[LIT] NYC Middle School Reading

[CAG]

Lori - With the DRA, we test in the fall at certain grade levels, fiction or 
non-fiction depending on the grade. If the student reads at-level in 
fiction, they are not retested at a higher grade. It's assumed that they 
continue in their growth for that assessment. If they don't read at-level, 
they are retested at the end of the year. If they still are not at-level, 
they are retested in another designated year, same schedule.

The NWEA is an online computer assessment. In reading, it has multiple 
questions on passages, with the complexity adjusting to the student's 
responses. If correct, the assessment keeps going. If incorrect, it backs 
off and goes down another path. I believe the questions vary between 
difficult and not difficult, so it doesn't just massively become 
overwhelming. The results are given in a range, in different areas of focus. 
There is a piece of the NWEA that states what concepts the student knows, 
what they are learning instructionally, and further directions to take them. 
It also refers to lexile levels for the students.

I'm not sure I buy into this assessment 100%. It's very generalized, not 
individualized enough on the 3 categories of knowns. At least, that's the 
way it seems to me. I probably just don't understand it enough, so if 
someone wants to add more to my understanding, that would be great.

It has, however, helped teachers know what to pinpoint in small groups or 
whole class more effectively.

Website to find out more: http://www.nwea.org/index.asp

Cathy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ljackson" <ljackson at gwtc.net>
To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." 
<lit at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: [LIT] NYC Middle School Reading


>
>
> Our middle school found the DRA to be unmanageable with their students.
> They were required to test all students three times yearly and each 
> teacher
> had 60 plus students to test.  They are now using only STAR testing, which
> they don't particularly like.  What can you tell me about the NWEA?
>
>
> On 5/27/07 1:16 PM, "CAG" <cagage at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> Lori - I did a NYTimes search for 'reading middle school' to find your
>> article and came up with a few. They said that data was analyzed to see
>> where students were falling behind, and then instruction targeted those
>> areas that would show up in school testing as well as targeting with
>> practice tests.
>>
>> I assume that they looked at assessments such as the DRA and NWEA for 
>> that
>> data. I know we have looked at our MEA's in past years and considered 
>> what
>> types of questions the students were predominantly answering wrong - 
>> whether
>> inference, those requiring look-backs, using nonfiction text features...
>>
>> Cathy
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "ljackson" <ljackson at gwtc.net>
>> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group"
>> <mosaic at literacyworkshop.org>; "A list for improving literacy with focus 
>> on
>> middle grades." <lit at literacyworkshop.org>;
>> <RealWritingTeachers at yahoogroups.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 9:05 AM
>> Subject: [LIT] NYC Middle School Reading
>>
>>
>>> An article in the NY Times this morning talks about a substantial rise 
>>> in
>>> middle school reading scores and attributes those rises to qualified
>>> teachers and a rigorous program.  What, out of curiosity, is the program
>>> or
>>> approach?  If anyone out there knows, please share.
>>> -- 
>>> Lori Jackson
>>> District Literacy Coach & Mentor
>>> Todd County School District
>>> Box 87
>>> Mission SD  57555
>>>
>>> http:www.tcsdk12.org
>>> ph. 605.856.2211
>>>
>>>
>>> Literacies for All Summer Institute
>>> "Literate Lives:  A Human Right"
>>> July 12-15, 2007
>>> Louisville, Kentucky
>>>
>>> http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/wlu
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> -- 
> Lori Jackson
> District Literacy Coach & Mentor
> Todd County School District
> Box 87
> Mission SD  57555
>
> http:www.tcsdk12.org
> ph. 605.856.2211
>
>
> Literacies for All Summer Institute
> "Literate Lives:  A Human Right"
> July 12-15, 2007
> Louisville, Kentucky
>
> http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/wlu
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org
>
> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to 
> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org.
>
> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
>