Cutler Middle School
February 4, 2014
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Andrea Davis, Coordinator of English 6-12
Leslie Forbes, Language Arts teacher, grade
6
Jennifer Carter, Language Arts substitute
teacher, grade 6
Betzy Farnsworth, Language Arts teacher,
grade 7
Nancy Stankiewicz, Language Arts teacher,
grade7
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Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Designed to measure student achievement of
the recently adopted Common Core State
Standards for English/language arts and
Mathematics.
www.smarterbalanced.org
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Based on student responses, the computer
program adjusts the difficulty of questions
throughout the assessment.
These assessments present an individually
tailored set of questions to each student
This approach represents a significant
improvement over traditional paper-and-pencil
assessments used in many states today,
providing more accurate scores for all students
across the full range of the achievement
continuum.
There are six major shifts in the focus of
English instruction with the adoption of the
Common Core State Standards for College and
Career Readiness (CCSS)
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Increased text complexity
Evidence- based writing ( writing arguments)
Academic vocabulary
Reading nonfiction
Reading and writing across content areas
Text-referenced reading response (close
reading)
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Assessments are composed of reading, writing,
listening and research. Assessments include a shift
in:
•Text complexity across literary and informational
texts; greater exposure to informational texts
•Writing for multiple purposes and to different
audiences (i.e. narrative, informational/expository,
and opinion/argumentative across all grade levels)
•Writing to source materials
•English Language Conventions
•Performance Tasks (PT)
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2 Hour non-performance
section of test that
includes assessment of
reading and responding
in short and multiple
choice answers, as well
as listening to podcasts
and answering questions
about what was listened
to. Questions about
editing and revising are
included.
Day One
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2.5 Hour Performance
Assessment that
includes a 30 minute
in-class teacher-whole
class activity.
Next slides will show
sample for grade 7.
Day Two
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Performance tasks measure a student’s ability
to integrate knowledge and skills
Depth of understanding, research skills, and
complex analysis
Some scored automatically; many will be
hand-scored by professionally trained
readers.
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Napping Argumentative Performance Task
Issue:
There has been much debate about the role
of sleep and the role of napping. How many
hours of sleep is enough? What is too much
sleep? What is too little sleep? How do naps
fit into sleep cycles?
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The issue of “napping” will be one of the
topics for an upcoming school debate club.
To prepare for this debate, and to decide
which side of “napping” you are on, you have
been conducting research on the topic. As
part of your research, you have found two
articles and a newspaper column about sleep.
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After you have reviewed these sources, you
will answer some questions about them.
Briefly scan the sources and the three
questions that follow.
Then, go back and read the sources carefully
to gain the information you will need to
answer the questions and finalize your debate
stance.
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In Part 2, you will write an argumentative
essay on a topic related to the sources.
Directions for Beginning:
You will now examine several sources. You
can re-examine any of the sources as often
as you like.
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Using SBAC released rubrics to assess student
work throughout the school year
Increasing opportunities to read nonfiction
texts and practice close reading
Embedding Academic Vocabulary across the
disciplines ( as part of the team approach)
Practice with listening and responding
Research writing that requires reading
multiple sources
Own the Word
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Word detectives
Word Study graphic
organizers
“Owner” of word:
Teach their peers;
explain meaning
when needed; create
posters; encouraged
to use in their verbal
responses and
writing.
CCSS Shift: Speaking
& Listening
we practice these
skills:
“Podcasts”
listening; notetaking; evaluating an
argument
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CCSS shift:
Students need to:
include a paragraph that refutes opposing
viewpoints (Concession paragraph)
acknowledge valid points of the opposing
argument
show that they thoughtfully considered both
sides of the argument
be able to counter by providing evidence that
their claim is stronger
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Through skits/role playing
By debating an issue in class
(Verbal & listening skills)
Working in small groups to practice how to
find supporting evidence and how to counter
opposing arguments
Writing an argumentative paper with support
from Mrs. Strickland with research skills and
how to cite their sources.
Practice typing and note-taking on the
computer (Split-screen)
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“Time for Kids” Magazine
Articles related to topics being discussed in
class
Classroom centers: Reading various nonfiction texts that relate to novels being read
in class; Researching, reading, collecting
information to create various artifacts such as
travel brochures
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Students use the Media Center once a week .
Co-teach lessons with media specialist on
research skills using various sources;
citations; typing skills; note-taking on the
computer using split-screens
iPads used in class
Research paper due in late Spring
Increasing Opportunities for
Students to Read Nonfiction
Texts and Practice Close
Reading
Close Reading- careful and
purposeful reading
to say
provide
rereading
students focus on what author has
students attend to author’s purpose
students focus on word
meaning (embedded vocabulary
activities)
students attend to text structure
students have opportunities to
evidence and justification
Students react and interact with a variety of
texts.
poetry
nonfiction articles (cross curricular)
short stories
chapter books
persuasive materials
advertisements, etc.
Preparing for SBAC:
Research Skills
Speaking and Listening
 Using fiction as a springboard to
increase opportunities to read
nonfiction texts
 Teaching research skills through
formal debate
 Opportunity to practice oral
presentation, responding, and
listening skills
 Research writing that requires
reading multiple sources
Students practicing speaking skills
while timing
themselves on the iPads in
preparation for the debate
Students were listening to their fellow classmates’ debates. Their job,
to be listening for details that will help them determine who they feel
won the debate. Students took notes during each debate in order to
record talking points and facts. They would need this evidence to
support their written responses.
While the judges confer, students
begin writing their written
responses. They must tell who they
thought won the debate, justifying
their decision with specific evidence
from the debate.
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Please take a
flyer with you