PWCS Language Arts

PWCS Language Arts

Prepared for Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Instruction

January 10, 2013

Dr. Roberta Apostolakis, Supervisor of Language Arts

Prince William County Schools Language Arts Overview and Goals

The Language Arts program supports PWCS vision and goal that all students will learn to their fullest capacity. Central to Language Arts instruction is a learning environment that fosters the development of a continuum of literacy skills and strategies for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. This continuum includes processes critical to reading, writing, speaking, listening, and the use of technology.


Language Arts Teachers purposely foster opportunities for all students to develop skills to communicate their thoughts for others to understand, compose messages in multiple genre, and comprehend text with increasing complexity. They teach the PWCS curriculum that aligns with the new Virginia 2010 English Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework.

New English Standards of Learning (SOL) Implementation begins this year

The expectation is for students to engage in meaningful, thought provoking learning activities that develop critical reading, writing, and communication skills. The rigor of the SOL challenges educators across VA to create student learning environments that foster opportunities for students to critically think, analyze and synthesize information, and to connect and apply knowledge to construct new learning.

PWCS K-12 Balance Literacy Model Teaching curriculum standards through a reading and writing methodology fosters

opportunities for student to learn through a gradual release of teacher support

Talk

Writing workshop

Reading workshop

Focus Lesson Guided Instruction

Collaborative Learning Independence

Curriculum

Reading and Writing Methodology Below are the components-essential instructional parts-of a reading and writing workshop. Reading and writing skills are developed through learning opportunities offered through these collective components, none are meant to stand alone, but rather, “balance” together to foster an optimum learning environment. In these workshops, students construct knowledge through extensive opportunities to dialog, debate, and orally communicate their thoughts.

Reading Workshop Components Writing Workshop Components Elementary Level

• Interactive Read Aloud • Shared Reading and/or

Literature Study • Guided Reading • Peer Collaboration w/

partner or small groups • Independent Reading of

fiction and nonfiction text

Elementary Level

• Guided, Shared, and/or Interactive Writing

• Minilessons • Independent Writing • Collaborative conferences

w/ teacher and/or peers • Shared Time

Secondary Level

• Book Talks and/or Interactive Read Aloud by teacher and students

• Minilessons • Individual & small group

collaborative conferences w/ teacher and/or peers

• Small group discussions

Secondary Level

• Minilessons • Independent Writing • Collaborative

conferences w/ teacher and/or peers

• Share Time

Teaching the New English SOL in Elem. Reading & Writing Workshop Students construct knowledge through extensive opportunities to interact and collaborate with teacher and peers as they apply new skills and strategies

Teaching the New English SOL in MS Reading Workshops Students construct knowledge through extensive opportunities to dialog,

debate, and orally communicate their thoughts.

Teaching the New English SOL in HS Reading & Writing Workshops Students construct knowledge through extensive opportunities to dialog,

debate, and orally communicate their thoughts.

Teaching the New English SOL using Tools & Technology to Read, Write, Research, and Learn

11

•Composing/Written Expression

– Audience/purpose – Central Idea – Effective conclusions – Counter arguments – Elaboration – Unity – Organization – Deliberate Word Choice – Selected, Precise

Information – Sentence Variety – Tone – Voice

•Usage & Mechanics – Sentence Formation – Usage

•Standard Inflections •Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs •Agreement

– Mechanics •Capitalization •Spelling •Punctuation •Formatting

A Change: SOL Two Domain Writing Rubric

Caution… The real value of implementing this new curriculum is not to prepare our students for the state test, but rather to teach our students to understand how to interpret, analyze, and connect information; and how to develop and use communication skills to express their thinking. Our goal is to give students the strategies and skills they need to be life long productive learners.

Assessment of New English SOL

Spring 2013 Reading: Grades 3-8, EOC Writing: Grades 5 (expository or narrative), 8 (expository or persuasive), EOC (persuasive)


Critical-to achieving PWCS Language Arts goals-is a plan to build the capacity for a network of school-based teacher leaders to facilitate, support, and monitor implementation of literacy curriculum. School-based Teacher Leaders will facilitate and foster learning opportunities for both students and teachers.

Train the Trainer Model of Professional Development

School-based literacy teacher leaders participate in district level PD. Then return to their schools and facilitate PD for colleagues.

Unique features: On-going Clinical work with students Peer collaboration Customize to school-based needs

Train the Trainer Model of Professional Development Unique features: On-going Clinical work with students during facilitators’ district level PD Peer collaboration Customize to school-based needs of colleagues and students

So how are we doing? 2011-2012 Divisionwide SOL - Writing

Best scores, Does not reflect VAAP or VGLA

So how are we doing? 2011-2012 Divisionwide SOL - Reading

Best scores, Does not reflect VAAP or VGLA

Extended Language Arts

transferred to LA from Gifted

2252

2402 2441

2569

2646 2628

2000

2100

2200

2300

2400

2500

2600

2700

2011-12 2012-13

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6th grade

7th grade

8th grade

Textbook Adoption

Adopting new textbooks to support our teaching of new curriculum standards

Thank you for your support and help in making our Language Arts learning goals a reality for each child in Prince

William County Schools.

Questions

Language Arts 703-791-7251

• Roberta Apostolakis, Supervisor [email protected]

• Janice Thorpe, Secretary [email protected]

• Bridgett Brookbank, Elementary Coordinator [email protected]

• Kelli Stenhouse, Secondary Professional Development Specialist

[email protected]

Documents

PWCS Language Arts