COACHING+NEWS

WHAT'S NEW?

DRA/DIBELS Assessment  We have just begun of our Language Arts assessment period for winter. Grades K-4 are working on DIBELS and DRA2. If you teach grades 5-6, and are interested in assessing the oral reading fluency of your students, you may access the DIBELS website to receive free DIBELS downloads. THe materials are in Spanish and English. If you would like to be trained on these assessments, or plan to use them in your classroom, please let me know. I am happy to help organize the process. [|DIBELS downloads]

Writing Curriculum  A group of teachers created the writing curriculum for grades 1-8 during last summer. This was a collaborative effort to create consistency within the district. The basic philosophy was that we should instruct children on the traits of effective writing (6+1). If you are familiar with 6+1 traits of writing, you will find the same language used throughout the curriculum. Professional resources accompany the curriculum as well as picture books to support each writing trait. The curriculum is a working document. Please feel free to add to it, or revise it as necessary. Please make your comments known so that we end up with a user-friendly document that reaches all learners. The rubrics that are available on the website should be used with students to assess their work, building a common language about writing.

Interim Assessment  The coaches, curriculum coordinators and Dr. Jennifer Smith spent many hours creating these assessments last year. The implementation process went smoothly this fall and we are hoping for the same result this winter. The format is MCAS-like with multiple choice and open response items. This assessment tool has proven to be helpful when differentiating for students.

UPDATE:  Interim Assessment schedule: All materials will be delivered and picked up by principals  Jan. 18: Writing Assessment grades 3-8 Jan. 19: Math Assessment grades 2-8 Jan. 26 ELA Assessment grades 3-8