what’s all of the “fuss” about the armt...
TRANSCRIPT
What’s all of the “fuss” about the
ARMT+ Reading ?
Objectives
• To provide an overview of ARMT+ Reading, including item difficulty, new item formats, and sample test questions.
• To suggest strategies to improve reading comprehension instruction across the curriculum.
Mission: Career/College Ready
Believe…..
What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work he is doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs an objective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he has some worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It must be his own creation. Its success will be measured by the nature of his vision, what he has done to equip himself, and how well he has performed along the line of its development. -Joseph Morrell Dodge
Blueprints ARMT
Content Standards The Reading section of
the ARMT is aligned to the 2007 English Language Arts Course of Study.
Blueprints ARMT
Types of Reading Assessed
Literary/recreationalstories and poetry
Textual/informationalsubject texts
Functional manuals, brochures, etc.
SAME
BlueprintsARMT+
Item TypesARMT
Multiple Choice Questions
• Stand-alone questions
• Passage-based questions
• Key words underlined (Grade 3)
• Key words italicized (Grades 4-8)
Item TypesARMT
Open-ended Questions
Item TypeARMT+
SAME
Scoring Guidelines ARMT Multiple Choice Questions
Valued at one point each
Scoring Guidelines ARMT Open-ended Responses
• Open-ended Responses• Valued at 3 points each
• Score point 3- demonstrates a thorough understanding
• Score point 2- demonstrates a general understanding
• Score point 1- demonstrates a limited understanding
• Score point 0- no attempt to address the prompt
Scoring Guidelines
• Open-ended Responses must…�Address the question by including
details and examples from the passage for support.
�Be legible.�Stay within the confines of the box.
Scoring Guidelines
• Scanned to the computer• Sent to scorer
� A trained professional � 4 Yr. degree� Intensive project specific training� Pass a test, qualifies� Uses anchor papers for each score point� Scores one subject
Scoring GuidelinesARMT+
SAME
Cut ScoresARMT
Grade
Reading
Mathematics
Levels
Cut ScoresARMT+
SAME
Item Format
Item FormatARMT+
• Passages may be 1-2 pages in length.
• All multiple choice questions have four choices.
• All open-ended response questions have consistent wording.
RIGOR
What is Rigor?
• “Challenging all students with high expectations”(Gates Foundation Web site)
• Active, deep, and engaging learning (Small Schools Project)• “Academic rigor is based on expectations established for
students and staff that ensure that students demonstrate a thorough, in-depth mastery of challenging and complex curricular concepts. In every subject, at every grade level, instruction must include commitment to a knowledge core and the application of that knowledge core to solve complex real-world problems.” (North Carolina State Board of Education, 2005)
(Edmunds 2006)
Rigor
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Rigor
• Increased vocabulary• Use of words such as mainly, most likely, probably,
and best • Answer choices ( words, examples, or excerpts from
passages and poems)• Comparisons (poem/poem, poem /passage, passage/
passage, or chart [table, graph, etc.]/passage)• Previously used formats in upper grades may
appear in lower grades.
Rigor
• Thorough� Specific� Multiple examples and support (list, portions of a conversation, line(s)
from a poem(s), etc.)� All steps provided within a sequence of steps or events
• General� Basic � Few examples and limited support (2 of 4 ideas listed, a word from a line
in a poem, etc.)� Some steps provided within a sequence of steps or events
• Limited� Vague or incomplete� One incomplete part of a two part question (compare, but does not
contrast; a cause with no effect)� Random step(s) provided within a sequence of steps or events� Glimmer
• No attempt to address the prompt
Provide Opportunities to Write
Everyday is a great day for a writing experience.
• Various audiences • Multiple purposes• All modes• Different forms/types• Multiple topics
Types of Writing
• Freewriting• Journals• Notetaking• Questions• Explanations• Summaries• Definitions• Memos• Letters
• Reviews• Editorials• Books• Stories• Poems• Reports/
Research papers
• Essays• Plays
Global SkillsNon-exhaustive List
• Drawing conclusions• Sequence of events/information• Making inferences• Fiction/nonfiction• Fact/opinion• Previewing/predicting• Following directions• Vocabulary
Grade 3
• Spelling possessives• Dictionary use • Vocabulary (Standards 2-4)• Literary elements and devices- identify
characters and similes• Text features• Genres- stories, trade books, and
poems
Grade 3Text Features
Why does the author use bold print?
A. To make the dates easier to read B. To describe the food C. To get the attention of the reader D. To give the history of the fair
Grade 3ARMT Sample
An apple is a A. vegetable. B. meat. C. fruit. D. dairy product.
Grade 3
The words brick and yard are put together to make a word that means
A. An area where bricks play. B. A piece of material used for sewing. C. An area where bricks are made. D. One who enjoys bricks.
Grade 4
• Vocabulary- Standards 2 and 3• Comparing and Contrasting• Genres- novels, short stories, poetry, and trade
books• Literary elements and devices- identify characters,
similes, main idea, and author’s purpose• Using text features- titles, headings, glossary,
boldface, index, table of contents, and tables• Use of bias/recognizing persuasive techniques• Notetaking
Grade 4ARMT Sample
Grade 4ARMT Sample
Grade 4 ARMT+ Sample
+Compare and contrast the Sun and the Moon.
Use specific details from the story to support your answer.
Write your answer in the answer document.
Grade 4
ACTIVITY
Grade 5
• Vocabulary- Standards 1, 2, and 4• Literary elements and devices- Recognize setting,
character traits, stated purpose, metaphors, personification, and implied purpose(identify)
• Tables and charts• Reference materials
Grade 5
Dreams
Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams die
Life is a broken winged birdThat cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.
Langston Hughes
Grade 5
Which line from the poem is an example of a metaphor?
A. “Hold fast to dreams” B. “Life is a broken winged bird” C. “For when dreams go” D. “Frozen with snow.”
What is the effect of the author’s use of images?
Use details from the poem to support your answer.
Write your answer in the answer document.
Grade 5 ARMT+ Sample
Which sentence shows possession? A. Johnny can’t reach the box on the top shelf. B. Jafaar’s books are in the brown backpack. C. Kenyatta didn’t call me last night. D. I’ve always combed my hair to one side.
Grade 6
• Vocabulary-Standards 1 and 3
• Interpreting character’s behavior
• Literary elements and devices- Interpret implied main idea, conflict, personification, and climax(identify)
• Complex predictions• Cause-effect relationships
Grade 6 ARMT Sample
Grade 6
Which of the following reveals the climax of the story? A. “As the two friends headed for the trees on the far side of
the field, they heard Butch barking.” B. “He agreed that the wing was broken.” C. “The bird hopped slowly to the opening and then suddenly
flew out.” D. “… I don’t want to let it go too soon and have it not able to
live on its own.”
+
Grade 6
Sample stems: Who is the intended audience for the passage? How does the author organize the passage?
+
Grade 6
Identify the climax. Explain how the story’s events lead to this climax.
Use details from the story to support your answer. Write your answer in the answer document.
+
Grade 7
• Vocabulary- Standards 1 and 4• Literary elements and devices- main idea and
supporting details, climax, point of view, imagery, mood(determine), and flashback(recognize)
• Genres and subgenres- Distinguish among poetry, short stories, novels, plays, biographies, autobiographies, folktales, myths, parables, fables, and science fiction
Grade 7
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted wear,Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I marked the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to wayI doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Grade 7 ARMT+ Sample
Which statement is most likely true about the author?
• The author likes to travel.• The author enjoys futuristic
stories.• The author examines his choices
before making decisions.• The author cannot read a
map.
The mood of “The Road Not
Taken” can be best described as A. somber B. cautious C. inviting D. impolite
Grade 8
• Literary elements and devices- Evaluate the impact of setting, mood, and characterization on theme- components of plot
• Poetry- ballads, lyric poems, epics, haiku, and limericks- rhythm and rhyme scheme (identify)
• Confirming author’s credentials
Grade 8 ARMT+ Sample
What can the reader infer about Moss’s dedication to African elephant research?
Use details from the passage to support your answer.
Write your answer in the answer document.
Grade 8Poetry- Langston Hughes
A Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore--
And then run? Does it stink like rotten
meat? Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.Or does it explode?
Dreams
Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams die
Life is a broken winged birdThat cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.
Grade 8Poetry
• Students are responsible for recognizing characteristics of various types of poetry.
• Questions related to poetry may be multiple choice questions (stand-alone and/or passage-related) and open-ended response questions.
ACTIVITYCreate your own questions Multiple choice- figurative language, mood, theme, etc. Open-ended response- Persuasive techniques, figurative language,
mood, compare/contrast, cause/effect, explain, evaluate, point of view, etc.
True or False
I can increase rigor in my classroom by reading longer
stories/passages from the textbook, giving more
assignments, and giving more
FALSE
If you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get the SAME
results!
What do high performing schools have in common?
• Teachers regularly observe other teachers.
• Teachers have time to plan and collaborate.
• New teachers receive generous support.
• Teachers take on other leadership roles at the school.(Haycock 2007)
Teacher
Student
Parents
Administrator
Administrator’s Role
• Emphasize to teachers that you know they can succeed.
• Expect teachers to keep knowledge fresh.• Guide (learning) communities toward self-
governance.• Make data accessible.• Teach discussion and decision-making skills.• Show teachers the research.• Take time to build trust. (Hord 2009)
Provide supports that foster a data-driven culture within the school.
• Provide time for collaboration among departments, grade levels, and data team members.
• Provide targeted professional development.
Support
• Test prep activities• Benchmark or Interim
Assessments• Use of assessment data to
guide instruction• Increased instructional time
in math and reading(Response to Instruction-RtI)
• Strategic assignment of teachers
• Instructional pacing• Tutoring outside of school• Alignment of curriculum
with standards• Writing across the
curriculum• Individualized study guides• Personal graduation plans• Summer school
(Center on Education Policy 2007)
Ongoing Cycle
Plan
ImplementAssess
What does this process look like?
• Review available data.• Analyze various teaching strategies.• Create multiple lessons for a concept.• Review implementing “genius”
creations.
Available DataState Assessment Results
• All state test results are available before school starts.
• The more familiar you are with group/student reports, the easier they are to use.
• Remember, data should drive instruction.
Available Data
• Classroom Assessments
• Interim Assessments
• Conferences
Diagnosis
• Put all of what you’ve gathered into perspective.• The purpose of your diagnosis is to know where your
students are in order to decide where they need to go.
• Share your diagnosis with the student.• Realize that whatever your diagnosis, you have only
nine months to work with the student.• Be objective not subjective.
Teach students to examine their own data and set learning goals.
Get organized Create organizational tools that chart progress on standards and
objectives (AL COS), reading/writing assignments, grades, and etc. Share these organizational tools with your students on day 1, and
allow them to develop their own goals. Explain your expectations. Make these organizational tools a part of your grading system.
Prepare to Plan
• Before anything else, preparation is the key to success. -Alexander Graham Bell
• There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. -Colin Powell
You must do the foot work!
• Make sure that you have a manipulative copy of your Alabama Course(s)of Study on your desktop.
• Create multiple copies of your grade level section of the Alabama Course(s) of Study.
• Create in-depth lesson plans that include notes, activities, and handouts associated with the lesson. At the end of this process you are able to see if you have multiple activities/handouts to address all learning styles.
Walk it out!!!
• Go to ALEX-Alabama Learning Exchange (http://alex.state.al.us/index.php) for sample lesson plans, web links, distance learning, and professional learning.
• Once you have completed your in-depth lesson plan, highlight the standards/objectives that mirror what you plan to teach and attach the highlighted copy to the lesson plan.
• Using your manipulative copy of the Alabama Course(s) of Study, copy and paste applicable standards/objectives on a created document to attach to the lesson plan.
3 Requirements for Every Course
• Making Dramatic Presentations• Writing(essays- upper grades, discussion
questions-lower grades)• Developing vocabulary and critical thinking
skills
Making Dramatic Presentations
• Students must participate in a dramatic presentation each grading period.
• A dramatic presentation may be done individually, in pairs, or as a group.
• Students should be given credit for planned, as well as, impromptu presentations.
• Create your grading criteria prior to all presentations.
• Provide students with grading criteria.
• Expose students to multiple presentation strategies.
• Lead by example.
Writing Essays/ Answering Discussion Questions
• Make writing the cornerstone of your classroom.• Live it, breathe it, and expect it!• Require writing weekly.• Read what students write.• Students buy-in with immediate feedback and
discussion.
Increase Literacy
• Provide explicit vocabulary instruction.• Provide direct and explicit comprehension strategy
instruction.• Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text
meaning and interpretation.• Increase student motivation and engagement in
literacy learning.• Make available intensive and individualized
interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialist. (Kamil 2008)
Develop Vocabulary and Critical Thinking Skills
• Every lesson should work to improve students’ vocabulary and critical thinking skills.
• Connect the two skills, if possible.
• Use context clues.
Develop Vocabulary and Critical Thinking Skills
• Reflect on multiple meanings.• Require/provide a dictionary and thesaurus for
each student.• Prepare good questions/activities ahead of time.• Be quick on your feet and engage students as
much as possible.
More Ideas
• Projects• Lecture• Quizzes (oral, listening, and bag)• Recitations• Guest Speakers• Movie Reviews• Debates
Build a Bridge
• Often it is not the “what,” but “how” information is delivered that strikes the interest of students.
Plan, Plan, Plan!
A Teacher…
• The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. -William Arthur Ward
References• Center on Education Policy. (2007). State High School Exams: Working to raise the test scores.
Washington, D.C..:Author.
• Edmonds, J., Lewis, K., and McColskey, W. (2006) Defining Rigor: What rigor Means at Different Levels of the Educational System.
• Hamilton, L., Halverson, R. Jackson, S., Mandinach, E., Supovitz, J., & Wayman, J. (2009). Using student achievement data to support instructional decision making (NCEE 2009-4067). Washington, DC: National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved fromhttp://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/.
• Haycock, K. (2007) Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps. Education Trust
• Hord, D. (2009). The Principal’s Role in Supporting Learning Communities. Educational Leader ship, 66(5), 22-23. Retrieved October 28, 2009,from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb09/.
Contact
If there are any questions, contact Kanetra Germany, Assessment and Accountability, State Department of Education, (334) 242-8038.