Literacy program eval
0 likes335 views
This document summarizes an evaluation of a literacy program at Prairie Hills Middle School in Markham, IL. The student population is 90.8% African American. The evaluation identifies strengths of the program, such as knowledgeable literacy coaches and use of technology. Weaknesses include an overreliance on summative assessments and lack of formative assessments to guide instruction. Interviews found a focus on high-stakes testing. The evaluator suggests providing explicit training for teachers on balanced and thoughtful formative and summative assessments to better guide reading instruction.
Literacy program eval
- 2. Prairie Hills Demographics Location: Markham, IL Student population-731 Grades served-6th - 8th Student Demographics- 90.8% African American, 6.3% White, 2.2% Hispanic Class Size-27.3
- 3. Program Strengths Strengths ● Basal program with paper and online resources ● Knowledgeable Literacy Coaches ● Software Based literacy resources ● Use of technology for further instruction that allows for use of another modality ● Collaborative Activities ● Interesting activities that engage students ● Teacher shows genuine altruistic investment in students ● Artifacts of previous lessons displayed in student language ● Evidence of student work is present ● Centers are present
- 4. Program Weaknesses ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● The basal program is not being consistently taught with fidelity throughout each classroom. Literary Coaches are not always available No evidence of classroom based formative assessment to guide instruction Over Reliance of summative assessment to guide instruction Teacher does not spend enough time giving instruction on new concepts. This leads to poor understanding thereby requiring clarifying questions throughout the collaborative processes. Activities may be interaction however the content is not challenging or does not have depth. Very little independent time for activities. Students are paired or grouped but never appear to work independently on new concepts. Poor library materials and accessibility Little evidence of differentiation
- 5. Summative Overview of Interviews ● All instructional members were aware of district’s initiatives and their leader’s vision. ● Reading teachers were knowledgeable of best instructional practices, but readily admitted to “not implementing best practices all the time” because of the demands of the job. ● All members admitted that high stakes testing was at the heart of the district’s vision and initiatives
- 6. Prevalent Overarching Issue Based on Interviews with program participants Reading assessments are marked by imbalance within the program. Why? Partly, because of the attention given to high stakes summative assessments and the lack of attention that is given to classroom based reading assessments.
- 7. Imbalances that Teachers Require Explicit Training On 1st Imbalance:Reading Processes Vs. Reading Products 2nd Imbalance: Reading Skills Vs. What the student understands from reading 3rd Imbalance:Cognitive & Affective Reading Outcomes Vs. Reader Characteristics 4th Imbalance: Formative Reading Assessment Vs. Summative Reading Assessment 5th Imbalance Assessments Done to the student Vs. Done with & by the student 6th Imbalance: Demand of teacher Vs. Professional Development Opportunities
- 8. Suggestions for Improvement Teachers should strive for thoughtful assessments. Thoughtful assessment seek to use knowledge about what students should know and combine this with our best understanding of effective assessment. This is done so that we can make inferences from these reading assessments.
- 9. Assessments should be... ● Formative to shape our understanding of developing reading ● Summative to provide evidence of students meeting benchmarks
- 10. Suggestions for formative classroom comprehension assessments Because comprehension can be literal, inferential, critical and evaluative teachers should formulate questions that cover all four levels. From these questions teachers can make inferences about the development of students’ reading comprehension.
- 11. Suggestions for classroom based assessments Talented teachers use their students’ characteristics and their understanding of classroom based assessments to guide instruction. Going forward teachers must be trained of effective classroom reading assessments. As they: ● ● ● Inform for the purpose of important educational decisions Helps the teacher determine student’s Zone of Proximal Development Are balanced so that they provide teachers with rich and current info about students
- 12. References Bernhardt, V.L. (2000). Intersections: New routes open when one type of data crosses another. Journal of Staff Development, 21(1), 33-36. International Reading Association, N. E. (2002). Supporting young adolescents' literacy learning. A Joint Position Statement of the International Reading Association and the National Middle School Association. Illinois State Board of Education. (2013, December 8). No child left behind/adequate yearly progress. Retrieved from http://www.isbe.state.il. us/ayp/htmls/faq.htm Kamil, M. L., Pearson, P.D., Moje, E. B., & Afflerbach, P. P. (EDs). (2011). Handbook of reading research. Vol. IV. New York, NY: Routledge. MacArthur, C. A., Graham, S., & Fitzgerald, J. (2008). Handbook of writing research. New York: The Guilford Press Marchand-Martella, Nancy E., Martella, R. C., Modderman , S. L., Petersen, H. M. & Pan, S . (2013). Key Areas of Effective Adolescent Literacy Moore, D. W., Bean, T. W., Birdyshaw, D., Rycik, J. A., & International Reading Association, N. E. (1999). Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement for the Commission on Adolescent Literacy of the International Reading Association. Morrow, L. Gambrell. & Pressley, M. Eds (2007). Best Practices in Literacy Instruction (3rd E.d).New York: Guilford press. Programs. Education & Treatment Of Children (West Virginia University Press) 36, no. 1: 161-184. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost