Heartland AEA Literacy Newsletter

This week is the final week of the Winter screening window. Below are a few important messages related to the window and system performance. Please share with your colleagues and building leadership.

• The window will close for regular screening at the end of the day on Friday, February 3rd. Here are a few things to check on before then so that there is time to resolve any concerns identified.
• Confirm that you have completed screening with your default assessments using Healthy Indicator report #1 in Student Success. Note that Student Success will reflect up to the previous day’s screening data. Check here to confirm the default assessments identified for your school.
• Please ensure that you’ve correctly ended school enrollment for students no longer attending at your school in the district’s student information system.
• Students who are HSAP, Dual Enrolled or on alternate assessment can’t be removed from reports.
• If you experience issues with students missing for testing in FastBridge, please work with us in the FastBridge ticket system Monday or Tuesday so we have time to find and resolve the problems.
• We will be adjusting the Winter Screening window definitions in Student Success in order to manage some recent technical issues that could affect reports such as Healthy Indicators and Literacy Status calculations. The result is that HI reports will finalize February 17th, two weeks later than the end of the regular screening window. Literacy status calculations may continue to update until February 17th. Reports will switch to “between window” views after February 17.
• When the screening window is over, then what?
• For Iowa ELI law: K-6 student literacy status is automatically calculated for you in Student Success. There are some requirements based on student literacy status, as well as some best practices for supporting student needs.
• For Healthy Indicator reports: Review and discuss reports (after February 17th) to evaluate and plan action for improving processes and student outcomes. To better understand the data, see Healthy Indicators Overview and also this great Healthy Indicators Analysis guide to support those discussions.
• Set up interventions and monitoring for students, as appropriate. Use the guide What Next? Setting Up Progress Monitoring and Interventions to assist with understanding what to do and where (PM in FAST, interventions in Student Success).
• In February, FastBridge is planning to purge old user roles and assignments. All users with current roles and assignments in their EdPortal accounts should be able to login and use the system as always. The main difference is that old roles and assignments no longer present in the EdPortal should be cleared out of the FastBridge interface. No action is necessary, but if users experience problems with access to FastBridge via the Iowa Education Portal, please use the FastBridge ticket system to report the concern.
• The Iowa EdPortal is still experiencing some performance challenges intermittently impacting user access. Visit and bookmark the MTSS System Status Dashboard for updated information and workarounds for EdPortal and the other systems we support.

Check out the news and new features articles in Panorama’s resource library for what’s happening in Student Success. Check this news article for information about what’s happening in the FAST system. Sign up for these emails here.

Stephanie Stollar, a national expert in MTSS and the Science of Reading wrote the following blog titled: Ode to MOY

The middle of the school year is a great time to stop and take stock of the path you are on. Middle of year screening results provide useful information for planning what Tier 1 reading instruction should look like for the second half of the school year. "And there's still time to change the road you're on." -- Led Zeppelin

Listed below are key considerations for grade-level team planning:

1. What percentage of students in each grade scored in the at-risk range on the screening measures? If less than 20% are at risk or persistently at risk, analyze and improve the Tier 2/3 system. If more than 20% are at risk or persistently at risk, analyze and improve the Tier 1 system.

2. Is this an increase or decrease from beginning of year? Discuss the potential reasons for the change in scores from beginning to middle of year.

3. Review the characteristics of effective Tier 1 instruction (primary prevention of reading failure). Which characteristics could be changed or improved to reduce risk in each grade level by the end of the year?

• 90-120 minutes minimum of Tier 1 reading instruction daily
• all students receiving Tier 1 (no one leaving for intervention, EL support, etc.)
• whole-group and small-group formats, based on screening and diagnostic data
• research-aligned scope and sequence, instructional routines, and materials
• flexible service delivery policies allowing support educators to come to the classroom during Tier 1 instruction to support small-group differentiation
• PD and coaching for improving teacher knowledge and practice

4. Review the characteristics of effective Tier 2 and 3 intervention (secondary and tertiary prevention of reading failure). Which characteristics could be changed or improved to reduce risk in each grade level by the end of the year?

• 30-45 minutes of small-group, targeted intervention, 3-5 days a week
• Tier 2 at another time of day, not during Tier 1 instruction
• more explicit, systematic, and smaller group size than the small group in Tier 1
• all students in a small group have the same instructional need
• instruction is aligned to the small group in Tier 1
• highly trained instructor
• frequent progress monitoring

5. Review the middle of year scores for individual students. Do changes need to be made to who receives support or to what the support includes? Consider intensifying instructional support as needed.

6. Write a plan to address the above concerns. Set a goal for the percentage of at-risk students for the end of the year.

If your school doesn't have any of the following structures in place, start here and set goals to implement these by the end of the school year.

• a schedule that provides time for grade-level planning,
• skill in using collaborative problem solving.

Access her free course for more support to adopt and use assessments in a MTSS model of school improvement.

Heartland AEA has purchased Learning Ally for all Heartland AEA public and non-public schools. There are several steps that need to occur at the district level to roster students. Students do need to qualify for access to this resource.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven supplemental resource designed to help struggling readers reach their potential. By offering students the use of human read audiobooks coupled with highlighted text, educators can help their K-12 students whether they are learning to read or reading to learn. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is an important resource for
students who demonstrate any of the following:
1. Struggles with decoding
2. Struggles with fluency
3. Struggles with reading comprehension
If you observe a student displaying any of these issues that prevent the student from keeping up with the students at their grade level, or from reading content at a level comparable to other students in the class, then they may qualify for Learning ally Audiobook
Solution. An IEP or 504 is not required. Additionally any student who is blind or visually impaired or who has a physical disability that prevents them from reading standard print is eligible.

Once a district or building is rostered, educators can start to assign books and textbooks to students. Get Started Professional Learning can be provided by either Learning Ally or by Heartland Literacy Consultants. The next professional learning session by Learning Ally is on February 15, 2023, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The Zoom link is included below. If you have any questions, please contact your literacy consultant or Wendy Robinson

The science of reading has become a powerful movement, and program developers and publishers have taken note. In an effort to hold onto their share of the market, many have claimed to have incorporated science into their programs. Unfortunately, a new label on a package doesn’t necessarily indicate there’s a better product inside. As contradictory claims are made, how can educators know who and what to believe?

Watch the webinar: Science or Snake Oil?

Click on the link in the purple band to access the resources that will help you understand how to evaluate the veracity of claims and the quality of the evidence behind them.

No matter how a teacher provides feedback—verbally or visually, to a group or one on one, publicly or subtly—the goal is the same: to improve students’ academic and behavioral outcomes. Feedback is a simple practice that requires little active planning but has a significant impact.

This brief describes the components and types of effective teacher feedback and provides examples, nonexamples, and tips that teachers can use in the classroom.

Is feedback effective?

Researchers Hattie and Timperley (2007) examined the impact of feedback on academic
outcomes, finding an overall effect size of 0.79. An effect size notes the strength of an
intervention’s effectiveness. Although the size of an effect can differ based on the intervention
components, generally, an effect size of 0.20 is considered small, 0.50 is considered moderate,
and 0.80 is considered large. The large effect size for feedback means that it is one of the most
effective instructional methods for improving student outcomes.

Preparing for Targeted Feedback

The first step in providing effective feedback is to prepare. Teachers should prepare for a lesson
with several questions in mind, including the following:
• What are the short- and long-term instructional and behavioral goals for this unit?
• How will I monitor students’ progress toward success?
• What topics will I cover?
By answering these questions, a teacher can target student feedback to the most important
goals and objectives of the lesson. Feedback also should be framed and delivered with student needs in mind. Students with disabilities have goals for learning and/or behavior in an individualized education plan (IEP), which teachers can refer to. If a student does not have an IEP, the teacher can create general academic or behavior goals based on student data. This alignment of feedback with student goals helps teachers avoid extraneous feedback that hinders student progress.

Components of Effective Feedback

Researchers have identified several components of meaningful and effective feedback, including feedback that is goal directed, constructive, immediate, and respectful (Kennedy, Peeples, Romig, Mathews, & Rodgers, 2018).

Goal Directed Feedback can set a clear goal for the student.
Examples:
• “That is a great hypothesis. Now, find a piece of evidence from our lab to support your
statement.”
• “Nice job counting change. When we go on our next outing, you will purchase your own
snack.”
Nonexample: “Everyone needs to be quiet.”

Constructive Feedback offers more information than whether a student was right or wrong;
instead, it demonstrates that the teacher will support students in reaching their goals.
Examples:
• “You found two errors in this sentence so far. Check your comma rules and look one more
time for another error.”
• “We are speaking too loud for partner practice. Let’s practice so I can check your volume
before we start again.”
Nonexample: “Number 4 is wrong. Check it again.”

Immediate Feedback should be given as quickly as possible, especially if students are learning something for the first time. Teachers should quickly correct misconceptions or incorrect procedures to decrease the likelihood that they will occur again.
Example: After de-escalating a situation, a teacher says, “I understand that you’re frustrated.
What strategies do we use when we’re frustrated? Remember, hitting is never an option.”
Nonexample: “You didn’t arrive to class on time last week. This is creating a bad habit.”

Respectful
When providing feedback, teachers should be positive and respectful. One can point out
errors without belittling a student. Providing feedback positively and respectfully is especially
important for students with low motivation.
Examples:
• “I love your attention to detail in organizing your number line. Using your fraction blocks,
check which should come first: 1/4 or 3/5.”
• “You seemed nervous in class during our practice presentations. What can I do to support
you so that your final presentation is the best it can be?”
Nonexample: “You are almost an adult and you need to act like one.”

Types of Feedback
Teacher feedback can be used in a variety of situations and for a variety of purposes. Sometimes feedback focuses on students’ performance in or understanding of a task. Other times, students need feedback on the process for a behavior or task. Some students, including students with disabilities, need feedback on self-regulation (Hattie & Timperley, 2007).

Task Feedback
One of the easier types of feedback to give, task feedback provides students with information
about their level of performance or understanding in relation to an academic task or behavior.
Examples:
• A teacher reminds a student to knock before entering by saying, “We knock to alert
someone that we are here. If we do not knock, how will they know we are here?”
• While circulating the classroom during independent practice, a teacher notices that
students are confusing plant and animal cell parts. The teacher says, “Go to the t-chart in
your notes where we listed the plant and animal cell parts to check which type of cell has
chloroplasts.”
• During group practice on capitalization, a teacher calls on Karl to spot the grammatical
error in a sentence. Karl picks the word dog to be capitalized instead of Pennsylvania. The
teacher prompts Karl with, “Although dog can be a name, it is not in this sentence. What
word is a proper noun?”

Process Feedback
Process feedback relates to strategies students use to catch errors, check their work, and use
cues around them to facilitate learning. This type of feedback should be delivered quickly after
the behavior or task. Process feedback is often used during guided practice after students are
comfortable with a behavior or task.
Examples:
• A teacher directs a student to check a specific part of a process by saying, “Check to see
whether your theme statement aligns with your evidence.”
• During whiteboard practice, a teacher notices many students making the same mistake
and says, “Using our chart on the wall, please take a minute to check your problem. Pay
close attention to step 2.”
• After de-escalating a situation, a teacher checks in with a student by saying, “I can see
that the test made you frustrated. What will you do the next time you are frustrated

Self-Regulation Feedback
This type of feedback helps students self-monitor and correct themselves, instead of relying on a peer or teacher. Self-regulation feedback takes time, as students need frequent practice to learn to regulate their academic performance and behavior. The long-term goal is to help students make a connection between effort and success.
Examples:
• A teacher reminds students to take clear notes because they will be able to use the notes
on a test.
• Seeing that a student is anxious, a teacher brings a coloring sheet to the student and
says, “Remember, when you’re feeling anxious, you can always get up to grab a coloring
sheet.”
• At the end of class, a teacher says, “I saw only two people write the homework
assignment. Everyone, in the next 20 seconds, write the assignment in your homework
tracker.”

General Praise Vs. Specific, Constructive Feedback
Although telling a student “Good job” is easy, it does not help the student to grow because this
praise is not tied to a specific, controllable behavior. When praise is not specific, students may not know what they did wrong or how to improve. Likewise, when praise does not target behaviors that students can control (e.g., effort) and instead refers to innate ability (e.g., intelligence, athleticism), students may react more negatively to future setbacks (Royer, Lane, Dunlap, & Ennis, 2019).

Making Feedback Specific and Constructive

“You should act more like a high school
student.”

“Great job coming into class today.”

“Number 2 is so close. Check your work.”

Reminders
As we have discussed here, feedback is beneficial for student development. In fact, frequent
feedback is a key part of explicit instruction (Kennedy et al., 2018). Research has shown that
frequent feedback is especially helpful when students are learning a new skill (Wolery, Ault,
Doyle, & Gast, 1986). Over time, as students master tasks, they may need less feedback on that
specific skill (Wolery & Gast, 1984).It can be challenging to remember to provide feedback frequently, but it is a habit worth developing. Try the following tips for providing frequent feedback to students:
• Write feedback into your lesson plan.
• Carry a roster during independent practice. When you provide feedback, mark a tally
next to the student’s name. Set a goal of reaching a specific percentage of students each
class. Make sure to account for all students!
• Set a goal for the number of times to provide feedback. Put rubber bands on your wrist
or tokens in your pocket. When you provide feedback, move the tokens from one pocket
to the other or rubber bands from wrist to wrist.
• Set a timer to vibrate mode for short intervals (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute). When the
timer goes off, provide feedback.
• Print and affix the last page of this guide to a clipboard, desktop, or other surface that is
often in your view.

Many teachers have already reorganized our leveled libraries because we learned that, according to Fountas and Pinnell, “levels have no place in classroom libraries.” Sorting books into bins labeled by theme or topic is time-consuming, but it’s not a difficult task. We immediately see that offering students more choice in their reading materials and teaching them to monitor their own reading for accuracy and comprehension is rewarding. However, books at the lower levels, “predictable books,” pose a challenge that is not so easily solved.

Problems with Predictable Texts

Predictable books are designed to teach children not to depend on decoding to tackle unfamiliar words — they are purpose-written to teach children to predict, or guess words — so what children do with low-level books is not actually reading. Some students climb up the levels by transitioning away from picture-cues and predictable sentences, but others hold tightly to the guessing strategies that are reinforced by predictable books, and time with these books actually slows their decoding progress. For beginning readers, decodable books provide a more reliable path towards authentic texts, and using them for phonics instruction and fluency practice offers a “helps all, harms none” approach to teaching reading. But what, then, should we do with all our predictable books?!

Rethinking the Instructional Purpose

To repurpose predictable books for activities other than reading, we need to look at them with fresh eyes and new criteria. More important than the level stamped on the back cover is the contents inside. We can ask ourselves, What are the features of this individual book that make it a useful teaching tool? A single book may have more than one useful feature and it might be repurposed for any number of language development, writing, or art activities.

We’ve listed out some of the features you might look for in predictable books and have drafted example activities to help with lesson planning.

Predictable Book Types

Types Activities Examples

Single sentence per page with a single story word

1. (Re)Write the Book
Composing Simple Sentences

Pictures that tell an interesting story

2. That's a Different Story
Narrative Writing

Pictures with multiple characters

3. What's That You Said?
Writing Speech or Thought Bubbles

Paired texts with the same subject

4. Putting the Parts (of Speech) Together
Grammar Instruction

Paired sentences

5. Take Two
Sentence Combining

Big books

6. A Big Improvement
Writing Conventions

Single sentence per page with taught high-frequency words

7. You Can Spell That Again!
Spelling High-Frequency Words

Cumulative illustrations 8. Talk and Turn the Page
Language Development for Beginning English Learners

Obvious pictures 9. Picture This
Vocabulary Picture Cards

Themed text sets 10. A (Labeled) Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Labeled Collages

Onward and Upward! Predictable books are not the best tool for teaching students how to read, but they can be put to good use in class discussions, ELD or writing lessons, literacy centers, and art. The activities we’ve shared are just a starting place and we’d love to hear what other ideas you have for using predictable books.