PALS Assessments, Instructional Resources, and Data EDIS 5020: Instruction and Assessment Thursday, January 31 st Ellen O. Shrum, PhD

Agenda

• • • • • • • • • PALS: Origin, purpose, and assessments PALS-PreK: Administration, scoring, and data-generated reports PALS-K: Administration, scoring, and data-generated reports PALS 1-3: Administration, scoring, and data-generated reports PALS K-3: A screening tool PALS Quick Checks PALS: Instructional resources PALS Website Formative Assessment: Driving and Monitoring Instruction

PALS: Why Was PALS Developed?

What Is PALS?

The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) is a research-based organization dedicated to providing instructionally useful literacy assessments on which to plan, implement, and assess instruction and on which to assess and monitor student literacy achievement.

PALS Assessments

• Criterion-referenced assessment developed by Marcia Invernizzi, PhD, and her colleagues at the University of Virginia.

• Used in all fifty states and several foreign countries.

• Since 1999 serves as Virginia ’ s universal screening and diagnostic literacy tool.

PALS: Assessments

• PALS-PreK • PALS-K • PALS 1-3 • PALS Quick Checks (RtI) • PALS español (in development) • PALS 4-8 (in development)

PALS Purpose

• Diagnose children ’ s knowledge of literacy fundamentals • Screen for students who may be in jeopardy of not reading on grade level by the end of third grade • Monitor effectiveness of instruction, and student progress • Plan instruction that targets children ’ s needs

Data You Can Trust

• Each task is

research-based

and measures a component of early literacy development shown by research to predict later reading achievement.

• Strong technical adequacy was established by thorough pilot studies with large sample groups.

• Most excellent ratings on the National Center on Response to Intervention ’ s Screening Tools Chart

http://www.rti4success.org/screeningTools

PALS Assessme nts: Literacy Skills

Print and Word Awareness Nursery Rhyme Awareness Name Writing Rhyme Awareness Beginning Sound Awareness Alphabet Knowledge Letter Sounds Concept of Word Blending Sound-to-Letter Spelling/Phonics Word Recognition in Isolation Oral Reading in Context (accuracy, fluency, WPM/rate, and comprehension) PALS PreK PALS K

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

PALS 1-3

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

PALS: Assessments and Web Site PALS Assessments (PALS Materials) Online Score Entry and Reporting System (the PALS Web site)

• • • • The PALS Web Site, aka The Online Score Entry and Reporting System Enter scores into online account Score entry generates reports for assessing (PreK 3), screening (K-3), diagnosing, and progress monitoring Resources available for planning instruction Downloadable progress monitoring assessments (K 3) (Quick Checks)

PALS-PreK Assessment

PALS-PreK Assessment

• Is a developmentally appropriate assessment • Provides critical literacy data upon which to plan instruction • Administer in fall, mid-year, and spring of the 4-year-old preschool year (same form administered each time)

PALS-PreK: Materials

• Teacher ’ s Manual • Child Packet • Child Summary Sheet • Class Summary Sheet 17

PALS-PreK: Preparing to Administer

Flexible Administration Schedule • Complete PALS-PreK administration within any contiguous two-week period during the four-week window • Fall screening window begins six weeks after the first day of school 1 st day of school + 6 weeks = 1 st day of your PALS-PreK fall window

Calculating Your Assessment Windows

2011-2012 PALS-PreK Assessment Calendar

The PALS Online Score Entry and Reporting System will open July 18, 2011. Assessment Windows In the fall, y our PreK program’s four-week assessment window begins six weeks into school. Teachers must complete the entire PALS assessment for the ir class within any contiguous two-week period within the four -week assessment window. For your convenience,

common

school start dates are listed below. Schools opening

August 1st: FALL 2011 MID-YEAR 2012 SPRING 2012 Screening Starts

Sept. 12

Screening Ends

Oct. 7

Data Due

Oct. 21 Schools opening

August 22nd: FALL 2011

Jan. 2 Jan. 27 Feb. 10 April 30 May 25 June 8

MID-YEAR 2012 SPRING 2012 Screening Starts Screening Ends

Oct. 3 Oct. 28

Data Due

Nov. 11 Schools opening

September 7th: FALL 2011

Jan. 2 Jan. 27 Feb. 10 April 30 May 25 June 8

MID-YEAR 2012 SPRING 2012 Screening Starts Screening Ends Data Due

Oct. 17 Nov. 11 Nov. 23 Jan. 2 Jan. 27 Feb. 10 April 30 May 25 June 8

How Much Time Is Required to Administer PALS-PreK?

• Untimed, varies child to child • Flexible administration – customize to your schedule (for example, administer one task per day to break up the assessment)

Who Should Administer PALS PreK?

• Teachers • Reading specialists • Instructional support colleagues

To Whom Should PALS-PreK Be Given?

 Mandatory for children in Virginia whose PreK enrollment is partially of fully funded by the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI)  Optional for all other preschool children

PALS-PreK: Task Administration & Scoring

PALS-PreK: Tasks

Each task represents a literacy fundamental that is predictive of future reading success.

Task Name Writing Includes Alphabet Knowledge Upper-Case Alphabet Recognition Lower-Case Alphabet Recognition Letter Sounds Beginning Sound Awareness Print and Word Awareness Rhyme Awareness Nursery Rhyme Awareness

PALS-PreK Administration

• One-on-one administration • Approximately 25 minutes per child • Developmentally appropriate • Flexible administration--Don ’ t have to administer the entire assessment at one time (For example, one can administer one task to all children on each day for six days.) • Fall, Mid-Year, and Spring recommended assessment windows • Enter scores online via traditional score entry or the Online Assessment Wizard

Say,

Task: Name Writing

I would like for you to draw a picture of yourself, and then write your name. When you are finished, I ’ d like for you to show me your name.

• • If the child is reluctant to attempt name writing, encourage the child to “ pretend ” to write his or her name or collect a writing sample at a more informal time.

Not an all-or-nothing skill – it develops gradually and reveals what students know about early components of literacy.

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Name Writing: Scoring

(Administration & Scoring Guide, Page 14)  Scoring samples demonstrate the continuum of name writing development  Only the written name is scored; it is

not necessary

for the child to draw a picture  Not scored based on neatness  Question child for clarification on letters if necessary 28

PALS-PreK: Logging Into A Teacher Account

Step 1: Go to the PALS Web site.

https://pals.virginia.edu

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Step 2: Place your cursor on the yellow-highlighted area, and move it down to the second link, Virginia PreK.

Click here.

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Step 3: On the Login Page that appears, enter user name and password.

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Step 4: Upon login, you ’ re on the ADMINSTRATIVE tab.

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Child Information: Accommodating Non-Standard Administration

NS E

Entering Scores

Two Ways to Enter Scores for Instant Access to Child Data !

Traditional Score Entry

: Record scores on Child Summary Sheets. Then, after administration, enter scores into the PALS Web site (aka, The Score Entry and Reporting System).

Online Assessment Wizard:

Enter scores directly into the PALS Web site during

or

after administration.

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Score Entry Option: Traditional Score Entry

Step 1: Highlight a child ’ s name and click the link, “ Enter Child ’ s Scores.

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Step 2: Enter scores and click the link, “ Submit Scores.

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Score Entry Option: The Online Assessment Wizard (OAW)

Benefits of

“

the Wizard

”  Efficient  Flexible  Creates item-level reports

Efficient

 Reduces paperwork (e.g., Student Summary Sheets)  Decreases chance of transfer error during score entry  Guides K-3 assessment process (in fall and spring)  Keeps track of scores  Reduces assessment time

Flexible

 Use with one or all of your students  Use during or after administration  Use regardless of the score entry school colleagues use

Creates Item-Level Reports

 Student OAW Report Alphabet Recognition Letter Sounds Print and Word Awareness  Class OAW Report

Using The Online Assessment Wizard (OAW)

Step 1: Highlight a child ’ s name and click “ Online Assessment Wizard.

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Step 2: Review information on Welcome Page; then, click the Continue Icon or the Task Icon.

Continue Icon Task Icon 47

Step 3: Select a task.

Upper-Case Alphabet 49

Using the Online Assessment Wizard: PALS Practice Accounts 50

PALS-PreK Data Generates Reports

Child Summary Report 52

Individual Task Growth Report 53

Class Summary Report 54