Literacy News You Can Use - September 2018
ASSESSMENT
Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP)
Iowa Testing Programs (ITP) and Pearson designed the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) portal. This is the “one-stop-shop” for all things related to ISASP. The portal will provide a detailed roadmap for technology readiness preparation, training materials, test administration documentation, student tutorials and practice tests.
State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS)
Revising the Definition of Formative Assessment
RESEARCH
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
Back to School Special Feature - The What Works Clearinghouse provides educators with helpful resources to start off the school year. WWC reviews the research to find what works in education. In this feature, find tips based on a variety of WWC products.
Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC)
Early Literacy Blueprint Initiative - A joint effort between the Iowa Department of Education and the IRRC focused on improving the overall design and delivery of the literacy instruction that elementary students receive.
William & Mary School of Education
Teaching Morphology: Enhancing Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE AND RESOURCES
Student Achievement Partners - Achievethecore.org
Have We Been Teaching Literacy Backwards? - In this webinar, literacy expert David Liben discusses the latest research on reading instruction and offers concrete advice for how to integrate evidence-based literacy practices into your instruction.
Leveraging Pear Deck to Actively Engage Students - In this mini-webinar, you’ll learn how to create presentations and interactive student activities that allow teachers to monitor an entire classes’ work at once.
English Language Learner (ELL) Support - SAP embedded ELL supports and guidance throughout their resource collections. Find quick-reference guidance documents they’ve created showing research-based activities that support standards-aligned instruction in ELA/literacy.
To Write or Not to Write: There is No Question - The benefits of integrating reading and writing practice. For more on this topic, read part 2.
The Daily Write - Strategies to help students engage in daily writing practice.
America Achieves
Common Core Video Library - Features resources that help educators understand the key shifts that the Standards brings to classroom pedagogy.
WestEd
Scaffolding Instruction to Cultivate Effective and Informed Writers - Read about lessons learned when a cohort of teachers implemented the Teaching Learning Cycle to scaffold academic writing by integrating deep and critical thinking tasks, academic discussions, interactive reading, and language development.
UnboundEd
Bias Toolkit - Examine how bias contributes to the achievement gap.
5 Recommendations to Help Craft Effective Questions
The Profound Effects of Language in both ELA and Math
NEWS
“How to sort the good from the bad in OER” - Online resources are overflowing, but reliable means to evaluate them and help teachers use them are rare.
The Fordham Institute
The State of Standards Post Common Core
Education Gadfly Show podcast - How Good Are States’ ELA Standards?
Finding the Right Tool For the Job: Improving Reading and Writing
Blog - The Long Haul: Implementing High Quality Curriculum
TEACHER LEADERSHIP RESOURCES
Student Achievement Partners - Achievethecore.org
Updated Instructional Practice Guide: Coaching Tool - Learn more about the Instructional Practice Guide: Coaching Tool and Suite of Tools in this month’s Iowa Core Voice From the Field blog post - “Doing Better: Aligned Instructional Practice.”
ELA Foundational Skills Observation Tool - This tool is a complement to the Foundational Skills Guidance Documents and should be used along with instructional materials that provide explicit and systematic instruction and practice.
WestEd
Using Learning Huddles to Improve Teaching and Learning, Monday, September 25; 3-4pm- This webinar is designed for district leaders, instructional coaches, and school leaders who are interested in engaging teachers in structured inquiry protocols for curriculum implementation and improvement in any subject.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Iowa Core Advocate Network: Learning Series - Join in the conversation and engage in new learning about standards-aligned instructional practice and materials during monthly webinars beginning Tuesday, October 23; 7-8 PM. Sign up to learn more.
Iowa Council of Teachers of English (ICTE) Annual Fall Conference - October 11-12 in Johnston, Iowa.
The Standards Institute - Registration for the Winter 2019 Standards Institute (February 11-15) in Los Angeles is now open! You’ll work alongside a community of practitioners to think critically about equitable instruction and get smarter about standards-aligned research and materials.
UnBoundEd’s YouTube Channel - Find a wide array of content resources, interviews, keynote speeches, and inspiration for educators focused on closing the provision gap.
MORE
Archived Literacy News You Can Use Updates
Literacy Resources Subject Pages on IowaCore.gov
Voice From the Field Monthly Blog