Thursday, May 23, 2013
Assessments Galore
16 days remain. Plenty of assessments to go. BAS reading levels. Math CBA. Science CBA. Writing assessment. Then the usual district stuff to fill out the report card. Top all this with various changes to our regular schedule, like assemblies, play day, and new this year we are having a drive in movie! It's going to be a whirlwind end of the year bash!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Kinder Screening with WaKids Focus for Data Collection
2 1/2 hours w/10-15 students, 3 teachers (maybe more if Speech or others are available). Split students between number of teachers for us it will be approximately 5 students each, and rotate through different stations with about 20 minutes in each area. We are choosing to have 3 stations running at the same time, and rotate students through them, so the teacher stays on the station. In that way the same teacher will assess all gross motor for all students, hopefully in this way they are all scored similarly. Also each teacher will get to spend a bit of time with all students to get a feel for some behaviors. 3 stations will be be covered in the first hour, 3 more in the second, and the final station the last 30 minutes.
7 stations
1. Gross Motor/Outside
2. Fine Motor
3. Speech/Language
4. Math
5. Problem Solving
6. Reading
7. Concepts of Print
Quick run down and goal of each station.
1. Gross Motor/Outside
Take students to playground area (not during a scheduled recess). Note ability to walk in line, walk properly in hall, not run off, quietly, etc. Watch as students walk down steps, do they alternate steps? Walking on concrete around playground, can they walk it like a balance beam? Can they do it backwards? Can students hop on one foot? the other foot? Can student run? Do they climb on equipment? Using a ball, how do they catch it? against body? or just with hands? Can they kick a stationary ball? or a rolling ball?
2. Fine Motor
Using scissors, do they hold them/use them correctly? Can they cut a straight line? Can they cut around a shape? Can they string beads? small beads? Can they tie their shoes? Do they hold a pencil with 3 finger grip? Do they hold it to high or low? Can they write their name? Do they have all the letters of their name? Do they use upper and lower case properly? Ask for a writing sample/journal style. Do they use letter strings? scribble? or do they have some letter sound correspondence?
3. Speech. Many language "look fors". I'm currently trying to get our staff to come in and check this area as I do not feel qualified.
4. Math.
What can they count to? If I say a number do they know what comes next? Can they identify their numerals? can they then match that number to a set of objects? Can they tell you a set of more/less/equal parts? Placing 5 picture cards in front of them, then take them away, how many can they name? Can they repeat, copy, or extend a repeating pattern? Can they match similar objects? Can they sort into 2 groups? Can they regroup and sort them differently? Can they compare sets by size or length? Do they know what a tape measure or scale is for?
5. Problem Solving.
Using those toddler toys, where you fit shapes into the box. How do they react to the problem of fitting the shapes? do they cram them in? do they look first and then try? Do they copy what another student does? Do they ask for a solution? or can they solve it on their own?
Curiosity. (NOT SURE HOW TO CHECK THIS ONE. Trying to think of a situation where they would want to know more about something, want to take it apart, etc.)
Flexibility/inventiveness. (AGAIN NOT SURE HOW TO CHECK THIS ONE.)
Are they creative and imaginative? (Could give some props, like on Who's line is it Anyway, and see what they do with them?)
6. Reading. (Some of these, I used the Rigby pre-assessment)
Rhyming. Do they join in? fill in a missing word? do they know if two words rhyme? Can they pick out the rhyming words out of a set? Can they create their own?
Alliteration. Can they match beginning sounds? What begins the same way as>>>? What is the beginning sound of?
Can they break words into syllables? onset and rime? all phonemes?
Can they name the letters of alphabet? upper and lower? Do they know the sounds?
7. Concepts of print. (For this I plan to use the new BAS)
Do they know where to start reading? which direction to go? do they know a letter from a word? do they know the punctuation? Do they pretend to read? Can they retell a story w/prompts? do they use the pictures? do they tell it in order? Do they interact during the reading? do they ask questions? Can they ID the problem in the story?
So while all this is going on, we can also make notes as to whether students respond to adult tone? do they refuse to comply but then do? Do they clean up? line up? Follow school routines? sit at carpet? how do they handle the transitions? Can they indicate their own wants and needs? do they attempt to do things but wait for help? do they do things on their own? do they use materials appropriately? Do they interact with peers? or play side by side? do they cooperate in a group? do they have friends? how many others do they play with at a time?
As you can see WaKids has a lot to check. My goal is to get 90% of it finished at screening. This will take extreme organization and focus on the teachers part, and small groups of students. It is my hope, with just 5 or so students at a station that the teacher can take notes and check all these things (I plan to make data sheets for each station, do we can keep the data organized). Later when class really starts, the teacher can go back and double check and confirm or fill in the holes and then be ready to enter the data.
7 stations
1. Gross Motor/Outside
2. Fine Motor
3. Speech/Language
4. Math
5. Problem Solving
6. Reading
7. Concepts of Print
Quick run down and goal of each station.
1. Gross Motor/Outside
Take students to playground area (not during a scheduled recess). Note ability to walk in line, walk properly in hall, not run off, quietly, etc. Watch as students walk down steps, do they alternate steps? Walking on concrete around playground, can they walk it like a balance beam? Can they do it backwards? Can students hop on one foot? the other foot? Can student run? Do they climb on equipment? Using a ball, how do they catch it? against body? or just with hands? Can they kick a stationary ball? or a rolling ball?
2. Fine Motor
Using scissors, do they hold them/use them correctly? Can they cut a straight line? Can they cut around a shape? Can they string beads? small beads? Can they tie their shoes? Do they hold a pencil with 3 finger grip? Do they hold it to high or low? Can they write their name? Do they have all the letters of their name? Do they use upper and lower case properly? Ask for a writing sample/journal style. Do they use letter strings? scribble? or do they have some letter sound correspondence?
3. Speech. Many language "look fors". I'm currently trying to get our staff to come in and check this area as I do not feel qualified.
4. Math.
What can they count to? If I say a number do they know what comes next? Can they identify their numerals? can they then match that number to a set of objects? Can they tell you a set of more/less/equal parts? Placing 5 picture cards in front of them, then take them away, how many can they name? Can they repeat, copy, or extend a repeating pattern? Can they match similar objects? Can they sort into 2 groups? Can they regroup and sort them differently? Can they compare sets by size or length? Do they know what a tape measure or scale is for?
5. Problem Solving.
Using those toddler toys, where you fit shapes into the box. How do they react to the problem of fitting the shapes? do they cram them in? do they look first and then try? Do they copy what another student does? Do they ask for a solution? or can they solve it on their own?
Curiosity. (NOT SURE HOW TO CHECK THIS ONE. Trying to think of a situation where they would want to know more about something, want to take it apart, etc.)
Flexibility/inventiveness. (AGAIN NOT SURE HOW TO CHECK THIS ONE.)
Are they creative and imaginative? (Could give some props, like on Who's line is it Anyway, and see what they do with them?)
6. Reading. (Some of these, I used the Rigby pre-assessment)
Rhyming. Do they join in? fill in a missing word? do they know if two words rhyme? Can they pick out the rhyming words out of a set? Can they create their own?
Alliteration. Can they match beginning sounds? What begins the same way as>>>? What is the beginning sound of?
Can they break words into syllables? onset and rime? all phonemes?
Can they name the letters of alphabet? upper and lower? Do they know the sounds?
7. Concepts of print. (For this I plan to use the new BAS)
Do they know where to start reading? which direction to go? do they know a letter from a word? do they know the punctuation? Do they pretend to read? Can they retell a story w/prompts? do they use the pictures? do they tell it in order? Do they interact during the reading? do they ask questions? Can they ID the problem in the story?
So while all this is going on, we can also make notes as to whether students respond to adult tone? do they refuse to comply but then do? Do they clean up? line up? Follow school routines? sit at carpet? how do they handle the transitions? Can they indicate their own wants and needs? do they attempt to do things but wait for help? do they do things on their own? do they use materials appropriately? Do they interact with peers? or play side by side? do they cooperate in a group? do they have friends? how many others do they play with at a time?
As you can see WaKids has a lot to check. My goal is to get 90% of it finished at screening. This will take extreme organization and focus on the teachers part, and small groups of students. It is my hope, with just 5 or so students at a station that the teacher can take notes and check all these things (I plan to make data sheets for each station, do we can keep the data organized). Later when class really starts, the teacher can go back and double check and confirm or fill in the holes and then be ready to enter the data.
Schedule for Kinder Screening August 2013
Basic Schedule. The first three days of school will consist
of sessions of kindergarten students. There will be two sessions
each day 9-11:30 and 12:30-3. As students register for school they will be
assigned one session to attend. Two
sessions on Wednesday and Thursday and one AM session on Friday. We aim for 10-15 students per session, but
enrollment is the deciding factor as to how many students are ultimately in
each session.
Friday afternoon is reserved for staff to come together,
look through the data and “sort” students into classrooms. Many factors are
considered. Boy girl ratio. Behaviors. Spec Education Needs. ELL. High/low
academics. (In the past we have administered the AGS, a type of intelligence
test to help determine high/low ability, we are uncertain if we plan to use it
this coming year). After students have
been assigned a classroom teacher, teachers call each family to introduce
themselves and to set up a family conference for next week.
Monday-Wednesday of the following week is reserved for full
day of family conferences (a WaKids requirement). Students do not officially begin
school until Thursday. Families come to
share about their students during 30 minute conferences. Conferences are to
focus on the child and family, not data collected.
Full day of school then begins for our kindergarteners on
Thursday, making it a two day week to start off. (The previous year, we held a
week of ½ days for students with conferences in the afternoon. It was nice to get students off to a slow
start, but for the rest of our district that could become a bussing nightmare.
And families were somewhat confused as to when students were full or ½ days as
the rest of their “big” kids were full day).
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Wednesday
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9-11:30 Batch 1
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12:30-3 Batch 2
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Thursday
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9-11:30 Batch 3
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12:30-3 Batch 4
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Friday
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9-11:30 Batch 5
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Classroom Assigned/Confo set up/Teachers prep room
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Monday
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8:30-3:30 Conferences every 30 minutes
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Tuesday
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8:30-3:30 Conferences every 30 minutes
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Wednesday
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8:30-3:30 Conferences every 30 minutes
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Thursday
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Students start full day Kindergarten
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During October teachers must input data collected on students into the system. Unclear at this time what that will look like for our school. Last year we had several half days for students, which was very confusing to families.
Personally I found I needed about 2 hours. By the time I got to this stage, I had all my data and had turned that into a number so it was very easy to input. Not all teachers were that prepared,nor found it as easy and they appreciated all the extra time given. If the state/federal government should ever change the requirement, and make us enter the proof, that would take a very very very long time!!!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
WaKids
Sounding like teachers in the district are going to wakids training and may have short notice to implement. I'm working on finalizing with my PLC our plan for next year. Will post here when finished. Thought this might be a good spot for discussion in the future.
Overwhelmed
Is any other teacher feeling overwhelmed this time of the year? Nearly every week I am making sub plans for some sort of training which takes me away from the classroom, and the assessments haven't even started yet. Feels like to little time and to much to do. Joking around this week I mentioned I need a personal secretary to remind me of all the meetings! At least twice this week I had meetings before school, at lunch, and after school all in the same day. Add to that a behavior student taking up my planning time....again feeling overwhelmed.
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