What are the key outcome variable that you are attending to?
The key outcome variable of the proposed changes in learning is the increased ability of kindergarten children in ADEC to express their thoughts, feelings, and innovative ideas using the skills of emergent writing and communicate this during enhanced writing experiences supported by their teachers and parents. This major variable will be achieved through a sequential implementation of various interactive writing strategies with an emphasis on play-based learning and an active learning approach. Thus, other outcome variables will include building professional learning communities to deepen teachers’ instructional knowledge, reduce tension, and share professional development with others.
Our improvement plan will be achieved through teacher implementation of interactive writing strategies that stress play-based learning and active learning approach, such as:
- read aloud to support young writers;
- writing workshops with a focus on making picture books;
- message boards: that includes;
- thinking aloud to compose the message;
- sharing the pen.
What would it “look like” if the proposed improvements in learning were successful?
If the proposed improvement in learning is successful, it will be proven by the following evidence of student learning:
- Students will be able to express their thoughts and ideas using emergent writing.
- Student’s writing samples portfolio will show progress in children’s writing.
- All children will move from one stage of emergent writing to at least the next.
- KG children will show progress in their emergent writing skills already by the end of the year.
As far as the school system learning is concerned, the evidence would be:
The climate and culture of the KG schools in ADEC, which feature bilingual settings using Arabic and English to teach subject matters and approaches to learning skills.
Moreover, professional learning will also be addressed by the improvement program, which is supposed to give the following results:
- Teachers’ knowledge about writing skills is going to be deepened, which will solve the problem of the lack of professional knowledge about the problem and its negative effects on children’s emergent writing.
- The focus will be established on the importance of emergent writing on overall literacy development.
- Teachers will learn to implement writing strategies successfully.
- Teachers will be provided awareness in order to create a focus on learning and teaching.
- Professional learning communities will be organized.
- Training and professional development sessions on how to implement interactive writing strategies will take place on a regular basis.
- Teachers will be taught to use portfolios to record the progress of their learners.
- Year-level meetings will be scheduled to discuss implementations in order to overcome any difficulties.
- All the required information linked with budgeting, motivations, and rewards is going to be provided to all the parties concerned while getting everyone in school on board.
- Regular feedback will be ensured from teachers after a few implementations of the strategy.
- Teachers will organize visits to other schools that are doing well in writing strategies.
What data (or methods of data collection) would you use to answer the previous question?
The following data can be used in order to collect evidence of the successful implementation of the program:
- PD attendance sheet;
- PD agenda;
- PD supportive documents;
- PD feedback forms;
- walkthrough forms showing the materials used;
- samples of student’s work in their portfolios;
- samples of shared and individual writing;
- walkthrough sheets;
- StAR data completed;
- StAR data analysis sheets.
All these types of data will help teachers shape the holistic picture of the results obtained. The child’s emergent writing can be assessed also applying the following rating:
- Language level – recording the highest level of language organization that the child uses:
- alphabetical;
- word (counting every word that can be recognized);
- word-group (starting from a phrase consisting of two words);
- sentence;
- punctuated short story (one theme);
- paragraphed story (two or more themes).
- Quality of the message:
- a child has an idea of signs and can use letters and punctuation;
- a child know that he/she conveys a message;
- a child can copy a message;
- a child tries to use his own ideas;
- a child can compose a message successfully.
- Directional principles:
- a child has no directional knowledge;
- a child knows only some parts of writing directions (e.g. start top left, move left to right, etc.);
- a child can correct the wrong pattern when he/she is told;
- a child can compose a text without having any difficulties connected with text arrangement.
- What is the sequence of evaluation steps you would take in order to have the data you need to assess your success?
The sequence of steps that are going to be taken in order to have all the required data is the following:
- determine the assessment tools to measure the students’ progress in writing;
- brainstorm the teaching strategies with all teachers;
- provide PD sessions on interactive writing strategies;
- provide PD sessions on using portfolio record progress;
- SLT support through modeling – peer observation – visits to other schools – walkthroughs;
- analyze the date of benchmark and StAR per term;
- provide PD for parents;
- share success and challenges during year-level meetings and SLT meetings with year-level leaders;
- evaluate and plan the next step.