# data[].attributes.body
So what are we going to do? What instructional decisions or adjustments will we make?

# data[].attributes.body
What does this mean for our work?

# data[].attributes.body
What do you see?

# data[].attributes.body
Next steps - With addressing the vocabulary that students struggled with we can implement various strategies and protocols to help assist students making connections with vocabulary. We can use engaging texts, word detective strategies, annotations, scaffolding, and continuously implementing academic vocabulary as regularly as possible.

# data[].attributes.body
What does the data suggest?

# data[].attributes.body
Based on what we have seen, teachers can continue exposing students to different types of language, structure and craft.  In addition, I believe it would be helpful for there to be vocabulary across the two content areas so that students can see how these terms apply not only to one subject area, but across multiple content areas. In addition, annotation protocols across ELA and SS could help facilitate teaching these skills.

# data[].attributes.body
The implication is that we should focus on strategies aligned with Hallmark 4 of the Advanced Literacies Framework. For example, we should utilize strategies to help students focus on vocabulary acquisition, high utility vocabulary words, as well as understanding words in context. In order to best prepare students for the rigors of honors and AP coursework, we should also focus on strategies to help them unpack complex text and engage in in-depth discussions to build breadth and depth of knowledge.

# data[].attributes.body
Cross-curriculum initiative to focus on shared skills literacy skills with a culmination project or activity. Would be possible with 9th or 12th grades.

# data[].attributes.body
Continuous use of vocabulary words, immersing them throughout curriculum, as they connect to multiple units

# data[].attributes.body
In terms of equity for students we discussed that student choice is generally best in ensuring equity- this puts the choice in their own hands while giving them access to the resources they need. For example having several different types of graphic organizers available for students to choose from.

# data[].attributes.body
Based on the data, we can continue to expose content that encourages them to notice different styles that authors use to communicate their ideas. I also think it would be a good idea to discuss these terms (language, craft and structure) across the two subject areas so that across the board, teachers can help students see the connections.

# data[].attributes.body
Using standard based aims
Annotation protocols
Smaller benchmarks
Interdisciplinary teacher classroom visits
Interdisciplinary teacher team/ planning/ coaching

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Vocabulary: We should focus on ways to help students improve vocabulary acquisition.

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Vocabulary: We should focus on ways to help students improve vocabulary acquisition.

# data[].attributes.body
The use of school-wide protocols that foster the espousal of higher tier (tiers 2-3, both subject-specific and cross-content) vocabulary may be one implication that arises from the data. Students not familiar with this vocabulary will be introduced to new terms, and repeated exposure may help solidify incorporating such vocabulary into their writing.

# data[].attributes.body
So what are we going to do? What instructional decisions or adjustments will we make?

# data[].attributes.headline
In both global and English teaching with various reading and documents with a focus on vocabulary.  We should use certain strategy such as RACE/RACES when teaching writing in both English and Social studies classes. 

# data[].attributes.subject
In both global and English teaching with various reading and documents with a focus on vocabulary.  We should use certain strategy such as RACE/RACES when teaching writing in both English and Social studies classes. 

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, and Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, and Connections

# data[].attributes.body
We noticed that the time spent taking the MAP Growth Test ranged from a few minutes to over two hours. Perhaps smaller/shorter benchmark exams could be administered focusing on one skill at a time. Because  Key Detail Next Generation Standards use the same language within English, Social Studies, and Science - that one test could provide all teachers the same information needed to move forward.

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests that while a high average of students are where they should be in terms of language, craft and structure, there is still room for improvement. I wonder if during the pandemic the students who scored below average were not exposed to literature and other documents that varied in content.

# data[].attributes.body
Next Steps: Grade Wide (ALL levels) Literacy Skills initiative. Implementing specific protocols that support Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections in ELA, SS, & Science.

# data[].attributes.body
The implications of this data for our work is that we need to focus on accommodating and re-engaging students with high utility vocabulary through multiple different avenues - such as engaging texts, strategies, and scaffolding of content. We should be targeting the vocabulary that students seemed to struggle with and re-introduce it with new strategies.

# data[].attributes.body
Students need to practice interpreting a variety of texts and understanding point of view, bias, and intent.  To accomplish this, instruction needs to be focused on building these skills by carefully selecting activities and resources to help to model the skills.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Cross-Curriculum! Cross-curricular teaching, or instruction that intentionally applies multiple academic disciplines simultaneously, is an effective way to teach students transferable problem solving skills, give real-world meaning to school assignments, and increase engagement and rigor. Cross Curriculum teaching would allow students to get historical background for a book they are about to read in their english class and further their understanding. Academic language would be used in multiple content areas that would then reinforce the meaning and further advance students writing and understanding.

# data[].attributes.body
Discuss a variety of points of view in texts to help interpret audience and intent. Collaborative notes in a Google Doc can provide students with real time interpretations from peers and might differ from their own ideas.

# data[].attributes.headline
In order to help students develop writing and vocabulary skills, incorporate higher level reading and annotating with a focus on vocabulary. In global 9 the focus is on the language and interpretation of the documents. 

# data[].attributes.subject
In order to help students develop writing and vocabulary skills, incorporate higher level reading and annotating with a focus on vocabulary. In global 9 the focus is on the language and interpretation of the documents. 

# data[].attributes.body
We discussed how changes need to be made on a grade wide level for 9th grade. So in ALL 9th grade classes. Teachers should try to make aims that have specific skill words in them and then break down their aim to make sure students understand what they will be learning that day whether it be a specific skill or content through using a specific skill (for social studies).

# data[].attributes.body
Perhaps there are ways that we can create text sets of the books that we have in English according to time period, overall theme, major conflicts, location in the world, etc. From there, create background information for those text sets with the help of social studies teachers

# data[].attributes.headline
provide resources that help to build vocabulary such as newspapers etc and exercises that go aling with that.

# data[].attributes.subject
provide resources that help to build vocabulary such as newspapers etc and exercises that go aling with that.

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests that students enter 9th grade honors with a strong grasp of vocabulary and conceptual understanding in reading. The data also suggests that there is still a small number of students that are scoring "Low Avg" (under 10% of the e9th grade honors).

# data[].attributes.body
Provide students with sentence starters to encourage strong and complete writing structure. Also provide examples of a variety of writing styles to encourage growth and understanding.

# data[].attributes.body
Instruction needs to be adapted to help students with vocabulary and modeling craft and structure through text used in learning. This would model and reinforce craft and structure.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.body
After going through complex sentences students will need to move from explaining what they have learned to moving towards then making inferences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When I'm describing a student's reading ability to his/her parents, the meaning is clear if I'm talking about key ideas and details or integration of knowledge. Craft and structure can pose a challenge as there is no shorthand description of craft or structure. I feel like a ship captain and my vessel won't steer straight! "What is craft?" "What is structure?" Let's start by looking at the common core standard, breaking it down into smaller bite size pieces, and see if we can build a better boat.

The Common Core Standard is our anchor

Here is a summary of the Craft and Structure Common Core Standard : Interpreting Craft and Structure is the ability to interpret words and phrases, analyze structure of texts as a whole, and assess how point of view shapes the content of the text. I don't know about you, but that doesn't really help me explain to parents what Read Theory's score in Craft and Structure really means to their son's or daughter's reading progression. So, while the anchor is important - it's not super useful when we want to actually set sail!

Boats Chart a Course Toward Understanding

In keeping with my boat analogy, let's look at it this way: Key Ideas and details are the oars that keep the boat moving. Integration of knowledge is the navigator's familiarity with winds, landmarks, and other sights to find his/her way. The craft and structure are the tools used to determine how to navigate the boat to its final destination. Craft and structure is the map, the compass, and the GPS to chart the boat (or in reading, the plot) to its final destination. (If you noticed that this paragraph is full of metaphors, you can see what craft and structure adds to the comprehension of reading selections!)

Determining Craft and Structure Skills

This screenshot of one of my student's ReadTheory performance scores on Common Core questions shows that she definitely needs to develop her Craft and Structure skills. She is at 85% accuracy in Key Ideas and Details, 64% accuracy in Integration of Knowledge, and 50% accuracy in Craft and Structure skills. Read Theory makes it easy to take a deeper dive into each student's performance. I went through her scores on individual passages and clicked on the passages with her lowest scores. From there you can see the questions and the student's answers. I found that most of the questions she is missing require her to define unknown words using the context. Now I know what to work on!

This is what it looks like when you click on a passage. In the bottom left corner, you see that she missed 3 out of 5 questions. The 4th question is shown here. I can see the question, the student's answer, and the common core standard the question is measuring. I love this feature! I use it to write IEP goals and objectives for my students and for progress monitoring!

Craft and Structure is complex

A quick google search of Craft and Structure examples will lead to an overwhelming number of terms to focus on. This handy resource provides 21 different concepts to use while analyzing craft and structure. 21! And that's not including poetic devices! If that seems overwhelming, you're not alone. I find it helpful to focus on these 4 crucial skills: figurative language, connotative meaning, analyzing structure, and point of view.

Skill 1: Figurative language

Figurative Language is also referred to as Poetic devices.We're talking about similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, repetition, alliteration, and more. These all have to be explicitly taught to my students. One strategy that I've used to get my students more engaged is to use songs that they know (and some they don't) that use figurative language. Here's 20 with videos! And that specify the lyrics and the type of figurative language used. After you do this with your students, they start bringing you songs that they listen to with figurative language! How cool is that!

Skill 2: Connotative meaning

This is very difficult for my students to understand the different shades of meaning of certain words and that they are not all "neutral." For example, "thin" is neutral; "slender" has a more positive connotation; and "skinny" is negative. To frame the concept of the connotative meaning of words, we classify them as neutral, positive and negative. This can be done many ways. You can offer a neutral word and challenge the students to come up with words that mean the same but are either negative or positive and record them on a table. If you want to start at a lower level, this activity could be modified by providing a word list or a , and as a group classify the words by placing them in each category. Here's a list of words which also has a bonus(!) link to more lists and activities. To take this activity even further, have the students write their own sentences.This could be done individually or give one group a list of positive words and the other group the corresponding negative words. Then compare the two sentences. This is a great way to improve vocabulary skills too!

Skill 3: Analyzing Structure

This is where all those higher level thinking skills live: compare-contrast, sequencing, and cause and effect to name a few. In my article "The Four Comprehension Skills Every Student Needs, " you can find strategies for sequencing (Skill 2) and cause and effect (Skill 3).

Let's look at compare and contrast here. The best way to organize a reading passage and a reader's thoughts is with a graphic organizer. Read Theory has a Venn Diagram that you can access . The ability to compare and contrast helps a student focus on the key details in addition to the "big picture." Seeing the details will improve comprehension which will lead to the ultimate goal of reading retention.

When teaching, introducing, or modeling the skills needed to compare and contrast, don't limit yourself to only the written word. Paintings or other works of art, seashells, food (i.e. a tangerine and an orange), print advertisements for the same product at different stores, charts and graphs displaying the same information (pie charts vs bar graphs) and on and on.

For more information on implementing a text structure strategy, check out this on Reading Rockets. The text structure strategy brings all the craft and structure strategies together into one lesson by selecting important ideas, writing a main idea, generating inferences, and monitoring comprehension.

Skill 4: Point of View

Says who? How a story is told can add different shades of nuances to a story. When a story is told in 3rd person with a narrator, it may be told because it reveals details that may be unknown to the protagonist. In 1st person the reader only sees the story unfold from the main character's perspective. The shorthand way to identify point of view is to look at the pronouns. 1st person: 2nd person: . 3rd person: . Here are some activities to help students learn how to identify point of view. I really like the scavenger hunt activity that's done by challenging students in the library to find examples in books of each type of point of view. Students have to cite the title and author of the book.

But, of course, point of view is not that simple. I only go down the river to this point with my students. But, if you want to go further downstream, you can analyze 3rd person point of view even more. There are 3 levels of 3rd person point of view to consider: 3rd Person Objective, 3rd Person Limited, and 3rd Person Omniscient. Like I said, I don't go to these levels when I teach point of view to my students but if you would like to take a deeper dive, this describes the 5 different points of view and provides a few activities to try.

More to chew on

That's it! We finished our 3 hour tour of Craft and Structure without the weather getting rough! We took a few bite size pieces. For more information for a longer journey, you're gonna need a bigger boat! (You knew that was coming!) Here are some resources for your voyage:

1. A lesson plan using nonfiction texts: Exploring Craft and Structure in Informational Texts

2. A History Lesson using Craft and Structure

3. Craft and Structure Lessons using PBS Learning Media

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Navigating Craft and Structure: 4 Crucial Skills for Teachers and Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When I'm describing a student's reading ability to his/her parents, the meaning is clear if I'm talking about key ideas and details or integration of knowledge. Craft and structure can pose a challenge as there is no shorthand description of craft or structure. I feel like a ship captain and my vessel won't steer straight!

# data[].attributes.headline
The data suggest that majority of students are on grade level.

# data[].attributes.subject
The data suggest that majority of students are on grade level.

# data[].attributes.headline
The data suggests that students in the honors classes are entering school with the necessary skills despite the pandemic.

# data[].attributes.subject
The data suggests that students in the honors classes are entering school with the necessary skills despite the pandemic.

# data[].attributes.body
I see that most students are above average when it comes to language, craft and structure.

# data[].attributes.body
I would love to revisit the "Words of the week" lists that we had a few years ago. I enjoyed showing the students new words each week, and encouraging them to use it in meaningful ways during the lessons. This can help them expand their use of new vocabulary words, which will then facilitate a better understanding of the language presented in a text.

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests that most of the 9th grade honors classes have a good understanding of vocabulary and acquisition because there was only a handful of low averages.

# data[].attributes.body
The majority of students scored have been affected just slightly negatively, due to the challenges students faced during the last year.

# data[].attributes.headline
I am noticing that students are scoring either high or low on this assessment.

# data[].attributes.subject
I am noticing that students are scoring either high or low on this assessment.

# data[].attributes.headline
English 9 Honors- Vocabulary: Acquisition and Use

# data[].attributes.subject
English 9 Honors- Vocabulary: Acquisition and Use

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests that most students in English 9H came into high school with high-high average scores and well prepared to engage in their learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
the data suggest that students did well.  

# data[].attributes.subject
the data suggest that students did well.  

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests that amongst 9th grade honors students, majority of students seem to have a grasp on vocabulary mastery

# data[].attributes.body
We noticed that many 9th grade students scored High and High Average

# data[].attributes.headline
Strategy: Focused Annotation. For example if the focus is close reading to analyze how author build their argument, Students would be using C to denote Claim, E to denote evidence and Ex to denote "explanation", and sometimes I for stating impact.

# data[].attributes.subject
Strategy: Focused Annotation. For example if the focus is close reading to analyze how author build their argument, Students would be using C to denote Claim, E to denote evidence and Ex to denote "explanation", and sometimes I for stating impact.

# data[].attributes.headline
The data suggests that instruction should be adapted to give students support in the areas where they  demonstrate below average scores.

# data[].attributes.subject
The data suggests that instruction should be adapted to give students support in the areas where they  demonstrate below average scores.

# data[].attributes.headline
Students Struggling to Understand Purpose/Key Ideas

# data[].attributes.subject
Students Struggling to Understand Purpose/Key Ideas

# data[].attributes.body
Students need help in understanding key ideas and making connections.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Next steps: I'd like to find time to collaborate with ENL teachers to discuss how I could better support struggling ENL students in my classes. I'm also going to be more intentional about using Google Classroom to differentiate for individual students' needs. Specifically, when I give students copies of Google Docs, I will add scaffolds and supports to individual students' Docs.

# data[].attributes.body
We noticed that many of the 9th Grade Honors students scored High-High Average.

For 9th grade (overall), we also noticed that the Lo Avg for 9th grade is 108 (13%), the Avg for 9th grade is 145 (18%), the High Avg 290 (35%), and the High is 181 (22%).

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests 27% of students might have a difficult time understanding what they are reading due to a lack of understanding complex sentences.

# data[].attributes.headline
I see that the data across grade levels and cohorts of students varies.

# data[].attributes.subject
I see that the data across grade levels and cohorts of students varies.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections

# data[].attributes.body
54% scored high  or high average

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Honors Vocabulary: The data suggests that most students in this grouping have at least average or higher vocabulary use and aquisition.

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Honors Vocabulary: The data suggests that most students in this grouping have at least average or higher vocabulary use and aquisition.

# data[].attributes.body
I am also noticing that in the category of Understanding Key Ideas, Details, and Connections - the students who scored in the lower ranges ("Lo" "LoAvg") are at a higher amount than student scores in the categories of Vocabulary & Craft/Structure.

# data[].attributes.headline
ICT Understanding Key Ideas, Details & Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
ICT Understanding Key Ideas, Details & Connections

# data[].attributes.body
How can we differentiate our instruction for the students in the Low & Low Average ranges seamlessly while also making the readings challenging enough for the students who are more advanced?

# data[].attributes.body
Next steps seems to be the only option. I have observed that we had to slow down reteach some basic concepts- especially true with sentence structure.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Implications: One implication is that we should explicitly teach high-utility academic vocabulary to students (one of the DOE's "4 Hallmarks of Advanced Literacy") in order to improve the data in the Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure domain.

# data[].attributes.headline
Background Information Before Beginning Text

# data[].attributes.subject
Background Information Before Beginning Text

# data[].attributes.body
Lessons for students that include more background information on the context of the text given can help students understand author's purpose and thus students will be able to forge connections between their text and the world today, and the past.

Students can also use literary criticism lenses to examine texts. Who is being represented here/who is not, in what way, and why?

All of this is to say, seeking opportunities for students to understand the world in which their text was written can help them better understand the text enough to make connections

# data[].attributes.headline
How can we adapt the material to best support the students needs?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can we adapt the material to best support the students needs?

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade ICT Key Ideas, Details and Connections 

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade ICT Key Ideas, Details and Connections 

# data[].attributes.body
The data suggests that most students seemed on average to do well with this skill (falling into Avg & High Avg) but there is still a significant portion of students that struggle.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, and Structure

# data[].attributes.body
In order to help students with understanding language, craft, and structure, we can incorporate lessons with sentence structures to help them identify the difference between simple, compound, and complex sentences. Also, explicit teaching and modeling of well-developed paragraphs is a way to facilitate the understanding of the structure of different texts.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
We notice that 27% are below average in understanding language craft and structure.

# data[].attributes.headline
I'm noticing that most students (244) are falling into the "high-average" range for the skill of Understanding Key Ideas, Details, and Connections for 9th Grade ICT.

# data[].attributes.subject
I'm noticing that most students (244) are falling into the "high-average" range for the skill of Understanding Key Ideas, Details, and Connections for 9th Grade ICT.

# data[].attributes.headline
Grade 9 ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
Grade 9 ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections

# data[].attributes.body
More students scored "Lo" (13%) or "Lo Avg" (15%) in Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections than in the other categories

# data[].attributes.body
I noticed that a score of 223 is average.

# data[].attributes.body
Noticing most students are ranging high - high avg

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Interpretations: The data suggests that we need to differentiate instruction for diverse learners. There is a sizeable number of students in each grouping.

Wonderings:
What does the test look like?
Who makes this test?
How else is this data used?
How did students prepare for this test, if at all?
Is this data valid? Reliable? To what extent?

# data[].attributes.headline
I noticed that most students tend to average medium high to high

# data[].attributes.subject
I noticed that most students tend to average medium high to high

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Noticings: I see that more students (28%) are classified as "HiAvg" than any other classification. 13% are "Lo," 14% are "LoAvg," 20% are "Avg" and 26% are "Hi." This is a pretty even distribution.

# data[].attributes.headline
9th grade honors vocabulary:         I notice a lot of students have high  vocabulary use and very few have a low range. 

# data[].attributes.subject
9th grade honors vocabulary:         I notice a lot of students have high  vocabulary use and very few have a low range. 

# data[].attributes.body
I noticed most students are in the high or high average categories for this skill.

# data[].attributes.headline
I notice that a lot of the students have high or high vocabulary use 

# data[].attributes.subject
I notice that a lot of the students have high or high vocabulary use 

# data[].attributes.headline
ICT Understanding Key Ideas, Details & Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
ICT Understanding Key Ideas, Details & Connections

# data[].attributes.body
For this skill, most of the students seem to fall into the average, high average, or high ranges. With 244 of 724 falling into the high average range which is the highest out of all of the ranges.

# data[].attributes.body
What do you see?

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections for 9th Grade IC

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections for 9th Grade IC

# data[].attributes.body
I notice that the numbers are somewhat the similar for High Average and Low Average

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade Honors: Vocabulary - Acquisition and Use

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade Honors: Vocabulary - Acquisition and Use

# data[].attributes.body
Larsen
Lewis
Saltzman
Vittiglio
Blumberg
Filipkowski
Whelan

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade ICT: Understanding Key Ideas, Details, & Connections

# data[].attributes.body
Berg
Genovesi
Reed
Brennan
McCaffrey
Cimillo
Linge

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade: Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade: Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Brosnihan
Henry
Schaffer
Kern
Davis
Antolos

# data[].attributes.headline
9th Grade: Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.subject
9th Grade: Understanding Language, Craft, & Structure

# data[].attributes.body
Guzman
Changa
Ambarsumyan
Jandly
Shi
Buckley

# data[].attributes.body
What does this mean for our work?

# data[].attributes.body
The data shows only 1 student in 9th grade honors scored in the "Low" range of "Understand Key Ideas, Details, and Connections" section.