Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

Middle School ELA District-Wide, Standards-Based Assessments

Questions to Guide PLC Data Analysis:

What is the rationale for having a District-Wide, Standards-Based Assessment? To ensure each day’s instruction is focused on the most important content students need to reach their goals, teachers need to have the tools to make deliberate choices about the most essential scaffolds to support that learning. Common formative assessments provide the data to identify learning misconceptions at play, support with appropriate instruction, and ensure that effective and timely instruction sticks. With this in mind, the DWSBA should be administered mid-unit as it is not a summative assessment. What is a DISTRICT-WIDE, STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT? District-Wide, Standards-Based Assessments, or DWSBAs, are given by site-based and district PLCs, with the intention of collaborative examination, shared learning, and to inform future instruction. DWSBAs formatively assess where students are in relation to targeted standards and provide critical feedback for teachers and students. In Canyons, 6 th -8 th grade students will take the DWSBAs on the RISE platform. Teachers can effectively use DWSBA data for PLCs at site-based and district levels by accessing the RISE platform reporting feature. Results are based on the Utah Rise Writing Rubrics. How do I use the RISE Platform? Directions for administering an assessment through the RISE platform can be found in the Test Administration Manual (TAM). For a step-by-step visual guide on accessing and administering the RISE Benchmark, see the following: ELA DWSBA How-to. How should the DWSBA Writing Assessment be administered? The recommended time for the ELA Writing DWSBA is approximately 60-90 minutes. Use professional discretion to evaluate if more or less time needs to be given. Modeling and scaffolding for learners, such as guided practice, should be done during regular instruction. Accommodation decisions for ELL or students on an IEP, are left up to the school site with consultation from the school’s SST or leadership team.

1.What do we want

students to know or be able to do?

2.How will we know if students have mastered the standards of focus? 3.How will we respond for students who have not yet learned? 4.How will we respond for students who have already demonstrated mastery, or are ready todomore? 5.How can students use this data to assess their own

understanding and set learning goals?

Testing Windows for RISE Formative Assessment

Grades

Fall

Winter

Spring

Test: Informative 1

Test: Argumentative 1

*Test: Informative 2 or Argument 2

Test Reason: Fall Oct. 10th - Nov. 3rd PLC to review before Nov. 10th Early-Out

Test Reason: Winter 1 Dec. 5th - Jan. 13th

Test Reason: Winter 2 Feb. 10th - March 9th

6-8

PLC to review before Jan. 19th Early Out

PLC to review before March 8th Early-Out

*PLC’s should choose whether to administer the Informative 2 or the Argument 2 Formative Writing Test based on student data

Last Updated June, 2023 Middle School ELA, Page 86