Understanding/Unpacking a Construct Progression

Each construct progression for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process includes at least one “Understanding.” Each construct progression for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process includes at least one “Understanding.” “Understandings” are the “big ideas,” or major concepts for each topic, and they correlate with the skills on the progressions. “Understandings” are the “big ideas,” or major concepts for each topic, and they correlate with the skills on the progressions. Claims are the foundation. They are organized by domain. Understandings are the major concepts for each topic. Some construct progressions have one Understanding, while others have multiple, related Understandings. Skills are the small steps within each Understanding.

Reading Comprehension: Monitoring Meaning

This progression has only one Understanding. Understanding: Children understand that text (pictures and print) makes sense.

The construct progressions for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process are designed for ages 3-10, while the progressions for the KEA portion are designed for ages 3-6. The construct progressions for the K-3 Formative Assessment Process are designed for ages 3-10, while the progressions for the KEA portion are designed for ages 3-6. The skill steps along the construct progression are from less sophisticated to more sophisticated. They are fine-grained. The skill steps along the construct progression are from less sophisticated to more sophisticated. They are fine-grained.

Listening comprehension Listening comprehension Picture comprehension Picture comprehension Retelling a familiar story Retelling a familiar story Reading independently (with increasingly sophisticated comprehension skills) Reading independently (with increasingly sophisticated comprehension skills) Progression of Skills for Reading Comprehension: Monitoring Meaning

The steps along the construct progression help a teacher determine where a child is currently performing. The steps along the construct progression help a teacher determine where a child is currently performing. Once a teacher determines where a child is currently performing, the next step along the progression can help guide the student’s next learning target. Once a teacher determines where a child is currently performing, the next step along the progression can help guide the student’s next learning target.

Underneath each Skill along the construct progression, you will find several Performance Descriptors. Underneath each Skill along the construct progression, you will find several Performance Descriptors. The Performance Descriptors “paint a picture” of what the skills look like in a real classroom by giving examples of what a child may say, do, make, or write to demonstrate understanding at each skill level. They are intended to help teachers determine a student’s placement on a construct progression. The Performance Descriptors “paint a picture” of what the skills look like in a real classroom by giving examples of what a child may say, do, make, or write to demonstrate understanding at each skill level. They are intended to help teachers determine a student’s placement on a construct progression. For the construct progressions designed for the K-3 FAP, the Performance Descriptors are “leveled” examples. The first description is designed to represent what is likely to be seen in a kindergarten or first-grade class, while the second example is likely to be seen in a first- or secon d- grade class. For the construct progressions designed for the K-3 FAP, the Performance Descriptors are “leveled” examples. The first description is designed to represent what is likely to be seen in a kindergarten or first-grade class, while the second example is likely to be seen in a first- or secon d- grade class. Performance Descriptors

“Leveled” Examples

Determining a Child’s Placement on the Construct Progression

1. Javier looks at a wordless picture book about a boy living on a farm. After viewing the book, Javier describes to his friend Steven the various jobs the boy does on the farm (e.g., feeds the chickens, puts hay in the stalls in the barn).

2. Jackson is reading an online article about monkeys. He reads a sentence about the monkeys’ habitat, and reads the word “tires” instead of “trees.” He says, “Monkeys don’t live in tires!” and continues reading without attempting to self-correct.

3. Garrison is reading a book aloud to his teacher. He comes to a sentence and reads, “The grill and boy went to the beach.” Garrison stops and tells the teacher the text does not make sense. The teacher asks him to look at the picture and think about what would make sense. After doing so, Garrison is able to figure out that the sentence says, “The girl and boy went to the beach.”

4. The teacher has read ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving aloud to her students a couple of times. During free reading time, Jamal borrows the book and pretends to read it by retelling the correct sequence of main events while turning the pages in the book.

5. While reading a sentence about an eagle, Elizabeth encounters “talons,” an unfamiliar word. She rereads the sentence and uses context clues to determine that the eagle’s talons are his claws, which are used to capture prey.

6. While reading a Ranger Rick article about volcanoes, Akeeyah makes several errors, and she expresses confusion about how a volcano erupts. Akeeyah rereads the text, but she is still unable to read it correctly and make sense of what she has read. She shrugs her shoulders and puts the magazine back in the reading basket.

7. While Olivia Grace is reading aloud to her reading buddy, she skips a line of text on the page. She continues reading the rest of the page without acknowledging that the reading does not make sense.

8. Bryson is reading an informational article about meat-eating dinosaurs. When he comes to the term “carnivore,” he does not know the meaning of the word. He checks the illustrations for help, but the only illustrations in the article show the names and pictures of different types of dinosaurs. Bryson still has not determined the meaning of “carnivore,” but he continues reading the remainder of the article.

9. Charmane is reading a book about giraffes with her teacher. While reading, Charmane replaces several unfamiliar words with invented text. Although her invented text does not make sense, Charmane continues to read and does not show recognition that the meaning of the selection was impaired.

10. After the teacher reads aloud a book about penguins, she asks the class to tell the most interesting thing they learned. Sarah responds, “Penguins live where it’s cold, and the babies are hatched from eggs.”

The Office of Early Learning encourages your feedback throughout this process. Please let us know if you have any suggestions regarding the construct progressions as you begin implementation.

Questions? Comments?