FHSD Elementary ELA Newsletter
May 2016
Important Dates
Mastery Connect Data Entry for ELA Writing Assessments
Fourth Quarter: Was: May 9-13 Changed to May 9-May 31
Assessment Wall
Fourth Quarter: May 6th-13th
Elementary Writing Work Group Update
Focus Genres
The writing work group researched writing scoring guide best practice and writing best practice. They also looked at various published scoring guides as examples. Using resources such as Fountas and Pinnell, Lucy Calkins, and Linda Dorn, the writing work group
· refined descriptors to be in teacher friendly language
· worked toward vertical alignment
· conventions section was divided into grammar and writing mechanics
· .5 columns removed
Purpose of the Scoring Guide According to Best Practice
1. Assess performance toward standards and writing behaviors
2. Help teachers teach
3. Help coordinate instruction and assessment
4. Help students learn – provides next steps for students
For 2016-2017, the work group would like to release drafts of non-focus genre scoring guides.
· Teachers can use the drafts.
· Literacy coaches are available to work with groups who use the newly released scoring guides. Carrie and Melinda are available too via appointment.
· Feedback should be grounded in best practice (such as Fountas and Pinnell or Lucy Calkins).
· Feedback needs to be 1st semester in order for the work group to have time to make adjustments. Therefore, 1st grade would need to save some of their opinion and informational pieces from this year and/or grade smaller opinion and informational writing pieces in order to provide feedback.
· Data will not be formally collected on the newly released scoring guides that are in draft form.
Next steps for the work group
· Finalize non-focus scoring guides
· Create an annotated exemplars library
Kindergarten
- Sight Words
- Assessment Wall
A backwards design model unit has been created demonstrating how to incorporate ELA curriculum within a balanced literacy model. The unit can be located on HowellNET within the unit 1 folder.
Handwriting without Tears books will arrive in buildings by the end of the week.
First Grade
- Galileo Reading Benchmark (optional)
- Assessment Wall
A backwards design model unit has been created demonstrating how to incorporate ELA curriculum within a balanced literacy model. The unit can be located on HowellNET within the unit 1 folder.
Reading Summative Assessments for 2016-2017
Since Galileo will no longer be utilized in first grade next year, feedback was gathered from teams regarding the preference for next year's reading summative assessments. The feedback from the teams was to use this year's "formative" assessments that are aligned to the priority standards.
Handwriting without Tears books will arrive in buildings by the end of the week.
Second Grade
- Galileo Reading Benchmark (optional)
- Assessment Wall
A backwards design model unit has been created demonstrating how to incorporate ELA curriculum within a balanced literacy model. The unit can be located on HowellNET within the unit 1 folder.
Handwriting without Tears books will arrive in buildings by the end of the week.
3rd Grade
- Galileo Reading Benchmark (optional)
- Assessment Wall
- Author's Note (Informational Writing)
Assessment change for 2016-2017:
Based on feedback the writing assessments for second and fourth quarter have been changed. The second quarter assessment will be and ecosystem informational writing piece and fourth quarter will be narrative writing including a weather related event.
A backwards design model unit has been created demonstrating how to incorporate ELA curriculum within a balanced literacy model. The unit can be located on HowellNET within the unit 1 folder.
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade 4th Quarter ELA Assessments
- Galileo Reading Benchmark (optional)
- Assessment Wall
Second Semester Revisions Day is May 24th, PLC representative will bring
- Curriculum
- Feedback regarding the curriculum
- Student writing from third and fourth quarter writing assessments
- Daily Lesson Plans for Units 4-7 (optional)
A backwards design model unit has been created demonstrating how to incorporate ELA curriculum within a balanced literacy model. The unit can be located on HowellNET within the unit 1 folder.
5th Grade
Fifth Grade 4th Quarter ELA Assessments
- Galileo Reading Benchmark (optional)
- Assessment Wall
Second Semester Revisions Day is May 25th, PLC representative will bring
- Curriculum
- Feedback regarding the curriculum
- Student writing from third and fourth quarter writing assessments
- Daily Lesson Plans for Units 4-7 (optional)
A backward design model unit has been created demonstrating how to incorporate ELA curriculum within a balanced literacy model. The unit can be located on HowellNET within the unit 1 folder.
Curriculum Updates
Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/try-little-word-big-gift-karine-veldhoen
Elementary ELA Content Leader
Email: carrie.hepburn@fhsdschools.org
Location: 1405 Hwy D, Saint Charles, MO, United States
Phone: 636-851-6341
Twitter: @CarrieHepburn