Wisconsin’s Literacy Screener

• A training for the administration and scoring of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener

PALS Background

Wisconsin Statute 118.016(1) now requires that an early literacy screener be administered to all 4 year old kindergarten thru first grade students beginning in 2013-14 and expanding to second grade beginning in 2014-15

DPI was charged with selecting a screener that met these criteria:▫ Is valid and reliable▫ Assesses phonemic awareness and letter sound

knowledge

PALS was selected to provide educators with helpful information to guide instruction

Administration Windows•Fall window for 1st grade

September 16 --- October 11 (data due Oct. 25)

•Fall window for 4K and 5K October 14 --- November 8 (data due Nov.

20)•Winter window for all grades (optional)

January 6 --- February 28 (data due Feb. 28)•Spring window for all grades

April 28 --- May 23 (data due June 6)

PALS Connections to Wisconsin Initiatives

•Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

•Response to Intervention

PALS Connections to the Standards

•The PALS subtests are representative of the understandings, knowledge and skills identified in the:▫Reading Foundational Skills – Common Core

State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS)

▫Early Literacy Standards - Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS)

PALS Connections to Response to Intervention (RtI)• PALS meets the definition of a universal

screener within an RtI framework:

– A screener is an assessment given as one part of the screening process to establish a baseline from which students are beginning and to align the instructional starting point to student need.

– Universal screening data can be examined to determine if a change in core curriculum and instruction is needed.

– Data from the universal screening process are used to make decisions about interventions and additional challenges.

PALS and Response to Intervention

•Collaboration•High Quality Instruction •Balanced Assessment•Culturally Responsive Practices

PALS Implications for School Literacy Teams and Data Teams

• Review data as a team (principals, classroom teachers, reading specialists and reading teachers, special education teachers, ELL teachers, school psychologists, speech and language teachers) following the fall and spring administration

• Develop a plan for progress monitoring for students with areas of deficit or strength

• Share PALS assessment information regularly

Think-Pair-Share

•Discuss with a partner how you see PALS fitting into your current instruction and assessment plan.

Parent Communication

•One-page parent brochure available on PALS Wisconsin website for districts to copy and distribute in the fall

•http://www.palswisconsin.info/parents.shtml

Other Parent Communication Hints

•Plan to share results from the fall administration at parent-teacher conferences

•On-line module that will assist teachers with interpreting student results

Other PALS ResourcesPALS Quick Checks

• Used to monitor student progress on targeted literacy skill acquisition areas and gauge response to instruction and/or intervention

• Available in the areas of:▫ Alphabet Recognition▫ Letter Sounds▫ Beginning Sound Production▫ Concept of Word▫ K Spelling

PALS Quick Checks

• Recommended to be administered only once every two weeks

• Available as PDF files through the Online Score Entry and Reporting System account

Additional PALS Professional Development and Support

•Using PALS to Drive Instruction module

•Online instructional strategies and lesson plans

•Early Literacy Courses for teachers (Optional)

PALS SummaryThings to Remember

•View the professional development modules by September 15 for 1st grade and by October 1 for 4K and 5K

•Share the Parent brochure prior to the fall administration

•Administer PALS in the fall and spring***choose a consecutive two week window within these

administration windows.

PALS Resources and Support• PALS Wisconsin Resource Center

http://www.palswisconsin.info/

• PALS Toll-Free Hotline for District Assessment Coordinators: (888) 728-7257

• PALS E-Mail Hotline for all teachers and District Assessment Coordinators: support@palshelp.com

• DPI PALS Contact Duane Dorn (608) 267-1069 duane.dorn@dpi.wi.gov