Literacy Assessment Support PALS K Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening

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Literacy Assessment SupportPALS K Phonological
Awareness Literacy Screening

• Adams 12 Five Star Schools
• PALS Kindergarten Protocol Refresher

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Online Learning Support for Kindergarten
Literacy Assessment

• Purpose

• Outcomes

• Engage in a self-directed refresher to support
  the accurate collection of data that
• Meets state reporting requirements
• Complies with the district assessment schedule
• Informs instruction

• As the result of this session, you will
• Know the district expectations for reading
  assessment
• Be prepared for the District Assessment Day
• Understand the PALS assessment protocol
• Have answers to frequently asked questions with
  regard to PALS

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How to Use this Online Learning Opportunity

• Gather the materials listed on the right
• View this PowerPoint to refresh your knowledge of
  the PALS protocol
• Stop at identified points to view clips from the
  PALS CD-ROM
• Continue viewing until the session is complete
• Return to this resource as often as needed
  (posted on the districts literacy website)

• Materials needed
• from your PALS Kit
• Administration and Scoring Guide (Form B)
• Assessment Training CD-ROM
• Lets get started!

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Kindergarten Reading Assessment Overview

• District Requirements for 2010-2011
• PALS Form B is given in the fall and spring
• DRA 1 at mid-year
• DRA in the spring (DRA 3 is grade level)
• Scores are due in ScholarsMart
• September 24, 2010
• January 21, 2011
• May 20, 2011
• 
  

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Why does the district require PALS and DRA in K?

• The PALS K screening measures a set of skills
  necessary for successful reading.
• It does not provide a measure of strategic
  reading and comprehension.
• When students are assessed with PALS and DRA, the
  teacher has a more complete profile of students
  in reading.

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Purpose of PALS

• Beginning of the year
• Determine instructional needs of students
• Mid-year
• Monitor progress from fall screening
• Fulfill requirement to monitor below grade-level
  readers
• Determine effectiveness of instruction
• End of Year
• Determine if a student is reading below, on, or
  above grade level
• Set plans for next school year

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Contents of PALS K Kit

• The following materials will be needed when
  administering PALS tasks
• Administration and Scoring Guide Form A or B
  (form for current year)
• Student Summary Sheet (individual recording form
  - Form A or B)
• Student Spelling Sheet or plain paper
• Student Packet (student materials for assessment
  tasks)
• letter charts
• COW picture sheet, word list, booklets with
  fall/spring rhymes
• optional word recognition lists
• individual rhyme awareness book
• sound awareness cards
• Pencils, whiteboard, dry-erase marker (add to
  kit)

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Basic Screening Principles

• Test within the PALS testing window.
• Do not pre-teach test items such as words from
  word lists.
• Follow the directions and script in the
  Administration and Scoring Guide, prompting only
  as directed.
• Failure to follow these principles invalidates
  the screening results.

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Assessment Window

• The District Assessment Day is the first day of
  the assessment window for administering PALS.
• However, the first two tasks (Group Rhyme and
  Group Beginning Sound Awareness) cannot be given
  on the same day because the tasks are so similar
  that students may not fully understand what they
  are expected to do (see page 14 of Administration
  and Scoring Guide).
• Therefore, you may administer Group Rhyme
  Awareness the day before the District Assessment
  Day.

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An Introduction to PALS

• Insert the CD-ROM and click on the PALS K icon.
• Click on the play arrow to view an introduction
  to PALS by one of its creators.
• Pause the CD when the bar at the bottom of the
  PALS screen shifts from Introduction to
  Phonological Awareness. Otherwise, the CD will
  play continuously.

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PALS K Assessment Tasks for All Students

• Turn to the chart on page 5 of Administration and
  Scoring Guide.
• For all students, the following untimed tasks are
  given
• Section I
• Group Rhyme Awareness
• Group Beginning Sound Awareness
• Section II
• Alphabet Knowledge Lowercase Alphabet
  Recognition
• Letter Sound Knowledge Letter Sounds
• Section III
• Letter-Sound Knowledge Spelling
• Section IV
• Concept of Word Concept of Word (COW) in Text
  and COW Word List
• Section V (Optional)
• Word Recognition in Isolation (recommended for
  students reading at preprimer level or above)
• 
  

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Section I Phonological Awareness

• This section measures student awareness of rhyme
  and beginning sounds.
• Benchmarks are provided for fall and spring
  testing (see
• p. 5 in Administration and Scoring Guide).

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Section I, Part A Group Rhyme Awareness Task

• Turn to page 10 in the Administration and Scoring
  Guide. Read the directions to familiarize
  yourself with this task.
• Locate the materials used in this task
• Student Booklet
• Student Summary Sheet
• Then return to the CD-ROM and click play to
  view the first part of Phonological Awareness.
  
• Pause following this screen do not administer
  Group Rhyme Awareness on the same day... and
  continue with the PowerPoint.

• What are the key points?
• This task can be administered individually or in
  small groups and can be given the day before the
  District Assessment Day.
• Do not give this task on the same day as the
  Group Beginning Sound Awareness.
• Students who score below the benchmark on Group
  Rhyme Awareness must be given the Individual
  Rhyme Awareness task.

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Section I, Part B Group Beginning Sound
Awareness Task

• Turn to page 14 in the Administration and Scoring
  Guide. Read the directions to familiarize
  yourself with this task.
• Locate the materials used in this task
• Student Booklet
• Student Summary Sheet
• Then return to the CD-ROM and click play to
  continue viewing more of the section on
  Phonological Awareness.
• Pause after the teacher scores this section and
  continue with the PowerPoint.

• What are the key points?
• This task can be administered individually or in
  small groups.
• Do not administer Group Beginning Sound Awareness
  on same day as Group Rhyme Awareness.
• Students who score below the benchmark on Group
  Beginning Sound Awareness must be given
  Individual Sound Awareness.

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Section I, Part C Individual Rhyme Awareness

• Key Points

• To administer the task

• This task is given to students scoring below the
  benchmark on Group Rhyme Awareness.
• Turn to page 18 in the Administration and Scoring
  Guide. Read the directions to familiarize
  yourself with this task.
• Return to the CD-ROM and click play to continue
  viewing.
• Pause after the teacher is shown recording the
  students response to this task and continue with
  the PowerPoint.

• Assemble materials
• Individual Rhyme Awareness Booklet (in Student
  Packet)
• Student Summary Sheet
• Administration and Scoring Guide
• Follow directions exactly as on pp. 18-21.
• Use the individual (not the group score) in
  determining the students summed score.
• Enter the individual (not the group score) into
  ScholarsMart.

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Part I, Section D Individual Beginning Sound
Awareness

• Key Points

• To administer the task

• This task is given to students scoring below the
  benchmark on the Group Beginning Sound Awareness.
• Turn to page 22 in the Administration and Scoring
  Guide. Read the directions to familiarize
  yourself with this task.
• Return to the CD-ROM and click play to continue
  viewing this section.
• Pause when the bar on the PALS screen shifts to
  the next section, Alphabet Knowledge, and
  continue with the PowerPoint.

• Assemble materials
• Beginning Sound Awareness Picture Cards
• Student Summary Sheet
• Administration and Scoring Guide
• Follow directions exactly as on pp. 22-23.
• Use the individual (not the group score) in
  determining the students summed score.
• Enter the individual (not the group score) into
  ScholarsMart.

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Section II Alphabet Knowledge(Lower-Case
Alphabet Recognition)

• Turn to page 24 of Administration and Scoring
  Guide. Read the directions to familiarize
  yourself with this task.
• Locate materials needed
• Lower Case Alphabet Recognition Sheet from
  Student Packet
• Student Summary Sheet for recording
• Pencils
• When giving the test, follow the directions for
  prompting and recording exactly.

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Lower-Case Recognition Task in Action

• What are the key points?
• Self-corrections are acceptable.
• Hint Recording what a student substitutes
  provides a window into the thinking behind the
  response and can be useful in planning
  instruction.

• Go to the CD-ROM to continue viewing if paused or
  click Alphabet Knowledge in the menu.
• Pause when the bar on the PALS screen shifts to
  the next section, Letter-Sound Knowledge, and
  continue with the PowerPoint.

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Section III Letter-Sound KnowledgePart A
Letter Sounds

• Turn to page 25 of Administration and Scoring
  Guide. Read the directions to familiarize
  yourself with this task.
• Locate materials needed for this task
• Letter Sounds Sheet from Student Packet
• Student Summary Sheet for recording
• Pencils
• When giving the test, follow directions for
  prompting and recording exactly.

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Letter-Sound Task in Action

• Go to the CD-ROM and press play if paused to
  continue viewing or click Letter-Sound
  Knowledge in the menu.
• Pause when the CD shifts to Spelling and
  continue with the PowerPoint.

• What are the key points?
• The short vowel sound is the correct response for
  the Letter-Sound task.
• See the specific prompt on page 25 of the
  Administration and Scoring Guide for a student
  offering a long vowel sound.

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Section III Letter-Sound Knowledge Part B
Spelling

• Turn to pages 26-27 in the Administration and
  Scoring Guide. Read the directions to
  familiarize yourself with this task.
• Locate materials needed for this task
• Student spelling sheet or plain paper
• Student Summary Sheet
• Pencils for students
• Whiteboard and dry-erase marker for teacher
  demonstration
• Administration and Scoring Guide pages 26-28
• When giving the test, follow the directions for
  this task carefully. You may need to say to a
  student who hesitates to write Pretend you
  know some of this word. What would you write?

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Spelling Task in Action

• Go to the CD-ROM and press play if paused to
  continue viewing or click on Letter-Sound
  Knowledge in the menu.
• Pause when the bar on the PALS window shifts to
  Concept of Word and continue with the
  PowerPoint.

• Key scoring points
• Bonus points are earned for the perfect spelling
  of an entire word.
• Reversal (mirror image) of a single letter is
  accepted and eligible for the bonus point (except
  when the reversal is another letter as in b/d or
  p/q).

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Section IV Concept of Word (COW)

• Turn to pages 29-30 in the Administration and
  Scoring Guide. Read the directions to
  familiarize yourself with this task.
• Locate materials needed for this task
• Make sure you are using the materials for the
  correct form of PALS
• COW picture sheet, word list, and booklet from
  Student Packet
• When administering this part of the screening,
  follow the directions exactly as on pages 29-30.
  Do not add any additional prompts.

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COW Task in Action

• Go to the CD-ROM and press play if paused to
  continue viewing or click on Concept of Word in
  the menu.
• Pause when the bar on the PALS window shifts to
  Word Recognition in Isolation and continue with
  the PowerPoint.

• What are the key points?
• Students must know the rhyme by heart before COW
  is assessed.
• Teach the rhyme using the picture prompts in the
  Student Packet (see Preparing for Assessment
  Day at the end of this PowerPoint).
• Do not pre-teach the words from the COW word
  list.
• Include only the word list score when calculating
  students summed scores.

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Section V Word Recognition in Isolation

• This task is optional. It is recommended for
  students who are reading at the preprimer level
  or above.
• This task is useful to assess students who are
  already reading at the time of entry into
  Kindergarten.
• View this section of the CD-ROM if you will be
  administering this portion of the PALS K
  screening.

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What is grade level?

• The following scores are added for a students
  Summed Score
• Rhyme Awareness (group or individual)
• Beginning Sound Awareness (group or individual)
• Alphabet Recognition
• Letter Sounds
• Spelling
• COW Word List
• Summed
  Score Benchmarks
• 
  

FALL SPRING
28 81 and DRA Level 3
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Preparing for the District Assessment Day

• Beginning with the first day of school, use the
  picture prompts only to practice the COW rhyme
  for the correct form of PALS (see published
  District Assessment Schedule).
• Practice often and throughout the school day to
  ensure the rhyme is very familiar by the District
  Assessment Day.
• Prepare testing materials for the Individual
  Beginning Sound Awareness task.

• Read and refer to the PALS K Administration and
  Scoring Guide which also provides step-by-step
  instructions for administering and scoring each
  PALS task.
• Assemble all materials.
• Set up a testing schedule for students.
• On testing day, begin slowly to ensure that you
  are following the protocol procedures. Dont
  worry! Youll gain fluency as the testing
  continues.

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Beyond Assessment Day Using Information from
PALS to Guide Whole Group Instruction

• Information gained through the PALS K screening
  can be used to inform instruction in both
  classrooms and intervention.
• Teachers can use data to address strengths and
  needs of individual students in
• hearing and identifying rhymes
• hearing and matching letters to sounds
• identification of letters
• knowledge of how print and words work
  directionality, letter formation, identifying
  first and last
• Shared Reading, Small Group, Modeled Writing, and
  Shared Writing are times in the day when these
  skills and strategies can be taught and
  practiced.

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Taking a Look . . .

• Taking a look at what students know and what they
  need to learn enables teachers to analyze student
  strengths and needs. Then instruction can be
  focused and organized for maximum student
  learning.
• Using data gathered through assessments,
  instruction can be orchestrated with time and
  intensity to best facilitate students reading
  growth.