Third Grade Progression Family Cafe Conference May 28-30, 2004

Third Grade Progression

Family Cafe Conference

May 28-30, 2004

Outline

• Background

• Legislative language

• Requirements

• Impact

Continued Updating of Materials...

www.fldoe.orgGo to “Hot Topics”

Select “Third Grade Progression”

District Profiles, Technical Assistance, Memos, etc.

Background…

The reading portion of the grade 3 FCAT assesses the student’s mastery of the Reading Sunshine State Standards (SSS).

• The eight standards for grade 3 are:Uses simple strategies to determine meaning of words

and increase vocabulary for reading…LA.A.1.2.3Reads text and determines the main idea or essential

message, identifies relevant supporting details and facts, and arranges events in chronological order…LA.A.2.2.1

Identifies the author’s purpose in a simple text…LA.A.2.2.2

Background... Recognizes the use of comparison and contrast in a

text…LA.A.2.2.7Selects and uses a variety of appropriate reference

materials. Reads and organizes information for a variety of purposes…LA.A.2.2.5 and LA.A.2.2.8

Understands the development of plot and how conflicts are resolved in a story…LA.E.1.2.2

Knows similarities and differences among characters, settings, and events…LA.E.1.2.3

Recognizes cause and effect relationships in literary text…LA.E.2.2.1

http://www.firn.edu/doe/curric/prek12/frame2.htm

Background...

There are five components that are necessary in order to read successfully:

phonemic awarenessphonics vocabularyfluencycomprehension

Background...In kindergarten through third grade, students

are learning to read.

By the end of third grade, students are reading to learn and are expected to be able to read independently.

In fourth grade, textbooks are more complex, reading passages are longer. Text becomes expository instead of narrative. Students are expected to use encyclopedias and other materials to do research for reports.

Background...Sample of third grade narrative:

Peter wanted a letter of his own. He ran to get the mail each day as soon as it arrived. He waved to Mrs. Casey on her porch next door as he carried the mail to his mother. Every day his mother got mail, but there was never a letter for him.

One day Mother said, “Peter, please take this letter to Mrs. Casey. It came to us by mistake.”

Peter ran to Mrs. Casey’s yard and raced her cat, Peaches, to the porch. “A letter for you, Mrs. Casey.”

“For me? Land sakes, no one ever writes to me. Who could it be?

Background...Sample of fourth grade narrative

Far from the evening shadows thrown by Hong Kong’s tall buildings, the narrow streets of the city of Kowloon come alive under the rice moon. Food stands sell bowls of noodles, rice, and friend fish balls on bamboo sticks to factory workers strolling homeward at the end of the day.

In a small rattan cage, a cliff swallow huddles with its tiny wings tucked in around its body. For the first time in its life, the little swallow will not fly under the rice moon tonight.

The man who caught the swallow that same morning sells dried fruits and sugarcane. A young girl walking through the marketplace buys a stick of cane to chew and sees the swallow in its small cage.

Background...Sample of third grade expository

Stingrays are pancake-shaped fish, and-you’d never guess it-they’re close cousins of sharks. The smallest species (kinds) are about the size of a dinner plate. But some 14-foot (4.2-m) stingrays live in the waters near Australia. They might be too big to fit on a bedroom floor. Now that’s a big pancake!

Background...Sample of fourth grade expository

The story of the lake actually began thousands of years before, when one volcanic eruption after another created a twelve thousand foot mountain called Mount Mazama. Then about seven thousand years ago, Mount Mazama blew up. Rivers of lava flowed, and hot gases and ash were thrown into the air.

Background...Students who are still struggling to read in

fourth grade have trouble keeping up and

fall further behind. If you have doubts

look at your school/district’s referral rates for special education in third grade

look at the number of students identified in your school/district as having specific learning disabilities in grades 4-6

talk with teachers in grades 4-12

Background…

45-55-65In 2002, on the Reading portion of the FCAT:

45 percent of our fourth graders scored below level 3

55 percent of our eighth graders scored below level 3

65 percent of our tenth graders scored below level 3

Background...

What does Level 1 mean?

It means that the student has demonstrated

little success with the content of the third

grade Sunshine State Standards.

Background...

Level 1

Students who score Level 1 may not be able to recognize or sound-out new words

or know the meaning of these words. would have trouble answering questions that identify a

story’s main idea, main characters, and the correct order of story events.

may also not be able to use information from charts, graphs, or maps to answer questions correctly.

Background…

“Students who struggle with word identification often struggle with comprehension because they cannot read the words or because they devote a majority of their cognitive resources to identifying words, leaving few resources available for processing meaning.”

Excerpts from Below the Bar, Educational

Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Fall 2002.

Background...

Prior to 2002, Florida law already required

that students whose reading deficiency was

not remediated by the end of fourth grade be

retained. But in 2001-02, only 4% of 4th

graders were retained.

The 2002 Legislature took a stand to end social promotion at third grade and to ensure that struggling readers get the help they need.

Background...

The intent of this law is to provide TIME and

RESOURCES for struggling readers to learn

the basics of reading before they fall further

behind.

The best solution is to provide struggling

readers with intensive instruction to

remediate their deficiencies before decisions

about retention or promotion are made.

Public School Student Progression

s.1008.25, Florida Statutes

Florida Law...

“Beginning with the 2002-2003 school year, if a student’s reading deficiency…is not remediated by the end of grade 3, as demonstrated by scoring at Level 2 or higher on the statewide assessment test, the student must be retained.”

s.1008.25(5)(b), F.S.

Florida law...

• “No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on age or other factors that constitute social promotion.”

s. 1008.25 (6)(a), F.S.

• “The school board may only exempt students from mandatory retention…for good cause…”

s. 1008.25(6)(b), F.S.

Requirements...Section 1008.25, F.S. requires districts/schools to:

identify students with reading deficiencies through local assessments and notify their parents

develop, with the parents, an Academic Improvement Plan with required components

provide intensive reading instruction until the reading deficiency is remediated

allocate remedial and supplemental resources to students deficient in reading

Requirements...

The law (section 1008.25, F.S.) also requires that:

Districts must have appropriate alternative placements for students who have been retained two or more years.

Programs for retained students must:

be different from the previous year’s program take into account the student’s learning style.

2004 Legislation (SB 364)

Provides for Intensive Acceleration Class for retained grade 3 students who again score at Level 1 on the reading portion of the FCAT. The focus shall be to increase a child's reading level at least two grade levels in one school year, and requires:

• a reduced teacher-student ratio• uninterrupted reading instruction for the majority of student contact time each day

2004 Legislation (SB 364)• opportunities to master the grade 4 Sunshine State Standards in other core subject areas

• a reading program that is scientifically research-based and has proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within the same school year

• intensive language and vocabulary instruction using a scientifically research-based program, including use of a speech language therapist

2004 Legislation (SB 364)• weekly progress monitoring measures to ensure progress is being made

• the option of being placed in a transitional instructional setting, specifically be designed to produce learning gains sufficient to meet grade performance standards while continuing to remediate the areas of reading deficiency

• periodic reports to the Department of Education and Board of Education

Requirements...

If the student’s reading deficiency is not remediated by the end of third grade, as demonstrated by scoring Level 2 or higher on the FCAT in reading, the student must be retained.

However, students may be exempt from retention for good cause.

Good Cause Exemptions

Requirements...


1. Limited English proficient students who have had less than two years in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

2. A student with disabilities whose individual educational plan (IEP) indicates that participation in FCAT is inappropriate.

Requirements...


3. Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an alternative assessment approved by the State Board.

4. Students who demonstrate, through a student portfolio, that the student is reading on grade level as evidenced by demonstration of mastery of the Sunshine State Standards in reading equal to at least a Level 2 performance on the FCAT.

Requirements...Good Cause Exemptions

5. Students with disabilities who participate in the FCAT and who have an IEP or Section 504 plan that reflects that the student has received

intensive remediation in reading for more than two years but still demonstrates a deficiency, and was previously retained.

6. Students who received intensive remediation in reading for two or more years but still demonstrate a deficiency, and were previously retained for two years.

Requirements...Alternative Assessment

The State Board of Education approved the use of the SAT-9 as the alternative assessment and required a performance at or above the 51st percentile for this good cause exemption.

When comparing results from the FCAT SSS portion of the test with the FCAT NRT, students scoring at the 51st percentile are very likely to score in Level 2 or above.

Requirements...

Alternative Assessment

Strongly encourage summer camp completion- 100 hours of instruction- prior to use.

District is required to offer camp for all third grade students scoring level 1 on FCAT.

Requirements...

Student Portfolio

The State Board of Education approved criteria for the use of a student portfolio that requires that the portfolio:

be selected by the student’s teacher

be an accurate picture of the student’s ability and only include work that has been independently produced in the classroom.

Requirements...

Student Portfolio

includes evidence that the benchmarks assessed by the grade 3 reading FCAT have been met.

organizes a collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State Standard Benchmarks that are assessed. For each benchmark, there must be at least five examples of mastery as demonstrated by a grade of “C” or above.

Requirements...

Student Portfolio

must be signed by the teacher and principal as an accurate assessment of the required reading skills.

All good cause exemptions are submitted by the teacher, recommended by the principal and accepted or rejected by the superintendent.

There is also public reporting of the number of students promoted for good cause.

Requirements...

When will alternative assessments be administered or portfolios be finalized?

Depends on the student…before the end of the school year for some

students after intensive remediation during the summerbefore the beginning of the next school year

Requirements...

Decisions regarding the intensity of remediation and timing for the SAT-9 or the completion of the student portfolio must be made based on the student’s needs.

The SAT-9 may only be administered one time for the purpose of promotion for good cause.

Requirements... Academic Improvement Plans:• Identify students at-risk for 3rd grade

retention at an early stage• Provide the blueprint for early documentation

of interventions (identify weakness on specific components of reading)

• Provide documentation for intervention effectiveness

• Provide information for portfolio development.

Reading Remediation

What if the student scores below grade level?

Requirements….

Academic Improvement Plans (required if student scores below level 3) must include:

Student’s Specific Area(s) of DeficiencyDesired Levels of PerformanceInstructional and Support ServicesFrequent Monitoring of Student

Progress

Requirements...

AIPs should be:

Diagnostic/PrescriptiveMore than a checklistAn intervention guideA blueprint for progress monitoringA record of intervention historyA document of response to intervention

State and District Data...

In 2002, 188,387 third graders had a reported score on FCAT reading and 27 percent (50,139) scored at Level 1 (100-258). Of these third graders scoring at Level 1:

72 percent were eligible for free or reduced lunch

33 percent were in programs for students with disabilities

25 percent were limited English proficient

Expectations

Expectations for program success must be realistic and recognize that a program

was implemented because the individual/school was behind and must

both catch up and keep up simultaneously.

Instructional Strategies

What effective instructional strategies were used in 2003-04 with struggling readers?

Reading coaches worked with teachers to:provide after-school and Saturday

tutoringdesign half-day classroom with 1:15 ratio

for intensive reading instruction


Reading coaches worked with teachers to:provide at least 90 minutes of

uninterrupted readingprovide immediate, intensive,

interventionchange curriculum to provide additional

or supplemental reading program


What effective instructional strategies were used in 2003-04 with struggling readers?

Suspended curriculum for intensive instruction in reading

Used Reading First strategies with lowest performing students • Federal strategy- based on research • Use assessments to drive instruction

Learning Academy for 3rd – 5th graders

Intensive Instruction

What type of intensive instruction in reading may be planned for students who score Level 1?Summer Reading Camps

Change in Core CurriculumChange in Supplemental Curriculum

• Teacher Directed• Student Practice


What type of intensive instruction in reading may be planned for students who score Level 1?Small group intensive instructionFunds for parents to hire tutorsAfter-school tutoringFCAT Explorer


When may this instruction be provided?

Through the end of the school yearAfter schoolDuring the summerInto the next school yearDuring the next

school year


What instructional strategies/options may be planned for students who will be retained (based on student data)?

RemediationInterventionsInstructional Content and DeliveryClassroom Organization


What instructional strategies/options may be used for students who will be retained?

Use of differentiated curriculum; may be in fourth grade math but third grade reading

Pre-fourth grade class with intensive focus on reading and reassess mid-year(must meet fourth grade mid-year norms)

Third/Fourth grade classes


What instructional strategies/options may be used for students who will be retained?

Extended school day for tutoringSuspend curriculum and focus on

reading3rd – 5th grade Academies…

Impact on Students, Teachers, and Families...

Suggestions and strategies


What strategies may be planned to minimize the negative aspects of retention?

Character education programsCounselingAssign mentors to each student who will be retainedPromote healthy classroom climatesContinue to support “specials” and other subject

areas


How can we motivate students and help them handle peer pressure?

Individual and group counselingHave retained students serve as

leaders/mentorsAssign adult mentorsRecognize their academic success


Suggestions for teachers on how to create and maintain a positive environment...

Inservice training/professional development for teachers

Cooperative learning strategiesUse social skills programsUse mentors Make home visitsHave high expectations


What strategies have encouraged parents working as partners to improve students’ reading skills?

Home visitsUse of home/school liaisonsWeekly nights at school for families to readSaturday parent workshops on reading with child care

providedHonest talk about the student’s skills and gradesRegional workshops for parents


What methods of honest, frequent, and regular communication to parents are suggested?

Superintendent forumsPublic service announcementsFamily nights at schoolsWeekly newsletters

Resources for Families

www.justreadflorida.com

www.read-to-learn.org/

www.justreadfamilies.org

www.fcrr.org

http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/

http://flreads.org/

The grass may look greener on the other

side,

but...

it still has to be mowed.

Documents

Third Grade Progression Family Cafe Conference May 28-30, 2004