Good afternoon,

Thanks to the generosity of our colleagues we have compiled feedback and shared forms to create an optional AFES recording form.  This form also contains a summary section that aligns with the eSIS data entry screen and is available in the Reading: Assessment for Emergent Skills K section of the Assessment Toolbox.

A few reminders:
Administer the AFES according the the Chapter 1 testing directions in the Words Their Way, Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers (orange sort book). 

Copies for the assessment are made at the school level.

You may start the assessment with your students at any time.

eSIS will automatically calculate the running total for you.  The eSIS data entry window for this test is from October 29 - November 26.

Happy Friday!

Stephanie, JoAnn, Melissa, Michelle

Elementary TOSAs

For your convenience, blue text is hyperlinked.  You will need your NSD email username and password to download them.

Dear kindergaten teachers,

I am happy to report the latest news regarding kindergarten assessment in Northshore. Kindergarten students will now be assessed using the Words Their Way Assessment for Emergent Skills (AFES), a developmentally appropriate assessment that matches our instructional materials. CMAC was updated on this information and it was presented at the Kindergarten Meeting on September 24. Many thanks to the Kindergarten Task Force for their support in considering and implementing this change.

Administration of this assessment should begin during the testing window that concludes Nov. 21, 2012. 

A PowerPoint explaining the process and a rationale statement are available in the Teacher Toolbox>Assessment Toolbox. The rationale is also attached here as a PDF.

As always, please contact the TOSAs or me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Nancy Young

Click here for a printable copy of IRR FAQs 2012-13.

IRR Frequently Asked Questions

2012-2012

Before Assessment

Which F & P book(s) do I use for the formal district assessment?

The yearlong schedule is as follows:

During the testing window where students are being tested with a nonfiction book, should I drop down two levels from where my students were reading independently to begin the testing? 
No.  The fiction and nonfiction texts have been field tested to show their equivalence. 

Do I have to test a student who previously scored at level Z independently on the F & P IRR assessment? 
If your student scored independently at Level Z in the previous trimester you do not need to retest the student.  Record a (+) in eSIS in the level field.  Leave all other fields blank. 

If I feel that certain books at certain levels are "challenging," can I use a different text? 
For consistency and validity of the formal assessment, use only texts provided in the F & P kit.

What book level do I choose for my student to read if he/she has not made progress and is still at the same book level as the previous trimester? 
Use the same book level as the previous assessment but use the required text genre that matches the required text genre for the current testing window.

During Assessment

What do I read or say to the student before he/she begins to read orally?
Teachers read the title of the book and the two-sentence book introduction on the cover of the book.

Do students need to read the entire text?
For books starting at level I, a black square, or stopping point, appears in the text at the point the child should stop reading orally.The child should finish reading the rest of the text silently before engaging in the comprehension conversation.

Should I tell my student the word he/she is stuck on?
Formal IRR: No, after 3 seconds say, "Go on" or "Give it a try".

Can I stop testing once the student reaches standard according to the district guidelines?
Continue testing the student until he/she is no longer reading at his/her independent level based on accuracy and comprehension.

If my student makes an error, how do I count it?
Scoring Errors:

· Proper names are counted only once in a passage.

· Repeated errors are each counted as an error

· Language errors are counted, i.e. want for wanted

· Speech articulation or accent errors are not counted

Should I stop the testing because the student's reading rate is slow?
No. Fluency is not used to determine proficiency of a level on an IRR. Use the reading accuracy and comprehension score to determine proficiency.

 After Assessment

Should I "count" the right answers the student states to come up with a comprehension score?
No, look at the rubric for scoring each of the categories and then make a holistic decision as to the extent to which the child has demonstrated understanding.

What if my student doesn't come up with the key understanding in the comprehension conversation?
Use the prompts provided on the recording form if needed (not required). Do not score a child lower because you used the prompts. If the child is still unable to answer, it suggests an unsatisfactory level of understanding.

Can students go back into the book to answer a question?
Yes, as long as the student goes back into the text without being prompted.  If the student does go back to the book unprompted and begins to read verbatim from the book, ask the student to paraphrase it in his/her own words.

How do I score "Additional Understandings" in the Comprehension Conversation?
If the student demonstrates a deep understanding without prompting then award the additional point for "Additional Understandings".  This would include making a deep connection such as a student who says, "Charlotte's Web is about the cycle of life, birth and death."

When do I analyze the miscues (MSV) on the IRR?
It is recommended that teachers analyze errors (MSV) after completing the comprehension conversation and the testing session.

How do I record a below level A reader in eSIS?
If your student scores below level A independent on his/her IRR, record:

· (-) in the level field

· Leave all other fields blank

Click here to download a printable copy of 2012-13 IRR Required Genre Per Testing Window.

The yearlong schedule is as follows:

We offer the following rationale:

As we continue to administer IRRs as a district and utilize these assessments to inform our instruction, we offer the following rationale:

• Use both Fiction and Non-Fiction to assess over time. Program materials include 40% Fiction and 60% Non-Fiction.
• Alternate genre for each assessment session (fiction/nonfiction every other time).
• Fiction and Non-Fiction are equivalent in each level.  According to Fountas and Pinnell:

"…We have structured The Continuum of Literacy Learning to include characteristics of texts and behaviors and understandings to notice, teach, and support across fiction and nonfiction for every level A to Z. "

"We have determined that the texts are equivalent, allowing for some differences in children."

 "We want to get away from the "tradition" that students read a higher level in fiction than nonfiction. If that is true in particular contexts, it is an artifact of teaching."

• Everyone tested in November & June (except 6th grade), which supports the alternating of genre for each assessment session.
• Consistency allows Northshore to continue collaborative learning around IRR administration, analysis, and planning.

The eSIS team has modified the IRR data entry fields to allow you to enter a score for a student whose independent reading level falls outside the A to Z range.

This change will allow all readers to show up in Data Dashboard.

If your student scores Below A Independent on his/her IRR, record:

• (-) in the level field
• Leave all other fields blank

If your student scored independently at Level Z in the previous trimester, record:

• (+) in the level field
• Leave all other fields blank
• Re-administration of level Z is not required for students who have already shown independence at this level.

Click below for the Assessment Summary form which contains the eSIS data entry information.

• Primary Assessment Summary Form
• Intermediate Assessment Summary Form
  

Fiction / Nonfiction Differences and Calibration

According to Fountas and Pinnell, the fiction and nonfiction pieces in the IRR kit have been calibrated so that the titles at each level are equivalent measures. Below is a FAQ from their website.

In the Benchmark Assessment System, how did you determine how to provide a fiction and nonfiction text at the same reading level considering the differing comprehension demands between the two (particularly background knowledge)? If teachers record oral reading data from fiction and nonfiction reading at random, does this skew the results in terms of using Benchmark as a progress-monitoring tool?

We agree that there are very important differences between fiction and nonfiction. They require a different stance and different ways of understanding. Background knowledge is required for both, but content knowledge may figure more prominently in nonfiction and text knowledge may become more important in fiction. However, the reading process at every level must encompass all of these ways of comprehending texts. Reading fiction and nonfiction are not fundamentally different processes. Therefore, we have structured The Continuum of Literacy Learning to include characteristics of texts and behaviors and understandings to notice, teach, and support across fiction and nonfiction for every level A to Z. The understanding is that in our teaching, we need to attend to the full range of strategies needed to competently process both nonfiction and fiction (and different genres of fiction). In every assessment measure, you will find variations in performance depending on contextual factors. In the F&P Benchmark Assessment System, we know that for some children there might be a variation in their reading of fiction and nonfiction-depending on readers' experiences and the teaching program. There are variations in individual readers when they are engaged in a complex process. We need to capture the complex process realizing that students might have a basic process that reaches to a certain level but may show some variation when the topic is more or less familiar. We have determined that the texts are equivalent, allowing for some differences in children. We suggest alternating the genre to get a benchmark level. That means that with fiction or nonfiction the level will be right to support new learning. To administer both fiction and nonfiction texts at every level would take too much teacher time and if there is a slight discrepancy, it will not make a qualitative difference. If the student has less experience with nonfiction the student may need a bit more support at the level and vice versa. The level determined from the benchmark will be reliable to start the teaching. We want to get away from the "tradition" that students read a higher level in fiction than nonfiction. If that is true in particular contexts, it is an artifact of teaching. A student should be able to demonstrate the wide range of strategic actions across both fiction and nonfiction at the level. If the student is doing well in fiction, for example, teachers would make good selections of nonfiction books at the level and teach hard for the kinds of understandings students need.

Math Testing Reminders:

• June 1- June 22: K-6th Grade Math Trimester 3 Benchmark Testing Window

• Benchmark 3 Documents (Directions, Correlation Guide, Answer Key, & Copy of Student Test) are now available on the Assessment Toolbox.

• Note: Student Math tests are ordered by schools this year. Check with your office manager for details. Some changes have been made to formatting and scoring. Please see grade level documents for more information.

Reading Testing Reminders:

• May 1 - June 22 Testing Window for:
  • K-ELA: Tasks 8-10 for ALL Kindergarten Students, Tasks 1-7 for any tasks that were not mastered in Trimester 2
  • K-5th Grade: ALL students are assessed with IRR this trimester. Required Math & Literacy Assessment Calendar for 2011-12 is available in the Assessment Toolbox under Useful Assessment Resources.

• Note: The spring IRR genre is NON-FICTION. Click here to see more information about the IRR Required Genre per Testing Window.

eSIS Data Entry Reminders:

• June 1 - June 26 (closes at 11:59 p.m.): Data Entry Window for Math and Reading
• Note: The data entry process for assessment scores remains the same as in the past. Remember when you utilize the Finalize button, your data is available in eSIS Reports immediately and on Data Dashboard (DDS) within 24 hours. If you have questions about eSIS and/or Data Dashboard (DDS), please review these FAQs.

Important reminders for

Fall IRR Assessment:

1. The fall IRR testing window for all Northshore students first through sixth grades is from Sept. 16th to Nov. 23rd. All students in first through sixth grades are tested during this time and eSIS is open for data entry between Nov. 1st and Nov. 28th. More information is available on the Assessment Website.

2. The fall IRR genre is FICTION . Click here to see more information about the IRR Required Genre per Testing Window.

For your convenience, underlined text are hyperlinks to locations in the Assessment Toolbox.

You will need your NSD email username & password to download these documents.

Assessment Calendar:

• Click here to download the Required Math & Literacy Assessment Calendar for 2011-12

Math Testing Reminders:

• November 1 - 23rd: Kindergarten - 6th Grade Math Benchmark 1 Testing Window
  • Benchmark 1 Documents (Directions, Correlation Guide, Answer Key, & Copy of Student Test) are now available on the Assessment Toolbox.
• Note:
  • Student Math tests are ordered by schools this year.  Check with your office manager for details.
  • Some changes have been made to formatting and scoring.  Please see grade level documents for more information.

Reading Testing Reminders:

• September 16th - November 23rd Testing Window for:
  
  • K-ELA, Tasks 1-3 for ALL Kindergarten Students
    
  • 1st - 6th Grade ALL Student IRR 
• Note:
  
  • All 1st - 6th grade students are tested during this time.
  • The fall IRR genre is FICTION.  Click here to see more information about the IRR Required Genre per Testing Window.

eSIS Data Entry Reminders:

• November 1st - 28th (closes at 11:59 p.m.): Data Entry Window for Math and Reading
• Note:
  • The data entry process for assessment scores remains the same as in the past.  Remember when you utilize the Finalize button, your data is available in eSIS Reports immediately and on Data Dashboard (DDS) within 24 hours.
  • If you have questions about eSIS and/or Data Dashboard (DDS), please review these FAQs.

Click on the link below to download the updated K-6 Assessment Plan:

9.9.11 [Grades K-6] Assessment News: 2011-12 NSD Required Assessment Calendar

For your convenience, underlined text are hyperlinks to locations in the Assessment Toolbox.

You will need your NSD email username & password to download these documents.

Math Testing Reminders:

• September 1-16th: 1st - 6th Grade Math Inventory Testing Window
  • Inventory Documents (Directions, Correlation Guide, Answer Key, & Copy of Student Test) are now available on the Assessment Toolbox.
• Note:
  • Student Math Inventory tests were ordered by schools this fall.  Check with your office manager for details.
  • Changes have been made to formatting and scoring.  Grades 1-6 assessments are designed to assess the previous year's WA Core Content standards.  Please see grade level documets for more information.

Reading Testing Reminders:

• September 1-16th: 1st - 6th Grade NEW Student IRR Testing Window
• Note:
  
  • New students are those new to the district who do not have a June 2011 IRR entered in eSIS.
  • Grades 1-6 IRRs: To ensure that tests are administered consistently, please review the Reading FAQs on the Assessment Toolbox.
    

eSIS Data Entry Reminders:

• September 1-18th (closes at 11:59 p.m.): Data Entry Window for Math and Reading
• Note:
  • The data entry process for assessment scores remains the same as in the past.  Remember when you utilize the Finalize button, your data is available in eSIS Reports immediately and on Data Dashboard (DDS) within 24 hours.
  • If you have questions about eSIS and/or Data Dashboard (DDS), please review these FAQs.
    

On behalf of Nancy Young:

Dear Elementary Staff Members,

I am happy to report the latest news regarding assessment in Northshore. On May 10, 2011, the Northshore Testing and Research Committee approved the adoption of a new Washington State Second Grade Screening Assessment. The easyCBM is a state-approved, one-minute, benchmark screening that quickly identifies students who are at risk and may need intervention.

Second grade teachers will be offered paid training during the Northshore Summer Institute or via Webinar on September 7, 2011.

Materials and more information will be available soon in the Teacher Toolbox>Assessment Toolbox.

Sincerely,

Nancy Young

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment K-6