UD MI Portfolio: Assessment, Planning, and Instruction

Rachel L. Leibrandt

MI Electronic Portfolio
Submitted for Graduation, May 2005

When I think about instruction, planning, and assessment, I cannot separate the three practices. For me, assessment, planning, and instruction are a continuous cycle. I always have a group of third grade students with diverse reading needs, and their reading development is crucial. Therefore, I am going to analyze how I assess, plan, and instruct reading to show how these three practices flow and drive my teaching practices.

Assessment

When my students first arrive in third grade, I assess their current reading levels. I need to determine their prior learning so I can plan to meet their needs through my instruction. Avon Grove Intermediate School dictates that we must first assess Pennsylvania's Standard 1.7, Characteristics and Functions of the English Language in the areas of fluency and accuracy, decoding, and comprehension strategies.

Fluency and Accuracy: AGIS uses passages leveled using Fountas and Pinnell's text gradient (p. 228). According to Fountas and Pinnell, level B-I is grade one, level H-M is grade two, and level L-P is grade three. The ending level of one grade level overlaps with the beginning level of another grade level. I look at the student's reading level when he/she left second grade, and I begin using a passage at that level. I conduct a running record on that level. As the student reads, I mark his/her errors. I determine the number of words correct per minute the student reads. I also determine the students' reading accuracy. AGIS believes that a student should have accuracy of 95% or above to be considered independent at that reading level. By assessing the student's reading errors, I can determine the skills I need to instruct. For example, after analyzing Student A's errors, I can determine that this student only looks at initial and ending sounds and guesses the middle of a word. I need to plan to give this student instruction on how to decode the middle of words. This student needs to review short and long vowels, vowel teams, and beginning blends. After analyzing Student C's errors, I can determine that this student is not monitoring herself as she reads. She substitutes a girl's name for a boy's name and doesn't realize that the word "he" is used throughout the story. She is also substituting words within the text. This confirms that she is not monitoring herself. Like Student A, she needs to learn beginning blends and clusters.

After conducting running records, I can also analyze my students' fluency. To be considered a fluent reader, AGIS states that he/she should read 100 words correct per minute (wcpm) at his/her grade level. After analyzing my students' fluency scores, I can determine that many of my students need practice reading aloud to improve their fluency. I need to plan time to allow for this practice.

Decoding: AGIS uses the Language Arts Assessment Summary to assess decoding. This assesses a student's ability to decode short vowels, long vowels, blends, digraphs, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, and multisyllabic words. The assessment contains real words and pseudo words to determine a student's decoding proficiency. After conducting this assessment, I determine my students' strengths and weaknesses in decoding. Then I plan my instruction to meet their needs.

Comprehension: AGIS uses leveled texts to assess comprehension. After determining the student's fluency level, I use that level to begin the comprehension assessment. I give the student passage with literal and inferential questions. The student reads that passage silently and answers comprehension questions independently. This assessment determines the student's level of comprehension. For example, I gave a level two passage to Student F. A score of an 88% on a level two passage shows that this student is instructional at this level. Therefore, this student is reading below level. I will instruct this student on a second grade level.

Data: After conducting these assessments with all of my students, I record the data on an Excel spreadsheet. I removed the names to protect the students' identities. As I analyze the data, I determine students that have similar instructional needs. Since AGIS believes in creating homogenous reading groups to meet the needs of all students, I create tentative reading groups. After I conduct these assessments, I determine that I have two groups of students that are reading below third grade level. Therefore, these students need intense instruction on Standard 1.7. One group needs to focus on decoding while the other group needs to focus on comprehension strategies. I have another group that has mastered standard 1.7 and are ready to be instructed on Pennsylvania's third grade standards. Next, I meet with my third grade team. We look at the majority of the needs of the students in our rooms, and switch students if we feel their instructional needs will be met in another classroom. After we have switched students, we have the reading specialist look at our assessments and groupings. She gives us the final approval to begin planning for these reading groups. After this initial assessment process, I am ready to begin planning instruction to meet the needs of these three groups of students.

Planning and Instruction with Ongoing Assessment

Guided Reading Groups
Since I have determined the needs of the students that will be in my room for reading, I begin planning my reading units. In order to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of my diverse readers, I plan instruction for three guided reading groups.

Red Group: I have determined that I have a group of students that need instruction in comprehension strategies. I place seven students in this group. As a comprehension intervention, AGIS mandates that I use the SOAR to Success program. SOAR is created by Houghton Mifflin and is described as a "systematic, scaffolded, small-group instruction in comprehension and the use of proven strategies, including decoding, reciprocal teaching, and graphic organizers" (2005). I don't only use the SOAR program because it's mandated; I use the program because I believe in the effectiveness of reciprocal teaching. Research shows that reciprocal teaching is an effective strategy to improve the comprehension of struggling readers. In her book Reciprocal Teaching at Work, Lori D. Oczkus states numerous studies that have proved the success of this teaching method (2003). Oczkus cites, "this teaching model allows the teacher and students to scaffold and construct meaning in a social setting by using modeling, think-alouds, and discussion" (p. 2). Palinscar and Brown determined that using reciprocal teaching with students for only 20 days increased the students' comprehension 30% to 80% (pp. 211-225). In addition, Cooper et al., found that reciprocal teaching is effective when used as part of a reading intervention program (pp. 477-486). Over the past six years, my students' comprehension has improved by using reciprocal teaching. Not only have their comprehension scores improved, but reciprocal teaching has empowered them and helped them grow in confidence.

SOAR follows the same format everyday, so the students become familiar with the progression of activities. Once the students learn the elements of the daily lesson, I allow the students to become "teachers" and lead the group through the lesson. The reciprocal teaching helps the students learn to predict, summarize, question, and clarify. In the beginning of the program, I model the strategies. As we continue through the program, the students use the strategies independently. The SOAR program also contains formative assessments to help monitor the progress of the students. I assess the students on a weekly basis and analyze the data to monitor their progress. The results of the assessments guide my planning and instruction. Here is a sample unit plan I use for SOAR. In addition, I included the rubric I use to assess my students' responses to the text.

Green Group: I determined that I have a group of students that need direct instruction in phonics. I place seven students in this group. As a phonics intervention, AGIS mandates that I use the Project Read Phonology program. Project Read is created by Language Circle and is described as a "basic decoding approach based on systematic phonics using multisensory strategies and materials delivered through direct, concept teaching. The sequence of skills progresses from the simplest to the most complex. The reading-decoding curriculum is basic, explicit phonics starting with phonemic awareness, proceeding to sound/symbol correspondence, syllabication, and ultimately to context" (2002). Project Read was taught in second grade, but the students did not master the skills. I use the decoding assessment to determine what I should review and what I should instruct. I use direct instruction on a daily basis for thirty minutes. Project Read follows a progression of activities. Here is a sample unit plan that shows how I instruct the Project Read Units. This plan guides me through the daily activities of phonological awareness, sound review, word building, strengthening automatic recognition, and story reading. I use the same format with the students everyday so they become familiar with these activities. I believe that direct instruction is an appropriate method to teach these skills because it explicitly teaches the students the skills they need to decode words. In addition, the multisensory approach meets the needs of all learning styles.

Although it is not part of the program, I also use reciprocal teaching with these students. Once they learn the daily activities, I allow one student to be the "teacher." The "teacher" leads the group through the activities, and I provide the direct instruction. I believe that incorporating reciprocal teaching with the direct instruction develops confidence in the students and begins to develop their comprehension strategies. They become eager to meet, and their interest is maintained.

Every unit in the Project Read program teaches a specific skill. After every unit, an assessment of the skill is provided. I administer these assessments and collect data to monitor the progress of the students. These assessments guide my planning and instruction because the assessments dictate whether I can move on, reteach, or review.

Yellow Group: I have determined that I have a group of eleven students that are reading on-level. Therefore, I will move beyond Standard 1.7 and focus on the following standards: 1.2 Reading Critically in the Content Areas and 1.3 Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting Literature. To instruct our on-level readers, AGIS provides a variety of options. We can develop units around trade books or we can use Daybooks of Critical Reading and Writing. Daybooks are created by Great Source Education Group and "help students build essential reading and writing skills through a unique combination of quality literature and direct reading and writing instruction" (2005). In addition, the Daybooks "offer quality fiction and nonfiction selections from well-known authors in a format that encourages students to respond to the literature right on the page. This combination of high-interest literature and reader response activities encourages active, analytical reading of the text and helps students develop key reading and writing skills including: finding the main idea, interpreting details, making predictions and inferences, reading nonfiction, and summarizing text" (2005). Daybooks are meant to act as a journal because they are consumable materials. I don't want to limit my teaching to only direct instruction, so I change some of the activities so I can use a variety of methods including discovery learning, cooperative learning, and partner activities with the Daybooks. Here is a sample page in the Daybook. In order to make planning for the Daybook lesson more efficient, I have created a unit plan for implementing the Daybook. The unit plan helps me pace the lessons, helps me focus on direct instruction of strategies and skills, and helps me plan for assessment. Not only do I use observation to assess the students' progress in the Daybook, I have created a Daybook rubric that matches AGIS' report card. I use this rubric to assess the students' use of the strategy and skills that I teach. Here is an example of a student's work and the attached rubric. As stated previously, I believe in the effectiveness of reciprocal teaching, so I also use this method with my on-level students. Sometimes I move away from the Daybooks and allow my students to use reciprocal teaching in Book Clubs. As I assess the students' work, I continue to collect data. I determine if I need to reteach the entire group or particular students. Again, my assessment drives my instruction and shows me the next step in my planning and instruction.

ELL: Although we have a large population of English Language Learners in our school, I only have one ELL student in my classroom. She leaves the classroom for ELL instruction for one, forty minute period on a daily basis. However, she is in my room during one of my reading blocks. She needs direct instruction of decoding skills, so I include her in the red group.

Special Education: For reading, I do not have any students who leave for Special Education. However, I will explain later that some of my students will go through the IST process. This may lead to Special Education services. If this does occur, the students will receive their reading instruction in a Special Education classroom.

Planning and Instructing Reading Workshop
In order to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all of my students, I carefully plan my Reading Workshop time. I have to create a plan that allows time to instruct these three guided reading groups. I also need to plan meaningful activities for the students who are working independently while I meet with one group. Therefore, I create a rotating schedule for each reading group. Each group rotates through activities for thirty minute intervals. I keep a chart on the chalkboard with icons to show the students what they need to do during each interval. In the beginning of the year, I spend a great deal of time modeling how to follow the chart so the students learn successful independent work habits. Here is the Reading Workshop Schedule. This plan allows me to differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of the three reading groups.

The three activities that the students complete are are teacher instruction, buddy and independent reading, and Workboard. When the students meet with me, I implement my instructional plan using the plans mentioned above. I've set up buddy reading to improve my students' fluency. After assessing my students' fluency, I determined that overall their scores were low. Therefore, I created a plan to increase their fluency. For each reading group, I select a group of books one or two reading levels below their independent reading levels. I plan to use lower level books so the students are able to read the books successfully. I assign each student a buddy. During the reading block on the schedule, the students read the book aloud twice. They practice everyday with their buddy, and then each group is assigned a day to record their book on tape. Then the students take the book and the tape home to share with their parents. After the students buddy read, then the students read independently. The third activity the students complete is workboard. I teach the students how to complete workboard activities starting on the first day of school so they become proficient. Workboard is a collection of activities that reinforce concepts that I teach throughout the week. Reading Workshop is the only time I have to allow the students to complete independent practice for handwriting, math, social studies, and science, so I plan the Workboard block so this time is used to reinforce skills. The Workboard Chart is posted above the Reading Workshop Schedule on the chalkboard. Here is the Workboard Chart. The Reading Workshop Schedule and Workboard Chart may seem complex, but with modeling and practice, the students know exactly what they are expected to do. The Reading Workshop Schedule and Workboard Chart are planned and instructed for four days during a school week.

Whole Class Instruction
Aside from reading groups, I also plan for whole class lessons. Since student performance on the state test (PSSA) has become so important, on Fridays I plan for PSSA practice. I believe Friday practice days are important because the students need to become familiar and comfortable with the format of the test and test questions. Therefore, I teach the students how to complete multiple choice tests. In addition, I teach the students how to complete the open-ended response questions they will have to complete on the PSSA. I also feel this is important because I want my lower-level students to practice using their reading strategies while reading on-level texts. Because so many of the students enter third grade below level, I know these tests will be frustrating. Friday test practice days are important because I can teach the students to deal with the frustration they may feel when they take the test.

In addition to state standards, AGIS mandates that we teach reading genres. When I introduce a genre, I plan whole class lessons. I also plan whole class lessons because I like all of my students to interact. I plan time for them to learn from each other through cooperative learning activities. For example, I begin my nonfiction unit with whole class lessons. Here is my nonfiction unit plan. I create the unit around the state standards and plan to accommodate all learners. Last year, I conducted research in my classroom because my students became unmotivated when they read nonfiction texts. When I planned this nonfiction unit, I took into account the conclusions of my research. One of the conclusions taught me that I failed to activate my students' background knowledge before reading nonfiction texts. Now, I always begin and finish a nonfiction book with a KWL. In addition, I found that my students were intimidated by difficult vocabulary because I failed to properly prepare them for the challenging words they would face. Now I use vocabulary charts to activate their prior knowledge. I also take the time to teach new vocabulary through direct instruction and discovery learning. I plan the introductory activities so the students have the opportunity to work with different students. I heterogeneously group the students into cooperative learning groups. Because the texts I use with the whole class are on-level, I allow volunteers to read the text aloud. I also allow them to explore the genre online. Through direct instruction, I teach the students that the internet is a source of nonfiction text. I teach them how to use the internet to search for information. In addition, I teach them how analyze and evaluate the sources they find. Then they explore the internet in cooperative groups. This engages them in their learning. After I teach them to explore the nonfiction genre online, they continue to work on the computers during Workboard.

Throughout the nonfiction unit, I use formative assessments to assess the students' learning. After I assess the students, I analyze their performance. I use the assessments to determine what I need to reteach or review when I move back into small groups. When I create the assessments, I align the questions so they assess the standards I taught in the unit. Student A is a member of the yellow group. This assessment shows that he mastered the standards. Student B is a member of the green group. This assessment shows that she struggled. I know I have to reteach the elements of the genre, citing evidence, and vocabulary. I look at the assessments of each group and determine what I need to reteach or review. With the red group, I plan to use nonfiction passages that align with the phonics skill I am teaching in Project Read. With the green group, I select a nonfiction book from the SOAR program. With the yellow group, I teach the nonfiction unit in the Daybook. Depending on the results of the assessments, I reteach or review the standards of the unit using these leveled texts in the reading groups.

Parent Communication: When I meet with parents at conferences, I show them the results of the assessments. In the fall, I show them the results of the fluency and accuracy, decoding, and comprehension assessments. This gives them a baseline. I also communicate my goals for their child and explain how my instruction will meet their child's needs. In the spring, I show them the results of the same assessments, so they can see their child's growth. This helps make them aware of their child's strengths, weaknesses, and needs. I also send home assessments throughout the entire school year. As you can see in Student A's assessment, I require a signature from the parents and ask that they return the assessment to school. In this way, they see their child's progress, and I give them the opportunity to ask questions. Three times a year we communicate with parents through standards-based report cards. This is the first year we are using the standards-based report card, so the teachers have been using conferences as a time to explain how these new report cards communicate student growth.

Cycling Back to Assessment
I continually assess all of my students in their guided reading groups and whole class lessons. However, to measure their growth throughout the year, I reassess my students every trimester using the district's summative assessments. As I reassess the students' fluency and accuracy, decoding, and comprehension, and I record the data. Then I compare the midyear scores to the beginning of the year to determine if I need to move students into different reading groups. Here is the data I collected this February. On average, when I assessed students on the same reading level, my students improved their reading fluency by 31 wcpm. All of the students have made growth in reading comprehension. However, I do not look at the average of the class. Instead, I look at each student to determine if he/she has made adequate growth thus far. If I do not see the growth I intended, I meet with the Instructional Support Teacher (IST). Together we analyze the data and create an IST plan. This plan states specific goals for a student. Then the IST teacher collects data for a month. If the student is still unable to make progress, the student in referred for testing conducted by the school psychologist. This will determine if a learning disability is inhibiting the student's learning. Currently, my assessments have led me to create four IST plans for my students. In addition, my assessments have shown me that two of my students in the green group are now reading on-level, and they are ready to move to a new reading group. I can also determine if I need to enrich any students who constantly meet the standards.

As I previously stated, I begin with assessment. My assessment drives my planning and instruction. Then I reassess to see the next step in my planning and instruction. The cycle continues as I constantly strive to meet the needs of every student in my classroom.

References

Boynton, A., & Blevins, W. (2004). Teaching students to read nonfiction: Grades 2-4. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Cooper, J.D., Boschken, I., McWilliams, J. & Pistochini, L. (2000). A study of the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to

accelerate reading for struggling readers in the upper grades. In T. Shanahan & F.V. Rodriguez-Brown (Eds.), 49th yearbook of the

National Reading Conference (pp.447-486). Chicago: National Reading Conference.

Enfield, M.L., & Greene, V. (2002). Project read: The language circle series. Bloomington, MN: Language Circle Enterprises.

Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G. S. (2001). Guiding readers and writers (grades 3-6): Teaching comprehension, genre, and content literacy.
Portsmouth, NH: Heineman.

Great Source Education Group. (2005). Daybooks of critical reading and writing. Wilmington, MA.

Houghton Mifflin. (2005). SOAR to Success: 3-8. Boston, MA.

Oczkus, L. D. (2003). Reciprocal teaching at work: Strategies for improving reading comprehension. Newark, DE: International

Reading Association.

Palincsar, A.S., & Brown, A.L. (1986). Interactive teaching to promote independent learning from text. The Reading Teacher, 39,
771-777.

Clipart from Discovery School.

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