Wisconsin’s New Kindergarten Screening Tool

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Wisconsins New Kindergarten Screening Tool

• A training for the administration and scoring of
  the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening
  PALS-K

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PALS Background

• Wisconsin Act 166 requires that an early literacy
  screener be administered to all kindergarten
  students beginning in 2012-13
• DPI was charged with selecting a screener that
  met these criteria
• Is valid and reliable
• Assesses phonemic awareness and letter sound
  knowledge
• PALS was selected because it provides educators
  with information to guide instruction

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Kindergarten Screening Windows

• Fall
• October 15 -- November 9 (data due Nov. 21)
• Winter/Mid-Year (optional)
• January 7 -- February 1 (data due Feb. 15)
• Spring
• April 29 -- May 24 (data due June 7)

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PALS Connections to Wisconsin Initiatives

• Common Core Standards in English Language Arts
  and Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards
• Response to Intervention

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PALS Alignment with the Standards

• PALS subtests are representative of the
  understandings, knowledge, and skills identified
  in the
• Reading Foundational Skills Common Core State
  Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS)
• Early Literacy Standards - Wisconsin Model Early
  Learning Standards (WMELS)

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Reading Standards Foundational Skills for
Kindergarten

• Print Concepts
• Phonological Awareness
• Phonics and Word Recognition
• Fluency

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Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Early
Literacy

• Developmental Domain
• Language Development and Communication
• Performance Standards
• Develops alphabetic awareness (C.EL.2)
• Develops phonological awareness (C.EL.3a)
• Develops phonemic awareness (C.EL.3b)
• Demonstrates the use of strategies to read words
  (C.EL.4)

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PALS Connections to Response to Intervention (RtI)

• PALS meets the definition of a universal
  screening tool within an RtI framework
• A screener is an assessment given as one part of
  the screening process to establish a baseline of
  students strengths and needs, and thus, to align
  instruction according to these strengths and
  needs in each literacy skill area.
• Universal screening data can be examined to
  determine whether changes in core curriculum and
  instruction are needed.
• Data from the universal screening process are
  used to make decisions about interventions and
  about targeting specific literacy skills with
  which students are struggling.

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PALS and Response to Intervention

• Collaboration
• High Quality Instruction
• Balanced Assessment
• Culturally Responsive Practices

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PALS Implications for School Literacy Teams and
Data Teams

• Hold Data Meetings
• Following each screening window (Fall, Spring,
  and optionally, Mid-Year).
• Review PALS data (reports) as a team, including
  classroom teachers, reading specialists/teachers,
  principals, special education teachers, ELL
  teachers, school psychologists, speech and
  language teachers.
• Develop a plan for monitoring the progress of
  students showing areas of deficit and/or
  strength.
• Share PALS assessment information regularly with
  your team

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Think-Pair-Share

• Discuss with a partner how you see PALS fitting
  into your current instruction and assessment plan
  at the kindergarten level.

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PALS-K Teacher Set
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Exploring the PALS-K Teacher Set

• Contents include
• Administration Scoring Guide
• Student Packet (w/ little books cards in back
  pocket)
• Student Booklet (for two Group tasks)
• Fall Student Spelling Sheets
• Fall Student Summary Sheets
• Fall Class Summary Sheet
• Spring Student Spelling Sheets
• Spring Student Summary Sheets
• Spring Class Summary Sheet

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PALS-K Administration Scoring Guide

• Jigsaw Activity

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Examples of School-Level Reports
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Plan Differentiated Instruction
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Parent Communication

• One-page parent brochure available on the PALS
  Wisconsin Resource Center for districts to copy
  and distribute in the fall

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Other Parent Communication Tips

• Plan to share results from the fall
  administration at parent-teacher conferences,
  focusing on how the individual child performed on
  each task and how this is being addressed during
  classroom instruction
• The Online Score Entry Reporting System online
  course will assist teachers with interpreting
  student results. Further information about this
  will be posted on the PALS Wisconsin Resource
  Center.

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More PALS ResourcesPALS Quick Checks

• Used to monitor student progress and track
  student growth in specific literacy skill
  acquisition areas that have been identified by
  teachers based on a students scores on the PALS
  assessment.
• Quick Checks may be administered between the
  established screening windows to gauge student
  response to instruction and/or intervention.
• Quick Checks are provided in the areas of
• Alphabet Recognition
• Letter Sounds
• Beginning Sound Production
• Concept of Word
• K Spelling

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PALS Quick Checks

• Recommended to be administered every two to
  three weeks (allow time for your targeted
  instruction/intervention to work!)
• Available as PDF files through the PALS Online
  Score Entry and Reporting System

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Additional PALS Professional Development and
Support

• Using PALS Data to Drive Instruction Webinar
• Concept of Word Webinar
• Electronic Lesson Plans Activities Database
• Early Literacy Courses for teachers (Optional)

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PALS SummaryThings to Remember

• Complete the PALS-K Administration and Scoring
  online course by October 1st. It includes 5
  modules and a quiz. Go to pd.casenex.com
• Share the Parent brochure prior to fall
  administration
• Download the PALS Around the Year document for
  key dates. (This can be found on the PALS
  Wisconsin Resource Center.)

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PALS Resources and Support

• PALS Wisconsin Resource Center
• http//www.palswisconsin.info/
• PALS Toll-Free Hotline for District Assessment
  Coordinators [phone]
• PALS E-Mail Hotline for all teachers and District
  Assessment Coordinators support_at_palshelp.com