1. PALS Assessments, Instructional Resources, and Data
EDIS 5020: Instruction and Assessment
Thursday, January 31st
Ellen O. Shrum, PhD

2. Agenda PALS: Origin, purpose, and assessments
PALS-PreK: Administration, scoring, and data-generated reports
PALS-K: Administration, scoring, and data-generated reports
PALS 1-3: Administration, scoring, and data-generated reports
PALS K-3: A screening tool
PALS Quick Checks
PALS: Instructional resources
PALS Website
Formative Assessment: Driving and Monitoring Instruction

3. PALS: Why Was PALS Developed?

4. What Is PALS?
The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is a research-based organization dedicated to providing instructionally useful literacy assessments on which to plan, implement, and assess instruction and on which to assess and monitor student literacy achievement.

5. PALS Assessments
Criterion-referenced assessment developed by Marcia Invernizzi, PhD, and her colleagues at the University of Virginia.
Used in all fifty states and several foreign countries.
Since 1999 serves as Virginia’s universal screening and diagnostic literacy tool.

6. PALS: Assessments PALS-PreK PALS-K PALS 1-3 PALS Quick Checks (RtI)
PALS español (in development)
PALS 4-8 (in development)

7. PALS Purpose Diagnose children’s knowledge of literacy fundamentals
Screen for students who may be in jeopardy of not reading on grade level by the end of third grade
Monitor effectiveness of instruction, and student progress
Plan instruction that targets children’s needs

8. Data You Can Trust
Each task is research-based and measures a component of early literacy development shown by research to predict later reading achievement.
Strong technical adequacy was established by thorough pilot studies with large sample groups.
Most excellent ratings on the National Center on Response to Intervention’s Screening Tools Chart

10. PALS Assessments: Literacy Skills
PreK K
PALS
1-3
Print and Word Awareness ✓
Nursery Rhyme Awareness
Name Writing
Rhyme Awareness
Beginning Sound Awareness
Alphabet Knowledge
Letter Sounds
Concept of Word
Blending
Sound-to-Letter
Spelling/Phonics
Word Recognition in Isolation
Oral Reading in Context (accuracy, fluency, WPM/rate, and comprehension)
PALS Assessments: Literacy Skills
NN packet: Page 1, bottom slide

12. PALS: Assessments and Web Site
Online Score Entry and Reporting System
(the PALS Web site)
PALS Assessments
(PALS Materials)

13. The PALS Web Site, aka The Online Score Entry and Reporting System
Enter scores into online account
Score entry generates reports for assessing (PreK-3), screening (K-3), diagnosing, and progress monitoring
Resources available for planning instruction
Downloadable progress monitoring assessments (K-3) (Quick Checks)

15. PALS-PreK Assessment

16. PALS-PreK Assessment Is a developmentally appropriate assessment
Provides critical literacy data upon which to plan instruction
Administer in fall, mid-year, and spring of the 4-year-old preschool year (same form administered each time)

17. PALS-PreK: Materials Teacher’s Manual Child Packet Child Summary Sheet
Class Summary Sheet

18. PALS-PreK: Preparing to Administer

19. Flexible Administration Schedule
Complete PALS-PreK administration within any contiguous two-week period during the four-week window
Fall screening window begins six weeks after the first day of school
1st day of school + 6 weeks = 1st day of your PALS-PreK fall window

20. Calculating Your Assessment Windows

21. How Much Time Is Required to Administer PALS-PreK?
Untimed, varies child to child
Flexible administration – customize to your schedule (for example, administer one task per day to break up the assessment)

22. Who Should Administer PALS-PreK?
Teachers
Reading specialists
Instructional support colleagues

23. To Whom Should PALS-PreK Be Given?
Mandatory for children in Virginia whose PreK enrollment is partially of fully funded by the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI)
Optional for all other preschool children

24. PALS-PreK: Task Administration & Scoring

25. PALS-PreK: Tasks Each task represents a literacy fundamental that is predictive of future reading success.
Task
Includes
Name Writing
Alphabet Knowledge
Upper-Case Alphabet Recognition
Lower-Case Alphabet Recognition
Letter Sounds
Beginning Sound Awareness
Print and Word Awareness
Rhyme Awareness
Nursery Rhyme Awareness
NN packet: Page 2, top
- Tasks mirror instruction. Each task reflects activities that children should encounter in an everyday preschool setting.
Tasks may be administered in any sequence, but Beginning Sound awareness and Rhyme Awareness should not be administered consecutively.
Tasks may be administered over several days within 2-week period. Not timed, but minutes per kid probably.

26. PALS-PreK Administration
One-on-one administration
Approximately 25 minutes per child
Developmentally appropriate
Flexible administration--Don’t have to administer the entire assessment at one time (For example, one can administer one task to all children on each day for six days.)
Fall, Mid-Year, and Spring recommended assessment windows
Enter scores online via traditional score entry or the Online Assessment Wizard

27. Task: Name Writing
Say,
If the child is reluctant to attempt name writing, encourage the child to “pretend” to write his or her name or collect a writing sample at a more informal time.
Not an all-or-nothing skill – it develops gradually and reveals what students know about early components of literacy.
I would like for you to draw a picture of yourself, and then write your name. When you are finished, I’d like for you to show me your name.

28. Name Writing: Scoring (Administration & Scoring Guide, Page 14)
Scoring samples demonstrate the continuum of name writing development
Only the written name is scored; it is not necessary for the child to draw a picture
Not scored based on neatness
Question child for clarification on letters if necessary

29. PALS-PreK: Logging Into A Teacher Account

30. Step 1: Go to the PALS Web site.

31. Step 2: Place your cursor on the yellow-highlighted area,
and move it down to the second link, Virginia PreK.
Click here.

32. Step 3: On the Login Page that appears, enter user
name and password.

33. Step 4: Upon login, you’re on the ADMINSTRATIVE tab.

34. Child Information: Accommodating Non-Standard AdministrationE

35. Entering Scores

36. Two Ways to Enter Scores for Instant Access to Child Data!
Traditional Score Entry: Record scores on Child
Summary Sheets. Then, after administration,
enter scores into the PALS Web site (aka, The Score
Entry and Reporting System).
Online Assessment Wizard: Enter scores directly
into the PALS Web site during or after administration.

37. Score Entry Option: Traditional Score Entry

38. Step 1: Highlight a child’s name and click the link, “Enter
Child’s Scores.”

39. Step 2: Enter scores and click the link, “Submit Scores.”

40. Score Entry Option: The Online Assessment Wizard (OAW)

41. Benefits of “the Wizard”
Efficient
Flexible
Creates item-level reports

42. Efficient Reduces paperwork (e.g., Student Summary Sheets)
Decreases chance of transfer error during score entry
Guides K-3 assessment process (in fall and spring)
Keeps track of scores
Reduces assessment time

43. Flexible Use with one or all of your students
Use during or after administration
Use regardless of the score entry school colleagues use

44. Creates Item-Level Reports
Student OAW Report
Alphabet Recognition
Letter Sounds
Print and Word Awareness
Class OAW Report

45. Using The Online Assessment Wizard (OAW)

46. Step 1: Highlight a child’s name and click
“Online Assessment Wizard.”

47. Step 2: Review information on Welcome Page;
then, click the Continue Icon or the Task Icon.
Continue Icon
Task Icon

48. Step 3: Select a task.

49. Upper-Case Alphabet

50. Using
the
Online Assessment
Wizard:
PALS
Practice Accounts

51. PALS-PreK Data Generates Reports

52. Child Summary Report

53. Individual
Task
Growth
Report

54. Class Summary Report