Summary of "105 - Technology and Data Analysis - Session 3 - Lesson 1"

Session information

Title: Session 3 — Technology and Data Analysis (Lesson 1)
Presenter: Mariella Trautwein

Purpose and main ideas

Review the data-analysis workflow and assessment/screener tools teachers can use to:
- Identify student needs
- Group students for instruction
- Progress-monitor reading and math skills using digital tools (Google Slides, Google Sheets, other digital products)
Emphasize the importance of screeners at the start of the year to pinpoint student levels and plan acceleration or interventions across tiers (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3).
Show how simple digital tracking (e.g., Google Sheets) and program reports can visualize results, color-code skill mastery, and guide instruction.

Overview of assessment tools and use

Heggerty (referred to as “hegarty”)
- Purpose: formal phonemic awareness assessment (manipulation of sounds).
- Target grades: primarily Pre-K and Grade 1; usable across tiers.
- Formats: paper one-on-one administration or paid online subscription (online prints reports/bar graphs).
- Frequency: typically administered three times/year.
- Skills assessed: phoneme manipulation (beginning, middle, final), blending/segmenting, adding/changing/deleting phonemes — linked to encoding/decoding proficiency.
- Use: identify gaps to guide small-group or individual phonemic awareness instruction.
Bridge the Gap Intervention / Bridge 2 Reading
- Purpose: targeted interventions for students beyond early phonemic awareness.
- Target grades: Bridge the Gap for grades 2+; Bridge 2 Reading announced for Kindergarten–Grade 1 (upcoming).
- Function: diagnostic guidance to identify decoding/phonics weaknesses and direct teachers to appropriate lessons.
- Use: small-group or individual intervention for decoding/reading-struggling students.
PAST (Phonological Awareness Screening Test) — “the PAST”
- Purpose: free, formal phonological awareness screener available online.
- Target grades: Kindergarten to Grade 2 (useful for first-grade teachers checking K skills).
- Administration: one-on-one; untimed overall, but uses a 3-second response rule (no response in 3 seconds = incorrect).
- Notes: no official practice items — teachers can create practice examples.
- Use: alternate if Heggerty/paid materials unavailable; quick way to check foundational phonological skills.
Letters Phonics and Word Reading Survey
- Purpose: assesses decoding ability and application of spelling patterns.
- Scope: letter names/sounds, trick words, long/short vowels, CVC, digraphs, blends, R-controlled vowels, team vowels, etc.
- Target grades: recommended starting mid-K for screening; usable for older grades (start at student-appropriate level).
- Administration: one-on-one; untimed.
- Use: pinpoint which spelling/decoding patterns students can apply; informs lesson selection and passage practice.
Letter Spelling Screener (basic and advanced)
- Purpose: assess students’ application of spelling patterns in writing (encoding).
- Versions: Basic (K–2) and Advanced (3–5).
- Frequency: can be given three times/year to monitor growth.
- Administration: whole-group or small-group (presenter prefers whole-group at start of year for baseline).
- Structure: basic lists up to 25 words; guidance on stopping points based on time of year.
- Use: differentiate students into instructional groups and prioritize which spelling patterns to teach.
Using Google Sheets / digital tracking
- Example: spreadsheet with student names and scores, color-coding to highlight skill gaps (red/yellow/green).
- Use cases: track baselines, identify common weaknesses (e.g., beginning sound identification), guide curriculum pacing and small-group selection.
- Tip: create columns for multiple administrations to show progress over time.
Bridges to Intervention (math intervention program)
- Context: district-adopted math intervention supplement (fills a gap because many interventions focus on ELA).
- Structure:
  - Volumes 1–4 for K–2; Volumes 5–9 for Grades 3–5.
  - Modules are not strictly sequential; use a horizontal scope-and-sequence aligned to your core math curriculum.
- Administration/placement:
  - Use placement tests tied to core curriculum content to determine needed module.
  - Program provides a color-coded chart/grid for recording proficiency.
  - Each module typically has three parts; students are tested sequentially (some teams test all parts in one sitting to expedite placement).
- Use: group students by missed skills and place them on appropriate modules; supplement small-group instruction with targeted modules (e.g., addition/subtraction).

Recommended methodology / step-by-step practices

Early-year screening workflow
- Administer appropriate screeners immediately at the start of the year to establish baselines.
- Choose screeners that match grade-level expectations (letters/sounds for K–1; decoding/spelling for older students).
- Use free options (PAST) if paid subscriptions are not available.
Administering phonemic awareness / word-reading assessments
- Conduct one-on-one administration for most phonemic/word-level screeners.
- Apply the instrument’s rules (e.g., 3-second rule in PAST) consistently.
- Record results immediately; use a standardized spreadsheet or the screener’s online report when available.
Using the Letter Spelling Screener
- Start at the item level you expect the student to pass (don’t force the whole list if screening older students).
- Consider whole-group administration at the start of the year for baseline data; follow up with targeted small groups.
- Re-test three times/year to measure retention and growth.
- Use results to form differentiated groups and plan writing/spelling lessons.
Using Bridges to Intervention (math)
- Align placement tests with your core math scope and sequence.
- Enter results into the provided chart and color-code proficiency for visual triage.
- Group students by missed skills and assign modules horizontally (not strictly by volume order).
- Decide whether to test module parts sequentially or all at once based on team time/needs.
- Use modules to run small-group interventions with different teachers as needed.
Data tracking and grouping
- Use Google Sheets (or similar) to store scores, show trends, and identify whole-class needs.
- Color-code cells (green = proficient, yellow = needs practice, red = not proficient) for quick visual triage.
- Move students into tiered instruction groups based on screener results and re-assess periodically.

Practical tips and actionable takeaways

If you lack district-purchased screeners, use free validated tools like PAST.
Use Heggerty’s online subscription for automated reports/bar graphs; otherwise use paper administration and your own tracking sheet.
For spelling and decoding surveys, start screening at the level that matches students’ expected skills to save time.
Re-test periodically (recommended three times/year) to measure progress and adjust groups.
For math interventions, align placement/vertical-to-horizontal sequencing to match core curriculum needs rather than strict module order.
Digital tracking (Sheets/Slides) speeds grouping decisions and makes progress monitoring more transparent.

Speakers and sources mentioned

Presenter: Mariella Trautwein
Assessment tools and programs:
- Heggerty (phonemic awareness)
- Bridge the Gap Intervention / Bridge 2 Reading (decoding/intervention)
- PAST (Phonological Awareness Screening Test)
- Letters Phonics and Word Reading Survey
- Letter Spelling Screener (basic and advanced)
- Bridges to Intervention (math intervention volumes)
- Google Slides / Google Sheets (digital tracking/tools)

(Background music noted during the session; non-speaking.)