Positive Profiling: Using Literacy Profiles K4 to Gauge and Guide Student Progress New England Readi

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Positive Profiling Using Literacy Profiles K-4
to Gauge and Guide Student Progress New England
Reading Association Warwick, RI, Sept. 24,
2009Presenters Sue Biggam, VT Kathy Itterly
and Sandy Berkowitz, MA

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What can you expect from this session?

• Familiarity with a literacy profile
• Opportunity to practice using assessment
  information/data to mark and annotate a profile
• Opportunity to use the assessment information and
  the profile to consider next steps for
  instruction/intervention
• Opportunity to talk with others about possible
  uses of a literacy profile

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Our Literacy Profile

• Goal of this literacy profile to provide a
  multidimensional, standards-based lens for
  looking at and documenting a students literacy
  development over time
• Background This profile has its roots in a
  number of other documents and sources, including
  the work of Hill and Ruptic, resources from First
  Steps, and a team of educators in Vermont in the
  mid 1990s

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Theoretical Underpinnings

• Vygotskys zone of proximal development
• Gradual release of responsibility (Pearson and
  Gallagher, 1983)
• Cambournes conditions of learning
• Links among standards, instruction and assessment

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Importance of using multiple pieces of assessment
information

• Just like pizza, one slice is never enough!
• Importance of balance among assessments
• institutional
• school/team
• classroom-based ( Stiggins, 2008 CCSSO
  presentation, Orlando, FL)
• Power of classroom-based, formative assessments.
  (Formative assessments might include every pupil
  response activities, work samples, classroom
  discussions and other informal, valuable
  observations evaluated though a lens of learning
  progressions/expectations)

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The Structure (anatomy) of the Profile

• Ten strands or dimensions of literacy
• Core questions for each dimension, and a list of
  sample assessment tools
• Seven columns that include indicators of
  development from pre-kindergarten through the end
  of grade 4

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Looking it over...

• Now, look at your copy of the Profile
• Then, turn and talk with someone near you
• What do you notice?
• What questions do you have?

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Sampling the Profile

• How we used assessment tools to mark the Profile
  in the case of Willa, a first grader
• Tools we used
• Record of oral reading
• Formative Assessment of Phonological Awareness
  (FAPA)

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Sampling the Profile, cont.

• Now, with a partner, look at the writing packet
  that we have given you. It includes
• An unprompted writing sample
• A writing interview
• Primary Spelling Inventory, along with the
  Feature Guide (already scored)
• Talk together
• Which dimensions will you consider?
• What else do you want to know? What other
  information might be needed to describe Willas
  development as a writer?

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After the break - we will work in small groups
Trying it out

• Looking closely at two different children
• Early Grade 1 Lucas
• Late Grade 3 Vlad
• In teams of three, you will use the assessment
  materials to mark and annotate some strands of
  the Profile. Later, you will come together with
  others who have looked at assessment information
  from the same child.

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What to do

• Each group of three will mark some strands of one
  copy of the Profile.
• Discuss What patterns do you see in the packet
  you have? Use that information and the
  indicators/descriptors on the Profile to help you
  mark/annotate designated strands of the Profile.
• Be sure to note what you do not know as well as
  what you do know. What other assessment
  information might have been useful to help you
  mark the strands youre focusing on?

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Forming data teams Coming together to see a
bigger picture

• Find other groups that have the same letter
  ( e.g., A, B, C, etc.) as yours.
• Share your information with others in your larger
  group. ( You are now a data team.)
• What patterns do you see? Highlight the Profile.
• What were you not able to observe/notice?

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Large group Debriefing the Process

• What did you notice about marking the Profile?
• What was easy about marking the Profile? What was
  challenging? What helped during your discussion
  with others?

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Now for the most important part Using the
results of assessment to inform instruction

• Using the results of assessment to inform and
  adjust instruction (or intervention) is, after
  all, the ultimate goal. Using the results of
  assessment to guide our practice is what makes
  us, as educators, true professionals.
• Finding ways to accomplish and manage this,
  however, is often a challenge.

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A few examples of next step plans/strategies/ap
proaches (for Willa)
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Using the results of assessment to inform
instruction Differentiation in Action

• In your folder see Differentiation in Action
  chart.
• Useful as a tool for planning on a periodic
  basis, perhaps each quarter or trimester.

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Using the Differentiation in Action charts

• In your team, select one or two areas of need
  that you noted, and propose some next steps
  (strategies, instructional moves, interventions)
  that might be helpful for the student youve been
  thinking about.
• List needs (skills, strategies, etc.) at the top,
  the students name in the middle, and possible
  next steps in the ovals at the bottom.
• Talk together about your ideas.

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Using the results of assessment to inform
instruction Additional resources

• Variation on Differentiation in action chart --
  includes looking at whole group assessment
  information (in handouts)
• Do- Able data teams outline (in handouts)
• Sample of resource from Maren Koepfs recent
  book Synchronizing Success

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Who might use the Profile?

• Classroom teachers
• Reading specialists
• Literacy coaches
• Interventionists
• Special educators
• Reading/literacy coordinators
• Higher education faculty
• Undergraduate teacher education candidates
• Graduate students
• Others?

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Getting Started.
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Getting Started, cont.
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Selected references and resources

• Biggam, S. Itterly, K. (2009). Literacy
  profiles. Boston, MA Allyn and Bacon/Pearson.
• Koepf, M. (2008). Synchronizing success.
  Portland, ME Stenhouse.
• Hill, B.C. Ruptic, C. (1994). Practical aspects
  of authentic assessment Putting the pieces
  together. Norwood, MA Christopher Gordon
  Publishers.
• Paratore, J. McCormack, R. (Eds.) (2007).
  Classroom literacy assessment. New York Guilford
  Press.
• McKenna, M.C. Stahl, S.A. (2003). Assessment
  for reading instruction. New York Guilford
  Press.
• Harp, B. Brewer, J.A. (2005). The informed
  reading teacher. Upper Saddle River NJ Pearson.
• Schumm, J. (2006). Reading instruction and
  assessment for all learners. New York Guilford
  Press.

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Closing

• Questions?
• Exit sheets
• Thank you!
• Our Emails biggams_at_aol.com, kitterly_at_wsc.ma.edu,
  sjbz_at_yahoo.com