K-12: Where Literacy and Science Interconnect….

Mrs. Stacy Nichols-BrownWake County Public School

Centennial Magnet Middle School

http://gtnpd174.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/About+the+Project

A Race to the Top InitiativeNC Department of Public Instruction

Educator Effectiveness Division

What is the Governor’s Teacher Network?

• A talented group of 450 outstanding teachers were selected from 1400 applicants for 2014-15.

• Teachers identify instructional needs, create innovative digital instructional resources and design professional development to support key Race to the Top initiatives in Home Base.

• Network Teachers continue their current educator roles in their schools and districts and serve in one of two pathways.

What is theGovernor’s Teacher Network?

Pathway 1 Teachers: Professional Development • Identify problems of practice around instructional

needs and conduct action research projects in their schools.

• Investigate and analyze the effectiveness of strategies and practices on student learning.

• Create professional development sessions and materials to be posted in Schoolnet and the Professional Development System in Home Base.

Action Research

Systematic inquiry conducted by teachers and other educators to find solutions for critical, challenging, relevant issues in their classrooms and schools.

Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

P1: Action Research Plan

Action Research Project

•Tackling Science through Literacy Development: Closing the Minority Achievement Gap at the Secondary Level with the Use of Interactive Notebooks and Common Core Literacy Strategies

Purpose

•The purpose of this action research project is to investigate the effectiveness of practicing Common Core Literacy Strategies with the use of science interactive notebooks to support increase student achievement in reading proficiency at grade level and science content knowledge.

Science Teachers As Active Learners

•A 10-week research study was conducted by a literacy support teacher for nine middle schools in Anchorage School to create a booklet with the reading comprehension strategies for teachers to implement what they called “The Middle School High Five” (2005).

•Teachers had access to electronic master copies and reciprocal teaching cards for teachers to teach the strategies without any added preparation.

•The study was designed for language arts and other content area teachers to utilize five common reading comprehension strategies that reflected the various stages of the reading process in their classrooms across the district.

Science Teachers As Active Learners

•I have designed my action research project in a similar manner to be implemented over a 12-week period with at least 3 specific evidence-based, effective reading comprehension strategies, such as Frayer-model vocabulary strategy, close-reading strategy, graphic organizers, etc.

•My goal is for the students to increase their reading comprehension and science content over the school year.

Scope of Work

• What is the problem of practice addressed?• Why is this important?• Who would benefit from these resources?

What is the problem of practice addressed?

•There is a great cause for concern in Wake County with our school recent data showing the minority populations lagging in proficiency in reading comprehension and/or science content understanding.

Targeted Subgroups•African American males and females, Hispanic/Latino males and females, & Multicultural males and females who have demonstrated having challenges with meeting proficiency in reading and/or science content, as measured through their NCFE Science scores and Reading EOG scores.

Data Driven Problem2012-2013 EOG Percent Proficient Reading Levels for

Middle Grades (6-8) Subgroups

AA Males AA Females H/L Males H/L Females0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

WCPSS CCMMS Central

Overall Students WCPSS CCMMS Central

AA 28.6% 29.4% 27.4%

H/L 34.6% 26.4% 29.3%

Why is this important?

Desired Goal•The objective is to help students achieve academic success that have demonstrated having challenges with meeting proficiency in reading and/or science content, as measured through their NCFE Science scores and Reading EOG scores in 6th grade.

• The significance for achieving these goals is it has the potential of being extremely impactful upon the future success of my students with deficiencies that sometimes can be overlooked by classroom teachers in the standardized testing world. This project equips my students with literacy techniques that they will have consistent practice in to increase their reading comprehension even after they leave my classroom. I didn't want to change their worlds for a moment but for a lifetime.

• Students will be given to measure students' reading comprehension in the beginning of the year as a pre-assessment and at the end of the year as a post-assessment.

Step 1: Path Driver

• Students scores will be continuously analyzed to assess their reading and science comprehension.

Step 2: 2014-2015 district benchmarks

in Language Arts and Science scores

• Students scores will be given throughout the year and analyzed to assess their reading and science comprehension.

Step 3: Teacher-made formative and summative science

assessments

Data Collection

The following qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques will be used as the primary research methods for this study:

Data Collection

• Students will be given a pre-assessment at the beginning of the year, mid-year assessment, and a post-assessment at the end of the year.

Step 4: Reading Attitudes Survey

• Students’ interactive science notebooks and summative projects will be analyzed and assessed throughout the year.

Step 5: Monitoring of student work

artifacts: Monitoring of student work

artifacts:

Activity

1. Frayer Model Flashcards2. Close Reading Strategy3. Graphic Organizer4. Guided Notes/2 Column Notes

FRAYER MODEL FLASHCARDS/INTERACTIVE WORD WALLUnderstanding and applying knowledge about scientific terms

STUDENT’S FLASHCARD

•Example •Example

5 MINUTE EXERCISE•Based on the information you just received, create your own flashcard using one of the following words:1. Weather 8. Transpiration2. Climate 9. Troposphere3. Precipitation 10. Stratosphere4. Water Cycle 11. Mesosphere5. Evaporation 12. Thermosphere6. Sublimation 13. Exosphere7. Condensation

Interactive Word Wall Example

Interactive Word Walls

Close reading strategy

Annotation

Steps for Close Reading StrategyFirst Reading: On Your Own

Circle words that may be unfamiliar.Underline words and phrases that resonate with you.Draw pictures when a description or explanation makes you think about an imageSquare one sentence or phrase that you think captures the main idea.Put * next to important details that you think support the main idea.Use the margins to write about connections or questions you may have with the text.

Second Reading: With Your GroupCompare your annotations from your first reading.Determine the meanings of any unfamiliar words.Discuss what the main idea is and the details that support it. Narrow down the topic to one sentence.Think about the writer’s attitude towards the subject matter? How is it revealed? Identify features of the writer’s technique that you find particularly effectiveness. Describe their effectiveness and note on this page.

ARTICLE/VIDEO ANALYSIS

Technological integration: Symbaloo & Discovery Education

Technological Resources for Article & Video Analysis

•Discovery Education

•NEWSELA

•Smithsonian Mag

•Kids Health

•Science News for Kids

•www.symbaloo.com

–Example: Genetic Effect

–Example: Human Body Systems

Guided Notes/Cornell Notes

Understanding and applying knowledge about scientific terms

Using Voicethread as a Literacy Tool

• Example of Voicethread Guided Notes• Storm Voicethread Notes• Atmosphere Unit I Notes• Circulatory System Notes

Data Analysis

Understanding and applying knowledge about scientific terms

Data Results

Path Driver: ELA Core 1 Fall vs Winter Results

These charts are a comparison of all students MAZE Reading Comprehension tests results for ELA Core 1.

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 1 Fall vs Winter Results

OVERALL FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

60% 64%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

16% 9%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

24% 27%

SUBGROUP FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

12% 14%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

8% 9%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

24% 23%

Low Risk Med Risk

High Risk

0

10

20

30

Fall

Winter

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 2 Fall vs Winter Results

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 2 Fall vs Winter Results

OVERALL FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

23% 50%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

55% 33%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

22% 17%

SUBGROUP FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

0% 6%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

27% 28%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

23% 17%

Low Risk

Med Risk

High Risk

0

10

20

30

Fall

Winter

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 3 Fall vs Winter Results

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 3 Fall vs Winter Results

OVERALL FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

60% 67%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

30% 24%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

10% 9%

SUBGROUP FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

5% 10%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

20% 10%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

10% 5%

Low Risk

Med Risk

High Risk

05

10152025

Fall

Winter

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 4 Fall vs Winter Results

Data ResultsPath Driver: ELA Core 4 Fall vs Winter Results

OVERALL FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

78% 78%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

17% 17%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

5% 5%

SUBGROUP FALL WINTER

% Students at Low Risk (51%-ile or higher)

17% 13%

% Students at Medium Risk (26%-50%-ile)

0% 4%

% Students at High Risk (25%-ile or lower

0% 0%

Low Risk

Med Risk

High Risk

0

5

10

15

20

Fall

Winter

Benchmark DataDuring 1st quarter, our team did not practice the same Common Core Literacy Strategies.

Class Proj Percent Proficient

Subgroup Population Projected Ach Level Avg)

Science Genre(Class Avg)n=6

Science Genre(Subgroup Population)

N=6

ELA Core 1

76.9% 2.6 2.2 1.5

ELA Core 2

30.4% 1.0 1.6 1.2

ELA Core 3

79.9% 2.0 2.3 1.8

ELA Core 4

76.9% 4.5 2.2 4.0

2nd Quarter ELA Benchmark Data

Class Proj Per Prof

Subgroup Ach Level

Science Genre

(Class) N=7

Science Genre (Subgroups)

ELA Core 1

70.4 2.7 3.8 2.9

ELA Core 2

43.5 1.4 2.9 2.8

ELA Core 3

73.9 3.2 3.9 4.2

ELA Core 4

84.6 4 4.0 3.4

ELA Data Results Comparison

Benchmarks

ELA C

ore

1

ELA C

ore

2

ELA C

ore

3

ELA C

ore

4

Schoo

l

Distric

t0

20

40

60

80

Quarter 1Quarter 2

ELA Science Genre Data Results

ELA Core 1

ELA Core 2

ELA Core 3

ELA Core 4

0

50

100

150

200

250

Sub Q2Quarter 2Sub Q1Quarter 1

Science Benchmark Data

Quarter 1 (GTN project not implemented) Quarter 2

Subject Class Average

Subgroup Average

Science Core 1

74.5% 72.4%

Science Core 2

84.7% 83.2%

Science Core 3

73.2% 59.5%

Science Core 4

76.0% 56.5%

Science Data Results Comparison

Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 40%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sub Pop Q2Quarter 2Sub Pop Q1Quarter 1

Who would benefit from these resources?

•Based on our results, I believe all teachers and students could benefit from this system.

•The results displayed shows growth for subgroups, as well as the majority of the student population.

How would teachers and students benefit from these resources?

–Team collaboration–Consistent Common Core Literacy Strategies–All entities are speaking the same language.–Builds student and teacher confidence.–Stretches everyone to reach beyond their present parameters.

Discussion

•What are some challenges you have or think you will face as a classroom teacher?

•Based on this information, what are some things you learned that you may can use as an educator?

•How can you help the unmotivated child?

Q & A Time

References•Radcliffe, R., Caverly, D., Hand, J., & Franke, D. (2008). Improving Reading in a Middle School Science Classroom. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(5), 398-408.

•Alvermann, D. E., & Wilson, A. (2011). Comprehension Strategy Instruction for Multimodal Texts in Science. Theory Into Practice, 50(2), 116-124. doi:10.1080/00405841.2011.558436

•Chesbro, R. (2006). Using Interactive Science Notebooks for Inquiry-Based Science. Science Scope, 29(7), 30-34

•Goodman, A. (2005). The Middle School High Five: Strategies Can Triumph. The National Council of the Teachers of English, 13(2), 12-19.

•Kroeger, S. D., Burton, C., & Preston, C. (2009). Integrating Evidence-Based Practices in Middle Science Reading. Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(3), 6-15.

Feedback

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Conclusion of Presentation

Thank you for your participation!!!

Contact Information:Name: Mrs. Stacy Nichols-BrownSchool/District: Centennial Campus Magnet Middle SchoolEmail: nicholsscience2012@gmail.comWebsite: http://gtnpd174.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/About+the+Project