6-12 Literacy Update
January 22, 2015
5 Access Points to The Academic Focus
Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening Using High Quality Text in Every Classroom Every Day!
1. Writing from Sources
2. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction.
3. Reading, Writing, and Speaking Grounded in Evidence from the Text
4. Regular practice with Complex Text and Academic Vocabulary
5. Balanced Literacy/Gradual Release of Learning to Scaffold Students to Independence
Input Scores for District Writing Diagnotic II into Infinite Campus by January 23, 2015
Writing From Sources-Using Paragraph Frames
Writing from Sources is something all teachers struggle to teach across curriculum. English teachers have been shouldering the burden, when writing actually happen across the curriculum. Listen as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Program Consultant Carol Jago discusses writing from sources. In your grade level meetings, share Constructed Response Writing Frames with your colleagues so that they can help scaffold student writing.
Click this direct link to Writing Frames on our ELA SharePoint site: http://tinyurl.com/kcg7z7m
New CCGPS ELA Standards Approved
The State Board of Education has approved revisions to the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) in English Language Arts and Math.
Those standards were posted for a 60-day public comment period on November 12, 2014.
The standards were revised based on a formal review and evaluation process, as directed by an executive order from Governor Nathan Deal. That process included several survey opportunities, along with legislative and State Board of Education listening sessions. Finally, the public was invited to comment on the proposed revisions for 60 days following their proposal by the State Board. Click here to review the final reports, standard ratings, and draft of standards for 2016SY.
GA Milestones Assessment Design -- Testing Times
The GA Milestones Assessments for ELA will be given in three sections. Students may have up to 70 minutes per section to complete Sections 1 and 2. Students will be given a maximum of 90 minutes to complete Section 3, which includes the extended writing-response. Sections 1 and 2 must be scheduled to be administered on the same day in one test session. Section 3, which focuses on writing, must be administered on a separate day following the completion of Sections 1 and 2. Click here to access the full assessment design for each grade level.
2015 APS Spelling Bee
We had 36 schools to register with Scripps National Spelling Bee! One representative from each of these schools will compete in the APS Spelling Bee on February 2 at Maynard Jackson High School at 5 PM. If you haven't already, be sure to provide your school Bee representative with a copy of Spell It! found here to prepare for the competition. Admission is free so make plans to attend and cheer on our spelling scholars!
Upcoming Professional Learning
Department Chair Meeting.........Jan. 29th
Instructional Coach Meeting......Feb. 3rd
Coordinate Algebra Poetry Contest......Feb. 9th
March 2-3, 2015
The Hyatt Regency Atlanta - Peachtree
Participants will learn:
•Why teachers are being asked to teach reading with more complex text
•What the research says about teaching students at their "instructional reading level"
•How to scaffold the reading of complex texts so that students can learn effectively
•What close reading REALLY is
•How to develop and enhance close reading skills
•Specific criteria for formulating and evaluating close reading questions
Dr. Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is Director of the UIC Center for Literacy. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, serving 437,000 students. He is author of editor of more than 200 publications including the books Teaching with the Common Core Standards for the English Language Arts, and Early Childhood Literacy. His research emphasizes the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement.
Admission to the seminar is $395 per person and includes continental breakfast. Register for 4 or more and receive a $20 discount each.
Visit corelearn.com/Events/CORE-Events.html.
For questions, email events@corelearn.com.
Dr. Alisha Hill
6-12 Literacy Coordinator
ELA SharePoint: http://tinyurl.com/apsELAsite
Remind Updates: Text @aps612 to (678) 866-1954
Email: arhill@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Website: atlanta.k12.ga.us
Phone: 404-802-2702
Twitter: @DrAlishaHill