Leon County SchoolsSchool Improvement

Training“Our School’s Journey”

Kathy Corder and Jennifer Womble

Our Students’ FCAT Results

College Remediation Data

Snapshot

Current Research

Looking at the Data

Ninth Graders 32% maintained level 3,4, or 5

35% decreased 1 or more levels

19.6% increased 1 or more levels

Tenth Graders 29% maintained level 3,4, or 5

28% decreased 1 or more levels

24.8% increased 1 or more levels

Snapshot Data 2005

Other Observations

Not all of our students performed at a satisfactory level in the “Reference and Research” or “Author’s Purpose/Main Idea” content area clusters

The “Reference and Research” content area cluster does NOT focus on research directly. Instead, the items in this section assess critical reading and thinking skills, such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Blooms).

 Enrolled at TCC during the Fall 2005-06 term are 388 students who graduated - at some time in the past - from Chiles High School. 

Of these 388 students, 157 (40%) required some kind of college preparatory classes when they entered TCC.

By remediation area: 

62 students (16%) required English CP.

94 student (24%) required Reading CP.

117 students (30%) required Math CP.

TCC Remediation Data

Building Effective Literacy Instruction by Judith Langer

• Judith Langer, professor at the University at Albany, and director of the National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA) conducted a study of twenty-five schools and forty-four teachers.

• Of the twenty-five participating schools, fourteen were places where students were beating the odds (effective schools).

• The other eleven schools were places where student engagement and development of high literacy was significantly lower ((typical schools).

• The twenty-five schools represented a wide range of economic and cultural communities.

Effective Schools

•Teachers based instruction on separated, simulated, and integrated learning activities.

•Teachers and administrators improved test scores by focusing on the curriculum.

•Administrators and teachers took and analyzed standardized tests themselves.

•Educators reviewed curriculum and integrated skills/strategies into learning.

Effective Schools

• Teachers overtly taught their students strategies for completing learning tasks.

• Teachers helped students engage in thoughtful dialogue termed “shared cognition.”

• Administrators encouraged and nurtured teacher participation in learning communities.

Typical Schools

• Teachers and administrators focused on test scores.

• Rather than integrating skills into the curriculum, the primary mode of test preparation was using sample tests, released tests, and commercial materials for teaching purposes.

• Only 17% of the teachers in the “typical” schools overtly taught students skills and strategies for completing tasks.

• Teachers focused on individual learning rather than dialogue and collaboration.

Why Study the FCAT?

Develop an awareness of:

• how benchmarks are assessed (Question Stems)

• content area focus of reading passages

• cognitive levels

• length of passages

Build skills tested into current program

Implications for Instruction

• Incorporate thematic instruction into English classes.• Focus on Systematic Vocabulary Instruction.• Emphasize student inquiry of content area texts utilizing Bloom’s

taxonomy.• Focus on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in questioning.• Utilize Socratic seminars in all classes.• Suspend traditional high school curriculum to include expository texts.• Utilize FCAT question stems in class assessments.• Familiarize students with FCAT formatting by analysis of test construction. • Utilize assessments that emphasize higher level tasks, i.e. analysis,

synthesis, and evaluation.

2006 FCAT Data

Achievement Level Data

Ninth Grade

25 (4.5%) Lev. 1

98 (19.1%) Lev. 2

179 (34.9%) Lev. 3

121 (23.6%) Lev. 4

90 (17.5%) Lev. 5

(513 tested)

Tenth Grade

83 (17.2%) Lev. 1

130 (26.9%) Lev. 2

108 (22.4%) Lev. 3

55 (11.4%) Lev. 4

107 (22.2%) Lev. 5

(483 tested)

Students Dropping to Level 1 or 2 Achievement Levels

Ninth Grade # of Students

2 to 1 12

3 to 1 2

4 to 1 0

3 to 2 34

4 to 2 34

4 to 2 5

5 to 2 0

53 of 513 tested

Tenth Grade # of Students

2 to 1 12

3 to 1 7

4 to 1 1

3 to 2 48

4 to 2 12

5 to 2 4

104 of 483 tested

FCAT Reading 2006 Grade 9

Benchmark Content FocusNumber of

Points Possible

A142 Analyze words/text 2

A142 Context 2

4

A241 Details/facts 7

A241 Main idea/essential message 2

A241 Methods of development 1

A242 Author's point of view 1

A242 Author's purpose 7

E241 Figurative language (symbolism, metaphor, etc.) 2

20

A227 Comparison 1

A227 Contrast 2

E221 Cause/effect 7

10

A244 Analyze/evaluate information 3

A247 Validity/reliability of information 7

A248 Synthesize information (multiple sources) 1

11Reporting Cluster Point Total

Words and Phrases in Context

Main Idea, Plot, and Purpose

Comparisons and Cause/Effect

Reference and Research

Reporting Cluster Point Total

Reporting Cluster Point Total

Reporting Cluster Point Total

FCAT Reading 2006 Grade 10

Benchmark Content FocusNumber of Points Possible

A142 Analyze words/text 2

A142 Conclusions/inferences 2

A142 Context 2

6

A241 Details/facts 5

A241 Main idea/essential message* 3

A241 Methods of development 1

E241 Character development 1

E241 Descriptive language 1

E241 Figurative language 1

A242 Author's point of view 1

A242 Author's purpose 3

16

A227 Comparison* 3

A227 Contrast 3

E221 Cause/effect 7

13

A244 Analyze/evaluate information* 6

A247 Validity/reliability of information 3

A248 Synthesize information (multiple sources) 6

A248 Synthesize information (within text) 1

16

* Includes Performance Task Item

Words and Phrases in Context

Main Idea, Plot, and Purpose

Reporting Cluster Point Total

Comparisons and Cause/Effect

Reference and Research

Reporting Cluster Point Total

Reporting Cluster Point Total

Reporting Cluster Point Total

•What Does the Research Say About Literacy and Adolescence?

Implications for Instruction• Focus on written responses to text.• Increase the rigor of reading instruction so that tenth graders can

meet the increased demands of the 10th grade FCAT and our seniors are prepared for entry into college or post secondary work

• Encourage all teachers to address strategies specific to reading texts in their content areas.

• Familiarize students with the rubrics and sample responses.• Provide students with information about test construction to

ensure success with test-taking.• Build personal relationships with students and use motivating

texts and strategies. • Continue to use assessments that measure skills in the high

complexity domain. • Continue the use of Systematic Vocabulary Instruction.

Resources

Leon County Schools’ Secondary Reading Portal

John Maxwell’s Relationships 101

Reading Next Report