Success With Vocabulary Due to Building-Wide SMART Goal Alignment 16 th National Quality Education Conference November 16, 2008.

Success With Success With Vocabulary Due to Vocabulary Due to

Building-Wide SMART Building-Wide SMART Goal AlignmentGoal Alignment

Success With Success With Vocabulary Due to Vocabulary Due to

Building-Wide SMART Building-Wide SMART Goal AlignmentGoal Alignment

16th National Quality Education ConferenceNovember 16, 2008

WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project

WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project

Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, Iowa

Grant Early Childhood Center

1 of 2 early childhood centers in the CR District

Grant Early Childhood Center

Grant Early Childhood Center

Based on a model called PONDing(Prizing Our Natural Differences)

Current enrollment=260 •AK•K•1

•Early Learning Preschool•Special Ed (ECSE and BD)

Grant Early Childhood Center

Current enrollment=260

Plus approximately 100 students are served by Five Seasons Day Care and Extended Day programs

Grant Early Childhood Center

Current enrollment=260

56 % Free & Reduced Lunch 22 % minority

Grant Early Childhood Center

Grant Action Research Team

• Principal• Grade level teachers• Special ed & preschool teachers• Reading Coach & Title I teachers• GWAEA Speech Pathologist• Media Specialist

PLAN

ACT

STUDY

DO

Plan for Continuous Improvement

Standardize Improve-ments

Study the Results

Try Out Improvement Theory

PLAN

Analyze Causes

Define the System

AccessCurrent Situations

ART process is based on a cycle called

PlanPlanDoDo

StudyStudyAct Act

PLAN Spring 2006

Only 64% of 2nd grade students were at the proficient level in vocabulary

2005/2006 ITBS Vocabulary Subtest

PLAN

Why are vocabulary scores so low on 2nd grade ITBS?

Teachers

Want a process to teach words and their meanings that is aligned in the building.

Methodology

We teach sight words explicitly to students.Want and need a process for word knowledge.

Materials

We are not using a standardized curriculum for vocabulary instruction.

K/1 Students

*Lack of extensive working vocabulary for many students.*Many Tier 1 and 2 words are unknown to many of our students.

DOSpring 2006

Looked at systematic and research-based vocabulary programs

Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck

Elements of Reading by Isabel Beck

STUDY Spring 2006

“How could we begin to implement a vocabulary program for Kindergarten and first graders in the fall of 2006?”

ACT

Spring 2006

Decided to utilize children’s literature selections inBringing Words to Life

PLAN Fall 2006

To develop a receptive assessment tool

DOFall 2006

For each story at each grade level:

•Collected 9 storybooks •Created and displayed 3 Boardmaker pictures

STUDY Fall 2006

How to make vocabulary instruction consistent

STUDY Fall 2006

Were 3 words enough?

WOW Words Weekly Progress (first trimester)

6973

7572

81

9295

97 96

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week

Pe

rce

nta

ge

co

rre

ct

WOW Assessment – 1st Trimester

ACT

Fall 2006

•Focused on 1 book and 3 targeted words each week

•Shared teaching ideas

PLAN Winter 2007

•To increase from 3 to 10 targeted words

•To make WOW books more accessible

DOWinter 2007

•Made 10 Boardmaker pictures for each story

•Purchased classroom sets of books

STUDY Winter 2007

•Studied weekly random assessments

•Collected feedback from teachers

STUDY

WOW Word Assessments, 2nd Trimester

71 69666670687672

86

0

10

2030

40

50

60

7080

90

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week

Winter 2007P

erce

nta

ge

Co

rrec

t

ACT

Winter 2007

Brainstormed reasons why teaching more words was not effective

ACT

PLAN Spring 2007

•To decrease from 10 to 6 words per week

•To make completed WOW books available to students

DOSpring 2007

Adjusted number of Boardmaker pictures to 6 per book

DO

Created a teacher survey for feedback

Spring 2007

STUDY Spring 2007

Continued weekly random assessments and feedback from teachers

STUDY Spring 2007

Studied data collected throughout the 3 trimesters.

STUDY Spring 2007

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

Perc

en

tag

e o

f

wo

rds c

orr

ect

1st trimester

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

Perc

en

tag

e o

f

wo

rds c

orr

ect

1st trimester

STUDY Spring 2007

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

Perc

en

tag

e o

f

wo

rds c

orr

ect

1st trimester

2nd trimester

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

Perc

en

tag

e o

f

wo

rds c

orr

ect

1st trimester

2nd trimester

STUDY Spring 2007

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

Perc

en

tag

e o

f

wo

rds c

orr

ect

1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

Perc

en

tag

e o

f

wo

rds c

orr

ect

1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

STUDY Spring 2007

24

30

26 25

1717

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1 2 3Trimester

K K K1 1 1

Percentage of Gain

Goal = 25

ACT

Spring 2007

Decided to make a WOW notebook for each teacher

ACT

Spring 2007

Discussed developing an expressive vocabulary assessment

ACT

Spring 2007

Discussed involving other support staff (Media, Art, Music, PE)

PLAN Summer 2007

To create WOW notebooks:

– Vocabulary schedules– Story maps– Examples of teaching

activities

DOSummer 2007

Added an implementation log to the data collection component

DOSummer 2007

Developed an expressive assessment tool to be used by each teacher

DOSummer 2007

Created common, uniform, kid-friendly definitions

STUDY Summer 2007

Began to study explicit instruction models and techniques

ACT

Summer 2007

Finished notebooks and presented them to teachers in August

PLAN Fall 2007

To begin explicit instruction in a more systematic and building-wide format

DOFall 2007

Asked teachers to follow the daily vocabulary schedule

DOFall 2007

•Collected data from random assessments

•Sent home weekly word list

STUDY Fall 2007

Studied expressive assessment, PPVT, and weekly implementation logs

STUDY Fall 2007

02468

101214161820

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

PPVT Gains - Fall 2006 to Fall 2007

1 year,

7 months

1 year,

5 months

1 year,

4 months

STUDY Fall 2007

59%

39%

34%

52%

72%

60% 58%57%

46%

61% 61%

70%

77%

53%50%

60%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 9 Dec. 7 Dec. 21 J an. 11 Test 9

Test Dates

K

1

Vocabulary

Perc

ent

of

Word

s C

orr

ect

Test Date

ACT

Fall 2007

Piloted an explicit instruction model and activities to reinforce learning

ACT

Fall 2007

Provided on-going staff development

PLAN Winter 2008

•To define a weekly schedule

•To establish a daily teaching plan

PLAN Winter 2008

•To create story summaries and graphic organizers

•To in-service staff

DOWinter 2008

MondayRead the bookExplicitly introduce the vocabularyPost the wordsSend home the word lists

TuesdayExplicitly teach words and definitionsChoose a vocabulary activity

WednesdayOral retell of story summary

ThursdayGraphic organizers of a vocabulary word

FridayWriting or interactive writing activity

using prompts Assessment (Bi-Monthly)Reread story on any day of the week

DOWinter 2008

•Created story summaries and graphic organizers

•In-serviced staff

STUDY Spring 2008

Kindergarten Final WOW Graph 2007-2008

34%

57% 58%

76%

91%82%77%

67%

50%

89%

62%

39%

60%

72%59%

52%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Sep-0

7

Sep-0

7

12 O

ct.

Oct-0

7

9-Nov

.

Dec-0

8

Dec-0

8

Jan-

08

Jan-

08

Feb-0

8

Mar

-08

Mar

-08

Apr-0

8

Apr-0

8

May

-08

May

-08

Assessment Dates

Per

cen

t C

orr

ect

STUDY Spring 2008

1st Grade Final WOW Graph 2007-2008

46%

61%61%70%

77%

53%50%60%60%59%

50%

65%63%

46%

79%85%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Assessment Dates

Perc

ent

Co

rrec

t

STUDY Spring 2008

June random assessment results• AK: averaged 82% correct  • K:  averaged 78% correct• 1st:  averaged 70% correct

ACT

Spring 2008

• Would the kids remember the words better if they had access to all the WOW words the whole year?    

• Continue to look at ways to allow kids to have access to all the words all the time.   

ACT

Summer 2008

•Floods hit Cedar Rapids, Iowa, affecting 40% of the Grant neighborhood

PLAN Fall 2008

•Starting in fall, 2008, put all the WOW words in the first grade picture dictionaries (alphabetically).

PLAN Fall 2008

•Reduce the size of pictures to be posted in classrooms. 

DOFall 2008

•Did expressive assessment for random students in August with plans to post test this same group in June 2009

DOFall 2008

•Assessed a random group of 2nd graders on the PPVT with plans to follow them for years to come.

DOFall 2008

•Found ways to assimilate the WOW program with the new District Reading program.

PLAN

www.mhln.com

Oral Vocabulary High-Frequency Words

Maintain Your Skillscharacters and settingauthor’s purpose

Structural Analysis

build words with –edcontractions with n’tbuild words with –ingcontractions with ۥs

Literary Elementsrhythmic patterns

Reading ComprehensionStrategy: SummarizeSkills: identify main idea and detailsretell storyidentify sequence of events

Grade 1

Unit 2Outside My Door

Text Features and Study Skillsdiagramsreading lists and directionsreading signs and symbols

Writing / GrammarWriting Focus: How-To Sentences Report Storyidentify nounsplural nouns, add s, -esirregular Plural Nounsproper Nouns

Phonemic Awareness/ Phonicsputting sounds together and taking sounds apartshort /o/ (hop and lot)short /e/ (leg and beg)short /u/ (bus can cup)digraphs sh and th (fish and thank)blends bl, cl, (/kl/ sound) and fl (black, clip, and flip)

provideprotectguide separatewildresponsibilitycooperateappreciatepartnerscrumptious

habitat survivepowerful rarewadeentertainperformaudiencebrilliantenjoy

humorousamusedelightedmoodridiculous

onehertwotheydoes

whosomeofnoeat

into manyliveout

want putshowunderthreemake

today way schoollate away why

Teacher Plan on a Page

PLAN

Structural Analysis

I can add –ed to the end of words to show something happened in the past.

I can make two words into one word by adding an apostrophe like didn’t and she’s (contractions).

I can add –ing to a word to show its happening now.

Literary Elements I can find the beat in a poem (rhythmic patterns).

Reading ComprehensionI can find the most important parts of a story and the details. I can retell what happened in a story in my own words. I can put the events in a story in order.

___________________’s

Learning ExpectationsGrade 1

Unit 2Outside My Door

Text Features and Study Skills I can use diagrams with labels to learn about the

parts of something. I can read directions for the steps to get a project

done. I can get information from signs by looking at the

symbols, pictures, and words.

Writing / Grammar I can name the people, places, or things in a

sentence. I can add -s or -es to a word to show there is

more than one person, place, or thing. I can write a word showing more than one

when it is spelled differently like leaf to leaves (irregular plural nouns).

I can write proper nouns, like days of the week, months, and holidays, with correct capitalization.

Phonemic Awareness/ Phonics I can read words by putting sounds together

and pulling them apart. I can use short /o/ sounds like hop and lot. I can use short /e/ sounds like leg and beg. I can use short /u/ sounds like bus and cup. I can use words with the sh and th sound

like fish and thank. I can use words with bl, cl, and fl like

black, clip, and flip.www.mhln.com

Oral VocabularyI can use these words:

High-Frequency WordsI can use these words:

Maintain Your SkillsI can…describe the characters and the setting.tell the author’s purpose.

provideprotectguide separatewildresponsibilitycooperateappreciatepartnerscrumptious

habitat survivepowerful rarewadeentertainperformaudiencebrilliantenjoy

humorousamusedelightedmoodridiculous

onehertwotheydoes

whosomeofnoeat

into manyliveout

want putshowunderthreemake

today way schoollate away why

Student Plan on a Page

STUDY Fall 2008

First Grade - Fall 2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4

First Grade Classrooms

Mo

nth

s o

f G

row

th

STUDYFall 2008

Class of 2018 data

Average Age Equivalencies

101112131415161718

Aug. 06 Aug. 07 Aug. 08Year

Avera

ge c

hro

no

log

ical ag

e

STUDY Fall 2008Second Grade Retention

60

62

64

66

68

70

72

74

76

May-08 Sept. 08

Perc

en

t o

f w

ord

s c

orr

ect

STUDY

Fall 2008Percent of second graders at

chronological age in September

Second Grade at Chronological Age

75

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1

Perc

en

t o

f stu

den

ts

ACT

Fall 2008

Sample “Week At A Glance” Explicit Instruction Vocabulary Activities for

Mrs. Mooley by Jack Kent

WOW is now part of Grant’s school culture with building-wide teacher/staff/student buy-in

We do not accept that “This is the way kids are,”

but rather we ask,

“What more can we do?”

Further study of data

Where do we go from here?

Continue to implement the PDSA cycle

Where do we go from here?

To contact Grant:[email protected]