achieved Master Certification for Accelerated Reader and. Model Certification ..... iPad® is a trademark of Apple Inc.,
October 2013 • VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1
Celebrating America’s Outstanding Teachers IN THIS ISSUE Data-driven instruction
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How Tennessee educators help every student succeed
eReading platform
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Educators in Minnesota call Subtext “game changer”
Model of success
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Students learning lifelong lessons at Chicago school
Reading progress soars 10 Kentucky’s Florence Elementary has reason to celebrate
In my district
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Striving for excellence... no exceptions, no excuses
HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND HOPE FOR
every student
Tennessee school opening doors and closing the gap.
TENNESSEE SCHOOL OPENING DOORS AND
closing gap the
Hope, self-reliance, and perseverance were predominant themes when Homestead Elementary School was built in 1934, and they’re still at the heart of the school’s accomplishments. Homestead Elementary has been honored by the Tennessee Department of Education as a Reward School for two years in a row. The distinction recognizes this Title 1 school as ranking among the top 5 percent of the state’s schools in performance, as measured by overall student achievement levels. “Renaissance products have provided a strong foundation of success at Homestead Elementary,” said Principal Robin Perry. “Maintaining accountability through data analysis and providing feedback is crucial to everything we do.”
Interim assessments identify needs Homestead Elementary uses STAR Reading, STAR Math, and STAR Early Literacy to screen all students three times per year. These formative assessments enable teachers to identify strengths and areas of growth for each student, and then develop a plan to challenge or remediate instruction as needed. Instructional Planning Reports guide differentiated instruction in the classroom. After the second universal screening and before the high-stakes state test, data from the Growth Proficiency Chart and State Performance Report is analyzed to help predict performance. Any specific state standards requiring intervention are targeted in advance to keep students moving forward. Last year on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), Proficiency/Advanced scores in third- through eighthgrade reading and math exceeded state goals, with all Annual Measurable Objectives achieved.
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“Our teachers are comfortable using data to drive instruction and find STAR reports invaluable in these efforts.” Robin Perry Homestead Elementary Principal
At Homestead Elementary, Principal Robin Perry serves as “motivator and accountability partner,” analyzing reports, checking the dashboard weekly, and discussing progress. Establishing routines and setting goals, she says, enables students to maintain the school’s high expectations.
“Our teachers are comfortable using data to drive instruction and find STAR reports invaluable in these efforts,” said Perry, noting that teachers attend Renaissance Learning professional development often and share new information during staff meetings. “Their commitment to the success of every student and their knowledgeable, consistent use of best practices and research-based instruction are all key ingredients for academic achievement.” Homestead has been especially focused on closing the gap between special education and general education students, and they’ve made a remarkable impact in the area of Response to Intervention (RTI).
Homestead School Population
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To fully inform instruction, STAR testing is done every one to three weeks with intensive intervention RTI students. The resulting data and Diagnostic Reports help the RTI team determine specific skills requiring reinforcement. For Katy McClellan, a technology instructor at Homestead and STAR Coach who helps with RTI, this ability to target key difficulties is one of STAR’s greatest benefits. “For example, the report might indicate that a student has trouble with rhyming words or blends, so we’ll provide extra support for that skill,” McClellan said. “This allows students, through extra instruction, to master a skill that was previously just a frustration. It’s very rewarding for both students and teachers.” The RTI team works with students in small groups or one-on-one for about 30 minutes daily to re-teach or practice specific skills.
Monitoring progress drives growth
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Progress monitoring is an integral part of the data-driven approach at Homestead. The RTI team watches the Annual Progress Report, which includes a graph that McClellan calls “a great tool for a quick check.” For general students, teachers check Diagnostic Reports weekly and Screening and Growth Reports multiple times per year.
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May 2013
The number of Homestead students who receive RTI assistance has reduced from 110 in May, 2010, and 65 in May, 2011, to just 34 in May, 2013—a mere 4.5 percent of the school’s population.
In her role as “motivator and accountability partner,” Principal Perry keeps an eye on it all—analyzing reports, checking the dashboard weekly, and discussing progress during monthly grade-level meetings. She says establishing routines and setting goals enable students to maintain the Homestead Elementary School standard of high expectations. www.renlearn.com
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MINNESOTA JUNIOR HIGH CALLS eREADING PLATFORM A
‘game changer’
Educators at Hopkins West Junior High, in Minnetonka, Minnesota, started using Subtext, Renaissance Learning’s innovative K12 eReading platform, a year and a half ago. Because of its ability to engage students and empower teachers to extend learning beyond the text, they call it a “game changer” in today’s digital classroom environment. “Students live and play in a digital world and it’s the way they know how to learn,” said Sara Speicher, the district’s reading and digital content specialist. “Having digital devices and utilizing digital tools allows us to meet the students where they are and guide them to where they are going.”
Sara Speicher, MEd Reading and Digital Content Specialist
Subtext enables teachers to search for and import eBooks, articles, PDFs, or digital documents and then embed instruction and enrichment materials, assignments, and polls directly in the text. Teachers and students can highlight, annotate, or analyze text in real time and take part in directed discussion with the entire class or a closed group.
reading department chair, and team leader. “We’re no longer using paper sticky notes, a notebook, the white board, the text, and a Moodle reflection because all of those functions are available in Subtext,” Walthour said. “Subtext is really a digital think aloud. We can be in the pages of the text with our students without physically being next to them.”
Subtext a digital think aloud
Subtext makes it easier to fully engage students in nonfiction books and informational passages, helping educators guide students as they read more complex texts and transition to
“All of the good instructional strategies we used before we can put into Subtext,” said Julie Walthour, reading RTI lead, 4
“Having digital devices and utilizing digital tools allows us to meet the students where they are and guide them to where they are going.”
Collaboration beyond the classroom
analysis and writing. Teachers can share and discuss Web links to articles, photos, and videos to make connections for students and extend learning beyond the text.
Beyond student engagement and interaction, Subtext provides a forum to collaborate with teachers to share ideas, or prepare, discuss, and monitor assignments. These educators team with their principal and language arts department chair to plan a guided reading component in their advisory program.
Using innovation, imagination, and a solid educational foundation as its base, Hopkins West Junior High offers students an education infused with technology, collaboration, and academic rigor. Educators prepare students for lifelong learning and lead by example, continually learning and adapting to digital technology in the classroom. “As teachers, using a new format to deliver instruction is exciting and challenging,” said Speicher, adding that today’s teachers who are moving forward are learning as much as their students. It’s clear that for these innovative educators, the ongoing learning process involved with applying new digital technologies in the classroom is well worth the effort. “We find a wide range of interesting and challenging texts, free, both online and with books in the public domain, including classics that have the complexity we want our students to be able to master,” said Walthour. “Last year, we used Call of the Wild with groups of 8th-grade students. Students were able to track Buck’s travels with Web searches of the geography, look up the unfamiliar and sometimes archaic vocabulary, and interact with each other.” “We love the ‘Discuss’ feature where we can comment, add links, pictures, movies, and other ways to scaffold background knowledge for our students,” added Speicher. “We love the polls feature for engagement and as a quick check for understanding. Another feature we love is the ‘Track Progress’ feature. Working with these features helps us focus our instruction, which makes for tighter teaching and better lessons.”
“So what we have is a digital professional learning community,” said Walthour. “When we get the advisory reading program rolling, we’ll collaborate with all our advisors, a practical application of staff development for Common Core.” Subtext is available on the iPad®, on the Web, and through Edmodo. For more information, visit www.subtext.com or contact your Renaissance Learning representative.
What is Subtext? Subtext is a K12 eReading platform that brings together students and teachers to exchange ideas in the pages of any digital book, article, PDF, or document. Renaissance Learning’s integration with Subtext will help educators address Common Core requirements with a myriad of instructional scaffolding options that support struggling, proficient, and advanced students. Together, Accelerated Reader and Subtext will capture a full view of students’ reading experiences across curricula in both print and digital formats.
www.renlearn.com
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CHICAGO’S ST. HILARY A
model of success Certification process leads to goals met and lifelong skills
reading practice. Donnelly appreciates how the differentiation capabilities through both programs let everyone contribute to the team and certification process.
There’s no question that St. Hilary, a private, pre-K–8 Catholic school in Chicago, Illinois, is a model of success. In 2013, the school achieved 11 Model Classroom (even 2 Master Classroom) Certifications through Accelerated Reader, 2 Model Classroom Certifications through Accelerated Math, and both Model Library and Model School status.
“With kids working on goals at their own level and not being compared to anyone else, they’re more confident about contributing and being accountable to the overall group,” Donnelly said. “When goals are manageable, even the most reluctant students are willing to try.”
“The certification process through AR and AM acknowledges the achievements of both students and teachers alike,” said St. Hilary Principal Kathie Donovan. “Teachers are motivated to spur students even further on their educational journey, and students are self-motivated as they see their endless possibilities. St. Hilary is truly committed to these programs and their successful implementation.”
St. Hilary classrooms have Accelerated Reader boards that show students when they reach 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent of their goals. Halfway through the quarter, they know to be at 50 percent of their individual point goal, which is adjusted each quarter. They understand their goals, reading logs, and TOPS reports so well that they can explain it all to visitors. “These kids are crystal clear on their objectives, and the
Their hard work paid off in state testing, with students scoring well above national averages across all grade levels, and the average student in grade four ranking higher than 92 percent of the nation in reading and higher than 91 percent in math. Fourth-grade teacher Mary Kay Donnelly, whose classroom achieved Master Certification for Accelerated Reader and Model Certification for Accelerated Math, said striving for certification had her students highly engaged in the process. They monitored their own weekly progress and cheered on classmates.
Students motivated to succeed “Great things happen with the excitement and pride that comes with meeting goals,” Donnelly said. “They ultimately become accountable not just to us, but to themselves and to their peers. That’s the best recipe for success.” Like most teachers at St. Hilary, Donnelly uses Accelerated Math to support curriculum based on Common Core Standards and uses Accelerated Reader to enhance
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Students understand and work toward their goals at St. Hilary, where NEO 2s and Renaissance Responders help keep them engaged.
goal-setting, cooperative learning, self-motivation, and rewards of hard work that they learn through AR and AM are valuable lifelong skills,” Donnelly said. “Parents tell me they can’t believe how well their children explain their goals and stay on top of them.”
Catching students before they fall
“Any objectives they don’t master keep coming up on practices and tests until they do,” Donnelly said. “There’s really no gap in learning because my students and I always know exactly where they need help.”
What is certification? Certification is a pathway to measureable progress that empowers educators to use data to identify, monitor, and accelerate students’ achievement. Educators who take this pathway each school year share an exciting journey with students, one that leads to significantly improved outcomes at all grade levels. For information, visit www. renlearn.com/training/certification.
Being able to catch and correct trouble spots is critical for Donnelly and other teachers. Donnelly said feedback makes her job easier by pinpointing what she needs to re-teach. For example, Accelerated Math feedback once showed her that a majority of students lacked understanding of symmetry. Donnelly represented the lesson and added hands-on activities to support it, then printed additional Accelerated Math exercises for that topic until they “got it.” When only a few students lack understanding of a topic, she works with them in small groups or one-on-one.
Accelerated Reader also provides feedback on reading comprehension. Donnelly starts with a required quiz average of 85 percent and raises it to 90 percent part way into the year, showing students that it’s not just about points and words read, but also understanding what they’re reading.
“They know they have to take their marker off the AR board if they don’t meet their percentage correct goal,” said Donnelly. “If they start falling behind, we re-evaluate the book level and the topic to make sure they’re reading what fits their needs.”
Professional development key to success The right level of understanding is critical for teachers when it comes to using the programs with fidelity. They received professional development upon implementing AR and AM, and training continues via a refresher workshop each year. St. Hilary’s teachers also help each other. For example, Donnelly and other teachers count on seventh-grade math teacher Kristen Hopkins as the “go to AM anchor.”
“Any objectives they don’t master just keep coming up on practices and tests until they do... There’s really no gap in learning because my students and I always know exactly where they need help.” Mary Kay Donnelly Fourth-grade teacher
www.renlearn.com
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George Hall Elementary transforms into a top Alabama school Welcome to an exciting “Extreme Makeover: George Hall Elementary edition.” In 2004, this inner-city school was the second lowest performing elementary school in Alabama and hadn’t met Annual Yearly Progress in eight years. But in the nine years since it was reconstituted under Mobile County’s “transformation” process, George Hall has become one of the state’s top elementary schools and has received local and national awards, including the Dispelling the Myth award and recognition as an NCLB National Blue Ribbon School and United States Department of Education Turnaround Model School. Since the beginning of George Hall’s transformation process, Accelerated Reader has played an important daily role by motivating students to practice reading. Two years ago, George Hall added MathFacts in a Flash, which is helping students master math facts and boosting confidence needed for more complex tasks.
encourage and engage students to grow and learn, and by acknowledging their successes, they motivate all of our students to do their best.” George Hall students are giving 100 percent. Last school year, 24 of the 25 homerooms achieved Model Classroom Certification through Accelerated Reader, with 20 classes reaching Master Classroom. The school also attained 15 Model Classroom and 11 Master Classroom Certifications through MathFacts in a Flash. Through both programs, George Hall received Model and Master School Certifications.
Students at George Hall are growing and developing a love of books, with reading practice built in to the school culture.
Practice part of school culture “Both AR and MathFacts in a Flash are part of our school culture, and we embrace them wholeheartedly, the faculty, the parents, and the students,” said thirdgrade teacher Tiffany Miller. “The programs
“The success that we’ve seen as a school is based on the notion that data is necessary to guide everything that we do.” Melissa Mitchell Title 1 Facilitator
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“Students who are not always successful in class are able to shine in AR because they can read books on their level and choose topics that interest them,” Miller said. “Every year, each student in my class, including those with special needs, has shown growth on their STAR Reading assessments.” Similarly, Miller’s students have acquired automaticity in math facts through routine use of MathFacts In a Flash. “Even after students master benchmark levels, they never get bored because there are more advanced levels,” Miller said. “I saw that students were able to transfer their knowledge of math facts into higher order
WORDS READ
BOOKS READ
Based on Passed Quizzes
Based on AR Quizzes Passed
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100,000,000 40,872
40,000
WORDS
BOOKS
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30,541
30,000 20,000
80,000,000
72,926,389
60,000,000
53,911,560
40,000,000
13,156
20,000,000
10,000 2,386 0
118,272,578
120,000,000
55,865
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math problems because they were using basic math facts with automaticity.” Miller and other teachers set and regularly assess short- and long-term goals, and students are aware of those goals—as individuals and as a class. Title 1 Facilitator Melissa Mitchell says that all George Hall students can speak to their exact goals, as well as how close they are to reaching them.
Data guides teaching and learning “The success that we’ve seen as a school is based on the notion that data is necessary to guide everything that we do,” Mitchell said. “Our students, teachers, and administration systematically monitor our data, and we post data boards for all Renaissance products throughout the school.” Mitchell said George Hall faculty has participated in on-site training sessions to become well-versed in the programs’ capabilities, best practices, and data interpretation. Teachers review the Diagnostic Report and Student Summary for daily Status of the Class updates in Accelerated Reader. They use the Diagnostic and Growth Report data to check STAR testing performance. This information, along with visuals from the Student Progress Monitoring Report, provides helpful references at conferences and during Response to Intervention RTI documentation.
Charting progress of struggling students Miller said Accelerated Reader has been an excellent means of addressing the needs and charting the progress of struggling students. The program lets teachers see
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exactly what each student is reading, the grade level, text complexity, genre, etc., and whether intervention and instruction are improving performance, as measured by Accelerated Reader Quizzes. “We can identify what types or levels of books cause students more difficulty and help them accordingly,” Miller said. “Similarly, with MathFacts in a Flash, we can print paper and pencil practice sheets on the levels where students ‘get stuck,’ then reinforce those problems through MathFacts in a Flash practice.” Mitchell says George Hall students enjoy having their success measured by the achievement levels built into the programs. Posters listing the various certification levels are on display throughout the school. Students who read one million words are recognized as “millionaires” and taken on a special field trip. Principal Terri Tomlinson reads a list of students meeting goals each Friday. “The kids love being recognized on the announcements and receiving rewards for reaching new levels,” Mitchell said. “George Hall students are diligent readers, with a library circulation of over 55,865 books and 118,272,578 words read in 2013!” George Hall teachers are excited about their students’ acquired love of reading. Miller said that giving students ownership in their goals and achievements and letting them choose their books has boosted their interest in reading for pleasure, much to her delight. “I want them to find comfort and escape in reading a book and understand how reading can truly open the world to them,” Miller said. www.renlearn.com
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Educators at Florence Elementary see reading progress soar Lisa Resing, principal of Florence Elementary in Florence, Kentucky, loves to pop into a classroom and give students enthusiastic high fives for reaching their Accelerated Reader class goals. With just a glance at the Overall Class Report, she’s off down the hall to the deserving classroom.
Success celebrated and acknowledged Along with her special high fives, many students get to hear their names on the school’s morning announcement television show for meeting goals or being the “Top AR Student.” Reading and meeting the accompanying expectations have become ingrained in Instilling a love of the culture at Florence reading is part of the Elementary. Resing culture at Florence says Accelerated Elementary. “The Reader provides a kids love to read their AR books and their school-wide reading reading scores show incentive program that it,” said First-grade motivates students Teacher Vita Speagle. to pick up books and hold themselves accountable for both personal and team goals. “AR has changed attitudes here about reading and being successful, and our students love the recognition and pride they get out of reading,” Resing said. “I believe that AR has played a significant role in Florence Elementary’s academic success.” Accelerated Reader was brought on board as not only a motivator, but to increase comprehension and improve student achievement. The Title 1 school has many students that move from school to school or live in Section 8 apartments, some even in motels. First-grade teacher Vita Speagle knows many students don’t have books at home, which makes independent reading time even more valuable. “The kids love to read their AR books and their reading scores show it,” said Speagle, who requires a minimum 90 percent quiz score, and her students can’t wait to tell her when they get perfect scores. “Of course, they love the rewards they get for points, but the true bonus is that their reading fluency and comprehension levels are improving. 10
To ensure each student will be successful by reading at the proper level, she uses STAR Reading and STAR Early Literacy to determine their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). She assigns them to differentiated reading groups so she can work with them based on their strengths and weaknesses. “I have found in over 16 years of using AR, that setting goals and helping students select books at their independent reading level really does motivate them to read,” Speagle said. “I’ve watched their reading progress soar as a result.” Speagle monitors students’ progress closely and finds the Diagnostic Reports her go-to checkpoint. The report tells her how many quizzes individual students have taken and their score averages, as well as class points and averages. She uses the TOPS Report to track student performance and to share information with parents at conferences. During conferences or open houses, Speagle says many parents ask questions or praise the Accelerated Reader program. A few even signed up for Renaissance Home Connect, which provides them with a report via email after their children take an Accelerated Reader Quiz.
Teachers continue to grow and learn Success all goes back to everyone being informed and on board, which is why Speagle is continually on the Renaissance Learning web site reading the latest ideas and program tips. She attends professional development and is eager to keep learning new ways to use Accelerated Reader to its greatest potential. “It’s important to me to continue using AR with best practices in my classroom,” Speagle said. “If I have questions or concerns, I use the Live-Chat online service from Renaissance Learning. That has been a wonderful, helpful and fast service.”
IN MY DISTRICT:
Striving for Excellence… No Exceptions, No Excuses Guest Columnist Amanda Henderson Graves County Schools, Kentucky Technology Integration Specialist/ Gifted and Talented Coordinator
“Striving for Excellence…No Exceptions, No Excuses” is the vision of the Graves County School District. Each day, our dedicated teachers and administrators work together to ensure that every child’s needs are met. STAR Enterprise plays an essential role in this endeavor. Our STAR journey began two years ago when STAR Reading Enterprise was released. I learned about the core components at a Renaissance Learning event held in my area. I was shocked…and excited! I knew STAR Reading Enterprise was going to help us help our students. And, it has thanks to a common language we now share that has created essential terms and practices. You can have the most valuable data but if nothing is done with the data it is useless. Thankfully, the teachers and administrators of Graves County use STAR Reading Enterprise to make data-driven instructional decisions. After STAR Reading assessments have been administered, I meet with the administrator and grade-level teachers during Professional Learning Communities (PLC) meetings at each of our eight elementary schools. As a team, we analyze the
online data; discuss the performance of each child in the classroom/grade level using items such as teacher-friendly Summary and Growth Reports, and place students in intervention or enrichment groups. We have found that one of the most powerful pieces in STAR Enterprise is the Instructional Planning Class component since a teacher can group students by ability and “ready-to-learn” skills. With this, we can truly work to meet every student’s needs by assigning each student to an intervention or enrichment reading group. STAR Reading Enterprise truly has changed the way we do things. We now have differentiated intervention and enrichment groups so that every student can grow. These groups are flexible so that a student can be moved in or out based on needs provided by STAR data. The data and reports have become powerful tools. We review STAR information in easy-to-understand reports, charts, and graphs with students and parents so they can see instructional growth. A lot of students look forward to STAR testing and have become owners of their learning! We look forward to implementing STAR Math this school year since Enterprise helps to ensure that every child is being taught the skills that they are ready for. With help from STAR Enterprise, in my district, it’s no longer “one size fits all.”
“You can have the most valuable data but if nothing is done with the data it is useless... STAR Reading Enterprise truly has changed the way we do things.” www.renlearn.com 11
Celebrating America’s Outstanding Teachers
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All logos, designs, and brand names for Renaissance Learning’s products and services, including but not limited to Accelerated Math Live, AR, Accelerated Reader, MathFacts in a Flash, NEO 2, STAR, STAR Reading, STAR Math, STAR Early Literacy, Renaissance Home Connect, Renaissance Learning, Renaissance Responders, and Subtext, are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc., and its subsidiaries, registered, common law, or pending registration in the United States and other countries. iPad® is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Extraordinary Educators Newsletter is published by Renaissance Learning.
Copyright © 2013 Renaissance Learning, Inc. L2892.1013.RN.82M R56973
October 2013 • VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1
Celebrating America’s Outstanding Teachers
HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND HOPE FOR
every student
Tennessee school opening doors and closing the gap.
