Literacy Assessments (Part 2):Significant Disabilities

October 27, 2010

Presented by:

Nanette Olivier, Literacy Goal Office

Louisiana Department of Education

and

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite, Consultant

AAC Intervention

Webinar Goal &ObjectivesGOAL

• Provide guidance to schools on literacy assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

OBJECTIVES• Briefly recap assessment requirements (described in Part 1) for

Louisiana students with significant cognitive disabilities, including specific issues pertaining to students in grades K-3.

• Review the use of 3 assessment tools for these students.– Intervention Planning Tool– Early Literacy Checklist– Developmental Spelling

• Provide information on resources available to support the assessments.

DIBELS Assessment

• 9/2/10 memo from Dr. Kerry Laster to LEAs regarding guidance for LA students with significant disabilities in grades K-3 • Administer DIBELS using standard

procedures• Administer DIBELS using alternate

procedures • Use an alternate literacy assessment tool http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/ResourceFiles/Literacy/Memo_Sept_2_2010.pdf

• QuestionIf a student with a significant cognitive disability is in a grade other than K-3, and the district administers a literacy assessment, must that student be administered a literacy assessment as well?

• AnswerYes. And if the district literacy assessment will not yield useful information for a student with a significant cognitive disability, then the procedures discussed in this webinar can be used.

Who are these students?

• Students with significant and often complex disabilities

• Intellectual, communication, sensory, social/behavioral and motor impairments

• For students in grades 3-11, participate in LAA1• Have typically been left out of the “literacy loop”

The school-wide literacy plan must include the needs of these students!

Who is responsible for implementation of assessments for students with

significant disabilities?

• Reading coach• Special education teacher• Certified interventionist • Speech pathologist• Pupil appraisal• Technical assistance providers (e.g., AT Center)

This must be a certified/licensed person!

Access Guide (Significant Disabilities) Websitehttp://sda.doe.louisiana.gov

Quality Indicators for Literacy Access#1: Assessment

• Standardized test materials

• Alternate procedures for standard tests

• Alternate tests and materials

• Data-based recommendations

• IEP team provided with clearly documented recommendations

• Alternate method for writing (as needed)

http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Site%20Pages/LiteracyView.aspx

Quality Indicators of Literacy: Assessment Matrix

http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Site%20Pages/LiteracyView.aspx

Intervention Planning ToolErickson - STFLS Teacher Guide

Where to Find It?

Located on the TeacherMaterials CD in everyPurple STFLS kit

Start to Finish Literacy StartersDonnelly, Erickson, Musselwhite, Stemach

www.donjohnston.com/products/start_to_finish/literacy

Literacy Starters

3 story types

EnrichmentTransitional

Conventional

Intervention Planning ToolErickson - STFLS Teacher Guide

Background: support for Start-to-Finish Literacy Starters (STFLS)

Profile: helps teachers determine students reading profile

Prescriptive Assessment: supports in developing a plan to move students along the continuum toward conventional literacy

Intervention Planning ToolErickson - STFLS Teacher Guide

Continuum included for:

Concepts About Print . . . Independent Reading

Alphabet Principle . . . Word Identification

Oral Language . . . Comprehension

Phonological Awareness. . . Phonemic Awareness /

Phonics

Intervention Planning ToolExample

Directions:1) Review Reader Profile descriptions2) Check each box that describes what the reader is doing NOW3) Look at each profile from L - R; Find the column farthest to the

right with 2 or more checks; Circle appropriate quarter marker.4) Look at interventions in selected column and those to right to guide intervention planning for this reader

Intervention Planning ToolConcepts About Print . . . Independent Reading

Note:• Left to right columns• Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 under each column• Review & update Reader Profile each quarter• Use a different color pen each quarter, to track progress

SampleInterventions:

Concepts About Print

Transitional

SampleInterventions:

AlphabeticPrinciple -Word ID

Conventional

SampleInterventions:

Oral Language - Comprehension

Emergent

SampleInterventions:

Phonological Awareness -

Phonics

Transitional

HELP!!!More support,Please!!

Vocabulary Cards

Erickson - STFLS Teacher GuideLots More Support!!

Vocabulary Cards

Erickson - STFLS Teacher GuideLots More Support!!

Even more support . . . Always Activities

Always Activities

Always Activities

Early Literacy ChecklistsMusselwhite & King-DeBaun

Range of Checklists, including:•Checklist of Emergent Literacy Skills (50 items)•Early Literacy Checklist (2 pp)•Story Listening Observation•Story Enjoyment Observation•Oral/Device Reading Observation•Story Comprehension / Play•General Story Comprehension

Early Literacy ChecklistsMusselwhite & King-DeBaun

Where to find the checklists?

Shop on your own bookshelf

first!!

www.creativecommunicating.com www.mayerjohnson.com

Early Literacy Engagement Progress Monitoring Checklist

King-DeBaun, 2006

www.creativecommunicating.com (look for Progress Monitoring)

• Observation by teacher, parent, therapist

• Permits 5 observations across 1 - 3 years

• Some checklists are designed for students

with the most significant cognitive delays

• Very straightforward observation codes

Early Literacy Checklist

King-DeBaun,

2006

2-page Checklist

Plus Manual

Early Literacy ChecklistSample Items & Rubric

Early Literacy Checklist

King-DeBaun,

2006

32-page Manual

Early Literacy Checklist ManualSample Item + Goal + Ideas

Early Literacy Checklist ManualSample Item + Goal + Ideas

Developmental Spelling Test

• Helps us understand what students know about the letter / sound system

• Useful for charting progress across time

• Supports targeting instruction by learning what students know, and what is confusing to them

Gentry’s Developmental Spelling Stages

• PRECOMMUNICATIVE SPELLING is the “babbling” stage of spelling. Children use letters for writing words but the letters are strung together randomly. The letters in precommunicative spelling do not correspond to sounds. Examples: OPSPS = eagle; RTAT = eighty.

 • SEMIPHONETIC SPELLERS know that letters represent sounds. They perceive and represent

reliable sounds with letters in a type of telegraphic writing. Spellings are often abbreviated representing initial and/or final sound. Examples: E = eagle; a = eighty.

• PHONETIC SPELLERS spell words like they sound. The speller perceives and represents all of the phonemes in a word, though spellings may be unconventional. Examples: EGL = eagle; ATE = eighty.

 • TRANSITIONAL SPELLERS think about how words appear visually; a visual memory of spelling

patterns is apparent. Spellings exhibit conventions of English orthography like vowels in every syllable, e-marker and vowel digraph patterns, correctly spelled inflectional endings, and frequent English letter sequences. Examples: EGIL = eagle; EIGHTEE = eighty.

 • CONVENTIONAL SPELLERS develop over years of word study and writing. Correct spelling can be

categorized by instruction levels. For example, correct spelling for a corpus…words that can be spelled by the average fourth grader would be fourth grade level correct spelling. Place the word in this category if is listed correctly.

‘Monster Test’

DEVELOPMENTAL SPELLING TEST

SCORING CHART

Dr. J. Richard Gentry

Professor of Elementary Education and Reading

http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Site%20Pages/LiteracyView.aspx

WORDS PrecommunicativeStage

SemiphoneticStage

Phonetic Stage

Transitional Stage

Conventional Stage

1. monster Random letters mtr mostr monster monster

2. united Random letters u unitd younighted united

3. dress Random letters jrs jras dres dress

4. bottom Random letters bt bodm bottum bottom

5. hiked Random letters h hikt hicked hiked

6. human Random letters um humm humum human

7. eagle Random letters el egl egul eagle

8. closed Random letters kd klosd clossed closed

9. bumped Random letters b bopt bumpped bumped

10 type Random letters tp tip tipe type

Developmental SpellingIvette

Target Word 1/08 5/08

Back (Attempted bab

Sink but became sc

Mail too frustrated) ma

Dress arz

Lake pzx

Peeked (she wanted to stop)

Light

Dragon

Stick

Side

Feet

Test

Note: give the pretest, even if they can’t do it!!!

Resources• Access Guide (Significant Disabilities)

http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov

– Flowchart– Assessment Tools Chart– Intervention Planning Tool (links from Assessment

Tools Chart)– Early Literacy Checklist (links from Assessment Tools

Chart)– Monster Test (Assessing Developmental Spelling)

• SIG Notes (Literacy Assessment Requirements)• Nanette Olivier (nanette.olivier@la.gov)

Item # Action Steps Resources

1. Use the Access Guide (Significant Disabilities) website as the anchor for literacy information pertaining to students with significant disabilities.Provide support for district, building, and classroom personnel to utilize this resource. Ensure that special education teachers, reading coaches, families, principals, and other involved personnel have this information.

Access Guide website http://sda.doe.louisiana.govLiteracy tool bar (Access Guide website)http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Site%20Pages/LiteracyView.aspx

2. Use the draft Quality Indicators for Literacy Access (Significant Disabilities) in the design, implementation, and evaluation of literacy programs.

Literacy tool bar (Access Guide website)Quality Indicators for Literacy Access (Significant Disabilities)

3. Establish a Literacy Folder for each student with a significant disability. Use this structure to organize and archive literacy assessment/progress information, writing samples, video clips, etc.

Literacy tool bar (Access Guide website)Literacy Folder description/instructions/examples

4. Provide to all students with significant disabilities an age appropriate, age respectful literacy rich environment.

Access Guide websitePhoto/Video Imageshttp://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Lists/Literacy/Literacy%20Access%20Images.aspx

5. Provide to all students with significant disabilities the opportunity to be engaged in reading for multiple purposes throughout the day.

Literacy tool bar (Access Guide website)Every Day/Every Student Chart (Musselwhite, 2008)

6. Provide to every student with a significant disability multiple opportunities to write every day. Use an “alternate pencil” strategy for those students who cannot access all letters of the alphabet in a traditional manner.

Literacy tool bar (Access Guide website)1- Minute Writing Context Checklist (Musselwhite, 2010)Alternate Pencils (webinars, videos)

7. Ensure that all students with significant disabilities are assessed using appropriate assessment tools on same schedule as other students. Always begin with the tool identified by the district (e.g., DIBELS).If this is not sufficient, use modified proceduresIf this is not sufficient, identify, secure, and administer an alternate assessment (as an additional assessment)Consider using The Bridge as an assessment tool. Free and available on the web

Literacy tool bar (Access Guide website)Assessment for Students with Significant Disabilities: Flowchart of Options (Musselwhite, 2009)Literacy Assessment Tools (sample options)Literacy WebinarsThe Bridgehttp://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/resources/early-childhood-resources-1/the-bridge-assessment/

8. Use informal assessment tools and checklists to support/guide instruction and assessment and monitor progress.

Literacy tool bar (Access Guide website)Literacy Rubric (Kathy Staugler, 2007)Every Day/Every Student Chart (Musselwhite, 2008)

9. Ensure that students with significant disabilities are provided literacy materials in an accessible format in a timely manner

http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/eia/2977.htmlInstruction section of the Access Guide http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Site%20Pages/Instruction.aspx

Literacy Support for Students with Significant DisabilitiesAction Step Recommendations from the Louisiana Department of Education for School Year 2010-2011

Target audience: reading specialists, literacy coaches, special education teachers, principals For information, contact: nanette.olivier@la.gov

Action Plan

Outcome: Each student with a significant disability must be provided a literacy assessment in alignment with district practices at the student’s grade level.

Where to begin:• Talk to Literacy Coach for your school?• Check with your school or AT Center for an alternate literacy

assessment available for check out, or order one for next year?

• Secure a Literacy Starters set, and review the Teacher Resources for the Intervention Planning Tool, Vocabulary Cards, and Always Activities?

• Locate a copy of the Early Literacy Checklist?• Other ideas?

Next Steps

• Archived webinars (check Literacy tool bar under Literacy Webinars for further information) http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/Site%20Pages/LiteracyView.aspx

– Literacy Assessment Webinar: Part 1– Literacy Assessment Webinar: Part 2

• 2011 Preschool and Kindergarten Conference

• 1/27/11 and 1/28/11 workshops