HWDSB OCA TRAINING

Ontario Comprehension Assessment (OCA)

ObjectivesParticipants will:

• understand the design and purpose of the OCA

• understand how the OCA supports the development of student literacy by connecting to the research on proficient readers.

• learn how to conduct the assessment and moderate student responses to questions in the OCA

• connect the OCA to instruction

• consider strategies for using the assessment with struggling readers.

What the Research Says …

Assessment explicitly designed to promote learning is the single most powerful tool we have for raising achievement.

~ Black and Wiliam, 1998

Purpose of the OCA

The primary purpose

of OCA is to:

• help teachers plan for systematic comprehension instruction

• help students learn more about themselves as readers

OCA: How?

Initial AssessmentBeginning of year or semesterAssessment FOR LearningWhere do I go with instruction?

Later AssessmentEnd of term or mid-point in semester, end of yearAssessment FOR or OF LearningHas my teaching made a difference?

OCA: General Information

Grades 7-10 Informational Text 2 Assessments per Grade

Initial AssessmentLater Assessment

Descriptive Feedback

OCA: Key Components

Reading Passages 35 copies each

Teacher Guide “Front Matter” Student Response Sheets (Early and Later Grades) Answer Keys (Early and Later Grades) Assessment Summary Sheet (Early and Later Grades) Appendices (Curriculum Links, Implementation Models,

Data Collection Options)

Aspects of Reading

The OCA is designed to provide students and teachers with descriptive feedback in three aspects of reading:

use of comprehension strategies

demonstrating understanding

analysis

Proficient Readers …

• Set a Purpose for Reading• Access or Build Background Knowledge• Ask Questions • Determine What’s Important• Synthesize• Make Inferences• Make Connections• Visualize• Monitor Comprehension

Aligned Assessment Design

Aspects of ReadingSub-aspects/Skills of Proficient Readers Reading

Tasks

OCA

Use of

Comprehension Strategies

• Setting a Purpose• Building or Accessing Background

Knowledge• Asking Questions• Monitoring Comprehension

Asking Questions (7-9)Monitoring/Meta-cognition

Question 1

Question 5

Demonstrate Understanding

• Determining What’s Important• Making Inferences• Visualizing

Retrieving InformationSynthesizing, SummarizingMaking Inferences/ Interpreting Text

Question 2

Question 3

Analyze Texts• Synthesizing and Extending Understanding

Analyzing Text and

Extending Understanding Question 4

Reading Expectations/OSSLT

Retrieve Information (OSSLT skill, 1.4)o The reader locates information explicitly stated

in the text. Demonstrate Understanding (1.4)o The reader uses information provided in the

text and reformulates it in her/his words – summarizing and citing details.

Make Inferences/Interpret Texts (1.5, OSSLT)o The reader integrates stated and implied ideas

and information to explain an interpretation.Analyze Texts (1.7, 2.1, 2.2)o The reader takes a stance, evaluating,

connecting and explaining how the different elements in a text contribute to meaning and influence the reader’s reaction.

(Numbers refer to the Ontario Curriculum Reading expectations.)

Analyze Texts

Demonstrate Understandin

g

RetrieveInformation

Interpret Texts

Question #5 and Meta-cognition

• New sub-strand in the revised Language and English curriculum.

• “By the end of Grade 7/8, students will: reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.”

– Reading Overall Expectation #4

Connections Across the Curriculum

Literacy instruction must be embedded across the curriculum. All teachers of all subjects, K-12, are teachers of literacy.

All teachers must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to model effective literacy skills in their subject area.

– Guiding Principles from Think Literacy Success (2003)

Additional information on Making Connections Across the Curriculum are located in the Teachers Guide p. 13 and p. 41.

Implementing OCA

Before the assessment:– Plan to administer the first OCA early in the year– Plan for a 60 minute block of time– Administer the assessment to the whole class– Distribute the reading passage and the student

response sheet– Ask students to answer Question 1 before reading– Give students 45 minutes to complete the

assessment (students may receive additional time but should complete the assessment in a single sitting)

During the Assessment:• Students answer questions independently• Allow extra time for students who need it• Students may complete the assessment on the

black line masters, however, space limitations may make it preferable to have student given the option to complete on an attached page or computer print out of written work.

• Students who normally receive accommodations or modifications in assessment should continue to do so on the OCA

After the assessment:• If possible, work in pairs or teams to

moderate assessments and share instructional strategies to respond to results

• Use a highlighter to mark criteria in rubrics or on the individual profile sheet

• Plan next steps using information in the teachers guide.

Teacher Moderation

• Print off the sample student response.• Click on the link below to access student

exemplarsLink to OCA exemplars

• With a partner, use the rubric and exemplars to assess the student response and use page 20 of the teacher’s guide to determine instructional next steps.

• The following slides will walk you through the moderation process for each question.

Question 1: Purpose and Connections

Are students previewing text to either build or access background knowledge before reading?

Are students asking themselves quality questions that set a purpose for reading?

Question 1: Set a purpose Ask questions Predict

Question 2: Purpose and Connections

Are students sorting and conceptualizing main ideas and supporting details?

Are students creating an accurate synthesis representative of important information in the text?

Question 2 Find important ideas Summarize Make notes

Question 3: Purpose and Connections

Are students reading between the lines and inferring and elaborating on ideas not directly stated in the text?

Question 3: Infer Visualize Find important ideas

Question 4: Purpose and Connections

Are students pushing their thinking beyond the information in the text and making meaningful connections that deepen their comprehension (text to self; text to text; text to world connections)?

Question 4: Make connections Synthesize Evaluate

Question 5: Purpose and Connections

Are students metacognitive and aware of

strategies that could help them “fix” comprehension problems?

Question 5: Reflect on strategies (Metacognition)

Next Steps…Making Sense of the Data

Appendices Individual Profile (p. 44) Group Profile (p. 45) Class Profile (p. 46) Disaggregating the Data (p. 47) Synthesizing the Data (p. 48)

Recording the Data

• Rubric categories are titled by achievement chart categories from the Ontario Curriculum

• Class Profile columns are titled based on the reading strategies/sub-aspects assessed.

• This may require that the teacher use their professional judgement to determine an overall level by considering one or more of the achievement chart categories for some questions.

Recording the Data

• Class Profiles are generic across the grades, not grade specific, so there may be extra columns in some grades.

• You may prefer to use the HWDSB electronic spreadsheets or create one that meets your specific needs.

Disaggregating the Data

Disaggregating the Data

© CI SC, School District 36, Surrey, 2005

Sept 30/05 KP:ld 04/05 Engl LA/ Programs/ RAD 36/ Disaggregating Data Secondary.doc

Secondary Tally Form

Aspect of Reading Not Yet Within Expectations

Male Female

Meets Expectations (Minimal Level)

Male Female

Fully Meets Expectations

Male Female

Exceeds Expectations

Male Female

STRATEGIES Text Features (Question 1)

Comprehension Skills/ Metacognitive Awareness (Question 5)

COMPREHENSI ON Main I deas (Question 2)

Details (Question 2)

Note-Making (Question 2)

I nf erences (Question 3)

ANALYSI S Connections (Question 4)

Evaluation (Question 4)

TOTAL NUMBER

STRATEGIES

COMPREHENSION

ANALYSIS

Sub Total:

Total:

Total # of Participants: _____________

OCA

Synthesizing the Data

OCA

HWDSB Spreadsheet

• Add screen shot

Supporting Struggling Readers

There is not a single template for the struggling reader. We cannot make the struggling reader fit one mould or expect one pattern to suffice for all students.

- Beers (2003)…most children who struggle to read do not

require instruction that is substantially different from their more successful peers; rather, they require a greater intensity of higher quality instruction.

- Snow, Burns, & Griffin (1998)

Additional Support: Key Considerations

• If a student struggles with reading grade level passages…the teacher may select a lower grade-level passage that is more appropriate. The OCA Student Success Kit contains passages and strategies for the struggling reader as low as grade 4.

• If the student struggles with written output…the student may be scribed for as a documented accommodation.

• The use of assistive technology such as word processing, “Dragon” (speech to text) or “Premier” (text to speech) software may be an appropriate support for students struggling with reading and written output.

• If a student struggles with reading lower grade-level passages, the assessment may be administered orally (as a documented accommodation) and the student could independently complete the written responses. Note that by reading the passage and questions orally to the student, the purpose of the OCA changes to a listening comprehension assessment, which is an indicator for potential growth in reading comprehension.

• If the student struggles with processing information…the teacher may simplify the language or chunk the assessment as a documented accommodation.

• When a student struggles with maintaining focus…the student may complete the assessment in an alternate setting and/or complete the assessment in stages.

• In short, students on IEP’s are entitled to whatever modification or accommodations have been deemed necessary in the creation of the IEP and are part of the student’s regular instruction.

ObjectivesParticipants will:

• Understand the design and purpose of OCA

• understand how OCA supports the development of student literacy by connecting to the research on proficient readers.

• Moderate student responses to questions in OCA

• Connect OCA to instruction

• Consider strategies for using the assessment with struggling readers.

Additional supports

• Your Administrator• Program Consultants (elementary and

secondary)• Literacy Improvement Project Teachers• Pearson Publisher Representative• Ministry of Education Guides to Effective

Instruction; Volume One, Foundations and Volume Five, Reading.

• Ministry of Education Think Literacy Guides

Important Links

• Link to Bruno’s tool

• Link to publisher exemplars

• Link to ministry guides

Ontario Comprehension Assessment

Thank you for your time and participation.When learning is the goal, teachers and students collaborateand use ongoing assessment and pertinent feedback to move learning forward.

Earl & Katz (2006)