A PARCC Postcard From Chicago

Hi Blog Friends,

Wind is whistling through the crack in my hotel window, snow has been coming down all day...this is February in Chicago.  Inside the O'Hare Hilton,  hot topics of discussion included updates on accommodations for students with disabilities, literacy in all content areas, using the Tri-state Rubric, supporting ELL students and using the standards and evidence tables for classroom instruction.  Since you all can't be here, let me share some "snapshots" from my day.

Can your students explain why literacy is important in their science classes? How do we help them see the importance of literacy and also of being scientifically literate?  Three take aways from this session:
1.  Science teachers ( math too) can use CLAIMS EVIDENCE  REASONING (CER) as a basic formula to help students write scientifically or mathematically with precision.
2. Students can have precision in their reading by using close reading strategies to help them access their textbook, lab procedures, research articles, narrative texts, and informational text.
3. Teachers need to model close reading and CER in science and math.

PARCC News You Can Use
Three take aways from our PARCC update session:
1. Additonal tech preparedness tool targeted to building principals and superintendents will be released in early March.  It will help with gap anlaysis, allow modeling of different scenarios and have additional info on testing windows ( with some flexibility for district start and end dates)
2. Available in April will be ELL draft policies, and Draft subject and grade level performance indicators will be available for public comment.
3. For HS on block scheduling, the EOC exams will be available at the end of semester 1 in the 2014-2015 school year.

Testing Accommodations for Students With Disabilities
Three take aways:
1. Currently doing cognitive research on how students with disabilities interact with PARCC like items. This will help with decision making on accommodations.
2. PARCC does not directly assess k-2 foundational reading skills, so, the 3-11 standards focus on reading independently and with comprehension. Audio text would meet this standard when appropriate.
3. The accommodations manual will be approved in June.

PARCC Lunchtime awesomeness:
Three take aways from my chance lunch encounter with Lydia Stack, former president of TESOL and  one of the writers of  the Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards corresponding to the CCSS and Next Generation Science standards.
1. Great ELL insights for teachers of Math, ELA and Science http://ell.stanford.edu/teaching_resources
2. Great VENN Diagram showing relationship of the standard "practices" in ELA, Math and Science
http://ell.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/VennDiagram_practices_FINAL_with%20citation_0.pdf

3. ELL research papers and videos  http://ell.stanford.edu/papers/practice

PARCC Assessment Limits in Evidence Tables...scholarly title for " how to decode the numbering/ cataloging system being used to help match "evidence" that will be " looked for" in the assessments with the original standard(s)

Three take aways:

1. There are two types of evidence standards...exact - a direct restatement of the standard and derived- a component of a standard that has been broken into smaller pieces for assessment.

2. Clarifications will be provided to help teachers see how it will be used on a grade level assessment. In some cases, multiple standards may be asssessed in one item (especially true on performance tasks)

3. On the 3rd grade math performance task, which is designed to assess students 75% of the way through the 3rd grade year, second grade major standards may be included to allow students to demonstrate a secure understanding of the standard and how it applies to 3rd grade work. This does NOT mean that 3rd grade teachers need to reteach 2 nd grade materials, only that they should be building on foundations laid in 2nd grade.

More from PARCC Chicago tomorrow!

A Playbook For Ohio Education Initiatives...Learning From the Super Bowl

This is Super Bowl Weekend.  Analysts have spent two weeks dissecting every possible factor that could impact the performance of either team in the big game.  Data has been analyzed, portrayed in charts, graphs and pictographs. Data has been talked about, diagrammed and shared via multiple social networks for others to comment on.  No one thinks that this is abnormal - in fact it is expected that the coaching staff from the contending teams would have gathered as much information as possible about the opposition's players, play calling, offensive performance, defensive packages, special team threats.   Commentators will share percentages on field goals made beyond 50 yards, 3rd down conversion rates...and on and on. Plays will be called based on evidence collected from past games.  There are very high expectations for player performance, growth targets are in place, the ability to shift plays on the fly to adjust to what is happening in the game is essential - hmmmm. This sounds very much like what we, as educators, should be doing to prepare for implementing Ohio's New Learning Standards, OTES and Ohio's Next Generation Assessments.  Maybe we need ESPN - Educational Shift Programming Network.

So, sit down with some wings, nachos and some pizza bites and lets look at how we can use evidence to help us prepare for 2014-2015...our Ohio "Big Game" year.

The best Defense Is A Good Offense
Evidence Centered Design is the process being used by PARCC to develop assessment tasks/items that will accurately measure a student's performance on a standard.   Based on the concept of "claims", teacher teams can discuss standards to come to agreement on what students will be expected to do - and a what level of rigor. From this, assessment items can be designed to collect the "evidence" that would be needed to prove that students can actually DO what they are expected to do - at the level we expected them to do it.    Once assessments are created, units and lessons can be designed to provide the supports students will need to get to the point that they will be successful on the assessment.  If all teachers would invest the time up-front in setting learning targets, understanding the expectations of the standards and building assessments - both formative and summative - to make sure students reach those targets - our test scores in 2014-2015 may not be as low as everyone is predicting.

Put Me In Coach..I Am Ready To Play
OTES is the new teacher evaluation system.  Professional Performance will be assessed using 10 categories, based on Ohio's Teacher Standards.   Teachers and Principals (or other credentialed observers) will be collecting evidence to support a rating of ineffective, developing, proficient or accomplished.  Teachers should spend time now going through the OTES rubric to begin to identify what they already do - or could tweak- in their professional practice that could be used as evidence in categories like "knowledge of students", "differentiation", "use of assessment data" and "use of resources"  Think about ways to organize your evidence - box, binder, pile on a bookshelf, electronic portfolio - whatever works for you.  Remember, the new OTES system is based on a collaborative relationship between the teacher and the evaluator - so be prepared!  Most teachers in the state will be rated "Proficient".  Proficient is a GOOD thing!

32 27 Chevy Blue Right Shift ...or if you are a Browns Fan - Red Right 88
 Like an NFL playbook, teachers build lesson/assessment plans for the year, based on evidence, to help all students to grow as learners and achieve long term learning goals. OTES also includes a Student Growth Measure evaluation component. Teacher teams have the opportunity to do  "pre-season" data analysis to set expectations based on levels of expected student performance.  State tests provide more data on past and predicted achievement. Throughout the school year, using formative assessments to gather evidence that students are on track and units designed to help students build understanding/skill, teachers coach their students through practice - and assessments - all preparing them for the final assessment of growth at the end of the year.   State Value Added Data is also a growth measure.  It is a detailed analysis of student past performance and projected future performance.  Value Added data uses NCEs (Normal Curve Equivalent) as an equal interval scale that lets researchers compare achievement over time.  Ohio will be using Value Added data as a required component of the OTES.  SLO plans are also an option for some teachers.  SLO plans give teachers the opportunity to assemble evidence of student growth based on locally developed growth measures.  Team discussions of "baseline" evidence, agreement on potential evidence of growth, rationale for tiered growth targets  - and how to accurately assess them will help all teachers and could be used to demonstrate "evidence of differentiation, use of assessment data and focus for learning", components of the OTES Teacher Rubric.

Show me the evidence...and start preparing now for the changes that will be implemented between now and 2014-2015....and enjoy the Super Bowl festivities this weekend! Maybe someday the Browns will make it to the game - given the right plays, the right coaching, the right supports...there is always next year.

Assessment Literacy, SLOs and New Standards

Assessment is one of the main components of the educational shifts that are occurring in our district, our state and across the country -assessment of learning, formative assessment "for learning", growth measures, assessment of teacher effectiveness, Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), assessment of College and Career Readiness, and alignment of assessments to the rigor of the new standards.  Teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members need to become "Assessment Literate". 

 Let's start with what Assessment Literacy IS.  

I did some searching and came up with three definitions for Assessment Literacy.  A good starting point for discussions with your own staff might be "Define Assessment Literacy" and see what they think!

W.James Popham, in his 2009 blog post "Is Assessment Literacy the Magic Bullet" defines it as follows, "Assessment literacy is present when a person possesses the assessment-related knowledge and skills needed for the competent performance of that person’s responsibilities. 

Rick Stiggins, in his 2001 book Student Involved Classroom Assessment, states that
 " those who know the meaning of assessment quality with all of its nuances and know that one is never justified in settling for unsound assessments are assessment literate. "

The Standards for Teacher Competence In The Educational Assessments of Students, developed by the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Assoc.,and the National Council on Measurement in Education in 1990, defines 7 areas where teachers should be able to demonstrate competency to be considered assessment literate.

• Teachers should be skilled in choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions.
• Teachers should be skilled in developing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions.  
• The teacher should be skilled in administering, scoring and interpreting the results of both externally-produced and teacher-produced assessment methods.  
• Teachers should be skilled in using assessment results when making decisions about individual students, planning teaching, developing curriculum, and school improvement.
• Teachers should be skilled in developing valid pupil grading procedures which use pupil assessments.  
• Teachers should be skilled in communicating assessment results to students, parents, other lay audiences, and other educators.  
• Teachers should be skilled in recognizing unethical, illegal, and otherwise inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information.
   

What does Assessment Literacy Look Like?
Teachers - Reference prior student knowledge when planning lessons. Tier lesson expectations to stretch all kids based on regularly collected formative assessment data. Develop summative assessments that accurately measure what the standards are asking the students to DO. Regularly use assessment data to help with the design of instructional units. Can explain to parents the steps necessary for their student to move forward on the learning path, using data they have gathered on the student. Can explain to administrators how data is used to guide student learning. Reads assessment data reports and can understand student growth and achievement on state or standardized assessments. Use technology as a part of their assessment plan.  Use effective feedback strategies to help students monitor their own learning.  Have a variety of assessment strategies to choose from that are appropriate to the skill or task to be assessed.

Students - Can explain where they are in their learning - and what they need to do to move forward. Know what their strengths and weaknesses are as learners and can use appropriate strategies to support their own learning. Have a set of strategies to use when asked to do a performance task, answer Evidence Based Selected Response Questions, or write an argument, synthesis or analysis. Can use assessment results to decide what they may still need to spend time mastering vs. items they may have missed because of a careless mistake.  Can utilize a variety of study strategies (metacognition) to help them "internalize" information and build knowledge.

Parents - Can explain where their children are in their learning and what can be done at school and at home to help move learning forward. Can talk with teachers about their student's strengths and weaknesses as a learner and what learning approaches may work best for their students. Can look at assessment results and understand what is being measured and how this measurement reflects their student's learning.

Community Members - Can look at assessment data reported in district newsletters or local new articles and understand how this reflects the learning environment being provided in their local schools. Can look at the "District Report Card" information shared by the ODE and understand the factors that go into assessing the district - and what influences each of those factors.



Resources

• Assessment As A Tool For Learning (Jill Hearne, Education Oasis 2004)
• Needed, A Dose of Assessment Literacy (W.James Popham, EdLeadership Magazine March 2006)
• Preservice vs Inservice Teachers' Assessment Literacy - Does Classroom Experience Make A Difference? (Craig Mertler,PhD Bowling Green State University, Research Presented at the Annual Educational Research Organization Conference in Columbus, OH 2003) [Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory - developed by Craig MertlerAdapted from the Teacher Assessment Literacy Questionnaire (1993), by Barbara S. Plake & James C. Impara, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in cooperation with The National Council on Measurement in Education & the W.K. Kellogg Foundation ]
• ODE Next Generation Assessment Homepage
• ODE SLO Homepage
• Metacognition Resources
• Understanding the Assessment Item Types on the Next Generation Assessments
• My blog posts relating to Formative Assessment

Common Core State Standards for ALL Students

The COMMON in Common Core State Standards is not just referring to the fact that the majority of states in the US have adopted these standards for Math and English Language Arts.  Here in Ohio, where Ohio's New Learning Standards include not just the CCSS but also new standards in Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Business, Physical Education, Foreign Language and more, the expectation is that COMMON means for all students in all districts.   That's right, ALL students, no matter what their ability level, grade level, economic background, ethnic background or primary language.   The challenge for teachers is not only how to implement the new standards effectively ,focusing on text complexity, depth of learning, mastery of content, vocabulary development, fluency etc. but also making sure that all students are "stretched" as learners and show growth over a year. Wow.  In order to differentiate learning within a classroom to meet the needs of all students, teachers will need to focus on three things - Complexity of Content, Delivery of Content, and Assessment of Learning. 

COMPLEXITY

In any classroom, there will always be some students who could "take the test" on the first day of a unit, and pass it. Those students are showing mastery of grade level standards and need to be given opportunities to build deeper learning of the material.  As you design your lessons, consider how you can build "stretch" moments into the group discussions, small group activities and individual work.  Building deeper learning doesn't necessarily mean moving them forward along the continuum of learning for that particular standard - in other words, don't just give them work from the next grade level or your future units.  Instead, provide them with tasks that encourage them to learn and apply different strategies to solve a problem,  real world scenarios that require them to think about their knowledge differently or the chance to support peers.

On the other end of the learner spectrum are the students who are not able to begin working on the grade level mastery standard because they need additional supports, may be missing key pieces of knowledge, may be ELL or developmentally may not be ready to hit that " mastery" target.  Formative assessments are key to understanding where these students are in their learning.  As you design your lessons, consider how you can include "scaffolding" moments into the group discussions, small group activities and individual work.  Once you identify the starting point for learning for these students - you need to map out a path that will help them move toward success on the grade level standard.  They may need modified materials, extra "scoops" of instruction, different kinds of practice activities and the chance to learn from "think out -louds", peer modeling and model materials/manipulatives.

For that big group in the middle, you also need to map out their path to mastery of your grade level standards. Evidence Centered Design is a great starting point for thinking about lesson design. Start with the learning targets and identify what it is that students need to DO. Decide what you would be able to circle, highlight, point to or observe in their work that will show you  that they can DO it.  Now, focus on building a lesson or series of lessons that will get them to the point that they can DO it.  Consider  lesson pacing, how to include a variety of activities, how to provide effective modeling, when and how to insert feedback that helps them to move their learning forward, scaffolding, and how to build in chances to make connections to real world scenarios. Look for materials that offer grade appropriate text complexity and will help them to build understanding of key content vocabulary.

DELIVERY

How do students build knowledge in your classroom?  During lessons that are teacher driven, are you providing written and oral directions?  Are your directions clear and easy to follow? Do you have consistent procedures in place in your classroom that help students transition from one activity to the next within the lesson.  Lessons that are student driven also need structure. What kind of lesson framework do you have in place that would allow students to anticipate what will happen during a lesson?  Are the resources that you are providing to the students appropriate for the rigor of the standard? Is there more than one way for them to access the material (think eBooks, audio books, hands-on materials, visual prompts) What are you doing to achieve a balance between teacher centered delivery of materials and student centered acquisition of knowledge (independent reading, computer research, group work, peer sharing)

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

"One size fits all" strategies for assessing progress towards mastering a standard won't work in our diverse classrooms.  Evidence Centered Design is a useful way to look at designing assessments. Take a look at the learning targets or objectives for your unit. Once you know WHAT a student needs to DO and have identified what this DOING looks like, you can build authentic assessments.  Think about what EVIDENCE you can collect to point back to the "DOING". Formative assessments might include simple "thumbs up or thumbs down" quick checks, entry and exit cards or keeping a checklist during group discussions or small group observations. Summative assessments may be computer based, may be portfolio or project based or may be adapted to offer students some choice in how they will be assessed.  Be flexible.  Some students may not be able share "what they know" in the same ways as the larger group.  Think about how these students CAN communicate, rather than focusing on the can't.  Utilize clickers, picture cues, computer aided communication, modeling and drawing instead of writing or offering a scribe as ways to help these students share their learning with you and their peers.   For some students with Severe Cognitive Disabilities, you may be assessing them along a grade band of standards or by using the "essence" of the standard. ( See - Ohio Academic Content Standards - extended)

As our state shifts to using the new Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) teachers must become more attuned to making sure all students are showing growth.  By planning  how we are differentiating by complexity, delivery and assessment, we can make sure to meet the needs of all our students.

RESOURCE INFO

 Resources for Differentiation

• CAST UDL Resources  http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/differentiated_instruction_udl#.Uu-8HD2wJTY
• ASCD Resource Page for Differentiation - http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/differentiated-instruction-resources.aspx

Evidence Centered Design
This is the process that PARCC is using to design the Next Generation Assessments for Math and ELA.  It starts with "CLAIMS" - very broad statements about what learners should be able to do.  From the claims - Teachers can identify "what can be circled, highlighted, pointed to, listened for, demonstrated" that show that the student is doing what the claim states. Then, teachers decide what EVIDENCE will be collected to prove this. Lesson plans can be developed that will make sure the students have the necessary learning opportunities to ultimately DO what the claim states.  In a classroom setting - the claims can be Learning Targets or Unit Objectives...or SLOs!

CLAIMS 

• PARCC Math Claims
• PARCC ELA Claims
• Science "claims" Based on the ODE Overview of Science Standards
• Social Studies "Claims" - based on ODE Intro to Social Studies Standards

Ohio's Academic Content Standards - extended 
These were initially designed to be a guide for students who would be using the state Alternative Assessment, but the grade band vertical alignment, the essence of the standard (think enduring understandings) and the "continuum of complexity" also makes a great starting point for thinking about how to differentiate by complexity in a diverse classroom.

• Ohio's New Learning Standards - Extended - For Differentiation ODE Homepage

• Ohio's New Learning Standards --For Differentiation Science

• Ohio's New Learning Standards - For Differentiation Math

• Ohio's New Learning Standards - For Differentiation Soc Studies

• Ohio's New Learning Standards- For Differentiation ELA

Education Worth Fighting For - Keeping CCSS In Perspective

We are so fortunate to live in a country where a free, public, standards based education is available to anyone who wants it.  Common Core Standards are important. They will ensure that all students have access to an education that will prepare them for college or a career - no matter what district or state they live in. How awesome is it that the majority of states in our country are working together on the new standards- sharing resources and ideas. Sometimes I think we lose sight of that as we struggle with how to make the transition to the new standards, plan for how to prepare students for college and careers, debate teacher accountability, and argue over school funding. I know that sometimes I have felt overwhelmed with all of the changes, so I spent this evening putting things in perspective.

 I spent some time  looking at education articles on Google News - and found the story of Malala Yousafzi, a 14 year old Pakistani student who has advocated for the continued education of girls in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, in opposition to the Taliban policies being implemented there. She was shot today while on the school bus.  Last year, the New York Times did a documentary on her family while they were temporary refugees from their home during fighting between the Taliban and the Pakistan Army in their community. Her main concern, that her father's school for girls and her books would be destroyed.  In the video she shares her dream to become a politician, so she can impact change in her country. She is in serious condition.

Just this past week I worked with one of our 5th grade ELA teachers on ideas for teaching the book, The Breadwinner to as student who is ELL and speaks Spanish. The book tells the story of Parvana, a young girl who live in Kabul and must deal with bombings, the loss of family members and the need to work around Taliban restrictions to earn money for her family. Parvana has also lost her access to education.  Parvana reminds me of my former student, Mina, a refugee from Iraq who could not attend school while a refugee in Jordan because her academic records were lost in Iraq.  As a HS senior here, she struggled with learning English while maintaining a full course load and taking the OGT. Sometimes she worked on homework until 3:00am.  She is now a student at TriC.  Her main focus, the need to finish her education so that she can become a pharmaceutical engineer.

A few weeks ago, I attended a lecture by William Kamkwamba, the author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. As a child in Malawi, he was forced to drop out of his school because ongoing drought and crop failure prevented his family from paying his $80 a year tuition for his school.  Forced to continue his education on his own, he finds an English book on electricity at the small library in his village.  Using the book, he teaches himself how to build a windmill to generate electricity for his small home. He builds the windmill from discarded materials. He makes enough electricity to run a light bulb and charge a cell phone.  Reporters visiting his village discover his windmill, and from that exposure he now has access to a university education here in the US.

As teachers, we need to remember that in our school, in our community, in our state, in our country and across the world, students struggle everyday just to attend school. They are overcoming hunger, lack of supplies, lack of access to books, financial hardship, homelessness, inadequate buildings and social restrictions to pursue an education.  What are we doing in our classrooms to ensure that all of our students have access to the same quality education? How can we work through our own discomfort with change to make sure that we are ready to implement Ohio's New Learning Standards by 2014-2015?

My next blog will focus on Ohio's Academic Content Standards - Extended -- How we can identify appropriate access points to Ohio's New Learning Standards for all of our students.



Resources
New York Times Documentary on Malala Yousafzi - (warning -some graphic images)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - William Kamkwamba
The Breadwinner - Deborah Ellis
CIA World Factbook - School Life Expectancy Data (how long a student can expect to be in school)
Unicef - Gender Equity In Education
World Bank - Access to Secondary Education Worldwide

The End of "Pick C" Meet the Next Generation Assessments

Does the label "Next Generation Assessments" bring to mind a new Star Trek movie, where educators on board the USS PARCC  boldly go where no teacher has gone before?  It certainly seems as if there are as many acronyms tied to the Next Generation Assessments as there are in the NASA space program...EBSRs, TECRs, PCRs....it can be overwhelming to begin to think about it all.

We ARE boldly going forward.  As you begin to really look deeply at the prototype assessments in ELA and Math, you begin to see just how exciting the changes really are....and how the use of Evidence Centered Design (think Universal Design) is being used to create assessments that are authentic, engaging and really connected to what it is the kids are supposed to "know" and "do" in each grade level.  Wow, think about it, a state test that measures mastery on all the standards - not having to guess at which standards might be "tested".  A state test that offers students the chance to explain or justify an answer. A state test that may have more than one right answer.  A state test that allows students to show how well they can apply what they learned in authentic contexts. A state test that you don't have to set aside weeks to "practice and prepare for" because it is aligned so well to the standards you are teaching - and the kinds of activities you are doing in class - that by the time the kids take the test - they should already have a pretty good idea of how they will do. Even if you are NOT an ELA or Math teacher - everyone can benefit from looking at these prototypes....because they are a good way to begin discussions on how to rethink assessments to fit into the new "growth model" focus of the new Ohio Teacher Eval System. They are good examples of why we all need to be teachers of the LANGUAGE of our content area - building vocabulary by teaching it in context, building knowledge through opportunities to read  and write about challenging, authentic materials.

So let's start with speaking the language of the Next Generation Assessments

Evidence Centered Design - starting with claims (overarching statements about what students should be expected to do) assessment planners work backwards to identify

• What student products will allow teachers to say with assurance that the student has mastered the content standard...what do the products look like?

• What are the classroom activities necessary to get to this assessment?

• What evidence can we point to, highlight or underline in a student response that we will be looking for?

• Have we designed tasks to elicit specific evidence from students to support our claims?

• From all of this...begin to build task models that can be used to develop items...think of these like "patterns" that can be followed.

Think about how you could use this same process, right now, to look at the assessments - both formative and summative - that you currently are using in your classroom. Use "essential questions" or "learning targets" to form your "claims"

EBSR - Evidence Based Selected Response Questions - these are replacing the old style "multiple choice" question. EBSRs will actually be a pair of questions - the first will be a standard selected response (multiple choice) question... the second will give the student a chance to indicate words or passages from the question or text they have read that helped them to answer the question. There might be multiple answers they can select, not just one. These questions will be used as a type of scaffolding for performance task items by helping students focus on important information or build knowledge.

Think about how you could begin to use EBSR questions in your classroom as a formative assessment tool - giving you insight into student thinking or as a way to help with metacognition and close reading strategies. Think about how you can begin to teach the vocabulary of your content area - in context.

• Prototype - Vocabulary example - grade 6
• Prototype Grade 3 example

TECR - Technology Enhanced Constructed Response Questions - these are called constructed response because students need to demonstrate an understanding of the content being tested beyond just selected a correct response. Technology allows students to click on key sentences in a text passage, drag answers onto a diagram or number line, run simulations to gather data, or manipulate objects to build a model.

Think about how you can use often free, online or software resources to engage students in their learning. One of the key reasons for including TECRs was to promote the continuous integration of technology into classrooms on a regular basis. There are lots of ways to work around limited tech availability...don't let limited hardware or internet bandwidth prevent you from trying new ways to integrate tech.

• Prototype Math question - grade 6
• Prototype Math question - HS

PCR - Prose Constructed Response Questions - items formally known as "extended response" or "essay questions" They will be used in Performance Tasks - in Math and ELA. By far the biggest shift in thinking about assessments, PCRs will expect students to not just write about a prompt, but instead to analyze, synthesize, or support an argument using authentic text material - or multiple authentic texts. The most important expectation... students must be able to go "back into" the text to pull information to support their ideas. EBSRs will help students build knowledge or focus their thinking as a prelude to the Prose Constructed Response questions.

Think about how you can give your students the opportunity to read a variety of literature and informational texts. Narrative writing experiences aren't just story telling - think about how narrative can be used as informational writing - in science, social studies and math. Review writing prompts you use in your classroom. Are they text based? Here is an example of a traditional prompt - We have been learning about Benjamin Franklin - Write about a time when you acted like an inventor. Here is how to make it text based - You have read three different articles/essays/books about Benjamin Franklin. All of the authors seemed to feel like he was a true inventor. Using evidence from at least 2 of the readings, support your argument that he is or is not a true inventor.

• Prototype - 10th grade example 1
• Prototype - 7th grade example

Resources

PARCC Prototype Assessment Homepage 

Illustrative Math Project

Math Common Core Standards Toolbox

Ohio Resource Center - resources for Ohio's New Learning Standards

Math Interactive Websites/Tools

Interactive Boards Lessons

1. http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/sb/templates.htm
2. Everyday Math and the Smartboard (Interactive Board)- lesson templates
3. Scholastic.com Math and Science Smartboard Lessons
4. Interactive Activities for Smartboards - eMints Themes

Online Manipulatives

1. Houghton Mifflin Math For Kids  Grades 1-6 homepage

1. Kindergarten
2. First Grade
3. Second Grade
4. Second Grade eManipulatives

Doing Math Online

1. Using Google As A Graphing Calculator
2. Wolfram Demonstrations    math interactive manipulatives - requires a download
3. SAS Curriculum Pathways - math (requires FREE district registration)
4. Illuminations Website - NCTM Interactive Lesson Activities

Interactive Activities for ELA

• ReadWriteThink ( National Council of Teachers of English) Interactive Tools
• PBS.org Interactive ELA Resources
• Scholastic Schools - Interactive Resources (good for interactive boards)
• SAS Curriculum Pathways ( Middle School and High School) Requires a FREE district account to be created - students can access from home or school.  Best tool - the Writing Reviser that allows them to write an essay - then it analyzes the essay for them - mechanics, structure, voice and gives them hints for organization and audience.
• BBC Learning Resources - for all grades
• Thinkfinity.org Content partners include Smithsonian, NatGeo, ReadWriteThink, Wonderopolis and Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

Metacognition, Formative Instruction, Next Generations Assessments and New Learning Standards

Think about the last time you had to study for a test or read a text passage that was difficult for you to comprehend.  What strategies worked for you?  Maybe you are a highlighter...and created pages of yellow and pink highlighted passages or notes.  Or, perhaps you are a flashcard creator - going through piles of 3x5 cards as you memorize vocabulary or important dates.  As your read the passage, did you find yourself going back and re-reading?  Most successful students have a toolbox of strategies to choose from when they are faced with a new learning challenge or an impending assessment. AND...they know which strategies to use when. Metacognition is the ability to recognize how you think and come up with a plan for your learning.  As we shift to Next Generation Assessments and New Learning Standards, it is important to also plan how to shift our students thinking about their thinking!  

Metacognition and Formative Instruction
Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) allow for time in a class to assess FOR learning.  One of the key activities in any FIP centered classroom is self reflection and the chance to review instructive feedback.  This time for reflection might be centered around a think-pair-share activity, which gives students the chance to reflect on their own understanding, compare it to a partner then build on it within the broader group.  Keeping a reflection journal is also a helpful tool to build metacognition. Time needs to be set aside at the end of class or a lesson to allow for this reflection.  In order to really build metacognition, it needs to focus not just on a "What we did in class today" prompt but more on "What I learned in class today...what didn't I learn, What do I need to learn more about and What helped me to learn today" prompt.  Students in a FIP classroom should also have the chance to plan their learning. Starting with a clear learning target, students and teachers can work together to decide how to best work toward achieving the target. Entrance cards and pretests give students information on where their existing strengths and weaknesses are. Students with good metacognition are better at predicting their success on assignments because they have a realistic view of their own knowledge level.  Activities that help students to connect new learning to prior knowledge also help students to reflect on how they are learning.

Metacognition and Next Generation Assessments
It is test day and a few of your students can’t wait to take the test because they KNOW that they are going to “ace” the test. And then when the test is returned with a low grade they are stunned, blame you for writing a terrible test and toss the test paper in the trash. These are students who have low metacognition. Spending time helping student to understand the types of questions on the test, talking through strategies for preparing for those types of problems and having students reflect on how they have prepared for tests in the past will help to build metacognition. The Next Generation Assessments pose a unique new problem. In the past, students taking state tests had a significant delay between when the test was administered and when the results were returned. There was a real disconnect between their taking of the test and how the results related to their actual learning.  The new assessments will be administered online. Students will receive almost immediate results. The new assessments will have built in tools that will help students who have an awareness of what testing strategies work best for them. Highlighters, scratchpads, and drag and drop fields will be available for all students to use. This means that students need practice in how to highlight key and supporting information, write out possible solutions to problems and organize information in a way that makes sense.

Metacognition and Ohio’s New Learning Standards
There are a lot of words that have been used to describe the new learning standards - rigorous, deeper, demanding, mastery.  If we really want students to have a deeper, more complex understanding of the standards, we need to also work at teaching them how to learn differently.  Just memorizing lists of vocabulary words or math formulas in order to take the test on Friday, then forget it and move on isn’t going to work anymore. In order to really read along a continuum of text complexity, students need to recognize when they aren’t comprehending a passage and draw from a variety of reading strategies to help them to build that comprehension. This is metacognition. Where to start? Giving students permission to “write in the books” - either in pencil or on post-its - allows for a “conversation” with the author by asking questions as they read, highlighting challenging words or key concepts, reading different types of text beyond the textbook all help them to acquire knowledge.   Helping students take effective notes - from “tagging” key ideas to using column style (or Cornell style) notes helps to build understanding and gives them a tool to use to study for summative assessments.  Graphic organizers, Frayer model notecards, responding to blogs and online discussions all help students frame their thinking.  Talk with students about how YOU learned the material.  Do “Think-out-louds” when you are solving problems in front of the class.  Use short term (one activity or period) collaborative groups with clearly defined roles and tasks to give students the opportunity to compare their learning to the learning of their peers. Try to pick tasks for the group that they could not accomplish on their own.  

As we move ahead this year with conversations about changing the way we think about teaching, let’s make sure we are bringing our students along with us!  

Resources

• Metacognition and Student Learning (Dr. James Bader, CWRU. Bay Schools Presenation 8/2012)
• Metacognition and Student Learning (James Lang, Blog. The Chronicle of Higher Education 9/2012)
• Instruction of Metacognitive Strategies Enhances Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Achievement of Third-Grade Students (Reading Rockets. Regina Boulware-Gooden, Suzanne Carreker, Ann Thornhill, and R. Malatesha Joshi)
• Thinking About Thinking: Metacognition (Learner.org Course - Developed by Linda Darling-Hammond, Kim Austin, Melissa Cheung, and Daisy Martin With Contributions From Brigid Barron, Annmarie Palincsar, and Lee Shulman)
• Metacognition:Study Strategies, Monitoring and Motivation (William Pierce, 2003)
• Self Regulation in Academic Writing Tasks (Lynne Hammann. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 2005)
• What Works - Evidence Based Strategies for Youth Practioners - Study Skills (Edited by Sandra Kerka. Learning Work Connection, Ohio State University)