Diverse Learners CoP

1. Diverse Learners CoP Curriculum Based Measurements and its Applications to Second Language (Hebrew) Literacy March 17, 2008 Facilitator: Donna Lupatkin Guest: Scott Goldberg, Ph.D. Yeshiva University Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration

2. Participants will be able to Differentiate between summative and formative assessment practices, as well as between mastery assessment and curriculum-based measurement practices Identify obstacles to the implementation of curriculum-based measurement in Jewish schools Goals of the Call

3. Welcome and Introductions Setting the Context Assessment Introduction Mastery CBM Summary Next Steps Agenda

4. Director of the Institute for Educational Partnership and Applied Research and Director of the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Division of Doctoral Studies Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from New York University; M.S.Ed. in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York; B.A. in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago Research interests: Differentiated Instruction Multilingual literacy development and assessment The connection between learning disabilities and behavior problems Religious development The effects of media on learning and behavior Bilingual education Special education Meet Scott Goldberg

5. Setting the Context

6. Assessment – Gathering information Evaluation – Using assessment information to make a decision Discuss: What decisions do we want/need to make? We need to know what the strengths and weaknesses are in each student and in each area. Should a child be passing or failing? Do they need enrichment? Need to adjust based on the child’s needs. Instructional decisions. A decision made outside of the classroom. Defining Assessment and Evaluation

7. Put the teacher in the assessment and decision making. Measurement with person in direct contact. The teacher will be the one to implement the changes. What can they accommodate in the classroom? What decisions do we want/need to make?Additional notes:

8. How do we currently assess? What methods do we use? When do we currently assess? At what times of the year? What intervals? Ongoing informal assessment within the classroom Based on conferences and/or progress reports End of unit, or beginning of a new unit Why do we currently assess? For what purpose do we assess? Whodo we currently assess? Which students need to be assessed? Questions to Ask

9. What is the overall model of assessment? Is this mostly a summative or formative model of assessment? Which model will support diverse learners best? Literature suggests formative Summative vs. Formative

10. Definition Mastery of a series of short-term instructional objectives Most forms of classroom assessment are MasteryMeasurement To implement, teachers determine a sensible instructional sequence for the school year design criterion-referenced testing procedures to match each step in that instructional sequence Mastery Measurement

11. Hierarchy of skills is logical, not empirical. Assessment does not reflect maintenance or generalization. Measurement framework is highly associated with a set of instructional methods. Mastery Measurement: Problems

12. Addresses problems arising with Mastery Measurement. Makes no assumptions about instructional hierarchy for determining measurement (i.e., CBM fits with any instructional approach). Incorporates automatic tests of retention and generalization. Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)

13. “…a set of standard simple, short-duration fluency measures of reading, spelling, written expression…” “…general outcome indicators…measuring ‘vital signs’ of student achievement in important areas of basic skills…” “‘academic thermometers’ to monitor students’ growth in important skills domains relevant to school outcomes.” More about CBM

14. CBM produces accurate, meaningful information about students’ academic levels and growth; CBM is sensitive to student improvement; When teachers use CBM to inform their instructional decisions, students achieve better. Research Findings

15. Screening Progress Monitoring Instructional Diagnosis Three Purposes of CBM

16. All students are tested early in the year. Students who score below a criterion are candidates for more intensive service or for additional testing. CBM: Screening

17. What are some of the obstacles to school-wide screening?100% of student body is being screened Do not know how to digest all of the information How can the obstacles be overcome? Digest on a class by class basis Discussion Points

18. Academic Systems Behavioral Systems • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • High Intensity • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • Intense, durable procedures • Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Universal Interventions • All students • Preventive, proactive • Universal Interventions • All settings, all students • Preventive, proactive Designing School-Wide Systemsfor Student Success 1-5% 1-5% 5-10% 5-10% 80-90% 80-90%

19. Teachers assess students’ academic performance on a regular basis To identify students whose progress is less than adequate To use information to enhance instruction for all students To determine whether children are profiting appropriately from the typical instructional program To build more effective programs for children who do not benefit appropriately from typical instruction CBM: Progress Monitoring

20. What are some of the obstacles to school-wide progress monitoring? Someone above the classroom teacher to collect info and monitor Teacher “buy-in” Uncomfortable incorporating techniques It could (would) show holes in teaching Resources needed to intervene to illustrate to the teacher Teacher will feel judged Discussion Points

21. Preventing the obstacles from happening to begin with. Have a cooperative system within the school Easy to find testing for General Studies, but not for Hebrew Studies How can the obstacles be overcome?

22. Intervention Central: CBM Warehouse http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/cbmwarehouse.php Resource:Pre-Made General Studies CBM

23. Identify the skills in the year-long curriculum Determine the weight of skills in the curriculum Create 30 alternate test forms each test samples the entire year’s curriculum each test contains the same types of questions Give tests quarterly (or 3x/year) for all and weekly (or bi-weekly) for struggling students Graph and analyze data Modify instruction as appropriate Implementing CBM

24. Using key literacy skills as a case in point: Phonological Awareness Alphabetic Principle Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension CBM: Instructional Diagnostics

25. When I say 'start' begin here (point to first letter in upper right hand corner), go across the page (point), and tell me as many letters as you can. Try to name each letter. If you come to a letter you don't know I'll tell it to you. Put your finger on the first letter. Ready, begin. Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) Measures RISK FOR BASIC SKILL ACQUISITION LNF Probe 1 _____/110

26. When I say 'start' begin here (point to first letter in upper right hand corner), go across the page (point), and read as many letters and vowels together as you can. Try to read them together. If you come to one you don't know I'll tell it to you. Put your finger on the first letter. Ready, begin. CV Reading Fluency (CVRF) Measures BASIC FLUENCY CVRF Probe 1 _____/110

27. Measures FLUENCY and COMPREHENSION Oral Reading Fluency • Student reads aloud from grade-appropriate reader for 1 minute. • The number of words read correctly constitutes the basic decision-making metric. • Student is asked to retell what s/he read for 1 minute. • The number of words said in the retell is counted and constitutes the basic decision-making metric.

28. Other Fluency Measures • Spelling • Students write words that are dictated at specified intervals (either 5, 7, or 10 seconds) for 2 minutes. Five seconds is appropriate for high school students. • The number of correct CV units and/or words spelled correctly constitutes the basic decision-making metric. • Shorashim • Student is given page filled with shorashim and is asked to point to each and say its basic meaning. Student translates shorashim for 1 minute. • The number of shorashim translated correctly constitutes the basic decision-making metric.

29. In Summary CMB is used. . . • to identify at-risk students who may need additional services • to help general education teachers plan more effective instruction within their classrooms • to help special education teachers design more effective instructional programs for students who do not respond to the general education program • to document student progress for accountability purposes • to communicate with parents or other professionals about students’ progress

30. scott.goldberg@yu.edu Contact Information