Standards, Assessments & Instruction
REGIONAL NETWORK Project
Washington Alliance for Better Schools
Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Lake Washington, Mukilteo, Northshore, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila
Introduction
The Washington Alliance for Better Schools has expanded to include eleven school districts. This consortium now includes Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Lake Washington, Mukilteo, Northshore, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, and the University of Washington, College of Education.
The overarching goal of the Washington Alliance is to help districts create a system of Standards and Assessments that will improve teaching and learning. Ultimately, 8,120 teachers and over 228,000 students will benefit from this system change. This project will integrate what we have learned from our research and experience with the Regional Assessment Center and Scoring Center. Alliance districts recognize the need for long term commitment to re-tool our teaching staff in understanding the connection of our state Essential Academic Learning Requirements to instruction, curriculum and assessment.
PurposeThe purpose of these Reading Performance Tasks is to help increase teachers ability to engage in ongoing inquiry, reflection, planning and review of student performance in reading. Teachers will work collectively in grade level teams or clusters of teachers to develop instructional strategies to ensure all students reach or exceed the state reading standards. The focus of the K-9 Reading Performance Task Project is to reinforce and support grade level teams or clusters of teachers in reaching their Reading Accountability Goals by:
The K-8 Reading Performance Task project supports teachers in selected schools from across eleven districts. These selected schools received training on how to use the K-9 Reading Performance Tasks and conduct grade level/cluster discussions around their students' work. Grade level teams or clusters of teachers discussed their findings; determined implications for instruction; generated ideas for improving instruction and explored options for school wide changes (i.e. regrouping of students, creating block periods, developing safety net programs, using tutors, developing student portfolios, and initiating student projects). Grade level teams or clusters of teachers also determined how to include students and parents in creating effective support systems. Schools aligned and integrated their grade level or cluster analysis and recommendations into their overall school improvement and reading accountability plan.
Another important link is the role of the principal as a support structure for K-8 Reading Performance Task Project. Building the support structure within the school means that the principal works as a team member with teachers to analyze and support improvement to instructional strategies in reading. The principal's role will require skills focused on teamwork, communication, collaboration and trust. The K-8 Reading Performance Task Project impacted how schools think about reading instruction. It replaced assumptions and hunches, especially about students and their learning, with facts; open up their classroom doors and work with colleagues in teams; and considered their every action in terms of its impact on others and the learning organization. Principals needed to help facilitate a collaborative environment which would include:
Each district selected several schools to pilot the K-8 Reading Performance Tasks in 1999-2000. During this pilot, school implemented K-8 Reading Performance Tasks at each grade level. Grade level teams or clusters of teachers reviewed student work from the Performance Tasks and used this data to effect teaching and learning. Grade level teams or clusters of teachers requested coaching or staff development on how to implement the Reading Performance Tasks and received basic training on: