AIS Proficiency Implementation Narrative by Jenn McDermott ... · I can identify specific words or...

Developed with Language Arts Dept. 2009-10 Academy for International Studies Woodburn, OR

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AIS Proficiency Implementation Narrative by Jenn McDermott Instructional Coaching in the Language Arts Department Aug. 2009 – June 2010 The following is a narrative of the instructional coaching provided by Jenn McDermott from the Center for Educational Leadership to a Language Arts teacher (Debbie.) Other staff involved included an instructional facilitator (Susan) and the other Language Arts Department teachers at Academy of International Studies during the 2009-10 school year. This narrative describes the progress made by the teachers and includes the teaching tools used and developed during the year. The coaching was focused on supporting the school’s goal to implement proficiency-based education. Tools developed include:

1. AIS Language Arts I Learning Targets – Q1-4 2. AIS Teacher Outcomes for Developing Proficiency Based Writing Instruction 3. Conferring Benchmarks 4. A Beginning Protocol for Looking at Student Work 5. A Developing Framework for What to Examine in Student Writing 6. Types of Conferring – Formative and Summative 7. The Conferring Cycle 8. Conferring Roles 9. Language Arts Proficiency Learning Targets: Quarter Two – Writing Targets 10. Language Arts Proficiency Learning Targets: Quarter Three – Writing Targets 11. Language Arts 12th Grade Outcomes 12. Proficiencies to Targets/Benchmarks – Scaffolding to Units of Study to Mini-Lessons -- A

Teaching Plan for Scaffolding the Skills: LA 1 – Work in Progress 13. Year Overview of Units

In August of 2009, the members of the Language Arts Department at AIS High School set out to create their learning targets for the year. The teachers struggled to figure out what targets would be measurable. At that time, the AIS teachers understood proficiency-based work to be mainly about achieving specific targets by a certain point in the year. Below is a list of the original targets from August 2009. The targets below are based on specific skills that students lacked. For example, the first target in quarter 1 is based on students’ struggle to write complete sentences. This target is addressed in quarter 2 as well. The problem with these targets isn’t that they are skills that teachers identified that the students need. The problem is that there is no context for teaching or learning this skill. The following questions arise when the targets are isolated in these ways: Is teaching complete sentences a set of lessons, a unit? Do I teach it across the whole quarter? What happens when students don’t apply this skill to their writing? How does this target relate or not relate to other targets in this quarter? What is the best way to assess this skill? How do I differentiate instruction to address this skill?


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Tool #1: LA I Learning Targets Quarter 1 I can identify and correctly use the parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective and adverb). I can write in complete sentences. I can write a narrative essay that clearly expresses my ideas. I can identify the five points of plot in a reading selection. I can summarize the sequence of events in a reading selection. Quarter 2 I can write an essay that is well-organized with a developed beginning, middle, and end. I can write in complete simple and compound sentences. I can identify and correctly use all the parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, conjunction, preposition, interjection). I can explain internal and external character conflicts. I can identify characters’ motivations, relationships and influences, and I can explain how they affect plot. Quarter 3 I can connect my ideas using transitional phrases. I can recite a poem in front of the class and make eye contact, control my rate of speech, and speak loud enough to be heard. I can write an essay that explains the important ideas using specific examples from a text. I can infer the main idea when it’s not directly stated and support my thinking with specific examples from the text. I can use a scoring guide to review, evaluate, and revise my writing for meaning and clarity.


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Quarter 4 I can connect literary themes to real-world issues in writing and discussion. I can choose a logical pattern of organization to inform or persuade an audience. I can include quotations and citations that support my ideas in a written or oral presentation. I can identify specific words or phrases that cause comprehension difficulties and use strategies to improve understanding. I can use the writing process—prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. As teachers began to work with these targets, they quickly realized that they were disconnected from a larger curriculum. Debbie specifically expressed confusion about how to integrate these targets into her teaching and how to measure all of the other points that she was teaching. AIS needed a larger context in which to explore their proficiency-based work.


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AIS decided to focus on writing for the 2009-2010 school year. Max supported Chuck in finding a high-leverage and deep-reaching focus for the school. By focusing on writing, we, at CEL were able to discuss proficiency-based work in a much broader way. We were able to talk about proficiency-based assessments, teaching practices and curriculum. Below is a continuum of improvement for teaching based on six specific targets. Our expectation was that we’d reach benchmark 3 in Debbie’s classroom in each category by the end of the year. Tool #2: A.I.S. Teacher Outcomes for Developing Proficiency Based Writing Instruction

1. Teachers will clarify the type and purpose of writing assigned

2. Teachers will be introduced to “best practices” in writing instruction

3. Teachers will understand what to assess when looking at student writing and decide on appropriate instruction

4. Teachers will know how to structure their classroom to differentiate their writing instruction

5. Teachers will learn what to observe for and how to interpret student learning and student work in order to appropriately

identify and categorize students’ learning needs

6. Teachers will learn how to create rubrics and ways to assess that measure large understandings, critical thinking, skills and knowledge


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Teacher Practice Benchmark 1 Benchmark 2 Benchmark 3 Writing Instruction Writing instruction is organized

around identified learning targets. Writing instruction and learning targets are becoming more explicitly aligned with best practices and evidence of student learning.

Writing instruction focuses on writing process, craft, content and skill using appropriate instructional techniques like modeling, interactive writing, conferring, use of mini-lessons, mentor text that meet students’ learning needs.

Looking at Student Work Teachers regularly meet to look at student writing.

Teachers are regularly collecting and analyzing student writing in order to identify and articulate students’ writing needs.

Teachers have a system for collecting and analyzing student writing that informs instructional and curricular choices daily, by unit and yearly.

Observing Student Learning Teachers are observing students’ writing behaviors.

Teachers are observing and making initial interpretations regarding their students’ habits and dispositions as writers and descriptions are moving from noticing behaviors to noticing learning.

Teachers are able to describe in depth and make interpretations regarding student’s engagement with their writing; student’s writing identity and student’s knowledge and skills in order to make instructional choices.

Creating Classroom Structures

Teachers have created time for whole group instruction and independent writing.

Teachers have initial workshop structures that allow for whole group, small group and individual instruction.

Teachers have intentional structures that allow for whole group, small group and individual instruction that progressively develop students’ writing skills, independence, and a community of writers.

Creating Assessments Teachers create rubrics and scoring guides that align with learning targets.

Teachers create assessments that measure writing based on clarity of outcomes.

Teachers create assessments that measure quality and effectiveness of student writing and students’ development as writers based on high-level observations, interpretations and clarity of outcomes.


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In September, Susan, Chuck and I met to decide a focus for the coaching work in Debbie’s room. Chuck wanted a practice that would focus on writing and be able to be transferred to all teachers at the high school. We spent quite a bit of time looking at the teacher outcomes document in order to find a focus point. Very quickly, we decided that it had to be a focus on classroom practice. We thought one-on-one conferring would be the most effective and transferable practice. Below, is a continuum that we created in order to measure the implementation of this particular teaching practice. Our expectation, in Debbie’s room, was to meet benchmark 3 by the end of the year. In fact, in many ways, we reached benchmark 3 by December which allowed us to expand the writing work. Tool #3: Conferring Benchmarks Benchmark 1 Benchmark 2 Benchmark 3 Initial conferring structure is in place. Teacher is monitoring or checking off student’s completion of tasks. Students often respond using one-word answers. Students may or may not try on suggestion or strategy. Conferences are interrupted by students and teacher may be distracted by students’ behavior.

Conferences become more formative. Teachers look for short-term teaching points and give students “fix-up” strategies. Students are able to identify learning struggles but may not be able to ask for what they need. Basic management systems are in place. Teacher takes notes and refers to notes when conferring. Conferences are rarely interrupted by students.

Conferences are initiated by students as well as the teacher. Students are able to clearly identify learning issues and confusion. Teaching points are short and long-term and inform instruction for all students.


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At the same time that we were beginning the conferring work, the Language Arts Department was meeting monthly during their Professional Learning Community (PLC) meeting time to look at student work. Susan and the teachers adapted the following protocol from Looking Together at Student Work. The Language Arts Department saw the connections between what they discovered when looking at student work and conferring. Tool #4: A Beginning Protocol for Looking at Student Work 1. Choose a sample of student work you consider to be “high” on the spectrum of high, medium and low. Copy the sample for everyone in the PLC. 2. The first teacher will frame the assignment (explain the type of writing, its purpose and level of cognitive demand), then distribute a copy of the student work to each member of the PLC. 3. Read the sample.

• Focus on the question: What is the student able to do? • Share observations in as many rounds as needed to adequately capture what the student

can do. 4. Read the sample a second time.

• Focus on the question: What is the student on the verge of being able to do? • Share observations and interpretations in as many rounds as needed to adequately assess

what the student is close to being to do?

5. What is the leverage point for teaching? What mini-lesson would you teach? What kind of conference would you have? What small group instruction would help this student? Rationale Language Arts teachers recognize all too well what students cannot do in writing. By using a framework that focuses on what students can do, we develop our skills in articulating strengths. Possible outcomes for approaching student work in this way include: conferring with students effectively around areas of growth, commenting on student work in different ways, changing classroom structures to support a new practice. Tool #5: A Developing Framework for What to Examine in Student Writing Critical Thinking Demonstrated Writer’s Craft

• Organization/structure • Style

--fluency --word choice --tone, technique (voice)

Conventions


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Below is a document outlining the different types of conferring. The work at AIS and specifically in Debbie’s room was focused on formative conferring and not summative conferring.

Tool #6: Types of Conferring

Formative Summative Ongoing Teacher and student identify teaching point Student learns to articulate learning and learning issues Differentiates instruction in the moment Prepares students for instruction later

Demonstration of learning after an assignment or project is complete Student defends what they have learned


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Debbie and I used the following conferring cycle as a tool. This cycle is adapted from Lucy Calkin’s work. This tool helped Debbie organize and structure her conferences. Through the research process Debbie learned what the whole class might need to learn about writing. Debbie also learned about the individual identities of the writers in her class. Conferring was the practice that lead to the highest level of differentiation. As soon as Debbie began to use conferences, she saw how she was helping them to become more proficient writers.

Tool #7: Conferring Cycle

Research Ask questions to check for understanding. Decide Identify short and long-term teaching points.

Teach Give students a strategy a lesson or suggestion.


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Debbie and I used this document to identify what a student’s role was in a conference and what a teacher’s role was. Part of the students becoming more proficient was developing their ability to articulate their writing needs and advocate for their learning. Conferring was clearly a structure that was allowing that to happen.

Tool #8: Conferring Roles

What the teacher needs to know how to do? What the student needs to know how to do?

Ask the appropriate open-ended questions Ask the appropriate pointed questions Interpret student responses in relation to student work Decide on teaching point Respond to student statements Shift ownership of learning to students Take notes and refer to them before, during and after a conference Set up conferring so students can work and manage themselves

Manage themselves while working Initiate conferences Identify and articulate learning issues Ask for appropriate support form teacher Apply new learning Make appropriate decisions after a conference


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The practice of conferring significantly changed how Debbie was thinking about the proficiencies. Through conferring, Debbie began to see the difference between the students as writers and the writing that they were doing. Debbie began to rethink the targets not as isolated skills but as skills embedded in a much larger writing context. By quarter two, the context for writing became much bigger. Debbie reflected on what she really wanted to teach about writing. The targets no longer look like a list of specific skills. The target about writing complete sentences is no longer explicitly stated; however, it is implied in the writing process category. By “enlarging” the proficiencies, Debbie was better able to differentiate and give students the specific skills they needed in a larger writing context. This raises the rigor of what Debbie is expecting from students. Debbie noticed that students went directly from drafting to editing because there has been such a focus over the years on sentence structure. The students completely skipped the revision process where they looked again at the structure and ideas of their piece. Of course, Debbie wanted them to edit their pieces, but she wanted them to understand that “fixing” their sentences was an editing procedure and not part of revision. So now, the “writing complete sentences” target sits in a much larger context of understanding the writing process. At this point, Debbie began asking the following questions: How should I assess how students meet these proficiencies? What is a proficiency and what is a target? Are they assessed differently?

Tool #9: LA I Proficiency Learning Targets: Quarter Two

Writing Targets

Writing Content: Author’s Craft Mode: Imaginative Narrative

Dialogue--Use a variety of dialogue tags to enhance meaning. Conflict--Show conflict through characters’ words, actions, thoughts, and the reaction of other characters. Structure—Structure stories using the five points of plot. Use foreshadowing to create tension.

Writing Process Understand the recursive nature of the writing process, and be able to use the writing process to get unstuck.


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Revision—Reread your work to identify where more information, ideas, dialogue are needed--or where it is unnecessary and should be deleted. Understand that revision is not editing. Revision II—Reread for organization, making sure the story is told in a logical order and clarifying whether narration contains all the elements of plot and foreshadowing. Understand that revision II is not editing.

Writer Clearly state intentions to revise for elements of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, resolution) and foreshadowing. Articulate individual writing process in relation to the general writing process Express writing needs in conferences.

The shift from the quality of Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 proficiencies was significant. The shift from Quarter 2 to Quarter 3 was not as significant. Debbie began to realize that the proficiencies for Quarter 2 were so big that students needed more time to meet them. It was at this point in the year, that Debbie and I began to discuss the relationship between curriculum and proficiencies. Debbie didn’t have an underlying curriculum. Debbie moved from targets to proficiencies and these proficiencies were her curriculum. Now Debbie’s context for teaching was too big and she struggled to help students meet the proficiencies she laid out. Debbie needed a curriculum based on a series of units of study. Debbie was trying to identify and understand the relationship between proficiencies, targets, and curriculum.

Tool #10: LA I Proficiency Learning Targets: Quarter Three Writer Clearly state intentions to for writing. Clearly identify areas of revision and your intentions for that

revision. Articulate individual writing process in relation to the general writing process Express writing needs and accomplishments in conferences.

Writing Process Understand the recursive nature of the writing process, and be able to use the writing process to get unstuck. Understand that revision follows drafting. Revision—Reread your work to identify where more information, ideas, detail, or evidence from the original text are needed--or where it is unnecessary and should be deleted. Understand that revision is not drafting. Revision II—Reread for organization, making sure the essay is told in a logical order and clarifying whether explanation contains addresses all the methods playwrights use for characterization. Understand that revision II is not editing.

Writing Content: Ideas and Content:


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Author’s Craft Mode: Expository

Plot—Identify and explain why you chose to recreate a particular stage of plot. Stage directions—What was important for you to communicate to be true to the original text? Be sure to discuss setting, background, and actors directions. What did you change and why? Dialogue—What really needed to be communicated to be true to the original text? How did you change the dialogue and what effect were you hoping to create? Conflict—What conflicts did you need to communicate? How did your portrayal differ from the original text? Character Choices—What character choices were included? How did your remix compare to the original text? What did your changes add or take away? Organization: I got nothing! Conventions—Use appropriate conventions for creating and citing dialogue


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In the spring, the Language Arts Department met again and drafted 12th grade outcomes. They thought about the kind of learning all of their work was leading to. This was a whole new way of thinking about proficiencies. This revision was based on year-long discussions regarding the difference between proficiencies and targets. The Language Arts Department realized it would be easier to have a sense of direction and outcome based on the 12th. grade year. What they really worked to identify were the larger understandings students should have after four years of high school English. Curriculum and units of study with learning targets at each grade level would work to meet these 12th grade outcomes.

Tool #11: 12th Grade Outcomes Habits of Mind Thinking Speaker/Listener Reader Writer

Student persists through difficult tasks (thinking, speaking, reading, writing, etc.)

Open-minded student understands and appreciates their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Speaker responds constructively to advance a discussion and builds on the ideas of the others.

Reader uses various appropriate strategies for different types of texts.

Writers can write for a variety of purposes using appropriate strategies and structures.

Students are aware of their metacognitive processes. Access higher level thinking processes

Ability to think abstractly about concrete ideas.

Listens to complex information and discerns main ideas, details, and evaluate speakers’ craft.

Reader can create textual interpretation based on structure, literary devices, characters and themes in a text.

Writers can use style choices, rhetorical and literary devices to effectively communicate ideas.

Students think and communicate with clarity, precision and accuracy.

Students question for discovery and deeper understanding.

Students present information and evidence clearly and concisely using tools,

Reader can evaluate the influence of context of a text.

Writers will justify and defend the use of a recursive writing process.


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styles, format, and language appropriate for an intended audience.

Students are self advocates and take responsible risks with learning.

Understand and respond to the connections between context and meaning.

Reader can analyze credibility and bias in a text.

Students manage impulsivity. Students think, speak, read, write with intention and purpose

Aware of and examine personal and ideological assumptions

Reader can analyze how two or more texts with different styles, point of view, or arguments can address similar topics or themes.

Student are able to justify and defend their own thinking process

At the end of the year, the Language Arts Department was ready to rethink their proficiencies in relation to their units of study. At the beginning of the year, the targets lead directly to specific mini-lessons that were not connected to larger ideas. At the end of the year, there was a clear connection between larger proficiencies, learning targets, units of study and the specific daily mini-lessons that would support students’ learning. Conferring was the practice that informed every aspect of the writing and proficiency development work at AIS High School.


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Tool #12: Proficiencies to Targets/Benchmarks- Scaffolding to Units of Study to Mini-Lessons A Teaching Plan for Scaffolding the Skills: LA I Work in Progress Skill Category

1 End of Oct.

2 Mid Dec.

3 First of February

4 April

5 June

Articulating Ideas Discussion/Writing How to take notes in a discussion

Students use precise academic language to express ideas in discussion and writing. State communication intention for piece of writing Write three responses to a comment (teacher) speaker makes Identify and restate speaker’s key ideas

Students use precise academic language to express ideas in discussion and writing. State communication intention for piece of writing Identify the difference between key ideas and supporting ideas in a discussion

Students can generate questions that will help them clarify their thinking and understanding of an idea or concept, Students can state ideas for revision that target their intention for communication Generate three questions that develop a discussion or that you have based on the discussion

Students use questioning, discussion, and writing to expand their thinking of an idea or concept Students can state ideas for revision of intended communication that build on new understandings of idea or concept Generate three questions that develop a discussion or that you have based on the discussion

Students understand that questioning, discussion, and writing are tools for discovery not stating “the right answer” Students identify and explore ideas in discussion and writing that goes beyond what is explicitly taught Students use discussion notes to inform their thinking, discussion, and writing.


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Accessing and going beyond content

Draw out beyond the text ideas

Draw out beyond the text ideas

Enrich text with beyond the content reading ideas for students to make connections between content and beyond

Enrich text with beyond the content reading ideas for students to expand understanding of complex issues and generate curiosity

Student exploration of an idea or concept as presented in text through multiple genres

Planning and implementing writing projects

Students can identify key attributes of a genre using a model text to inform their writing Understand the recursive nature of the writing process and identify where they are in the writing process Students will begin to advocate for conferring needs Students will write all due dates in their planner

Students can identify key attributes of a genre using a model text to inform their writing Students can identify their individual writing process in relation to the universal writing process. Students can re-write the conclusion to a narrative with three different endings. Students advocate for conferring needs

Students can identify key attributes of a genre using a model text to inform their writing Students can make connections between reading and writing conferences. Students identify points for revision (re-thinking) for several different writing pieces. Students will record time spent in each stage of the

Students can locate model text to inform their writing Students will breakdown a writing assignment to the discrete steps and identify the tasks required to complete the assignment and budget their time accordingly. Students will demonstrate flexibility in responding to a prompt with appropriate and

Students can locate model text to inform their writing Students will reflect on themselves as writers and clearly identify their writing process for different types of writing. Students will be able to make a revision plan for different types of writing. Students will reflect on themselves as writers and identify which type of writing is the


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Students will record due dates and process pieces in their planner

writing process for writing various writing assignments

effective genre, voice and style,

most challenging for them and identify how they will accommodate their writing needs to complete writing projects on time

Close reading and keeping track of ideas in texts/note-taking

Students can identify when they are confused in a text and choose and appropriate reading strategy to get unstuck. Use A note taking strategy to track ideas with reading and collect strategies in reading conferences

Students can identify when they are confused in a text and choose an appropriate reading strategy to get unstuck with different types of text. Use A note taking strategy to track ideas and talk back to the author. Maintain a record of reading conference strategies

Students can identify when they are confused in a text and choose an appropriate reading strategy to get unstuck with different types of text.

Use A note taking strategy to track ideas and talk back to the author about an idea presented in the text and to prepare for writing. Maintain a record of reading conference strategies

Students can identify when they are confused in a text and choose an appropriate reading strategy to get unstuck with different types of text. Students employ a variety of note taking strategies for reader’s needs or demands of the text to improve comprehension and inform writing

Students can identify and apply different reading strategies for different types of text. Students employ a variety of note taking strategies for reader’s needs or demands of the text to improve comprehension and inform writing


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Creating a thesis and supporting it

Understand the difference between a topic and a thesis

Understand the difference between a topic and a thesis

Students can write a clearly stated thesis with a claim, warrant and supporting details.

Students can write a clearly stated thesis with a claim, warrant and supporting details.

Students can create a thesis for expository writing.

Independent Reading

Students can identify when they understand a text and when they don’t. Students can identify when a text is not challenging enough and advocate changing to a more challenging text. Students understand their individual reading pace and how to plan their reading schedule. They can predict how long it will take to read a text.

Students can identify when a text is more than challenging, but at a frustration level for comprehension. Student knows how to advocate when they need to change to a more appropriate text. Students can create a reading schedule and adjust that plan based on their reading habits and a deadline.

Students can identify when a text is more than challenging, but at a frustration level for comprehension. Student knows how to advocate when they need to change to a more appropriate text. Students can create a reading schedule and adjust that plan based on their reading habits and a deadline.

Students can identify when a text is not challenging enough challenging enough or too challenging and advocate for a “just right” for their independent reading level text. Student will be able to plan a schedule and adjust reading habits for various genres.

Students can choose text that are “just right” for their independent reading level. Students understand themselves as readers and can create a reading plan for any type of reading.


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Parking lot: Flexibility in responding to a prompt with appropriate and effective genre, voice and style, Students fill in the gaps in knowledge on their own Academic stance of going beyond what is explicitly taught

What are the skills at each grade level that we need to scaffold vertically across LA? Proficiencies----------------------Skills-------------------------------Rubrics----------------------------Lessons Proficiencies Scaffold Skills Unit Overview/Rubrics Lessons Tool #13: Year Overview of Units Unit Name Purpose Assessments/Rubrics # of Days Intro to narrative mode and getting down with the processes

Introduce writing and reading process Understand the qualities of narrative writing Apply traits of narrative writing to their narrative pieces

Narrative Variations of endings of a narrative piece

Twenty days

3 Weeks


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Reading Unit Class/independent read Persuasive Essay

3 weeks

Expository Essay 3 weeks Test Prep Unit

2 weeks max

Partner Reading 3 Weeks Multi-genre

Cumulative writing process and knowledge of genre grand finale Hone writer craft in various modes Take risk with variety of choices Start thinking process for determining the best mode for communication intentions

Eight pieces of writing: Narrative, expository, persuasive, drama, poetry, and journalism

Five –eight weeks

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AIS Proficiency Implementation Narrative by Jenn McDermott ... · I can identify specific words or...

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