Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices - Center on Teaching ...

Improving Adolescent Literacy:<strong>Effective</strong> <strong>Classroom</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Intervention</strong><strong>Practices</strong>: Practical Applications & ImplicationsMeet the Feldmans !CTL Fall ConferenceMoving Research Into <strong>Classroom</strong>sOctober 22/27, 2010Portl<strong>and</strong> ORDr. Kevin Feldmanwww. scoe.org/reading kfeldman@scoe.orgFeldman’s Biased Literacy Listserve1.) Validation/Motivation - explore the criticalapplications/implications of the IES PracticeGuide, Improving Adolescent Literacy: <strong>Effective</strong><strong>Classroom</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Intervention</strong> <strong>Practices</strong>.2.) Explain, model, <strong>and</strong> critique classroom examples ofvarious strategies tied to the 5 key recommendationsof the IES Practice Guide3.) Information & Resources to Investigate/Inquire/Explore Beyond Today.Subscribe at:www.scoe.org/reading

How are our older readers doing…?NAEP (2009) Results for 8 th GradersThe status quo is working for about 1 in 38th Grade NAEP Passage:Ellis Isl<strong>and</strong> - Gateway to AmericaWhy does the author say " 'the l<strong>and</strong> of the free' was not sofree to everyone, after all"?Why does this passage contain the actual words of some ofthe immigrants?If you could ask one of the immigrants a question, what elsewould you want to know about their experience on Ellis Is.?If you had lived in Armenia in 1892, would you haveimmigrated to America? Use information from the passage toexplain why or why not.Q: What do you notice about the nature of these questions?Implications?12th Grade NAEP Passage:M.L. King - A Letter from a BirminghamJailIf King were alive today, what question would you mostwant to ask him about his views of civil disobedience thathehas not already answered in the letter? Explain why youchose this question.How does King use his distinction between just <strong>and</strong> unjustlaws to support the need for civil disobedience?Look through the letter <strong>and</strong> find one phrase that isparticularly meaningful for you. Explain your underst<strong>and</strong>ingof the phrase as it is used in the letter <strong>and</strong> why the phraseis meaningful to you.Q: What do you notice about the nature of these questions?Implications for EVERY Gr. 6-12 teacher?

Critical Academic Literacy!Ability to critique, analyze , defend, explain, thinkdeeply - not just “on the surface”!”Argumentative literacy” (Graff, 2003)- ability to persuade, to debate, to clarify- explain why, evaluate, make judgments! Make a point <strong>and</strong> support it w/evidence <strong>and</strong> clearthinking, beyond opinion/idiosyncratic experience! Use appropriate Academic Language - the vocabulary<strong>and</strong> conventions of grammar <strong>and</strong> syntax dem<strong>and</strong>edby the discipline/situation! Skillful in speaking & writing - expressive lang. artsAnd it must be TAUGHT - not simply assigned or expected!The Effects of Weaknesses in Oral Languageon Reading Growth/Academic Achievement(Hirsch, 1996)Reading Age Level16151413121110 !987655 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16Schools have not caused the gap...Chronological Agesadly, we unintentionally exacerbate it...High OralLanguage inKindergarten5.2 years differenceLow Oral Languagein KindergartenWhat Can We DoTo INTENTIONALLYNarrow This Gap?Goal: Make Thinking VisibleWow, in this class Inot only have to think,I’ve got to explainmy thinking !!EVERY student explainstheir thinking & receivesfeedback from peers<strong>and</strong> the teacher – DAILY !Normative Discourse StructureHow does this UNintentionally exacerbate the “gap”?Implications for our work to improve adolescent literacy?

Premise: We Have an “Implementation Gap”Knowing…. vs. DoingResearch … vs. PracticeIt is About Data-Based CHANGE...Bottom Line is still:1)! Eat better stuff2)!Exercise more3)!Mellow outTheYes - No - Why?“Block Scheduling <strong>and</strong> Project Based Learningare two examples of proven methods toimprove secondary student achievement.”Yes, I agree with this assertion because_________.No, I do not agree with this assertion because_______.Of Improving Literacy School Wide

The BIG Picture of School ImprovementJust Ask “Bill & Melinda” !A School-Wide Focus on:Improving!! Positive behavior; preventative, proactive, data basedhttp://www.pbis.org/ http://www.safe<strong>and</strong>civilschools.com/!! Instruction; all content areas & intervention classes.research based strategies-data based decision makingInstructionhttp://www.centeroninstruction.org/!!! Guaranteed/Rigorous St<strong>and</strong>ards Based/ Core Curriculumhttp://www.corest<strong>and</strong>ards.org/ - unpacked & prioritized.!! Collaborative problem solving around data - formativeassessment tied to important outcomes (e.g. PLC/RtI work)http://www.rti4success.org/!! Leadership that “gets it”, supports it, expects/inspects<strong>and</strong> keeps the Focus on what matters most...The Power of Robust InstructionalRoutines (i.e. require HOTS & AL)Such As “Yes – No – Why?”A few examples of where one could use Y-N-Y routinely:! “Do Now” or Bell-Ringer warm up activity! “Exit Ticket” or summary activity to close a lesson! To check for underst<strong>and</strong>ing at any point in a lesson.STRUCTURE: Think – Write – Partner – GroupS must explain their thinking, use academic languageoral/written , receive feedback from at least onepeer <strong>and</strong> the teacher, wind up w/a correct copyfor later study, use, notes, etc.Many of the results were disappointing, Gates said Tuesday. Heacknowledged that the effort to break up big schools into smaller unitsdid not lead to the hoped-for gains in achievement, or an increase inthe numbers of students who went on to college.11/12/08 Seattle TimesEssential Attributes of ROBUSTInstruction Across theGrades <strong>and</strong> Content Areas1) Engagement: Everyone Does Everything2) Language: Structured use of academicvocabulary in speaking/writing.3) Thinking: Structured use of HOTS(higher order thinking skills)* Of course, plus your essential content area info!

This is Also Becoming a National FocusInstructional Rounds in Education ANetwork Approach to Improving Teaching<strong>and</strong> Learning Elizabeth A. City,Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman,<strong>and</strong> Lee Teitel"Teaching causes learning." While this might seem obvious,teaching is often the last focus of education--shifted to the side byst<strong>and</strong>ardized testing, changing curricula, faculty room politics, overbearingor aloof administrators, <strong>and</strong> shrinking school budgets. And yet, argue thebook's authors, the "instructional core"--the essential interaction betweenteacher, student, <strong>and</strong> content that creates the basis of learning-- is thefirst place that schools should look to improve student learning.If you want to improve learning, you have to improve teaching !!!To every complex problem,there is a simple solution...that doesn’t work!Mark TwainLatest Research Summary:Secondary Literacywww.centeroninstruction.orgThis practice guideprovides a heuristicfor improving secondaryliteracy

heuristicheu•ris•tic n.Synonym Explanation/Example ImageframeworkGreek root:heuriskein - tofindprocess or model forproblem solving(e.g. literacy),guidelines, a method orapproach0-1-2-3-4-5To effectively develop critical academic literacy skills withall types of students, secondary educators need a powerfulresearch informed/classroom tested ________. heuristicOur Heuristic: IES RecommendationsAcross Content Areas in grades 6-121)! Provide explicit vocabulary instruction2)! Provide direct & explicit comprehension strategyinstruction3)! Provide opportunities for extended discussion oftext/content meaning <strong>and</strong> interpretations4) Increase motivation <strong>and</strong> engagement in literacylearning (e.g. connections, choice, applications, etc)5) Make available intensive individualized interventionsfor struggling readers that can be provided byqualified specialists. (i.e. “tiered interventions”)Knowing what to do is actually the EASY part, organizing& guiding a school with systematic implementation is thechallenge... Overcoming the “implementation gap”..Analyze – Synthesize - EvaluateWhat did I do as a teacher in terms of:1)! Specific attributes of direct/explicitinstruction – engagement, etc. to increasethe odds that learning would occur?2)! Specific attributes of effective vocabularyinstruction/academic language development?Implications for EVERY teacher 6-12concerned w/improving literacy?One Practical Tool to Bring the Heuristicto the <strong>Classroom</strong> LevelEngagement“Everyone doeseverything”Scaffolding*Support requiredfor entry levelcompetenceAcademic Rigor*Language (AL/Vocab)*Thinking (HOTS)

Introducing a Unit on Genocide: 10 th GradersCollect data to determine if the instruction is; Engaging (all responding),Academic (using AL/Vocabulary/HOTs), <strong>and</strong> Scaffolded (all supported)Also: www.centeroninstruction.org

But, Houston , we have a...What percentage of studentsactively participate in typicalsecondary classroom discussions ??80/20 DilemmaDecades of research clearly demonstratesapproximately 80% of the “doing” (ask/answering questions, discussing, explaining,writing, reading, etc.) is done by 20% of thestudents... WE MUST CHANGE THIS FACT!Engagement is NOT a Function of HowINTENSE the Teacher is!!We must support radicaltransformation of this fact !!Or if your triple latte has kicked in!

And it’s NOT dependent upon howDRAMATIC the teacher happens to be…It IS how Responsive you getthe STUDENTS to Be!Ask Anita Archer!I do itWe do itRobin Williams in The Dead Poet’s SocietyOr the updated (Southerninfluenced) VersionI do it - modeling (including thinking aloud)You do itcurricula - we must add it - Daily!** the “WE Do It”is essentially left out of ourStructured Engagement “tool kit”:Ensure ALL Are Responding1)! Choral Responses -pronounce it together- teacher cues students to respond (e.g. h<strong>and</strong> signal, voice, eyes)- physical responses too; fingers under the word, chart, picture- “thumbs up when you know” (think time)We do it - teacher guidedY’all do it - partner practice(thanks to Ed Ellis, Alabama native)heart & soulof effectiveinstruction...2) Partner Responses- teacher assigns - provide a label/role “1’s tell 2’s”- alternate ranking (high with middle, middle with lower)- thoughtful questions/prompts/up & down Bloom’s taxonomy3) Written Responses- focused prompts increase thinking, accountability, focus- structure academic language (e.g. sentence starters)You do it - independent practice (w/feedback)4) Individual Responses (AFTER rehearsal/practice)- r<strong>and</strong>omly call on individuals, use “public voices”- complete sentences, using new vocabulary

SLANT Strategy (Ed Ellis, U of Alabama)Dr. Anita Archer Introducing 7thGraders to the Engagement “tool kit”S = Sit UpL = Listen (teacher/peers)A = Ask/AnswerN = Nod <strong>and</strong> NoteStudents respond primarilyto what we DO, not whatwe say…T = Track the teacher/speakerEngagement Comes Down Tothe Quantity & Quality of Student:Free to view/download at: www.scoe.org/readingBreaking Old Habits That Don’t Work!!! Saying - Oral Language!! Writing- Written Language!! Doing - pointing, touching,demonstrating, etc.** NEVER more than 2-10 Rule **

Common InstructionalPractice “old school”Why It’s NOT Helpful& <strong>Effective</strong> OptionsNo Opting Out = EVERYONE DOESEVERYTHING !! T asks questions & Sraise h<strong>and</strong>s to answer! T asks “does anyone know?”! T asks “who can tell me ?”! Round robin reading?! Students directed to looknew terms up, copydefinitions, usein a sentence.Everyone, stop <strong>and</strong> think,list, partners (1s – 2s),then “cold call” -all readyChoral, partner, cloze,or silent w/a taskExplicitly teach or “proveit” if known term, dictionaryfor confirmation/elaborationBut what do I do when a student says “I don’t know...”?Options include:! Teachers provides – student repeats in context! Ask another student – first student repeats! Teacher prompts (scaffolds 1 st part or cues)! Teacher prompts a peer to cue the student! Think about it/check page _ “I’LL BE BACK”! IF YOU DID KNOW, What would it be....!If This is a Pattern...Solution? More “Frontloading”“can’t discuss if you don’t have anything to say”For example:!! provide think time (signal readiness)!! require brief writing (evidence of readiness)!! provide sample answer!! brief partner/small group beforewhole class discussion!! pre-teach a few key terms to use!! ask a more basic question to bridgeback to the higher level question etc.

Malcolm Gladwell“The Story of Success”“From Worst to First”How One CA High School Transformed viaA Relentless Focus on Improving Core Instructionhttp://www1.waterford.k12.ca.us/The Power of Instruction Norms toImprove Teaching, Thus AchievementAnother example of an “outlier” school...Example from Waterford HS1)! Lesson Objectives: Clear - posted, could ask anystudent...know/be able to do.. (not just an activity)2) Teach First – then Check for Underst<strong>and</strong>ing –“I do it, We do it, You do it”3) Student Production; guided practice, independentpractice ALL Engaged, scaffold as needed4) Alignment of independent practice to the instructionalobjectives (e.g. not practicing errors, or unrelated information) .5) Concept Development: Focus in BIG ideas, coreconcepts/principles aligned to essential st<strong>and</strong>ards –are directly taught6) Meaningful Interaction – ALL engaged, no byst<strong>and</strong>ers –Everyone does everything (e.g. no h<strong>and</strong> raising except forvolunteers).http://www1.waterford.k12.ca.us/

What do these “outliers” do?A most excellent starting place??Establishing ENGAGEMENT asan “Instructional Norm”norm, n. Latin norma date: 16741.! a widespread or usual practice2.!a pattern or trait taken to be typicalTake the AcademicLanguage Oath !!IES Rec. #1 Explicit Vocabulary Instruction“I will ensure that EVERY singlestudent in my class speaks, <strong>and</strong>often also writes, at least onemeaningful academic sentenceEVERY day !”

Vocabulary is Important to All of Us!!Evidence Based School-wideAcademic Vocabulary Program1.! Engaging in AccountableWide Reading/Listening-Esp. Non-Fiction2. Direct Teaching & AccountableUse of Important New Words;Oral/Written (sentences & more)4. Fostering WordConsciousnesse.g. etymology, wordplay, word choice inwriting, etc.3. Teaching WordLearning Strategies,e.g. context/affixes, rootsdictionaries, etc.- adapted from Graves, 2006Within a Context of Active Structured Engagement:ALL Students Developing Their Academic Language Every DayBottom Line Summary?<strong>Effective</strong> vocabulary/academic languageinstruction comes down to:Conventional Vocabulary “instruction”w/an Excellent 6th Gr. TeacherConnection – new to the known, building that“semantic network” in the mind/brainUse – academic speaking <strong>and</strong> writing as we construct<strong>and</strong> apply knowledge (not simply memorize ormatch, multiple choice etc.)No single correct method or strategy – it will dependon how important the term is, how difficult it is to grasp,level of your students, content area etc. ...but the sameessential architecture is there – Connect & UsePlease note: is this instruction; Inclusive (all responding),Equitable (scaffolded), <strong>and</strong> Academic (using AL/Vocabulary/HOTs) ?

Instructional Guidelines (another Heuristic)for Explicitly Teaching a New Term1) Introduce (say together, syllables,identify part of speech, morphology, etc.)2) Explain BEFORE Define3) Provide Examples---------------4) Deepen Underst<strong>and</strong>ing5) Review & Coach Use“Quick Teach”Components of AcademicLanguage?! Vocabulary: the specialized words used in academicsettings: content specific (e.g. metaphorical) & highuse academic terms (e.g. analyze, subsequent,comparatively, variable)! Syntax: the way words are arranged in order toform sentences or phrases! Grammar: the rules according to which the wordsof a language change their form <strong>and</strong> are combinedinto sentencesAcademic Language: Word Generation Projecthttp://wordgeneration.org/

Download FREE: http://carnegie.org/publications/search-publications/pub/315/<strong>Practices</strong> That Enhance Students’ ReadingThis report identifies a cluster of closely related instructional practices shown tobe effective in improving students’ reading. We have grouped these practiceswithin three core recommendations, here listed in order of the strength of theirsupporting evidence.I. HAVE STUDENTS WRITE ABOUT THE TEXTS THEY READ. Students’comprehension of science ,social studies, <strong>and</strong> language arts texts is improved whenthey write about what they read, specifically when they! Respond to a Text in Writing (Writing Personal Reactions, Analyzing <strong>and</strong> Interpreting! Write Summaries of a Text! Write Notes About a Text! Answer Questions About a Text in Writing, or Create <strong>and</strong> AnswerWritten Questions About a TextII. TEACH STUDENTS THE WRITING SKILLS AND PROCESSES THAT GOINTO CREATING TEXT.Students’ reading skills <strong>and</strong> comprehension are improved by learning the skills <strong>and</strong>processes that go into creating textBy Steve Graham & Michael HebertV<strong>and</strong>erbilt UniversityGreat Examples of Brief Non-FictionContent Specific Writing- Kinsella, Kinsella/Ward-SingerIII. INCREASE HOW MUCH STUDENTS WRITE. Students’ readingcomprehension is improved by having them increase how often they produce theirown texts.IES Rec. #2 – Explicit Strategies to boost1)! Power Sentences2)! 5 min paper (Topic 1-2 detail sentences)3)! 10 min paper (Topic 2-3 detail sentences)Tons of resources FREE to download from Dr. Kate:http://www.sccoe.org/depts/ell/kinsella.aspCORE website for Kate’s presentation & materialsposted for downloading www.corelearn.com

Cognitive Strategies that ImproveReading/Listening Comprehension!!!“Plans for Thinking”"! Summarizing & paraphrasing"! Text structure/patterns/organization"! Questioning asking/answering"! Visualizing/Connecting (Graphic Org)"! Predicting & monitoring"! Self regulation & “fix up” strategiesSummarizationWhat Must a Reader Do in Order toSummarize a Segment of Text?#! Identify the gist/topic/main idea#! Identify related details#! Determine relative import of the details- separate trivial from essential#! Put information into own words - paraphrase#! Combine - synthesize - consolidate- “cook it down” - extract the essenceParagraph Shrinking:Teaching SummarizationSame Strategy - Gen Ed - 8th Gr. Historyw/Dr. Anita Archer$! Paragraph Shrinking (summarize/paraphrase)1. Name the”who/what” the paragraph is about2. Identify the most important detailsabout who/what3. State the “gist” in 10 words or less4. Record each “gist statement” in summary notesInclusive – Equitable – Academic (language/thinking)?

8 th Grade Literacy <strong>Intervention</strong>(Lbook – READ 180) Tonya Ward-SingerAnother: CSR “Collaborative Strategic Reading”(Vaughn & Klingner)Manual from www.sopriswest.comBefore reading1. PREVIEW- brainstorm- preread- predictCSR MapAfter reading4. WRAP UP- ask/generate questions- review- record in learning log2. CLICK & CLUNK- note hard parts- fix clunks- clarifyDuring Reading3. GET THE GIST- summarize/paraphrase- compare/contrast- note in learning logQAR: Question - Answer - Relationships(Raphael & Au, 2005Why? - research validated framework for teachingstudents how to think about question types &the relationship between questions & the text.In the Book (literal)!Right There (underline it)!Think & Search (put togetherfrom more than one locationin the text)In my Head (use of PK)!Author <strong>and</strong> Me - inference, combinetext info & prior knowledge torespond! On My Own - don’t require readingof the text! students learn how to think about questions(metacognition) <strong>and</strong> become more strategic - responddifferently based on the task/question typeCarol Lee et al. Reading in the Disciplines - http://carnegie.org/publications/

Of Course the bottom line is...Putting It ALL Together: SupportingImproved Literacy – Site Based Suggestions1)! Share relevant information w/everyone (e.g. IESPractice Guides, research summaries, etc.).2)! Collect baseline data re: key domains (e.g. % of engagementin class) & create Norms for Instruction3)! Work directly in classrooms, co-planning/teaching/modeling4) “Instructional Tours” – observations tied to agreed uponnorms/key focal areas (e.g. engagement, vocabulary, nonfictionwriting) w/feedback & planning for change.5)! Collect data based on student performance/work-feedbackto faculty via email the same day...6)! Provide focused professional development – model/demoeffective practices/short video clips etc. FOCUS FOCUS!Thanks for Attending !Additional FREE resources/videos/etc. are posted atwww.scoe.org/readingPlease send along anyquestions; kfeldman@scoe.orgKevin Feldman