The Redesigned is SAT coming. Be prepared.

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downloadOn January 15, I attended a presentation by Alan Bernstein, Senior District Director, K12 Services, at the College Board. The presentation focused on the release of redesigned SAT in spring 2016. Given what I learned, we, as educators, need to begin preparing for these transitions right away. Our current tenth graders will have a very different experience on the SAT and we owe it to them to prepare. Luckily, many of the transitions align to shifts we’ve already made with the Common Core.

First, a note on organization. There will be 3 sections in the new SAT – only two are mandatory. The essay portion will be optional. If students choose to take the essay, they must take the whole exam. They will not able to just sit for the essay. Below is a chart that outlines details about the three sections.

Section Evidence Based Reading and Writing Math Essay – optional. Additional cost
Points 200-800 points 200-800 points Totally separate score.
Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Mandatory? YES YES NO
Details This section will include analysis in science and social studies. These questions will be teased out and reported as subscores. Subscores will be reported for algebra, advanced mathematics (Algebra II and quadratic equations), and statistical literacy. Colleges will be required to tell students whether or not they require the essay. Fair bet that competitive colleges will require. We just don’t know yet.

 So, what are these changes and what do they mean for student instruction? Check them out below.

Eight key changes on the Redesigned SAT

  1. Relevant words in context: engage in close reading and interpret meaning based on context – no more straight memorization of Tier III vocab and no more extracted sentences where students choose the best words. Those questions doesn’t get to literacy.
  2. Command of evidence: when responding to “text,” traditional texts will be “cross-fertilized” with graphs, charts, etc… so questions will be research tasks where students have to integrate information through both reading passages and informational graphics. No more questions about “main idea.”
  3. Problems grounded in real world context: Math section will feature multistep applications to solve problems in science, social studies, career scenarios, and real-life contexts.
  4. Analysis in Science and Social Studies: Students will apply reading and math skills to answer questions in science, history, and social studies contexts.
  5. Essay Analyzing a Source: The (optional) essay will more closely mirror college writing assignments. No more “reflective” essay. The prompt will be text-based and will require close reading, careful analysis, and clear writing. Will be focused on reading arguments and analyzing an author’s work and how she/he constructs the argument.
  6. Focus on math that matters: 90% of the math section will focus on three key areas: heart of algebra (Algebra I Common Core), advanced mathematics (Algebra II Common Core and quadratic equations), and statistical and quantitative literacy. Geometry will only account for 10% of the test, as research suggests geometry is not an indicator of college readiness.
  7. Founding documents and global conversation: Every version of the SAT, there will be a founding document and a text from the ongoing Great Global Conversation about freedom, justice, and human dignity. No prior knowledge of the text will be required.
  8. No penalty for wrong answers or unanswered items (called formula based scoring). Points for correct answers only.

As a teacher, administrator or counselor, learn more about these shifts and the test specifications for the new SAT here. This preparation will ensure that our students are prepared for the redesigned test, college, and their chosen careers.

Your PARCC Action Plan

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PARCCIf you’re in one of the states that make up the The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), you know that the time for assessment is almost here. In my district, administrators, curriculum leaders, and coaches collaborated to create a PARCC Action Plan. We identified four recommendations that will help our fabulous staff prepare students for the transition to this online assessment. In the spirit of collaboration, I’d like to share it with a greater education community.

Recommendation #1: Familiarize yourself with the skills students will need to be successful when using an online assessment. These skills can be broken down into four categories:

The Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education, awarded the University of Kentucky, in collaboration with CAST, a Directed Research Project grant entitled Universal Design of Assessment: Applications of Technology. One of the research activities of this project was to identify the prerequisite skills for students to successfully access and use a computer-based assessment. These skills are also included in the Technology Skills for Online Assessments resource, published by the MA DESE in July 14. The list below is adapted, with extended descriptions from those resources.

Skills Breakdown of Skills
Keyboarding skills
  • Identify, locate, and use letter, number, and punctuation keys to enter characters
  • Use enter/return key
  • Use space bar
  • Use delete key
  • Use backspace key
  • Use shift key
  • Use tab key
  • Use number pad
  • Use keyboard to type letters and numerals
  • Enter characters with reasonable accuracy (i.e., 85%)
  • Enter characters with reasonable speed
Mouse or track pad skills
  • Use single-click function of the mouse
  • Use double-click function of the mouse
  • Use click and drag function of the mouse. This is important for drag and drop questions.
  • Use a mouse to highlight text on a screen
Online assessment skills (general)
  • Scroll to view complete text/question
  • Scroll to navigate to a response section
  • Scroll within each box of a split screen
  • Toggle between tabs in a split screen
  • Enter text by typing directly into expandable text response box
  • Using an onscreen video player
PARCC specific skills
  • Drop-down menu: PARCC will include questions that contain drop down menus used with cloze-type questions.
  • Use hot spot zones: Unlike a traditional multiple-choice item where only one answer option can be selected, hot spot items may require the student to select one or more hot spot zones (answer options) in order to correctly answer the item
  • Answer Eliminator to “cross out” answers on multiple-choice answers that they believe are incorrect – also called Answer masking
  • Mark question to be reviewed later
  • Magnifying/zoom features
  • Pop-up glossary
  • Ruler: Some questions will have a ruler available for student use (1 inch increments in grade 3). Students will need to be able to click and drag to rotate the ruler as needed
  • Protractor: Starts in grade 4

Recommendation #2: Familiarize yourself with the curriculum shifts to identify all the *new* skills that students are introduced to each year. The PARCC compiled these shifts into their Model Content Frameworks, which you can access here: ELA and Math.

Recommendation #3: Use the Online PARCC Resources

TestNav 8 Tutorial: Using the tutorial you can explore the types of tools available as a class, then allow students to use the tools with a partner on the device they will be using for the test. The tutorial gets the “playing with the tools” out of their system before using the test. Warning to teachers would be that all tools are available in the tutorial (i.e. two rulers, calculator, equation editor, etc.) and these tools may not be available for students at a certain grade level.

Sample items and rubrics:

  • Start using the rubrics when you have the kids do practice text-based writing assignments.
  • Students can work on sample items and review together to discuss how to use the tools and explore together.
  • Have students begin practicing the sample tests on Firefox or Safari in order to practice using the highlighter tool. The sample items will not work correctly in the Chrome browser.

Practice tests:

  • When using the practice tests, it is valuable to focus on how to scroll when using the split screen function.
  • It may be valuable to allow students to experiment with the universal accessibility features so they don’t get distracted by them when taking the actual test. You can view the accessibility features in the bar will appear at the top of the testing screen.
  • The arrows take students forward or backward to answer previous questions or the next question. The review tool allows students to see which questions they answered already and which they left blank. The flag is for questions students want to return to. The arrow is to highlight text. The x is to eliminate answers (but be careful, sometimes more than one answer is correct). If you click on the silhouette figure all the way to the right, you can access the EZ reader strip and the magnifying tool.
  • Another aspect of the online practice test is the expandable text box. Please note to students that this box will continue to get longer as they type, so they should not stop their response when they get to the bottom of the box.

Recommendation #4: If you teach ELA or math, definitely read the blueprints

PARCC created “blueprints” which tell us exactly what each module with look like and how it will be organized, and which standard it will align to. Here is one example where I summarized the “blueprint” for the third grade literary analysis task. You can access all blueprints here: http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/Grades%203-5%20Combined%20Task%20Models%205%2015%2014.pdf

Task Type Grade 3 Literary Analysis
Number and Type of Texts 1 Extended Literature Text1 Additional Literature Text
Prose constructed response Will align to standard 7, “Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).”
Number and Type of Additional Items
  • 2 vocabulary context items (Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language)
  • 4 EBSR (evidence based standard response) items to measure standard 2 (determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text)
Organization of Module
  • Students read extended literature text
  • Students respond to 1 vocabulary item exclusive to the extended literature text
  • Students respond to 1-2 EBSR items exclusive to the extended literature text
  • Students read 1 additional literature text
  • Students respond to 1 vocabulary item exclusive to text 2
  • Students respond to 1-3 EBSR items tied to BOTH texts
  • Students respond to 1 PCR

 

 

Vermont + UDL = Magic!

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equinoxHello fabulous Vermonters!

I have had a wonderful day collaborating with you! Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all worked in the same district? Magic!

I wanted to share the Powerpoint I presented. You are welcome to use/revise and share with your staff. Also, feel free to contact me any time. You can reach me in any/all of the following ways:

Lastly, a few of you asked about my book, UDL Now. You can purchase UDL Now! on Amazon or if you are interested in buying bulk and receiving a huge discount, contact CAST directly. For 10-49 copies, they offer 20% off the list price. For 50 or more copies, 25% off the list price. Inquiries to David Gordon: publishing@cast.org or via 781-245-2212. Tax and shipping are additional. Nonprofits need to provide proof of IRS nonprofit status. Terms subject to change.

 

UDL. Why now?

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We are lucky enough to live in a world that is becoming increasingly more inclusive. By inviting all learners in our classrooms, we are teaching students valuable lessons in diversity, acceptance, and the value of inclusion. Most importantly, we are providing a rigorous, engaging education to all our students, which is imperative for their future success.

handsOpening classroom doors and welcoming students in, an important step in the process, does not guarantee a quality inclusive education. This requires professional development, so teachers can learn the strategies and skills to integrate learners of all variability into the folds of teaching and learning. I work with teachers every day and they are creative, passionate, committed, and willing to do this work. It’s up to district leadership to provide this training to support our teachers.

The Common Core, in the section “Application to Students with Disabilities” notes, “Students with disabilities ―students eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)―must be challenged to excel within the general curriculum and be prepared for success in their post-school lives, including college and/or careers…. Therefore, how high standards are taught and assessed is of the utmost importance in
reaching this diverse group of students.”

The key word is “how.” How will teachers design curriculum and instruction so that all students have equal opportunity to learn the same rigorous material? The same section offers a simple answer: Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is defined as “a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that (a) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (b) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient,” by Higher Education Opportunity Act (PL 110-135).

Because UDL is best practice and will increase teaching and learning outcomes for all teachers and students, now is the time for all districts to explore the UDL framework. If you’ve never explored UDL, it’s a powerful way to design standards-based curriculum that can be accessed by all learners, regardless of variability. For some background on UDL, read about the framework from CAST, a non-profit that began research on UDL as best practice over three decades ago. Next, read the UDL Guidelines for a list of strategies you can begin to use right away. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

There are also some great books about UDL from practitioners. Check out one or more of the following for a more in-depth examination of the framework:

Enjoy the journey learning about UDL. It is well worth it!

Kia ora ULearn 14!

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ulearn-logo-portThank you for the kind welcome to New Zealand. I am honored to give a keynote address and present two break-out sessions at ULearn14 in Rotorua. If you’re interested in any of the presentations or handouts, you can access them here. Also, additional resources are provided if you wish to explore the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines in more detail. Don’t forget to connect at #ULearn14 on Twitter!

Keynote Presentation: Thursday, October 9

Breakout: Involving Students in the UDL Classroom, Thursday, October 9

 Breakout: UDL Immersion Experience, Friday, October 10

 

Formative vs. Summative Assessments

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silver2011_fig1.11This morning I was checking out the question and answer forum on the TeachingChannel and I came across a question about the different types of assessments. Given that a new school has kicked off, I think it’s a perfect time to explore the differences between formative and summative assessments and how they align to the UDL framework.

To begin, any assessment that informs instruction is super valuable, and these are often administered before teaching a unit of instruction. Sometimes these assessments are called diagnostic assessments and other times they are called formative assessments, but the purpose is the same. When these assessments are given, teachers use the data/results to inform instruction, as they become aware of students’ strengths and areas of weakness. I don’t recommend using the results of formative assessments in a student’s grade, as in theory, the material has not yet been taught and therefore a student should be not penalized for underperforming. Imagine being graded on something you’ve never been taught. It would probably be pretty frustrating!

After the formative assessment, teachers plan standards-based instruction to allow all students to access the curriculum – the rich data from the formatives allow teachers to set a scope and sequence for curriculum and instruction. While teachers and students are engaged in a unit of study, informal formative assessments are given to check in to see where students are at, to determine if certain concepts need to be explored in more depth and also to determine if students are engaged in the process of learning. I find it valuable to ask students to access teacher instruction informally at this time as well, as they can offer valuable feedback about their own learning.

Once students have learned material, through access to a universally designed curriculum, teachers can give summative assessments, which measure a student’s growth since the formative assessment. If students have not yet learned the materials, Tier II intervention may be necessary to insure that all students have the opportunity to learn important background information before moving on to more complex topics.

On a final note, none of these assessments have to be “traditional” in any way. Some teachers may choose multiple choice objective tests, but both formative and summative assessment can take many different shapes. As long as the product allows teachers to assess student learning in response to specific standards, the assessment is doing its job.

The Collaborative Classroom Management Plan

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appleA reader of my blog recently asked for additional details about how I created a collaborative classroom management plans in my middle school classroom. I thought I’d share my reply, as it’s that time of year when we’re thinking about setting up our learning environments for the school year.

On the first day of school, I always reviewed the UDL Guidelines with students to give them a sense of the type of instructional strategies I would use throughout the year. Details of this lesson are in my book, UDL Now! if you’re interested. Two of the UDL Guidelines suggest that teachers heighten the saliency of goals and objectives and foster collaboration in the classroom. I meet both of these guidelines starting on Day 1 by creating a collaborative classroom management plan. Below are steps you can follow to do the same.

  1. Day 1: To begin, place students in collaborative groups with diverse partners. Ask them to think about what makes a successful classroom. Specifically, what are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors that can improve the function of a classroom or completely derail it? Ask students to make lists. Once each group makes their list, ask them to present their list of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. All students have an opportunity to weigh in on whether behaviors are appropriate or not appropriate.
  2. Write these lists on the Smart board, chart paper or on paper projected on a document camera. If you teach multiple sections, ask each class to complete the activity, but always share the collective list from previous sections.
  3. Day 2: Once you decide on a list of unacceptable behaviors, ask groups of students to think about relevant consequences that are appropriate. For example, if talking while the teacher is talking is unacceptable, a relevant consequence may be to receive one warning and then get seat permanently changed. Offer a few of your own ideas, if necessary, such as writing a reflection after the inappropriate behavior, calling a parent and explaining the incident, meeting at lunch to discuss, etc… During this step, I was always amazed at the depth of thought that went into this management plan. Students had ideas that I would not have thought of and it was interesting to share these findings during each section and ask them why they felt certain consequences were just.
  4. Day 3: Look for themes and organize the unacceptable behaviors, and their consequences, into categories. In my classroom, the students decided on three categories: respect for people, respect for property, and respect for ideas. Every class agreed on the consequences and wanted to place the inappropriate behaviors in tiers based on severity. Once this work was done, we created a bulletin board that stayed up all year that outlined the offenses and the consequences. I called it a “draft” until every class had an opportunity to discuss and make changes.
  5. From this bulletin board, I created a classroom contract that was shared with parents and signed by the students. It was really organic and didn’t require a lot of planning on my part because I really wanted students to get into it. They pretty much understand what they should and should not do, but it’s valuable to hear their reasoning sometimes about why certain behaviors occur and how we can prevent them. I would definitely try it in your own classroom as they are much more likely to adhere to a management plan that they developed because it’s authentic, relevant, and meaningful to them.

If you have a curriculum question that you’d like me to blog about, don’t hesitate to contact me!

The Making of a UDL School: UDL School-Wide Implementation

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comicLast week at the UDL Seminar hosted by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and CAST, Adam Deleidi, from Revere Public Schools, shared the process his school went through to fully implement UDL. His experience may help you to implement UDL in your own school.

Step 1: Educate

The first goal was to educate as many teachers as possible in the UDL framework. UDL is not an initiative and it’s not something else to do. It lives in every decision you make, and will affect your learning environments on every level. Even though many teachers already use some of the UDL Guidelines, implementation of the framework requires knowledge of the brain research, the scientific validity, and the connection between implementation and increased achievement for all students. In short, UDL is a change in the way to think and to do this, all educators need to learn about it. To educate his teachers, a team from Deleidi’s school attended a week-long UDL Institute.

Step 2: Form a Leadership Team

After a cohort was educated in UDL, they formed a UDL Leadership team. That team was responsible for planning the roll-out at the school level, so they received additional training throughout the year in a UDL Academy, hosted by CAST. That UDL team continues to come together in Revere to design professional development for their teachers in UDL.

Step 3: Continued Professional Development

Deleidi started with words of wisdom, “Start simple.” Begin PD by introducing the UDL principles and then transition to applications to lesson planning as these are the most practical applications for teachers. Different schools may focus on different pieces, but in Revere, they focused on writing objectives, how to add enhancements to lessons during the planning process, and how to induct all new faculty into the UDL mindset. This teacher-led PD was designed and implemented by the UDL team to increase buy-in and authenticity.

Step 4: Celebrate

After the first year, the school hosted a UDL Showcase at a principal’s meeting. Groups of content area teachers formed PLCs, participated in a book study, and then planned and implemented a 15 minute mini-lesson, in their content area, that incorporated all the information they’ve learned about UDL. All staff members had the opportunity to experience UDL as a student and celebrate each other’s success and the new school wide philosophy.

The Interrater Reliability Protocol: A Must-Have for Writing Assessment

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errorsThe Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require writing across the content areas, which places a renewed focus on the meaningful assessment of writing. Although rubrics are valuable for both teachers and students, there are two potential errors that can lead to very different assessments using the same rubric. Becoming familiar with these sources of error, and following a protocol to minimize them, will enhance the capacity of all teachers to reliably assess student work and provide mastery-oriented feedback.

What are common sources of error?

  1. Interactions between students and raters: Because teachers know students so well, they sometimes predict how students will perform on a task. These predictions can subconsciously affect scoring.
  2. Interactions between raters and task: Raters sometimes have different interpretations of a task, and therefore are expecting different responses.

Now that you know the common sources of error, you need a protocol to minimize those errors. Get together with a team of teachers and complete the steps below to help guide the team in assessing student work.

What is the protocol for establishing interrater reliability?

  1. Before reading student responses, discuss the prompt and the type of response that would be necessary for a complete, clear, and accurate answer. This discussion will minimize errors based on the interactions between raters and the task.
  2. After this discussion, the first response is selected and one rater reads the prompt aloud. The response should be read blind, so no one knows the identity of the writer. This will minimize errors based on the interactions between students and raters. Note: The writing is read aloud in order to minimize the impact of spelling, grammar, and handwriting on the score assigned although this will come into play when examining language conventions.
  3. After listening to the response, each rater records brief comments indicating their impression of the content, using the prompt rubric.
  4. After marking comments, individual raters may ask for the writing sample to be read again or they may ask to see the piece of writing. After each individual rater has recorded their mark, the marks are revealed.
  5. If there is consensus on the marks, then the raters read the paper to score the language conventions. Scores for language conventions are then revealed. If there is a difference in the scores assigned, a discussion begins. In this case raters describe their rationales for the marks they have given and a consensus is reached. Once a consensus is reached, that paper becomes the anchor paper, or the exemplar, for that scoring category.
  6. Teachers can then use those exemplars as they assess all remaining student papers. This helps everyone to get on the same page!

Writing Your Professional Practice Goals the UDL Way

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SMARTThe end of one educator evaluation cycle means the beginning of a new one. As I think of my own professional practice goals (PPG) for next year, I realize that the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can positively impact the goal setting process for all of us.

When setting PPG, remember that you are a learner, and that your goal should guide you to learn. Malcolm Knowles (1984) proposed six assumptions regarding the characteristics of adult learners that differentiate them from child learners and all of these impact the goal-setting process.

  1. Adults tend to see themselves as more responsible, self-directed, and independent.
  2. They have a larger, more diverse stock of knowledge and experience.
  3. Their readiness to learn is based on developmental and real-life responsibilities.
  4. Their orientation to learning is most often problem centered and relevant to their current life situation.
  5. They have a stronger need to know the reasons for learning something.
  6. They tend to be more internally motivated.

All six characteristics relate to Universal Design for Learning when writing PPG. Here’s how.

Step 1: Identifying the goal area

In order for us to be internally motivated, we have to choose goals that are relevant and meaningful to us. We should search for the practices we would explore even in the absence of an evaluation tool, because these practices make us stronger educators.

To do this effectively, begin by identifying a problem. For example, “I have a diverse group of students and I feel like I’m not providing a curriculum that meets all their needs.” Once you have a problem, you can research a solution. In this example, one possible solution would be exploring and implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Step 2: Writing the goal

Once you have an idea that is relevant to your current position and your real-life responsibilities, it’s time to write your goal. A great framework to writing a goal is to use the SMART framework.

  What does this mean for me?
S = Specific and Strategic  How exactly will you improve your professional practice? Be specific about what you want to accomplish.
M = Measurable  How will you “prove” you met this goal? Think about specific evidence and artifacts that would make completion of this goal possible.
A = Action Oriented  Think about strong action verbs. Will you model, observe, facilitate, reflect, etc…
R = Rigorous, Realistic, and Results Focused  Balance rigor with realism. Push yourself to improve your practice without sacrificing other professional obligations. If done well, what will this accomplish?
T = Timed and Tracked  How often will you will complete each task, and when? This is something you could “prove” with artifacts.

Here is a PPG that is SMART:

As a team, we will meet at least 2 times per month to learn about the Universal Design for Learning framework in order to increase student engagement in the classroom, gain expertise to improve practice and student outcomes, and design and implement universally designed curriculum materials which reflect embedded scaffolds to support students of all ability levels, and by January, 2015, we will all implement at least 2 UDL lessons per week.

Here is the alignment to specific SMART indicators.

As a team, we will meet at least 2 times per month (M, T) to learn about the Universal Design for Learning framework (S) in order to increase student engagement in classroom (R), gain expertise to improve practice and student outcomes (R), and design (A) and implement (A) universally designed curriculum materials which reflect embedded scaffolds to support students of all ability levels, and by January, 2014, we will all implement at least 2 UDL lessons per week (T).

Step 3: Write your action steps

In order to be responsible, self-directed, independent learners, we need to support our planning and strategy development by identifying specific actions steps that will help us meet our goal. Think about creating a to-do list that will keep you on track as you work toward your goal. Choose actions that are relevant and valuable to you because you will be more motivated to complete each action step.

During this step, put your diverse experience to good use. Could you add Twitter chats to your action steps, could you model for other teachers, could you start a book club? Think about your experiences as an educator and harness your strengths in your action plan.

Here are just a few possible action steps – but in order for them to be meaningful, choose steps that are most relevant to you.

  • Participate in a book study on Universal Design for Learning (some good ones: UDL Now!, Design and Deliver, Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice, and UDL: Practical Applications)
  • Start a discussion thread on Edmodo or another blog where each teacher reflects on their learning at least once a month
  • Participate in the #UDLchat on Twitter the first and third Wednesday of each month
  • Observe cohort members implementing Universal Design in their own classrooms at least once a quarter
  • Participate in Looking at Student Work protocols to examine Universally Designed curricular materials at least once a month
  • Creating a virtual PLC on google hangout

Step 4: Determine when you will complete each action step.

After creating your action steps, decide when each step will be completed, so you can check them off as you develop professionally and meet your goals. This will enhance your capacity to monitor your own process and will allow to self-assess how you’re doing and reflect at the end of the cycle.

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