Module 5 Classroom Assessment Profile Meagan Ireland EDU 741 Literacy Assessment As Teaching Tools Dr.

. Grania Holman Sunday, August 5, 2012

Meagan Ireland

Module 5 Classroom Assessment Profile

Classroom Assessment Profile Grade 4/5/6

Name of the assessment Formative or Summative Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
The DRA is a reading inventory that can be used as both a formative and summative assessment. Used three times a year at my school, the DRA helps the teacher monitor student progress at regular intervals. This assessment tool helps the classroom teacher assess students growth in reading engagement, fluency and comprehension. Students demonstrate what they can do and this information can be used for reporting. As well, the classroom teacher can use the data to help make instructional decisions.

Reading Response Journals

Reading Response Journals will be used as a formative assessment. The journals will be used once or twice a week to assess what has been learned in guided reading groups. Students will be asked to apply skills they are learning in small groups to their independent reading. They will then demonstrate whether they are able to apply these skills. The teacher will use the data from the reading response journals to make instructional decisions whether students are able to use the strategies or need reteaching or a new strategy. This is an immediate form of formative assessment as the teacher can use the data as soon as she reads it. Once or twice a week students will be asked to respond to what they reading during independent reading time in their reading response journal. The teacher will provide the students with a prompt that will encourage the use of the skills used during their small group sessions. It will be a skill that students have seen modeled for them and been a part of a guided practice. The reading response journals will provide the teacher with immediate feedback about whether or not students can apply their newly learned skills or if they need more instruction on that topic. The teacher will be able to adjust her teaching as quickly as she reads the journals. As well, the reading response journals allow for quick feedback for students as the teacher can dialogue with and model for students.

Data collected with this assessment

Timeline for

The DRA is a reading inventory that is administered one-on-one. It is a scripted, leveled assessment that provides teachers with information about their students reading engagement, fluency and comprehension. At each level, the students can choose from a fiction or nonfiction text. The DRA begins with a preview read of the first page and then the student will do a picture walk through the book to make predictions. Depending on the level of the book, the student will read aloud for a running record or silently. When they are finished reading, students are then asked to retell the most important parts of the story. If any main ideas are missing, the teacher will ask a series of questions. This is graded on a rubric. At this time, longer texts will ask for a running record to determine fluency. The DRA ends with a 3 or 4 reading engagement questions to discover where and when students read. DRA data will be collected three times a

This assessment will be given once or 2

Meagan Ireland

Module 5 Classroom Assessment Profile

reviewing and using this data to inform instruction

year: October, February and June. The classroom teacher and the program support teacher will work together to assess each student and then discuss the results. The assessment will happen during class time. The results and instructional implications will be discussed during weekly planning meetings.

How will this data be reported?

How will this data provide you with information to support the learning of your students?

twice a week. The teacher will have the opportunity to review the data upon receiving the journals or afterschool. It is imperative to the success of the journals that they be reviewed quickly and feedback shared with students immediately. By providing students with feedback and using the data to inform instruction, they being included in the learning process and being held accountable. Most importantly, data is collected for the This data is solely for the classroom classroom teacher to help make decisions teacher and her students. The teacher will for instruction. It is highly encouraged use the journal as a formative assessment that this data be shared with each student tool to help monitor the progress of during a reading conference. It helps students. As well, the data should be students see their progress throughout the reported back to the students through year and set personal goals for feedback as this is one the most effective themselves. Class composites will be tools to help students learn. The potential collected for administration records. for dialogue between teacher and Student DRA folders are kept in the each students can powerful tool to aid in students assessment portfolio. Teachers learning. The journals will be available to may choose to use the data collected parents and administration if requested. through the DRA to assess report card outcomes. We use an outcome based report card with no letter grades for kindergarten through grade 8. The DRA is a comprehensive reading The reading response journals will provide inventory that provides teachers with the classroom teacher with immediate valuable data in regards to their students feedback about how to plan lessons for reading engagement, fluency and the next day or following week. The comprehension. Using this data, teachers teacher will be able to see which students can determine possible guided reading are able to apply what they are learning in groups, which students need interventions their reading response journals. After and how to focus instruction. For reviewing the journals, the classroom example, two years ago after completing a teacher can decide if more time is needed DRA in October the data showed that for specific strategies or if a new approach many of my students were struggling with is necessary. Depending on the level of fluency. I was able to work with an understanding, the teacher can educational assistant and provide those restructure the groups based on ability or students with a fluency intervention. skills needed. The feedback that is given in When we reassessed in February using the the reading response journals or during DRA, most students had shown growth reading conferences will support student with fluency. learning. Effective feedback that focuses on skill development will help students apply their knowledge. 3

Meagan Ireland

Module 5 Classroom Assessment Profile

How does this assessment support differentiation?

The DRA supports differentiated learning because it provides teachers with detailed data regarding their students reading. This data will help determine which students need interventions or extensions. As well, it will help the teacher create learning groups for the students based on ability or needed skills. The information from the DRA can help teachers build lessons and assignments based on which skills students need to develop. For example: using the DRA information the classroom teacher could create a Tic-tactoe assignment that would meet the levels of all of her learners and include necessary objectives thus making the content accessible for all students.

Reading Response Journals will help support differentiation as the classroom teacher will be able to provide students with flexible groupings and lessons. After having reviewed the journals, the teacher will be able to determine who needs more instruction in a certain area or who is ready for the next level. This formative assessment data will help the teacher form learning groups based on ability (who needs interventions or extensions) or skills needed. The data will also allow the teacher to thoughtfully form partnerships that will allow struggling students to learn from their peers. As well, assignments may be created using the formative assessment data that will further help students reach their goals or extend them if they have already mastered a skill. This form of assessment is essential to differentiated lessons as it helps the teacher monitor students progress and respond immediately to their needs.

Reflection When used effectively, reliable formative assessments can make a significant difference in the learning of our students. Formative assessments provide teachers with data that is meant to shape their lessons and help make instructional decisions. It allows us to teach our students exactly what they need to know at their ability level. As teachers, we must be thoughtful about our practices so that we may provide our students with the best instruction. Regularly reflecting upon our assessments practices using the above template encourages teachers to consider whether our tools are meeting our needs and if we are using the data to the best of our abilities. After completing the form, it came to light that the reading response journals were the most effective tool for monitoring students progress, making instructional decisions and differentiating learning. When an open dialogue is created for feedback, students learn to be accountable for their 4

Meagan Ireland

Module 5 Classroom Assessment Profile

learning and can use suggestions in their next entry. The information gained by the teacher can help make immediate decisions. Do students need more time with a strategy or skill? Do they need a different approach? Are they responding to the dialogue and improving? Using the data provided in the reading response journals, teachers are able to make quick and informed decisions that will shape their students learning. The DRA is a different form of assessment that does not provide information as quickly as the reading response journals. It is a more in depth tool that allows teachers to learn about their students reading levels, fluency, comprehension and reading engagement. While it is time consuming, the data that it provides helps teachers know which interventions are necessary and which progress monitoring strategies will best suit the situation. For example, if a student struggles with fluency on their DRA, it is possible to provide them with interventions to strengthen their fluency and regular running records to monitor progress. Completing this assignment helped to reinforce that we must use a variety of formative assessments in our classroom. While the reading response journals provides the teacher with the most immediate feedback regarding instruction, the DRA helps give a comprehensive picture our students reading abilities. When used effectively, both of these tools are essential to making instructional decisions and greatly impact student learning.