ELA by Brittany Taylor https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela en-us 2016-09-29 13:27:19 UTC 2016-10-26 02:20:57 UTC hello@padlet.com What is going well with RCD? brittanytaylor https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/127242607 I am appreciating the opportunity to collect and analyze common assessment data.]]> 2016-09-29 13:28:53 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/127242607 What are some challenges with RCD? brittanytaylor https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/127242686 Staying on track with the suggested number of days. Even with the buffer days, I'm already 5 days behind!]]> 2016-09-29 13:29:04 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/127242686 How can we support you? brittanytaylor https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/127242727 2016-09-29 13:29:09 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/127242727 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328283 Our PLC works closely together utilizing data to support all learners.]]> 2016-10-04 20:15:04 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328283 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328420 While RCD is a fluid document, Unit 1 was not prepared in time to begin the school year so we had to "wing" it.

Thanks for your patience!  We are a work in progress!]]> 2016-10-04 20:15:56 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328420 Q: We were questioned today about a specific curriculum that we are using for teaching Grammar, and its relevance.  We are confused. https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328571
A: We will follow up to clarify this situation. ]]> 2016-10-04 20:16:48 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328571 We are new using the RCD, and are adjusting our previously prepared units. https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328752
Great!  If you are interested in having us come out for some discussion, email me!]]> 2016-10-04 20:17:57 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128328752 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128329089 Canvas!!!

Let us know--we will come out and visit!]]> 2016-10-04 20:19:32 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128329089 What's Good with RCD jodimack https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335582 Students are able to share common conversation/experiences about work even if they are from different schools.]]> 2016-10-04 20:55:26 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335582 One challenge with RCD is helping ELA teachers, as passionate we are about our subject, to understand that there is never going to be 100% agreement with the order/structure of the curriculum.  There are many effective ways to teach ELA.  This is just the way the county has chosen to do it, so we should all get on board. https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335590
Agreed. ELA teachers are among the most fiery bunch around.  A good thing!  It is important to understand the research behind the choice for aligning the curriculum in this manner.  Larry Ainsworth, Nancy Mooney, and Jay McTighe are great resources for further study. We based much of our work on these folks' research.]]> 2016-10-04 20:55:28 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335590 Thank you for your help today. https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335632 2016-10-04 20:55:43 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335632 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335711 Maintaining the pace when students are not ready to move on.  Conflict when data is showing students are not ready to move forward, but the pacing says to move forward.

Your point is one that we have heard from many teachers working through the curriculum frameworks. Secondary teachers who are making the shift from teaching "whole group," which is necessary for on grade level instruction, and "flex groups" which is necessary to meet kids at their many skill levels, have a great task to accomplish. This task is made much easier by the use of formative assessments throughout the teaching/learning cycle, and through the use of a working PLC which divides and conquers the planning.  One of our sessions will work directly with assessing, and planning for a classroom of students on many skill levels.
This NCTE article on formative assessments and this article on grouping at the secondary level  are great for beginning a conversation in your PLCs.



]]> 2016-10-04 20:56:17 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335711 Why do the pre- and post- test have to be exactly the same?  Kids pick up on this especially in high school.  Can we have different passages asking the same kind of questions and why do we just have one question per skill.  We need about 5 questions per skill.  I know we want to not overload the kids, but 3 skills or 15 questions on one passage would be very helpful. https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335769
ELA pre and post tests are the same so that data results are as valid and reliable as possible. ELA tests are especially hard to construct due to the many reading variables included in passages.  It is certainly possible to create a pre and post that are aligned, rather than mirrored, however, it would be harder to determine what is being measured: vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, or the students' proficiency with the particular standard.

The goal of the Curriculum Frameworks (aka RCD) is to give a preliminary measurement of where students are on the priority standards of the unit, so that teachers can adjust instruction.  Teachers should be measuring in a variety of ways to allow all students to show their levels of proficiency. The ELA assessment writers worked hard to get at least 3 questions per Priority Standard, but sometimes that might now be happening.  Feel free to contact me if you have further questions about the validity of the tests! 

]]> 2016-10-04 20:56:35 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335769 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335812 Research says that to really identify if a student understands a concept, there should be between five and seven questions on that concept - but for most of the pre-assessments, there is only one question on that concept.  One question doesn't really give a clear picture of whether or not a student is proficient in a learning goal.

Yes!  Great question/comment.  The goal of the Curriculum Frameworks (aka RCD) is to give a preliminary measurement of where students are on the priority standards of the unit, so that teachers can adjust instruction.  Teachers should be measuring in a variety of ways to allow all students to show their levels of proficiency. The ELA assessment writers worked hard to get at least 3 questions per Priority Standard, but sometimes that might now be happening.  Feel free to contact me if you have further questions about the validity of the tests! ]]> 2016-10-04 20:56:47 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335812 RCD Challenge https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335875 Staying on the pacing guide.

One of the greatest challenges with instruction in general is maintaining an appropriate pace.  Too fast, some aren't learning, too slow, some are bored. Working with a PLC is key to solving this problem; once you have preassessed  your students, as a team you can design instruction for groups of students at different levels and deliver that instruction in a variety of ways.  Check out this article for some foundational information about flex grouping!

]]> 2016-10-04 20:57:10 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335875 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335904 The priority appears to be narrative, rather than other standards that would be more impactful.

Each of the ELA units will have at least 1 Reading PS and 1 Writing PS.  If students perform proficiently on a baseline narrative writing that a teacher assigns, less time can be spent on narrative.  However, all modes of writing are treated equally in the CCSS.  JCS priority standards serve as a focus for instruction and for assessment.  Teachers may choose to continue instruction on other types of writing within a unit where narrative is measured. For example, a student might read an informational text, write an opinion essay about the text, and then write a poem about a concept within the text. We are looking for a deeper dive into texts using writing as a tool for learning and thinking. ]]> 2016-10-04 20:57:19 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128335904 I appreciate the new format.  It is easily accessible! Thanks. https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128336100 2016-10-04 20:58:34 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128336100 Can we use additional post assessments that include the standards in the particular unit, but correlate with the piece of literature that we are teaching? https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128336383
Absolutely.  Additional assessments will allow for a better understanding of student proficiency. As teachers instruct, formative assessment will also be a must.]]> 2016-10-04 21:00:56 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128336383 CHALLENGES WITH RCD https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128621998 2016-10-05 19:19:36 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128621998 GOING WELL WITH RCD/Curriculum Frameworks https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128622038 2016-10-05 19:19:47 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/128622038 https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/133207715 It took most of a block for our sixth graders(all levels) to complete each of the pre/post assessments for the first two units. That's a lot of instructional time being used for assessments. Some of it is because the advanced students are striving to get everything correct and some is the struggling readers who can't comprehend the text itself. Is it valid to put a time limit on these assessments? ]]> 2016-10-26 02:07:20 UTC https://padlet.com/brittanytaylor/leadela/wish/133207715