Session Title - USING LITERACY ASSESSMENTS TO MAKE INSTRUCTIONAL
DECISIONS (Proposal 82)
Presenters- Monica L. Campbell, Ph.D. & Jayme N. Linton, Ph.D.
(Lenoir-Rhyne University)
Session Agenda
A. Introductions
B. Session Objectives
a. Recognize effective practices for analyzing assessment data and differentiating
instruction.
b. Analyze cases of student and classroom literacy data.
c. Design instructional plans to meet learners’ needs based on assessment data.
C. Current Data from NC DPI (READING EOGs):
How are students in NC performing on their reading assessments?
D. Effective and Ineffective Literacy Practices:
(Remainder of the list will be generated during discussions with participants.)
Ineffective Practices
Accelerated Reader & STAR: Common
implementation practices
Using instructional time for test prep
Using writing proficiencies to determine
reading instruction
Commercial spelling programs
Weekly reading tests
Fridays = testing
Worksheets
Effective Practices
Student selected text; Reader Response
Journals, Authentic tasks for students to
complete (rather than tests)
Honor the literacy block, maximize
instructional time
Differentiate reading and writing
instruction; provide daily writing
instruction
Authentic and differentiated spelling
instruction
Authentic assessments; project-based
assessments; formative assessments
Formative assessments throughout the
week; differentiated assessments
Authentic, active learning
E. Case Study Example:
(Objective: Select Appropriate Instructional Strategies)
Presenters will display an example of student data and demonstrate steps required for
effective analysis. Presenters will discuss how to make instructional decisions based on
the results of that analysis.
F. Small group case studies:
Participants will be given a case study and asked to analyze the results using guided
questions provided on the “Case Analysis” handout. Participants will also be asked to
develop an instructional plan.
Sally is a struggling reader who has achieved below grade level as a reader for the
past three years. In third grade, Sally began to close the gap between her expected
achievement level and her actual achievement level. On mid-year assessments in
third grade, Sally was four levels below expected grade level performance. From the
middle to the end of third grade, if Sally continued to make progress, she could have
been only one or two levels below grade level by the end of the year. However, as
evidenced by the data, Sally’s reading level did not change from the middle to the
end of the third grade year. During the second half of third grade, Sally’s teacher
focused on preparing students for end-of-grade assessments. This involved weekly
test prep sessions during literacy block. Students who did not perform successfully
during weekly test prep sessions were required to participate in additional test prep
sessions the following week. Because of this, Sally’s literacy instructional time was
drastically reduced during the second half of the school year.
G. Share instructional plans:
Groups will share ideas and group discussions will follow.
H. Additional resources:
Diller, D. (2007). Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1999). Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books
in Guided Reading, K-3. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to
Enhance Understanding. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Honig, B., Diamon, L., & Gutlohn, L. (2013). Teaching reading sourcebook. Navato,
CA: Arena Press.
Laminack, L. L., & Wood, K. (1996). Spelling in Use. Urbana IL: National Council of
Teachers of English.
Ray, K. W. (2002). What You Know by Heart: How to Develop Curriculum for Your
Writing Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Ray, K. W., with Laminack, L. L. (2001). The Writing Workshop: Working Through the
Hard Parts (And They’re All Hard Parts). Urbana, IL: National Council of
Teachers of English.
Website: http://list.ly/list/O7S-digital-tools-for-k-3-literacy
I. Contact Information:
monica.campbell@lr.edu; jayme.linton@lr.edu