TUSD AZ READS Implementation

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TUSDAZ READS Implementation

• Mary Thalgott
• Ardas Wachter-Grene
• Deborah Anders

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Presentation Objectives

• Create an awareness of AZ READS
• Develop an understanding of how AZ READS supports
  TUSDs initiatives
• Understand the value of early assessment and
  intervention
• Understand DIBELS assessments
• Review district-wide implementation plan

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Arizona Department of EducationReading
Initiative AZ READS
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AZ READS Foundation

• A.R.S. 15-704
• Arizona School Board Policy

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ARS 15-704 Reading Proficiency Definitions

• Section A mandates K-3 assessments
• Screening
• Ongoing diagnostic
• Progress monitoring
• Motivational
• For the purpose of planning appropriate and
  effective interventions.

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ARS 15-704 Reading Proficiency Definitions

• Section B mandates adoption of a K-3
  scientifically based reading curriculum that
  includes the essential components of reading
  instruction.

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ARS 15-704 Reading Proficiency Definitions

• Section C mandates reasonable amounts of time for
  explicit reading instruction and independent
  reading for K-3.

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ARS 15-704 Reading Proficiency Definitions

• Section D mandates an
  accelerated intensive instructional plan for
  students not meeting/exceeding on Grade 3 AIMS
  Reading.

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How does TUSDs Comprehensive Balanced Literacy
Framework Fit into AZ READS?
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• TUSDs Comprehensive Balanced Literacy (CBL) is a
  scientifically based research framework of
  strategies and skills which includes the
  essential components of early literacy
• TUSDs CBL is data-driven to inform instruction
  using multiple sources of assessment such as DRA
  and DIBELS
• CBL framework is included in the proposed adopted
  reading series (core curriculum)

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How does AZ READS Support TUSD?
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• TUSD
• Data-Driven
• Reading, Writing and Math Initiatives
• Pyramid of Interventions
• Adopting a scientifically based reading curriculum

• AZ READS
• Data-Driven
• State Reading Initiative
• 3-tier Intervention Plan
• Requires a scientifically based reading curriculum

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Early Assessment and Intervention
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Why Focus On Early Diagnosis and Intervention?

• Poor readers at the end of first grade are at
  very significant risk for long term academic
  difficulty.
• The probability of remaining a poor reader at
  the end of fourth grade, given a child was a poor
  reader at the end of first grade, was .88 ....
  the probability of remaining an average reader in
  fourth grade, given an average reading ability in
  first grade, was .87. (Juel, 1988)
• Poor readers at the end of first grade are likely
  to require intensive instructional support to
  reach third grade reading outcomes.

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The Intractability of Reading Failure

• Good, R. H., Simmons, D. C., Smith, S. B.
  (1998). Effective academic interventions in the
  United States Evaluating and enhancing the
  acquisition of early reading skills. School
  Psychology Review, 27, 740-753.

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How do we change first grade reading outcomes?

• By changing what we do in Kindergarten!
• We can improve reading outcomes to the average
  range by focusing on the big ideas of early
  literacy
• Focus on benchmark goals in kindergarten and
  first grade with a sense of urgency
• Focus on outcomes for students
• Whether students reach goal levels of skills is
  more important than the particular educational
  method, program or approach

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Four Kinds of Reading Assessments

• Outcome - Assessments that provide a bottom-line
  evaluation of the effectiveness of the reading
  program.
• Screening - Assessments that are administered to
  determine which children are at risk for reading
  difficulty and who will need additional
  intervention.
• Diagnosis - Assessments that help teachers plan
  instruction by providing in-depth information
  about students skills and instructional needs.
• Progress Monitoring - Assessments that determine
  if students are making adequate progress or need
  more intervention to achieve grade level reading
  outcomes.

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Data-Based Decisions

• So, how are we doing? (outcome, screening)
• Did we do better this year than last year?
• Are the core curriculum and instruction working
  for most kids?
• How do we match instructional resources to
  educational needs? (screening, diagnostic)
• Which children need additional resources to be
  successful?
• Which children need which skills?
• How well is intervention/instruction working?
  (progress monitoring, outcome)
• Is instruction working for some groups but not
  others?
• Is intervention effective?

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Teachers Already Use a Variety of Methods to
Assess Student Performance

• Anecdotal records
• Observation checklists
• Teacher-made assessments
• Observing and recording how students read
  (running records) and conferencing with students
  on results
• Standardized tests

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Consensus from the Research

• To ensure appropriate reading development all
  children need to be assessed in these critical
  domains
• Phonological Awareness
• Alphabetic Principle (phonics)
• Accuracy and Fluency with Connected Text
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension

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DIBELSDynamic Indicators of Basic Early
Literacy Skills
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What Is DIBELS and How Does It Fit With AZ READS?

• One of 3 ADE assessments that meets AZ READS
  requirements.
• Approved by the National Reading First Assessment
  Committee for use as
• Screening
• Progress Monitoring
• Outcome

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Teach Broadly ----- Assess Efficiently

• Its the BIG IDEA that drives instruction, not
  what you are assessing.
• DIBELS measures are an indicator of student
  skills in the BIG IDEA area, not everything about
  the big idea.
• For example, instruction should focus broadly on
  phonological awareness skills, including but not
  limited to segmenting words into phonemes.
• Instructional time is precious and should not be
  overly consumed with assessment that does not
  lead to more effective educational decision-making

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Big Ideas

• Big ideas of early literacy should drive the
  curriculum and instruction.
• Big ideas should drive the measures we use.

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DIBELS Assessments

• Respect valuable instructional time
• Short-duration measures (approximately 1 minute)
• Can efficiently assess all children
• A group of 5 people can assess a class of 25
  students in 30 minutes
• Prevention-oriented
• Essential skills that are predictive of later
  reading proficiency

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Using DIBELS to Assess Student Performance

• Quick and efficientscreens all students to
  ensure each is progressing
• Provides formative assessment of student progress
• Assesses the essential components of early
  reading
• Assesses both accuracy and fluency, which is
  highly correlated with comprehension
• Provides a prevention orientationfirst grade
  reading outcomes are strongly related to third
  grade outcomes

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High-Stakes Tests vs. DIBELS
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Who can administer DIBELS?

• Those who have been trained by state certified
  trainers.
• Those who have a vested interest in reading and
  literacy outcomes
• Principal
• Special Education Teacher
• Reading Teacher
• Curriculum Specialists
• Social Workers
• Librarians
• Counselors
• Speech Pathologist or other specialists
• School Psychologist
• Paraprofessionals
• (future) Classroom teachers

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Team Assessment is Recommended

• Efficient
• 5 people can assess a class of 25 students in
  about 30 minutes.
• Shares ownership and skills
• Distributes investment
• Less disruptive to Classrooms

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Assessment Teams

• 5-7 people
• Identify a leader to coordinate the logistics
  of data collection
• Attend DIBELS training
• 2-day initial training
• Background
• Administration
• Scoring
• Practice with students
• Setting it up in a school
• 1-day follow-up
• Heres my data, now what do I do with it with
  students?
• Multi-day school-wide approach

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District-Wide Implementation

• Train 6-8 School Teams per session during Spring,
  2005 (2-day training)
• Teams Benchmark K-3 students within 2
  weeks of initial training
• Teams return for data analysis
  (1-day training)
• All schools ready for Fall, 2005, Benchmark

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Remember

• DIBELS is meant to help staffs work smarter, not
  harder!
• Early identification and on-going assessment of
  students at-risk for reading failure helps us
  implement interventions, assess their efficacy
  and make changes efficiently to improve student
  achievement.