add User 58

Adding Users Complete the required information Click Submit Confirm information Click Continue to complete 59

Linking SSO User Click Users tab Verify that all users are SSO Users and are linked If not linked, click teacher’s name 60

Linking SSO User Click “Link SSO User” 61

Linking SSO User PMRN searches SSO file If person not found, search via address When found, click Link SSO User 62

Removing Users Uncheck the box(es) in both columns Click Submit 63

Removing Users Confirm that this is the teacher to be removed and click Continue 64

Adding Classes Click Classes/Periods tab Click Add Class/Period button 65

Adding Classes Use drop-down menus to complete information. Click Submit 66

Adding Students Click: Classes/Periods tab Click the name of the class/period in which you want to add a student Click Add Student button 67

Adding Students Search for the student in the PMRN - Type student’s Last Name OR - Click Show All button OR - Click on the First Letter of the student’s Last Name 68

Adding Students Click the box(es) in front of their name(s) of the student(s) to be added. Click Submit. if you did not find your student, you may enroll your student 69

Enrolling Students Students may be enrolled in two different methods – Enroll student directly into assigned class – Enroll students into school (class not assigned) Enroll student into assigned class – Click Classes/Periods tab – Click name of class 70

Enrolling Students – Click Enroll Student 71

Enrolling Students – Search for the student – If you are sure your student is not in the PMRN, click the radio button to the left of I want to enroll a new student – Click Next 72

Enrolling Students Enter student information – Identifier – First, Last Name – Birthdate – Gender – Class Period Click Add 73

Enrolling Students Click Students tab Click Enroll a Student button Search for student 74

Enrolling Students If you are sure your student is not in the PMRN, click the radio button to the left of I want to enroll a new student Click Next Note: Student must still be assigned to a class 75

Enrolling Students Enter student information – Identifier – First, Last Name – Birthdate – Grade Level – Gender Click Add 76

Assigning Classes 77

Removing Students 78

Removing Students 79

Deleting Classes Click Delete Class/Period next to the teacher’s name and period (option available only if no students are enrolled in class) 80

Withdrawing Students 81

Coach’s Log 82

What is the Coach’s Log? Tool to improve reading program by guiding performance of Reading and Literacy Coaches State Board Rule 6A requires all Reading and Literacy Coaches to complete the Coach’s Log Bi-weekly reporting on coaching activity occurs through the PMRN 83

Creating Coach’s Log User Only a principal (SL1) User can create a Coach’s Log User From the SL1 Home Page, click the Users tab Click Add User Fill in the information boxes Click the Allow boxes for the Coach’s Log Access Level 84

Creating Coach’s Log User The principal must enter information specific to the Coach’s Log Access Level:  Type the date of when the User became a Reading Coach. If the User was a Coach in a previous year, enter the 1 st instructional day of the school year.  Click the Full-Time or Part-Time radio button. If Part-Time is chosen, enter the percent of time the Reading Coach serves the school.  Click the check boxes for the Coach’s “Funding Type” and enter the “Percent of Funding” in the boxes to the right  Click Submit 85

Creating Coach’s Log User Linking the Coach’s Log User From the SL1 Home Page, click the Users tab Click the User’s name Click the Link SSO User button 86

Creating Coach’s Log User Search via Identifier, Last Name, or address Click the radio button Click the Link SSO User button 87

Accessing the Coach’s Log Form Upon Signing In for the first time each year, the Coach will be required to fill out his/her Professional Information and Submit the form before he/she can continue to the Log – View and Edit Professional Information button at the top of the Coach’s Log Form allows for subsequent edits Coaches who serve multiple schools will need to be added as a User and complete a Coach’s Log at each school 88

Coach’s Log Professional Information Page 89

Coach’s Log Form 16 task areas for categorizing time – 4 task areas involve teacher selection: – 12 task areas cover a wide variety of data collection and discussion The Teacher Selection Table is populated by the upload of Survey 8 Selections are only visible on the Coach’s Log Form- they are not displayed on the report – The teachers displayed can be edited by clicking the “Edit Teachers” button within any of the task areas above 90

Coach’s Log Form 91

Coach’s Log Form Narratives – Narratives for task areas Reports = biweekly reporting period Can be viewed by principal’s only Coaches may report up to 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, and 80 hours for the bi-weekly reporting period. Saving vs. submitting – a saved log can be edited – A Submitted Log has been officially submitted to the PMRN and must be unlocked by a Support Specialist for editing 92

Coach’s Log Form 93

Automated s If a Log has not yet been Submitted – “Coach’s Log Submission Reminder” – “Coach’s Log Submission- Final Reminder” – “School Level 1 Coach’s Log ” 94

FAIR-FS Grades 3 – 12 (10 th grade level of competency) Administration 95

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What’s New? 97 FAIR 2009FAIR-FS Tasks Reading Comprehension Maze Word Analysis Word Recognition (WRT) Vocabulary Knowledge (VKT)* Syntactic Knowledge (SKT)* Reading Comprehension (RC) RC Passage Placement Starts with grade level passageAbility in WRT & VKT determines initial passage Probability of Success Calculated based on RC & prior FCAT Based on current RC, WRT, & VKT scores; Predicts to nationally-normed reading comprehension Additional tools (optional) Ongoing progress monitoring Discussion templates Open Response Diagnostics Ongoing progress monitoring still available 97

Preparing for Administration To Access the 3-12 WAM – Sign In via SSO Portal – Click WAM button 98

Preparing for Administration 3-12 WAM SSO Manager Page Daily WAM Key Retrieval – Click Generate Key button Sync Rosters Links 99

Modifying the Task Flow Modifying Task Flow (MTF) and Word Recognition Task (WRT) Students – Deaf or Hard of Hearing Only School Level 1, 2, and 3 Users are able to modify 100 ESE

Modifying the Task Flow To Modify Task Flow – School Level 1, 2, 3 Users – Sign In to the PMRN – Click the Students tab – Click the Students Identified for Modified Task Flow button – Click the check box next to the student whose task flow is to be modified – Click Submit 101 ESE

Modifying the Task Flow 102 ESE

Student Access: 3-12 WAM Test Sound and Animation Student WAM Access – Enter WAM Key – Click Sign In 103

Student Access: 3-12 WAM Test Sound and Animation Page – Via 3-12 WAM Sign In page Do you hear the drum? – Yes Click the Yes button – No Click the No button Make sure that your computer has the latest version of Flash installed Try Again after latest Flash has been installed 104

Student Access: 3-12 WAM Student Selection Page The student will – Confirm school name – Select Grade Level via drop-down – Select Name via drop-down – Select Date of Birth via drop-down – Click Sign In 105

Computer Lab Quick Guide 106

Flow of Tasks Word Recognition (about 2 min.) Word Recognition (about 2 min.) Vocabulary Knowledge (about 3 min.) Vocabulary Knowledge (about 3 min.) Reading Comprehension (about 15 min.) Reading Comprehension (about 15 min.) Compute Probability of Literacy Success (PLS) Compute Probability of Literacy Success (PLS) PLS <.85? PLS <.85? NO YES Syntactic Knowledge (about 5 min.) STOP Take optional tasks? NO YES Oral Reading Fluency STOP Oral Response Written Response Paper/Pencil Administration Computer Administration 107 New

Word Recognition Task Screen #1 Word Recognition Task The student hears a word pronounced by the computer. The student selects the word pronounced by the computer. 108

Vocabulary Knowledge Screen #2 Vocabulary Knowledge The student reads the sentence on the screen. The student completes the sentence with 1 of 3 morphologically related words. 109

Reading Comprehension Screen #3 Reading Comprehension The student reads the passage, then clicks to show the questions. Questions & passage can be viewed simultaneously. The student selects the correct response to the question. 110

Diagnostic: Syntactic Knowledge (Students with PLS.85 ) The student hears the sentence read by the computer. The student selects the word that best completes the sentence. 111

Flow of Tasks Word Recognition (about 2 min.) Word Recognition (about 2 min.) Vocabulary Knowledge (about 3 min.) Vocabulary Knowledge (about 3 min.) Reading Comprehension (about 15 min.) Reading Comprehension (about 15 min.) Compute Probability of Literacy Success (PLS) Compute Probability of Literacy Success (PLS) PLS <.85? PLS <.85? NO YES Syntactic Knowledge (about 5 min.) STOP Take optional tasks? NO YES Oral Reading Fluency STOP Oral Response Written Response Paper/Pencil Administration Computer Administration 112

Accessing Missing Score Report What is the Missing Score Report? School Level Users – Sign In – Click the School Reports tab – Click on Missing Score Report 113

Accessing Missing Score Report Reading and Resource Level Users – Sign In – Click the Teacher Reports tab – Click on Missing Score Report 114

Scoring and Reports 115

Accessing 3-12 Reports PMRN v4 Reports available – School Reports (School Level) School Report School Missing Score Report Assessment Calendar Edit School Registration function – Teacher Report (School, Reading, Resource Level) – Class Report (School, Reading, Resource Level) – Student Report (School, Reading, Resource Level) 116

Accessing 3-12 Reports School Level School Level Users – Sign In – Click the tab of the Report Level you wish to view School Reports Reading Class Reports Teacher Reports Student Reports – Click the linked name of the Report 117

Accessing 3-12 Reports Reading, Resource Level Reading and Resource Level Users – Sign In – Click the tab of the Report Level you wish to view Student Reports Class Reports Teacher Reports – Click the linked name of the Report 118

Scoring and Reports Important note: Scores from FAIR-FS were designed to facilitate instructional decision making including problem-solving and data-based decision making. FAIR-FS scores are not intended to be the sole data point in determining retention or special education determination 119

Score Reports Detailed reports for teachers and parents – Includes profile of student scores Computer adaptive tasks provide: – Ability scores – Percentile ranks – Probability of Literacy Success 120

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Probability of Literacy Success (PLS) Score represents the likelihood that a student will score at the 40 th percentile on the end-of-year outcome measure (i.e., SAT-10) Indicates WHO is at risk PLS is based on aggregate of WRT, VKT, and RCT PLS of.50 predicts that student has 50/50 chance of achieving the passing score on the outcome measure 122

Percentile Ranks Score is used to rank one student’s performance in relation to a particular group of other students – Ranges from 1 – 99 (25 th through 75 th percentile represents the expected scoring range) – Based on a representative sample of Florida students 3rd grade student with a percentile rank of 55 performed better than 55% of other 3rd graders in Florida 123

Ability Scores Scores represent an estimate of ability in a specific skill and reflects true change over time as ability increases or decreases – Covers a range of ability from 3 rd grade to 12 th grade – Scores range from 150 – 1000 (standard deviation of 100) Indicates degree of growth for each student A 3 rd grade student with an ability score of 500 is performing exactly the same as a 7 th grader with an ability score of

Score Types for Computer-Adaptive Tasks Score typeWhat it reflectsWhat it does NOT reflect Ability score Quantifies a student’s level of skill and reflects changes Scale ranges from a minimal amount of skill to expert Performance compared to other students Grade-level performance Percentile rank Student’s ability compared to other students in the same grade Percentage of correct responses Growth Level of expected performance Probability of Literacy Success Likelihood the student will receive a passing score on end-of-year test Growth Previous year’s end-of- year test score 125

Examples Probability of Literacy Success: A PLS of.50 predicts that the student has a 50/50 chance of achieving the passing score or higher on the outcome test Ability Score: If a student receives a score of 400 at AP1 and 520 at AP2, s/he made significant growth(i.e., grown more than 1 standard deviation) Percentile Rank: A fifth grade student with a percentile rank of 55 performed better than 55% of other fifth grade students in Florida. 126

Student Score Profile Generally, a skill should be targeted for instruction when scoring below the 30 th percentile The lower bars represent skills that are relative weaknesses for a student and higher bars indicate relative strengths WR= Word Recognition VK = Vocabulary Knowledge RC = Reading Comprehension SK = Syntactic Knowledge 127

Communicating with Parents Computer-generated parent resource letters will be available after each assessment period. Letters will contain information on strength and weaknesses, progress over the school year, and skills targeted for instruction. Letters will also include resources on strengthening reading skills assessed in FAIR- FS. 128

Instructional Implications 129

Informing Instruction Use the student’s score profile and the classroom report to identify students and skills for supplemental instruction/intervention – Identify lower performing students from the classroom report – Target skills that are relative weaknesses for the individual student through: Supplemental curriculum Added time and emphasis on particular skills Targeted activities during center time* 130

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Effective Practices for Literacy Instruction 132

1. Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Dedicated time for explicit vocabulary instruction Teach new words: – Multiple contexts – Sufficient practice – Opportunities to use the new vocabulary (writing, discussion, & extended reading) Teach strategies for independent vocabulary learning 133

1. Vocabulary Strategies Morphological Analysis – ex. audience, audible, auditory Word Origin Tracing – ex. Greek/Latin roots Semantic Mapping – visual displays of words Synonyms & Antonyms Context Clues 134

2. Explicit Comprehension Instruction Select text for each strategy – Select appropriate reading level Generalize strategies to different texts Provide guided practice Demonstrate your own use of comprehension strategies (think aloud) 135

2. Comprehension Strategies Summarizing Main idea Self-questioning and group discussions Paraphrasing Drawing inferences Graphic Organizers Visualize Organize thoughts 136

3. Extended Discussion of Text Extended discussions of text enable the student to increase their ability to comprehend complex text. Discussions could occur in small groups or whole class in various content areas. Students are asked to defend their answers with textual evidence. Teachers need to carefully prepare for these discussions with engaging selections and stimulating questions. 137

4. Increase Student Motivation & Engagement When fostering motivation in students, research supports: – Frequent, specific feedback – Supportive positive learning environment/personal connections – Provide frequent choices Teachers’ emphasis (e.g., encouragement) of mastery of skills (e.g., reading comprehension strategies) over performance on tests (e.g., FCAT level 4) leads to better performance on outcome tests. Example: Simply telling a student that they scored at the 50 th percentile will NOT be helpful for that student to improve performance. Connecting specific instructional content with explicit feedback to test scores is critical. 138

5. Intensive and Individualized Interventions Provide supplemental, intensive and individual interventions for struggling readers provided by trained specialists. Intensive instruction by specialists will ONLY be effective if it is in addition to, not in place of, intensive content-area instruction. The purpose of intensive interventions is to accelerate literacy development. Two-step process: – Initial screening to identify those students who need extra help – Diagnostic tests to provide a profile of literacy strengths and weaknesses 139

5. Intensive and Individualized Interventions Addressing Word Recognition skills For students with scores indicating: – Relative weakness on the WRT – May also have lower performance on all tasks Explicit instruction in decoding, including: – Supplemental curricular programs for decoding identified by your school district – Evidence-based supplemental activities 140

Increasing Syntactic Knowledge Strategies Syntactic Knowledge is an awareness of the structure of text that provides the reader “keys” to “unlock” the meaning. Teach connectives (conjunctions) – words or phrases that link clauses and sentences together to create more complex text. Teach pronoun reference. Teach subject/verb agreement. 141

Next Steps With whom do I need to share this information? – District staff – School staff How will I share this information? – Printed material – Face-to-face What is the training schedule? 142

Questions

For More Information ELA District Instructional Supervisors: Dr. Sharon Scruggs-Williams Dr. Erin Cuartas Ms. Laurie Kaplan  Content and policy questions: Contact Just Read, Florida! (850)  Technical questions: Call Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Integrated Education Network Service Center (855)