RIT Brief
Volume 3, Number 8, April 2018
KEA/K-3 Formative Assessment News for the Piedmont-Triad and Northwest Regions
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Celebrating Two Awesome Regional Meetings!
The Spring 2018 KEA District Team Meetings were held during the month of March. District Teams in both regions shared amazing KEA success stories from their districts, learned more about the Emotional Literacy construct progression, dug in to the Practice Profile as a Coaching Tool, and heard from other districts in our Community of Practice. Check out the many resources shared and Team Presentations on the DIT Resources page here.
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Community of Practice in Action!
Leigh Ann Dixon
To view Leigh Ann's presentation click here.
Stacy Buck
To view Stacy's presentation click here.
Alamance-Burlington School System
To view ABSS's presentation click here.
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MYTHBUSTERS
Fact or Myth: Kindergarten teachers' major goal is to get all children to the "end" of each progression.
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FAP Spotlight On: Selecting Learning Targets
The Formative Assessment Process (FAP) is comprised of five critical components: Selecting Learning Targets, Developing Criteria for Success, Eliciting Evidence of Learning, Interpreting the Evidence, and Adapting/Responding to Learning Needs. For modules designed to define and provide examples of each critical component, click here.
Selecting Learning Targets helps teachers use the evidence they have elicited and interpreted to answer the question, “What is the next skill the student needs to learn?”
The Practice Profile describes what teachers would be doing as they engage in the process of Selecting Learning Targets Click here to download the Practice Profile.
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K3 Quick Guide Close-up: Perseverance in Assigned Activities
Research has shown that signs of attention and impulsivity can be detected as early as age 2-5 but continue to develop until reaching relative stability between ages 6 and 8 (Olson, Sameroff, Kerr, Lopez & Wellman, 2005; Posner & Rothbart, 2000). Thus, the early elementary grades afford a prime opportunity to support children's development of persistence and engagement.
Modeling Expected Behavior Matters!
Modeling desired behaviors allows students to more fully understand expectations. When introducing classroom activities, provide occasional mini-lessons on what perseverance looks like. For example, provide an explicit mini-lesson in expectations during independent reading, modeling expected behaviors:
“Watch how I quietly choose my book(s) from the classroom library and return to my seat. I have to choose carefully because I know I’m not going to be getting up to change my mind and get a new book today.”
For more information and suggestions for developing Perseverance in Assigned Activities, find the Quick Guide here.
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TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT FOR ADMINISTRATORS
Have a question related to technology? Check out the How-To Guide for Administrators. You can find it within the technology platform by clicking on the blue question mark "help icon" in the lower left hand corner when you log on (as seen above). Several guides and videos will appear in the menu. Look for the How-To Guide for Administrators. You can review it online or click to download a copy. You'll find screen shots and step by step instructions for managing user accounts and creating and printing a variety of reports.
For additional technology questions, go to the technology FAQ here.
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Stay Connected to the NCDPI K-3 Literacy Division
Quick Link: NC Read to Achieve LiveBinder
Contact information for Regional K-3 Literacy Consultants:
Piedmont-Triad: Rebecca Belcastro at rebecca.belcastro@dpi.nc.gov
Northwest: Mia Johnson at mia.johnson@dpi.nc.gov
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Fact or Myth Answer: MYTH
The formative assessment process does not rely on proficiency markers. Rather, a learning status on a progression is an indicator of what a child can do, and what the next step is for continued growth.
For the MYTHBUSTERS PowerPoint for use in your PD, click here.