Oregon Department of Education Module I
www.ode.state.or.us
“Differentiating Instruction Using Lexile Measures and OSLIS”
Trainer Introduction to Module I
Modules are posted at
http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1638
Purpose of the Training Modules
When Oregon students take the State Reading/Literature Assessment, they receive Lexile measures of their reading ability on Individual Student Reports. To assist teachers in using student Lexile measures to differentiate instruction and to monitor students’ reading ability, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) provided funding for a collaborative (see pg. 2) to develop training modules, “Differentiating Instruction Using Lexile Measures and OSLIS.”
OSLIS is an acronym for the Oregon School Library Information System located at http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/, the K-12 portal for Lexiled research databases. Taken together, Lexile measures and OSLIS Lexiled periodical databases are powerful ways for teachers to support and manage student comprehension of subject area reading materials—maximizing student learning by providing literacy support across the school day in every subject.
Module I is designed to be a two-hour introduction to Lexiles and OSLIS for K-12 teachers. Orienting teachers to the resources at www.lexile.com and those available at OSLIS, both of which are accessible via the ODE website at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1638 is the focus. Access to OSLIS is provided to every Oregon school at no cost through a partnership between the Oregon State Library (OSL) and ODE. Lexile measures are provided by Oregon’s Reading First grant.
Module II, a follow-up computer lab workshop, is designed to provide K-12 teachers with two hours of hands-on experiences using the resources provided through OSLIS. Participants will use a planning template, “Selecting Materials for a Standards-based Lesson,” to select Oregon content standards and locate Lexiled reading materials aligned to standards and to the range of student Lexile measures represented in their classes. After studying sample templates of grade-levels and subjects they teach, teachers will search the Oregon standards online and the OSLIS databases to complete several templates that they can use to provide differentiated instructional materials for their students.
Goals for Module I
At the completion of Module I participants will:
1. Understand the relationship between Lexiles and student comprehension,
2. Understand how Lexiles help match readers to texts,
3. Use the Lexile measure of each student to access appropriate reading materials for meeting Oregon content standards, and
4. Know that the Oregon School Library Information System (OSLIS) is the portal for Lexiled research databases.
Teachers will be able to answer two important questions that directly impact literacy instruction in their own classroom.
· Where can I find my students’ range of reading ability (Lexile measure)?
· Where can I find reading materials my students can read—difficult enough to be challenging without undue frustration?
Logistics
1. Prior to participating in the workshop, teachers need to access students’ Lexile measures for their class or for one of their classes to use at the workshop. Manipulating student Lexile data is a key component of the workshop.
2. Module I can be modified to meet the specific needs of a group or different workshop lengths.
Materials
Module I materials include this introduction and a PowerPoint with accompanying notes pages. These documents are available on the ODE “Lexiles in Oregon” webpage at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1638. You may find the following support materials helpful in preparing for a presentation on Lexiles. Documents referenced are also available on the ODE “Lexiles in Oregon” webpage.
- Lexile Awareness Kit (An Individual Student Report, Information Page for ALL Teachers, Lexile Map, Lexile Brief)
- “Lexiles – What are they?” a presentation by Otis Fulton of MetaMetrics® available in PowerPoint and Video Stream
- RIT score to Lexile measure conversion chart
PowerPoint Presentation
To design a presentation that could be used in a variety of settings (computer lab, library, auditorium, etc.) and with various group sizes was the intent. The PowerPoint is designed as a slideshow to be presented using a computer and projector, but could be presented using transparencies of the slides and an overhead projector. Presenters may modify the PowerPoint for shorter workshops or to focus on specific aspects of the materials. The presentation includes the following sections:
· Introduction to Lexiles
· Lexile Book Database
· Lexile Analyzer
· Lexile Calculator
· Lexile Power Vocabulary and Lexile Reading Pathfinder
· OSLIS
If you need to shorten the presentation, consider omitting the section on Lexile Power Vocabulary and Lexile Reading Pathfinder. It is, however, critical to cover information regarding the Lexile Book Database, the Lexile Analyzer, and the Lexile Calculator.
Please note that much of this PowerPoint is a tutorial. You will be able to simply click through the slides as participants view how to maneuver through the different components.
Notes pages accompany most of the slides and provide additional information for presenters. To access the notes pages, open the PowerPoint and go to View - Notes Page.
If you wish to print copies of the notes pages for reference during your presentation, go to File Print. In the drop down box labeled “Print what:” select Notes Pages.
Handouts can be generated for workshop participants in a variety of layouts using the handouts feature built into the PowerPoint program.
Note: It is highly recommended that this PowerPoint presentation be used in conjunction with live Internet access so that participants can learn a portion of the process via the PowerPoint and then view the process live.
Context for the ESD /OEMA /OSL /ODE Collaborative
“Differentiating Instruction Using Lexile Measures and OSLIS” was a Training of Trainers workshop sponsored by ODE in cooperation with the Oregon State Library in December 2004. Participants were staff development specialists from Education Service Districts (ESDs) and several districts. Oregon Educational Media Association (OEMA) members Martha Decherd, Patty Sorensen, Jim Tindall, and Melanee Lucas—assisted by Blake Albretsen from EBSCOhost®--provided the training on OSLIS. Otis Fulton from MetaMetrics® trained participants on ”The Lexile Framework for Reading.” Nine of the 28 Training of Trainers’ participants—two at primary, two at upper elementary, three at middle school, and two at high school—contributed to the design and the content of the modules.
Trainers for Modules I and II
The following staff developers have been trained to present “Differentiating Instruction Using Lexile Measures and OSLIS,” Modules I and II:
Cathy Chenail – Douglas ESD / **MaryBeth Munroe – Southern Oregon ESD*Yvonne Curtis – Eugene SD / *Dandy Parsons – Willamette ESD
Martha Decherd – David Douglas SD and OEMA / Penny Plavala – Multnomah ESD
Kathy Forest – Jefferson County SD / *Kerri Sage – Eugene SD
Penny Grotting – Malheur ESD / Duella Scott-Hull – South Coast ESD
Betty Krause – Region 9 ESD (Wasco & Hood River) / Brenda Simpson – Umatilla-Morrow ESD
Kelly Kuntz – Beaverton SD / Patty Sorensen – OEMA
*Jill Layton – Southern Oregon ESD (deceased) / *MartaTaylor – Northwest Regional ESD
Pam Leland – Beaverton SD / Catherine Theriault – Portland Public Schools
Angela Lozano – Multnomah ESD / Jim Tindall – North Wasco County SD OEMA
* Melanee Lucas – Beaverton SD & OEMA / Jackie Turle – Lane ESD
Kathy McGuire – Douglas County SD 4 / **Linda Vanderford – Clackamas ESD
*Jolinda Miller – Portland Public Schools / Rita Weber – Springfield SD
Rinda M. Conwell – North Central ESD / Suzy Yecha – South Coast ESD
*Contributors; **Editors/Contributors
Contact:
Julie Anderson
Oregon Department of Education
Training modules developed by an ESD/OEMA/OSL/ODE Collaborative 1 Posted July 2005