Amplify ELAT Newsletter, December 2, 2020

December Newsletter

 

ELAT Program Contacts and Administrators

 

The ELAT 2021-22 Letter of Intent submission is now open. The ELAT Project will require a letter of intent this fall for participation in the 2021-22 school year. The letter of intent is due Friday, December 4. The application process for the ELAT Project will open Monday, January 4, and close Friday, January 29.

 

December Office Hours

The ELAT Amplify Team will be hosting December Office Hours, “A Live Demo of remote assessment” on Thursday, December 3rd at 11:00 AM MST. Please invite educators that may be assessing students in a remote environment. We will be recording and sending it out as well as posting on the ELAT Microsite so all educators can have access. Please register to receive the recording.

 

Instructional Planning Survey

Thank you to everyone who completed the Instructional Planning Survey! We are reading through your comments and want to provide you with the information you requested. 

 

1. Looking at the large gaps we saw at BOY, especially for students that moved from Kindergarten to 1st grade, we highly recommend that educators provide direct and systematic instruction of skills that were missed during the spring of 2020. One tool that you can use to provide this instruction is provided for free by Amplify. This tool can be used in a remote setting or face-to-face. 

 

Free Resource: Amplify is excited to announce the availability of Foundational Skills Boost. The Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3 will fill those gaps from the previous year and meet their needs—remote and in person.

 

During the November Office Hours, participants shared strategies to teach skills students missed from the spring of 2020 - check out your colleagues’ tools:

• First Grade: Explicit focus on CVC words in small groups

• Heggerty

• Taught last year skills from our Core instruction

• Created 30 min 4 day/week into schedules to insert SIPPS

• Incorporated SIPPS skills into our Tier 1 instruction

• Boost Foundational Skills lessons - Start core instruction time with this 

• Targeted instruction

• Structured literacy time set aside to reteach and move other students forward

 

2. Benchmark Windows for MOY

We recognize that many schools have moved back to remote instruction. Given that remote assessment may take longer than face-to-face instruction, please feel free to extend your benchmark window the full 3 weeks prior to the holiday break or the 3 weeks following the break. We have had several schools move to the January timeframe with hopes that they will be back face-to-face.

November 30th - December 18th

OR

January 4th - January 21st

If you want to change your window, please email Genna Faulkenberry.

 

3. Remote Assessment Resources can be found on the ELAT Microsite under Important Updates

           General guidance from the Acadience team

1. How to prepare for remote assessments

2. Administering Acadience:Reading remotely

3. Administer mCLASS®:IDEL remotely

4. Administering Acadience: Reading (WWR) remotely

5. Administering Acadience: Reading (NWF) remotely

6. Recommendations on how to give DAZE in a remote setting

7. Acadience Learning materials download (including Acadience Diagnostic)

8. Caregiver letters/video in both English and Spanish

Reminder: The Notes feature has been enhanced to include selectors for Remote or In-person administration mode. Please remember to mark this if assessing in a remote situation.

 

4. Many schools requested professional development (PD) around specific topics. We are pleased to offer 3-hour coaching sessions available to your teachers and/or coaches, complimentary as part of your participation in ELAT. Schools can set the topics (related to mCLASS, data and planning instructional next steps, remote assessment, etc.) and arrange the logistics (which grades and for how long). Amplify facilitators will lead these sessions remotely.
   
   Please request coaching support here; any questions about the sessions can be sent directly to Dori Klar.

 

2020-21 ELAT Professional Development

 

Data analysis and instructional planning are more doable when we work together! Join our PD sessions to help make it a bit easier. 

ELAT will be offering sessions after the MOY benchmark windows are completed. Please join us for one of the following:

 

• Post-MOY Data Analysis for Teachers (for schools in Year 2 and beyond)

• Post-MOY Data Analysis for Leaders (for schools in Year 2 or beyond)

• Post-MOY Instructional Planning and Delivery Across the Tiers for Leaders (for schools in Year 2 and beyond)

• Post-MOY Instructional Planning and Delivery Across the Tiers for Teachers (for schools in Year 2 and beyond)

 

Learn more about the sessions here and register here.

NEW Feature on mCLASS - Assigning students to online assessments

 

 

ELAT Contact Information:

• Laura Stelling, CDE READ Act Grants Project Manager

• Karen Cushman,  ELAT Project Manager, Amplify

• Genna Faulkenberry, ELAT Benchmark windows, Amplify

• Dori Klar, ELAT Professional Development, Amplify

 

Please share the information below with your staff - THANK you for your assistance!

 

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ELAT Updates for Coaches and Teachers

 

December Office Hours

The ELAT Amplify Team will be hosting December Office Hours, “A Live Demo of remote assessment” on Thursday, December 3rd at 11:00 AM MST. Please invite educators that may be assessing in a remote environment. We will be recording and sending it out as well as posting on the ELAT Microsite so all educators can have access. Please register to receive the recording.

 

Looking at the large gaps we saw at BOY, especially for students that moved from Kindergarten to 1st grade, we highly recommend that educators provide direct and systematic instruction of skills that were missed during the spring of 2020. One tool that you can use to provide this instruction is provided for free by Amplify. This tool can be used in a remote setting or face-to-face. 

Free Resource: Amplify is excited to announce the availability of Foundational Skills Boost. The Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3 will fill those gaps from the previous year and meet their needs—remote and in person.

 

During the November Office Hours, participants shared strategies to teach skills students missed from the spring of 2020 - check out your colleagues’ tools:

• First Grade: Explicit focus on CVC words in small groups

• Heggerty

• Taught last year skills from our Core instruction

• Created 30 min 4 day/week into schedules to insert SIPPS

• Incorporated SIPPS skills into our Tier 1 instruction

• Boost Foundational Skills lessons - Start core instruction time with this 

• Targeted instruction

• Structured literacy time set aside to reteach and move other students forward

 

Remote Assessment Resources can be found on the ELAT Microsite under Important Updates

General guidance from the Acadience team

1. How to prepare for remote assessments

2. Administering Acadience:Reading remotely

3. Administer mCLASS®:IDEL remotely

4. Administering Acadience: Reading (WWR) remotely

5. Administering Acadience: Reading (NWF) remotely

6. Recommendations on how to give DAZE in a remote setting

7. Acadience Learning materials download (including Acadience Diagnostic)

8. Caregiver letters/video in both English and Spanish

Reminder: The Notes feature has been enhanced to include selectors for Remote or In-person administration mode. Please remember to mark this if assessing in a remote situation.

 

Many schools requested professional development (PD) around specific topics. We are pleased to offer 3-hour coaching sessions available to your teachers and/or coaches, complimentary as part of your participation in ELAT. Schools can set the topics (related to mCLASS, data and planning instructional next steps, remote assessment, etc.) and arrange the logistics (which grades and for how long). Amplify facilitators will lead these sessions remotely.

Please request coaching support here; any questions about the sessions can be sent directly to Dori Klar.

 

2020-21 ELAT Professional Development 

 

Data analysis and instructional planning are more doable when we work together! Join our PD sessions to help make it a bit easier. 

ELAT will be offering sessions after the MOY benchmark windows are completed. Please join us for one of the following:

 

• Post-MOY Data Analysis for Teachers (for schools in Year 2 and beyond)

• Post-MOY Data Analysis for Leaders (for schools in Year 2 or beyond)

• Post-MOY Instructional Planning and Delivery Across the Tiers for Leaders (for schools in Year 2 and beyond)

• Post-MOY Instructional Planning and Delivery Across the Tiers for Teachers (for schools in Year 2 and beyond)

 

Learn more about the sessions here and register here.

 

NEW Feature on mCLASS - Assigning students to online assessments