Unit 3: Data Driven Instruction
Activity 1: Response to Intervention
Activity 1 - James Sharp
Case Study
Name: Leo
Age: 11
Grade: 5
Background Information: Leo speaks English as a second language. Leo has constantly been placed in the advanced class of students until recently due to his influential parents. As such, he has a misguided self-perception of his abilities and was never taught some basic skills in earlier grades. Leo is a friendly boy who works well in small groups, however often other students don’t enjoy working with him due to his low level. This is something I am trying to address.
Reading Level: On average, Leo reads at a second or third grade level. He is about average at all subjects, and English is the only subject where he struggles a lot.
Academic challenge deficit: Leo struggles with reading. He has trouble with both reading fluency and reading comprehension. He is able to read sight words and has basic phonological awareness, however still sometimes struggles with some blend sounds and pronouncing longer words he is unfamiliar with. Leo has trouble understanding more complicated individual words and also the overall meaning when reading age-appropriate texts. Leo has a limited vocabulary which is sometimes the reason why he struggles with comprehension.
Initial Screening
My initial screening would include various types of assessments including: diagnostic tests, KWL charts, mind maps, speaking tests, informal discussions, observations, quizzes and a reading running record. The above screening methods are best used in conjunction with a standardized screening tool. It’s important to remember that the initial screening should align with learning expectations (VanDerHeyden, A. n.d). The following assessment tool will be given to all students: i-Ready Diagnostic and Growth MonitoringReading / English Language Arts. More information can be found here: OverviewMeasures progress towards: Short-term skill
Grades: K-8
Tool intended for the following student populations: students in general education, students with disabilities, English language learners.
Tool assesses: Global Indicator of Reading Competence
Cost: $6 per student.
License duration: 1 year.
Technology required: computer or tablet, internet connection
Administration context: Individual, computer - administered
Administration time: 15 minutes per student.
Score calculated: automatically
I chose i-Ready as it is a broad test which is appropriate for both students in general education and English language learners. As we are testing for placing students into tier 1 intervention, I believe that a more general test will be more beneficial for a wider range of students. As the test only requires 15 minutes to conduct, and it is graded automatically, it will be convenient for the students to take and for the teachers to conduct.
Data based decisions made from the screening: From the above screening, I would be able to identify a range of students who require Tier 1 support and intervention. Leo would be one of these students. Furthermore, I would be able to identify if problems are limited to individual students, or if they were classwide, or even gradewide. If issues were classwide, I would reevaluate the competency of instruction and make adjustments as required as is suggested by Amanda VanDerHeyden.
Tier 1 Strategies
Through my research I found various kinds of strategies for tier one strategies. Tier 1 strategies affect the majority of students and aren’t nearly as remedial as tier 2 or 3 ones. They are “general education instruction...implemented in differentiated instructional settings” (Collier, C., 2010). I decided to use the following strategies in tier one to assist a wide range of students to improve their reading literacy:
FIST: Students work in mixed groups and follow the FIST steps while reading assigned readings. Students will be introduced to the steps and be provided with a handout so they remember them. Alternatively, the steps are placed around the classroom. The steps are: First sentence is read, Indicate a question based on first sentence, Search for the answer for the question, Tie question and answer together through paraphrasing. This is something that would need to be practiced as a class in groups and individually, but is a strategy that I believe could really help all students to become better readers.
Student Led Guided Reading: I would choose advanced students to lead small groups in guided reading. As this happens, I would facilitate the activity by joining in and out of groups frequently. Such a strategy would improve student motivation as well as build their confidence with reading and develop their vocabulary.
Language Games: There are a plethora of group-based and class-wide reading games that could be played with the students as part of a tier 1 strategy. These help develop content knowledge and also motivate students. There are many games which can be turned into reading games such as Go Fish and Old Maid. These games are also really good for English language learners like Leo.
Proximity: I would have students work in groups, arranged so that together they make a circle around the classroom, with the teacher in the middle. This would allow students to more likely stay on task as they always have another student monitoring them, and they can see the teacher walking around and monitoring while they are working. I would have students work on reading in their groups and have a group leader in charge to assist those who need help.
Reduced Stimuli: Research shows that students may become over-stimulated and distracted when too much is happening. English language learners especially need to focus in order to understand, so by reducing stimuli, they may be more likely to succeed. I would make sure that the room was quiet and that students were directing their attention to the vocabulary words while we were focused on that task. I know that some students have a limited attention span, so the task would be broken up into chunks and students would be able to stand up and stretch their legs in between.
Progress Monitoring
I would monitor all students across this time through the use of a running record. I would also observe students during their student-led guided reading sessions to check how various students are progressing.
I would then screen students in tier 1 to see if any needed to be moved to tier 2. It’s important to note that students who need tier 2 strategies will still continue to be provided tier 1 strategies and that tier 2 is in addition to tier 1, not instead of it.
I decided to use the following screening tool to check for students who need tier 2 support: Acadience Reading K-6 (aka DIBELS Next®) Oral Reading Fluency Words Correct. You can find more information about it he
re.
OverviewMeasures progress towards: End-year goal
Grades: 1-6
Tool intended for the following student populations: students in general education, students with disabilities, English language learners.
Tool assesses: decoding, passage reading, comprehension
Cost: $0. Sopris: $9.95 for 5-pack Scoring Booklets ($1.99 per student).
License duration: Various
Administration context: Individual, computer - administered
I chose this one as I think that it was more specialized and also because it was applicable to English language learners like Leo. I think that using a different monitoring tool between tiers 1 and 2 will make sure that there is no inherent bias at play and it’s not just that the student can’t perform well at one kind of testing tool. As tier 2 is much more specialized than tier 1 (20% of students compared to 90%), I thought that changing to a more specialized monitoring tool such as Acadience was a good idea.
Data based decisions made from the screening: After classroom monitoring has happened and I have checked the running record and looked at the feedback and results from the Acadience tool, students who require tier 2 strategies would be placed in tier 2. The data would inform me as to which areas and competencies students in general need more help in and which individual students need more personalized support.
Tier 2 Strategies
In tier 2, students who are struggling will be given more exposure to the areas of the core areas in which they are struggling. In this case, Leo and others will be provided with more time to help them improve their reading competencies. Students will be placed in a group with other students who have been identified to require tier 2 strategies. Students will receive special time twice a week to work on their key reading competencies for 30 minutes each session. It is important to note that this will not be during the time of the tier one strategies listed above, and they will still take part in the tier one strategies.
The following are some tier 2 strategies which I think would be beneficial to students:
Encourage movement: Allow students to move round the classroom or even lie down when they read. Some students may be uncomfortable sitting straight at their desks and this may make them focus all their energy on sitting correctly rather than focusing on reading! Try taking a small group of students into a comfortable, informal setting and conducting a guided reading together.
Chunking: It’s important to realize that some students don’t have the attention to stay at one task for a long time. Knowing this, chunking one activity into several smaller ones can not only make things seem more manageable for students, but also give them time to rest in between.
Student Led Group Reading: Just because students are struggling, doesn’t mean they can’t take charge of their learning. Students in tier two can still take part in, and lead, guided reading sessions. The teacher will need to be here supporting the session, but it’s important to give all students a turn at leading the guided reading session in their tier 2 groups.
Classwide Interventions: Contrary to what the name implies, this is actually a tier 2 strategy as while the whole class is taking part in the activity, the interventions are targeted to assist a small group of students' problems. For example, if the tier two students need more help with chunking to pronounce complex words, we can intervene as a class, but not mention that the issue only applies to a few students. Not only does this save them potential embarrassment, but it allows them to learn from their peers and also allows their peers to solidify their own understanding through peer-teaching.
Progress Monitoring
The same progress monitoring tool from the previous step will be used here. I think that as tiers 2 and 3 are quite detailed, it’s fine to focus on the same skills to narrow down and keep consistency through the tiers. Students would be monitored weekly and have reports submitted fortnightly.
Data based decisions made from the screening: Based on these reports and monitoring, students would either move out of tier 2, stay in tier 2 or move to tier 3. After classroom monitoring has happened and I have checked the running record and looked at the feedback and results from the Acadience tool, students who require tier 3 strategies would be placed in tier 3. The data would inform me as to which areas and competencies students in general need more help in and which individual students need more personalized support.
Tier 3 Strategies
Just as I stressed that tier 2 is inclusive of tier 1, the same is said for tier 3: it is inclusive if tiers 2 and 3. Usually only 1-5% of students need tier 3 strategies so they are usually conducted individually, or in small group or pair settings. Students who require tier 3 support will receive individual or very small group support three times a week for 45 minutes per session. Please remember that this time is in addition to the time spent on other tiers.
I think that the following strategies would be best suited for students who require tier 3 intervention:
Prepare for guided reading: The teacher works individually with the student to read the passage that will be read in the next general class with all the students in guided reading. By familiarizing the student with this passage, they will be able to lead the guided reading session with their peers in general class. This builds their confidence which is a massive part of becoming a better reader.
Read for Pleasure: In this strategy, students get a set time each week to choose and read a book of their choice, regardless if it is too easy/difficult for them. The goal of this strategy is to foster a love of reading in the child. If students love to read, they are more likely to want to try to improve their ability. This leads on to the next strategy:
Book report: The teacher works with the student to write a book report about a book of their choice.
High-Quality Direct Instruction: Direct instruction has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to teach, however if the student is distracted or not paying attention, it is ineffective. In a one-one-one or small group setting, direct instruction is a good strategy to help students improve their reading ability.
Graded readers: Students will be given graded readers which match to their reading level, rather than their grade level. Students will be able to read these books with the undivided attention of a teacher assigned to assist them. Many students who need tier 3 intervention need the undivided support and attention of a caring teacher to help them improve.
Progress Monitoring
Students in tier 3 would be monitored weekly. Weekly reports would be submitted to see if the student has progressed enough to move out of tier 3. Any such decisions would be based on data from the screening tool. It is important to note that data should be analyzed over time rather than in isolation and one ‘good’ or ‘bad’ week isn't a reason to disregard the data.
References
Collier, C. (2010). RTI for Diverse Learners: More Than 200 Instructional Interventions. Retrieved on October 3, 2021. Retrieved from: https://us.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/34841_book_item_34841.pdf
VanDerHeyden, A. (n.d). Examples of Effective RtI Use and Decision Making: Part 1—Overview. Retrieved on October 2, 2021. Retrieved from: http://www.rtinetwork.org/essential/assessment/data-based/examples-of-effective-rti-use-and-decision-making-part-1-overview
Case Study
Name: Leo
Age: 11
Grade: 5
Background Information: Leo speaks English as a second language. Leo has constantly been placed in the advanced class of students until recently due to his influential parents. As such, he has a misguided self-perception of his abilities and was never taught some basic skills in earlier grades. Leo is a friendly boy who works well in small groups, however often other students don’t enjoy working with him due to his low level. This is something I am trying to address.
Reading Level: On average, Leo reads at a second or third grade level. He is about average at all subjects, and English is the only subject where he struggles a lot.
Academic challenge deficit: Leo struggles with reading. He has trouble with both reading fluency and reading comprehension. He is able to read sight words and has basic phonological awareness, however still sometimes struggles with some blend sounds and pronouncing longer words he is unfamiliar with. Leo has trouble understanding more complicated individual words and also the overall meaning when reading age-appropriate texts. Leo has a limited vocabulary which is sometimes the reason why he struggles with comprehension.
Initial Screening
My initial screening would include various types of assessments including: diagnostic tests, KWL charts, mind maps, speaking tests, informal discussions, observations, quizzes and a reading running record. The above screening methods are best used in conjunction with a standardized screening tool. It’s important to remember that the initial screening should align with learning expectations (VanDerHeyden, A. n.d). The following assessment tool will be given to all students: i-Ready Diagnostic and Growth MonitoringReading / English Language Arts. More information can be found here: OverviewMeasures progress towards: Short-term skill
Grades: K-8
Tool intended for the following student populations: students in general education, students with disabilities, English language learners.
Tool assesses: Global Indicator of Reading Competence
Cost: $6 per student.
License duration: 1 year.
Technology required: computer or tablet, internet connection
Administration context: Individual, computer - administered
Administration time: 15 minutes per student.
Score calculated: automatically
I chose i-Ready as it is a broad test which is appropriate for both students in general education and English language learners. As we are testing for placing students into tier 1 intervention, I believe that a more general test will be more beneficial for a wider range of students. As the test only requires 15 minutes to conduct, and it is graded automatically, it will be convenient for the students to take and for the teachers to conduct.
Data based decisions made from the screening: From the above screening, I would be able to identify a range of students who require Tier 1 support and intervention. Leo would be one of these students. Furthermore, I would be able to identify if problems are limited to individual students, or if they were classwide, or even gradewide. If issues were classwide, I would reevaluate the competency of instruction and make adjustments as required as is suggested by Amanda VanDerHeyden.
Tier 1 Strategies
Through my research I found various kinds of strategies for tier one strategies. Tier 1 strategies affect the majority of students and aren’t nearly as remedial as tier 2 or 3 ones. They are “general education instruction...implemented in differentiated instructional settings” (Collier, C., 2010). I decided to use the following strategies in tier one to assist a wide range of students to improve their reading literacy:
FIST: Students work in mixed groups and follow the FIST steps while reading assigned readings. Students will be introduced to the steps and be provided with a handout so they remember them. Alternatively, the steps are placed around the classroom. The steps are: First sentence is read, Indicate a question based on first sentence, Search for the answer for the question, Tie question and answer together through paraphrasing. This is something that would need to be practiced as a class in groups and individually, but is a strategy that I believe could really help all students to become better readers.
Student Led Guided Reading: I would choose advanced students to lead small groups in guided reading. As this happens, I would facilitate the activity by joining in and out of groups frequently. Such a strategy would improve student motivation as well as build their confidence with reading and develop their vocabulary.
Language Games: There are a plethora of group-based and class-wide reading games that could be played with the students as part of a tier 1 strategy. These help develop content knowledge and also motivate students. There are many games which can be turned into reading games such as Go Fish and Old Maid. These games are also really good for English language learners like Leo.
Proximity: I would have students work in groups, arranged so that together they make a circle around the classroom, with the teacher in the middle. This would allow students to more likely stay on task as they always have another student monitoring them, and they can see the teacher walking around and monitoring while they are working. I would have students work on reading in their groups and have a group leader in charge to assist those who need help.
Reduced Stimuli: Research shows that students may become over-stimulated and distracted when too much is happening. English language learners especially need to focus in order to understand, so by reducing stimuli, they may be more likely to succeed. I would make sure that the room was quiet and that students were directing their attention to the vocabulary words while we were focused on that task. I know that some students have a limited attention span, so the task would be broken up into chunks and students would be able to stand up and stretch their legs in between.
Progress Monitoring
I would monitor all students across this time through the use of a running record. I would also observe students during their student-led guided reading sessions to check how various students are progressing.
I would then screen students in tier 1 to see if any needed to be moved to tier 2. It’s important to note that students who need tier 2 strategies will still continue to be provided tier 1 strategies and that tier 2 is in addition to tier 1, not instead of it.
I decided to use the following screening tool to check for students who need tier 2 support: Acadience Reading K-6 (aka DIBELS Next®) Oral Reading Fluency Words Correct. You can find more information about it he
re.
OverviewMeasures progress towards: End-year goal
Grades: 1-6
Tool intended for the following student populations: students in general education, students with disabilities, English language learners.
Tool assesses: decoding, passage reading, comprehension
Cost: $0. Sopris: $9.95 for 5-pack Scoring Booklets ($1.99 per student).
License duration: Various
Administration context: Individual, computer - administered
I chose this one as I think that it was more specialized and also because it was applicable to English language learners like Leo. I think that using a different monitoring tool between tiers 1 and 2 will make sure that there is no inherent bias at play and it’s not just that the student can’t perform well at one kind of testing tool. As tier 2 is much more specialized than tier 1 (20% of students compared to 90%), I thought that changing to a more specialized monitoring tool such as Acadience was a good idea.
Data based decisions made from the screening: After classroom monitoring has happened and I have checked the running record and looked at the feedback and results from the Acadience tool, students who require tier 2 strategies would be placed in tier 2. The data would inform me as to which areas and competencies students in general need more help in and which individual students need more personalized support.
Tier 2 Strategies
In tier 2, students who are struggling will be given more exposure to the areas of the core areas in which they are struggling. In this case, Leo and others will be provided with more time to help them improve their reading competencies. Students will be placed in a group with other students who have been identified to require tier 2 strategies. Students will receive special time twice a week to work on their key reading competencies for 30 minutes each session. It is important to note that this will not be during the time of the tier one strategies listed above, and they will still take part in the tier one strategies.
The following are some tier 2 strategies which I think would be beneficial to students:
Encourage movement: Allow students to move round the classroom or even lie down when they read. Some students may be uncomfortable sitting straight at their desks and this may make them focus all their energy on sitting correctly rather than focusing on reading! Try taking a small group of students into a comfortable, informal setting and conducting a guided reading together.
Chunking: It’s important to realize that some students don’t have the attention to stay at one task for a long time. Knowing this, chunking one activity into several smaller ones can not only make things seem more manageable for students, but also give them time to rest in between.
Student Led Group Reading: Just because students are struggling, doesn’t mean they can’t take charge of their learning. Students in tier two can still take part in, and lead, guided reading sessions. The teacher will need to be here supporting the session, but it’s important to give all students a turn at leading the guided reading session in their tier 2 groups.
Classwide Interventions: Contrary to what the name implies, this is actually a tier 2 strategy as while the whole class is taking part in the activity, the interventions are targeted to assist a small group of students' problems. For example, if the tier two students need more help with chunking to pronounce complex words, we can intervene as a class, but not mention that the issue only applies to a few students. Not only does this save them potential embarrassment, but it allows them to learn from their peers and also allows their peers to solidify their own understanding through peer-teaching.
Progress Monitoring
The same progress monitoring tool from the previous step will be used here. I think that as tiers 2 and 3 are quite detailed, it’s fine to focus on the same skills to narrow down and keep consistency through the tiers. Students would be monitored weekly and have reports submitted fortnightly.
Data based decisions made from the screening: Based on these reports and monitoring, students would either move out of tier 2, stay in tier 2 or move to tier 3. After classroom monitoring has happened and I have checked the running record and looked at the feedback and results from the Acadience tool, students who require tier 3 strategies would be placed in tier 3. The data would inform me as to which areas and competencies students in general need more help in and which individual students need more personalized support.
Tier 3 Strategies
Just as I stressed that tier 2 is inclusive of tier 1, the same is said for tier 3: it is inclusive if tiers 2 and 3. Usually only 1-5% of students need tier 3 strategies so they are usually conducted individually, or in small group or pair settings. Students who require tier 3 support will receive individual or very small group support three times a week for 45 minutes per session. Please remember that this time is in addition to the time spent on other tiers.
I think that the following strategies would be best suited for students who require tier 3 intervention:
Prepare for guided reading: The teacher works individually with the student to read the passage that will be read in the next general class with all the students in guided reading. By familiarizing the student with this passage, they will be able to lead the guided reading session with their peers in general class. This builds their confidence which is a massive part of becoming a better reader.
Read for Pleasure: In this strategy, students get a set time each week to choose and read a book of their choice, regardless if it is too easy/difficult for them. The goal of this strategy is to foster a love of reading in the child. If students love to read, they are more likely to want to try to improve their ability. This leads on to the next strategy:
Book report: The teacher works with the student to write a book report about a book of their choice.
High-Quality Direct Instruction: Direct instruction has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to teach, however if the student is distracted or not paying attention, it is ineffective. In a one-one-one or small group setting, direct instruction is a good strategy to help students improve their reading ability.
Graded readers: Students will be given graded readers which match to their reading level, rather than their grade level. Students will be able to read these books with the undivided attention of a teacher assigned to assist them. Many students who need tier 3 intervention need the undivided support and attention of a caring teacher to help them improve.
Progress Monitoring
Students in tier 3 would be monitored weekly. Weekly reports would be submitted to see if the student has progressed enough to move out of tier 3. Any such decisions would be based on data from the screening tool. It is important to note that data should be analyzed over time rather than in isolation and one ‘good’ or ‘bad’ week isn't a reason to disregard the data.
References
Collier, C. (2010). RTI for Diverse Learners: More Than 200 Instructional Interventions. Retrieved on October 3, 2021. Retrieved from: https://us.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/34841_book_item_34841.pdf
VanDerHeyden, A. (n.d). Examples of Effective RtI Use and Decision Making: Part 1—Overview. Retrieved on October 2, 2021. Retrieved from: http://www.rtinetwork.org/essential/assessment/data-based/examples-of-effective-rti-use-and-decision-making-part-1-overview
Activity 2: Diagnostic Assessments for Differentiation
My reflection
The new school year recently began, so I think this is a really good chance for me to reflect and learn more about various kinds of assessments. I am teaching 5th grade students at the moment, the majority of whom speak English as a second language. Currently at our school, we do pre-assessment at the start of each semester, however we don't strongly align it with summative assessment. It's really just used as a levelling procedure and I guess we do it that way because that's the way that it's always been done.
The following will be my thoughts going forward about how I would like to use pre-assessment with the students whom I teach. I think I could give students a test at the beginning of the school year in order to understand where students struggle overall and also where individual students struggle. Further ways to pre-assess students would be: a speaking test (for ELL learners), quizzes, standardized testing, class discussions and min mapping.
I believe that I would also get useful feedback about where students are already succeeding and I would use this to inform my practice. From the data I gathered, I would then be able to link it to the summative assessments that I am giving my students. I would make sure that the summative assessments matched the pre-assessment in order to assure that students were being test on the same things and to ensure that I was responsible for ensuring that students were learning new content, rather than just teaching them things they are already good at.
The data I gathered from pre-assessments would also help to inform grouping structures and classroom instruction. I would use both homogenous and heterogenous groups depending on the students' needs and the activity that was taking place. In short, robust and effective pre-assessment would directly affect every lesson I teach for the rest of the semester by informing my choice of instruction and grouping practices.
I would constantly use the data to ensure I am helping students in the most efficient and effective ways possible. Utilizing data from the pre-assessments students had taken would drive my instruction and thus benefit my students. If the data suggest that many students were struggling in one area, I would know what I needed to focus on during whole class instruction. If the data suggested a small group of students were having trouble in another area, I would be able to differentiate their learning, by splitting the class into appropriate groupings.
The new school year recently began, so I think this is a really good chance for me to reflect and learn more about various kinds of assessments. I am teaching 5th grade students at the moment, the majority of whom speak English as a second language. Currently at our school, we do pre-assessment at the start of each semester, however we don't strongly align it with summative assessment. It's really just used as a levelling procedure and I guess we do it that way because that's the way that it's always been done.
The following will be my thoughts going forward about how I would like to use pre-assessment with the students whom I teach. I think I could give students a test at the beginning of the school year in order to understand where students struggle overall and also where individual students struggle. Further ways to pre-assess students would be: a speaking test (for ELL learners), quizzes, standardized testing, class discussions and min mapping.
I believe that I would also get useful feedback about where students are already succeeding and I would use this to inform my practice. From the data I gathered, I would then be able to link it to the summative assessments that I am giving my students. I would make sure that the summative assessments matched the pre-assessment in order to assure that students were being test on the same things and to ensure that I was responsible for ensuring that students were learning new content, rather than just teaching them things they are already good at.
The data I gathered from pre-assessments would also help to inform grouping structures and classroom instruction. I would use both homogenous and heterogenous groups depending on the students' needs and the activity that was taking place. In short, robust and effective pre-assessment would directly affect every lesson I teach for the rest of the semester by informing my choice of instruction and grouping practices.
I would constantly use the data to ensure I am helping students in the most efficient and effective ways possible. Utilizing data from the pre-assessments students had taken would drive my instruction and thus benefit my students. If the data suggest that many students were struggling in one area, I would know what I needed to focus on during whole class instruction. If the data suggested a small group of students were having trouble in another area, I would be able to differentiate their learning, by splitting the class into appropriate groupings.
Activity 3: Using Assessment Data to Inform Instruction
I used data to inform my decisions and made an infographic which can be viewed here.
james_infographic__1_.pdf |