Wisconsin’s New Kindergarten Screener

• A training for the administration and scoring of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener

PALS Background

Wisconsin Act 166 requires that an early literacy screener be administered to all kindergarten students beginning in 2012-13

DPI was charged with selecting a screener that met these criteria:▫Is valid and reliable▫Assesses phonemic awareness and letter sound

knowledge

PALS was selected to provide educators with helpful information to guide instruction

Kindergarten Screener

•Fall window October 15 ---- November 9 (data due

Nov. 21)•Winter window (optional)

January 7 ---- February 1 (data due Feb. 15)

•Spring window April 29 ---- May 24 (data due June 7)

The link between PALS subtests and reading achievement

The following four core literacy skills are most predictive of reading achievement (Justice, 2002)

•Phonological awareness or the ability to identify and manipulate sounds

•Alphabet knowledge•Concept of word•Letter naming and letter sounds

PALS Connections to Wisconsin Initiatives

•Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

•Response to Intervention

PALS Connections to the Standards

•The PALS subtests are representative of the understandings, knowledge and skills identified in the:▫Reading Foundational Skills – Common Core

State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS)

▫Early Literacy Standards - Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS)

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten

•Print Concepts

•Phonological Awareness

•Phonics and Word Recognition

•Fluency

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards: Early Literacy

Developmental Domain:Language Development and Communication

Performance Standards• Develops alphabetic awareness (C.EL.2)• Develops phonological awareness (C.EL.3a)• Develops phonemic awareness (C.EL.3b)• Demonstrates the use of strategies to read words

(C.EL.4)

PALS Connections to Response to Intervention (RtI)• PALS meets the definition of a universal

screener within an RtI framework:

– A screener is an assessment given as one part of the screening process to establish a baseline from which students are beginning and to align the instructional starting point to student need.

– Universal screening data can be examined to determine if a change in core curriculum and instruction is needed.

– Data from the universal screening process are used to make decisions about interventions and additional challenges.

PALS and Response to Intervention

•Collaboration•High Quality Instruction •Balanced Assessment•Culturally Responsive Practices

PALS Implications for School Literacy Teams and Data Teams

• Review data as a team (principals, classroom teachers, reading specialists and reading teachers, special education teachers, ELL teachers, school psychologists, speech and language teachers) following the fall and spring administration

• Develop a plan for progress monitoring for students with areas of deficit or strength

• Share PALS assessment information regularly

Think-Pair-Share

•Discuss with a partner how you see PALS fitting into your current instruction and assessment plan at the kindergarten level.

Kit Contents

Exploring the Kits

•Contents include:▫Administration & Scoring Guide▫Technical Manual▫Student Packet (w/ books & cards in back pocket)

▫Student Booklet (for group work)

▫Fall Student Spelling Sheets▫Fall Student Summary Sheets▫Fall Class Summary Sheet▫Spring Student Spelling Sheets▫Spring Student Summary Sheets▫Spring Class Summary Sheet

Administration Manual

•Jigsaw Activity

Why is an instructional framework necessary for high student achievement?

Examples of School-Level Reports

Plan Differentiated Instruction

Parent Communication

•One-page parent brochure available on PALS Wisconsin website for districts to copy and distribute in the fall

Other Parent Communication Hints

•Plan to share results from the fall administration at parent-teacher conferences

•On-line module is being prepared that will assist teachers with interpreting student results

Other PALS ResourcesPALS Quick Checks

• Used to monitor student progress on targeted literacy skill acquisition areas and gauge response to instruction and/or intervention

• Available in the areas of:▫ Alphabet Recognition▫ Letter Sounds▫ Beginning Sound Production▫ Concept of Word▫ K Spelling

PALS Quick Checks

• Recommended to be administered only once every two weeks

• Available as PDF files through the Online Score Entry and Reporting System account

Additional PALS Professional Development and Support

•Using PALS to Drive Instruction module

•Online instructional strategies and lesson plans

•Early Literacy Courses for teachers (Optional)

PALS SummaryThings to Remember

•View the 6 fifteen-minute professional development modules by October 1

•Share the Parent brochure prior to the fall administration

•Administer PALS in the fall and spring• Fall Administration Window: Oct. 15-Nov. 9 • Spring Administration Window: April 29-May 24 ***choose a consecutive two week window within these

administration windows.

PALS Resources and Support• PALS Wisconsin Resource Center

http://www.palswisconsin.info/

• PALS Toll-Free Hotline for District Assessment Coordinators: (888)728-7257)

• PALS E-Mail Hotline for all teachers and District Assessment Coordinators: support@palshelp.com