Selma Unified School District

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

6th grade Release Day # 2Feb. 3, 2011

Welcome

Norms Goals for this session

Selecting Essential Standards WTA: Persuasive Writing Review Monitoring Student Reading PLC: Planning & Collaboration

Selecting Essential Standards in Selma Unified School District

“All Standards are not Created Equal”

2010-11

How Do Each of Us Choose What is Essential to Teach? Who among you has ever been able to teach

and assess all the standards and indicators for which you are responsible?

So how do you decide which standards are the important ones to teach and assess?

Do we all use the same selection criteria?

“In absence of an agreed-upon set of criteria for prioritizing the standards and indicators, educators will, out of necessity, make up their own.”

-Power Standards: Identifying the Standards that Matter the Most, Larry Ainsworth, 2003

Goal - Moving From This Model…

State Standards

District Curriculum

Frantic Coverage of Every Test Objective

To This Model

State Standards

Potential Curriculum & Test Objectives

Focused Curriculum & Assessments

Essential Standards

What are Essential Standards?

Essential Standards are the agreed upon standards that have endurance, leverage and develop readiness

for the next grade level.

Criteria for Selecting an Essential Standard Endurance – Will this standard provide students with

knowledge and skills of value beyond a single test date?

Leverage – Will proficiency in this standard help the student in other areas of the curriculum and other academic disciplines?

Develop readiness for next level of learning – Is it essential for success in the next unit, course or grade level?

Why Are Essential Standards Important?

“By focusing on essential skills, teachers prepare students for 80% to 90% of the

content that will be addressed on state tests.”

(Doug Reeves, 2002)

How Many Essential Standards?

“We recommend that teams start by identifying 8 to 10 most essential outcomes students will be expected

to achieve in the subject area for that semester (trimester).”

(DuFour, 2006)

Clarifying What Students Must Learn The essential learning must be aligned with

state and district curriculum guides.

The essential learning must ensure students are well-prepared to demonstrate proficiency on state, district and national assessments.

DuFour, 2006

District Approach To Selecting Essential Standards

“Ownership and commitment are directly linked to the extent to which people are engaged in the decision-making process (Axelrod, 2002) and as a result there is a direct correlation between participation and improved results (Wheatley, 1999).”

Learning By Doing Handbook, Dufour, 2006

Directions for Activity Each group has been assigned a strand of the ELA content

standards.

Step One: Using the criteria of endurance, leverage and developing readiness, classify each standard as either a primary or secondary standard.

-Resources provided include:Standards At A Glance

Grade level ELA standards Individual standard cards

Group poster

Criteria for Selecting an Essential Standard Endurance – will this standard provide students with

knowledge and skills of value beyond a single test date?

Leverage – will proficiency in this standard help the student in other areas of the curriculum and other academic disciplines?

Develop readiness for next level of learning – is it essential for success in the next unit, course or grade level?

Directions for ActivityStep Two: With your group go to one of the other strand posters to review and provide input. If you have questions or think there should be a change, please use a sticky note to record and post your ideas.

- Please don’t move the standards that have been classified

already by the group.

- You will be signaled when it is time to move to the next poster.

- If your group agrees with something recorded on a sticky note by another group, please place a check mark on the same note.

Next Steps Each site will provide teacher representation for a districtwide

vertical articulation team.

Team will meet after contract hours (supplemental pay) to look for gaps, overlaps, and omissions in first draft of essential standards.

Team will also look for the correlation to CST/CELDT/CAHSEE/Common Core Standards and make any revisions.

Second draft for current grade, grade above, and grade below will be shared at Day 3 of WTA.

Break: 15 minutes

Persuasive Writing: Review2nd Trimester Genre

Persuasive Writing InformationWriting pacing guide:

Instruction: Persuasive Writing: November 15th-March 11th

Trimester 2 Benchmark Testing Dates: Writing Prompt: Mar. 3rd scanned by Mar. 22nd

Discussion Prompts… Please share an instructional strategy/tool that

has been effective in your teaching of persuasive writing.

Share any questions you may have regarding persuasive writing.

Be prepared to share.

Why Do Persuasive Writing? It provides a life skill.

Students learn to use words to promote their ideas, rather than force.

Media Literacy -- helps students recognize when, how and by whom they are being persuaded to do something so that they can be discriminating in their decisions.

It helps students organize their thoughts in a convincing way.

The Big Picture

In persuasive writing, students are expected to… Take a position Support their position with clear evidence

Anticipate their audience’s reaction Have counter arguments ready

Summarize or restate their position

Successful instruction should…

Scaffold content learning and

Scaffold language learning.

Expose Students to the Forms of Persuasive Writing Advertisements or posters Letters Compositions / Essays Speeches / Debate**

Using Printed Ads to Teach Persuasion

Client Testimonial

Advertisements… Goal:

To have students identify the position being taken and the supporting evidence or examples.

To have students recognize the use of persuasive language.

To have students transfer this information to a persuasive writing note page.

Note: Ads generally do not present the opposing viewpoint or rebuttal.

Next Step: Deconstructing Text**Goal

To have students identify the position being taken in text, the reasons, and the supporting evidence or examples.

To have students identify the counter argument and rebuttal in text.

To have students recognize the use of persuasive language and language frames.

To have students transfer this information to a persuasive writing organizer.

Deconstructing Text Students May…

Color code essay structures(i.e. Introductory paragraph)

Underline a key

components (i.e. position) Underline persuasive language Underline transitional sentences

Deconstructing Text Practice

Process Locate the following & transfer

to organizer: Position Counter argument Rebuttal Conclusion Note: Subsequent practice can have

students locate persuasive language.

NOTE: Model the process and think aloud.

Think about the Gradual Release Model

I do / You do

Ideas for Persuasive Writing Prompts Uniforms in school Skateboards on campus Junk food on campus Pay for chores at home Homework Cafeteria food quality Where to go on a fieldtrip Length of school day Children should not be able to eat sugary breakfast cereals

How to Write a Persuasive Composition

Pre-Write Identify the topic of the composition Choose your position on the topic List all of the reasons supporting your position From the list choose three of the strongest reasons Find and note evidence to support each reason Determine the counter argument and address these

concerns

How to Write a Persuasive CompositionDraft1. Write your composition in at least five paragraphs with the

following elements:a. Introduction which states a clear position and reasonsb. Three supporting paragraphs which include evidence for each

reasonc. The counter argument and how you would address the reader’s

concernsd. A strong conclusion that restates the position and reasons

Edit / Revise/Reflect1. Reread, revise, and edit your composition2. Reflect on your essay

English Language Development Through ***Persuasive Writing Instruction***

Do not assume that they have the necessary language structures or vocabulary to write a persuasive letter/essay.

Provide language frames along the way.

Provide time for students to use the frames in speaking and in writing.

Model using the frames to redundancy!

Persuasive Language Framesfor stating your position: In my opinion

I believe that…

It seems obvious to me that…

Although not everybody would agree, my position is…

Persuasive Language Framesfor supporting your position: I have several reasons for arguing this point

of view. My first reason is…Another reason is… There are several points I want to make to

support my point of view. A further point they make is…

Persuasive Language Framesfor considering the counter arguments: Some argue that… They say (claim, hold, maintain) that… On the other hand, there are many who

disagree with the idea that… A further point they make is…

Persuasive Language Framesfor restating your position: After looking closely at both sides of the issue

and the evidence, I believe it is best to… The advantages of…outweigh the

disadvantages of… Even though the issue has two sides, I think I

have shown that…

Resources Available on the SUSD Website Select the Curriculum Channel

Select Writing, when drop down menu appears.

You will find: Organizers, language frames, pacing guide, transition

words, and 6 persuasive letters to use when deconstructing texts.

Don’t forget about the resources available to you from 2009-2010 trainings.

PLC: Revising and Editing Look over the Revising & Editing Lessons. In your group discuss/brainstorm ideas for the

following: How might you scaffold these lessons? What academic language would kids need to

know? What would be the suggested pacing?

PLC: Revising and Editing Group Share

Lunch Break Please take a minute to add to your reflection

form.

Enjoy your lunch!

The District Expectation Regarding Individual Reading Assessments… Individual monitoring of student reading must occur on a

consistent basis.

Information gathered should be used to create instruction plans that will provide the necessary interventions for students.

All students below grade level, will need to be assessed using an individualized reading inventory.

A minimum of 1 assessment per trimester

Analysis of the Running Record

Reader’s of text appear to make decisions about the quality of the message they are getting. One theory is that they are recalling or attacking words. Another theory is that the student is working to get the best fit possible with the limited knowledge he has. It is the last theory that guides teacher decision making. (Marie Clay, Running Records For Classroom Teachers)

3 Cueing Systems

Meaning

StructureVisual

Steps

1. Analyze errors for M,S,V.

2. Read up to and including the error.

Ask yourself: does that make sense?

3. Read up to and including the error.

Ask yourself: Does that sound right?

4. Read up to and including the error.

Ask yourself: Does it look like the word in the text? Is there visual similarity?

Steps

5. Total the columns .

6. Decide which cues the child used and which he/she neglected.

7. Determine what you would praise after the reading of this text? What did the child do well? (limit 1-2 praise points)

8. Determine what you would focus on as a teaching point. What’s next for this child?

(limit 1-2 teaching points)

Demonstration:

Analysis of the Running Record

Decide on praise and teaching points. Note the areas of need.

Plan the next lesson. Decide which prompt you will utilize with

your student(s).

Discussion/Questions

Talk at your table about your experiences.

Were there any surprises?

Questions/Comments

YOU DID IT!!

Remember practice is the only way to become proficient.

Don’t over think any one error. You are looking for a pattern.

The goal of the district is that you will have 1 completely analyzed running records for every FBB/BB student in your classroom by the end of each Trimester.

PLC: Planning & Collaboration Station 1: Make It & Take It Station 2: Generating Prompts (1 per site) Station 3: Linking WTA Persuasive

Writing Model with MMH Station 5: Miscue Analysis &

Instructional Plan for FBB/BB Station 5: Lesson Planning

Thank You! Please turn in the following:

Reflection Form Persuasive Writing Prompts Post questions on Parking Lot Poster

Next Release Day 6th (Mar. 31st)

Think of more questions after training? Blanca’s Contact Information:

Wilson 47827 Eric White 47034 Email