Elementary Education - Literacy

Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

TASK 1: LITERACY CONTEXT FOR LEARNING INFORMATION

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 4 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

About the School Where You Are Teaching

1. In what type of school do you teach? (Type an X next to the appropriate description; if
other applies, provide a brief description.)
Elementary school: _X_
Middle school: _____
Other (please describe): _____
Urban: __X___
Suburban: _____
Rural: _____
2. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co-teaching,
themed magnet, intervention or other leveled small group instruction, classroom aide,
bilingual, team taught with a special education teacher) that will affect your teaching in this
learning segment.
[The school serves approximately 600 students a year. The current demographics of the school
are 46%, 40% Hispanic, 5% Multi-Racial, and 9% White. This year, the school has been noticed
as a Focus school, which means that planning and assessments are focused on targeting
students in the bottom quartile in order to bring up the schools test scores on. The school is
located in a poor area of county; because of this the school started this year providing free
lunches to 100% of the students. The school also provides the students a fresh fruit or
vegetable snack daily as part of the schools wellness program, which is provided by a grant the
school has accepted. In the classroom I am in, the only classroom aide teaching provided is for
the Spectrum and the Advanced Math students. My school also participates in Clusters every
Wednesday. Clusters allow the students to choose an activity that they are interested in and the
teachers provide outside resources to help engage the students more in their cluster. The idea
around clusters is to allow enrichment outside of their everyday academic content. Data
collected on cluster days have shown that the school attendance and parental involvement
increases. The district has also provided every student in grades K-5 a personal learning
device, almost all of them laptops. These laptops are given to the students at no charge and do
not require families to pay for insurance in the case of any damage done to the laptop. If there is
any damage to the laptop it is replaced at no charge, because it is seen as a right for every
student to be able to access all learning.]
3. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that might
affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula, pacing plan, use of
specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.
[As a policy set by the district, my class is required to follow a pacing plan in all subject areas.
The reason for the pacing plan is to make sure that every student is ready for the 3
standardized tests that are given throughout the year, which are created by the district. The
pacing plane includes every text that is required for read alouds and shared readings for the
literacy block. There are also quarterly DEAWs (Drop Everything and Write) assessments,
which could affect the delivery of instruction. Each DEAW assessment is given in a span of two
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Elementary Education - Literacy

Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

days. The pacing guide also includes strict page numbers and literacy strategies that must be
met everyday for both the read aloud and shared reading books. My cooperating teacher has
already built into her lessons the times required for both shared readings and read alouds to
ensure that our class does not fall behind the pacing guide. My cooperating teacher has also
planned the times for narrative and opinion writings because the DEAW is a narrative writing
based assessment.]

About the Class Featured in this Learning Segment

1. How much time is devoted each day to literacy instruction in your classroom?
[There is about 2 hours of time devoted everyday to literacy instruction, however the 45
minutes of the Extended Learning Time (ELT) in the mornings can also be used. The school
requires all teachers to participate in CAF and Daily 5 are also frameworks during their
literacy block. There is also a school wide assessment given to every student called the
BLITS, which takes one hour to take and provides teachers with data to help group students
based on their ability. The school is also a supporter of SRI scores to identify what Lexile
level the students are at in order to find books at their reading levels. All of the books in the
library to allow students to find books on their reading level. The administrators have also
requested all teachers to label their books in the classroom library to allow students to find
books on their reading level also in the classroom. At my school, the SRI scores also
determine which students are in the bottom quartile to ensure that they are receiving the
most support in their classrooms.]
2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in literacy? If so, please describe how it affects your
class.
[The head teacher administers running records and analyzes the data to place students into
one of four groups based on their needs within the CAF framework. During their Daily 5
time each day, different ability groups meet with the head teacher for most of the time.
These groups concentrate on different aspects of literacy that the group as a whole may
struggle more with. The BLITZ is also a school wide assessment given that takes an hour,
which provides data to help with ability grouping. The school is also a supporter of SRI
scores to identify what Lexile level the students are at in order to find books at their reading
levels. All of the books in the library to allow students to find books on their reading level.
The SRI scores also determine which students are in the bottom quartile to ensure that they
are receiving the most support in their classrooms.]
3. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for literacy instruction. If a
textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.
[At my school they are a big supporter of the Daily 5, which was published by Stenhouse
February 1, 2014 and CAF also published by Stenhouse April 28, 2009. This year the school
has also provided Wordly, Wise, published by Educators Publishing Service in 2011, to enhance
vocabulary in grades 2-5. All education curriculum is established to the Common Core
Standards.]
4. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, classroom library or other text sets, online
professional resources) you use for literacy instruction in this class.
[The head teacher of my class has created a website which gives students recourses for all
subject areas. There is an electronic whiteboard that is used for slideshows, short readings,
vocabulary, and questions. There is also a classroom library that contains approximately 500
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Elementary Education - Literacy

Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

titles in varies genres and Lexile levels. The text sets that are given by the district are also put
into the library throughout the year.]

About the Students in the Class Featured in this Learning

Segment
1. Grade-level(s):
[4th Grade]
2. Number of

students in the class: 20

males: 11 females: 9

3. Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations, or

modifications for your students that will affect your literacy instruction in this learning
segment. As needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete the charts. Some
rows have been completed in italics as examples. Use as many rows as you need.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/supports
or accommodations/modifications to instruction or assessment (e.g., students with
Individualized Education Programs [IEPs] or 504 plans, students with specific language
needs, students needing greater challenge or support, students who struggle with reading,
students who are underperforming or those with gaps in academic knowledge).
For Literacy Assessment Task 3, you will choose work samples from 3 focus students. At
least one of these students must have a specified learning need. Note: California candidates
must include one focus student who is an English language learner.1
Students with IEPs/504 Plans
IEPs/504 Plans:
Classifications/Needs
Example: Visual processing

Number of
Students
2

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Close monitoring, large print text, window
card to isolate text

Students with Specific Language Needs

Language Needs
Example: English language
learners with only a few
words of English

Number of
Students
2

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Pre-teach key words and phrases
through examples and graphic organizers
(e.g., word cluster, manipulatives, visuals)
Have students use pre-taught key words
and graphic organizers to
complete sentence starters

1 California candidatesIf you do not have any English language learners, select a student who is challenged by academic
English.

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Elementary Education - Literacy

Task 1: Literacy Context for Learning Information

Example: Students who

speak a variety of English
other than that used in
textbooks

Make connections between the language

students bring and the language used in
the textbook

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs
Gifted Learners (Spectrum)

Number of
Students
10

Struggling Readers

Struggling Math Learners

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Pulled for the extended learning periods
of the day.
Pulled for small group and individual
remediation, RAZZ Kids program, pulled
for RTI boxes with SPED teacher
Pulled for small group and individual
remediation, problem differentiation

Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

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All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.