Dear Teachers,

As we approach testing season, I want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of best practices that encourage active participation and understanding from all students.

While test scores are important, it's crucial to remember that our ultimate goal is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for long-term success.

Therefore, I encourage you to utilize strategies that promote:

• Active learning: Go beyond traditional rote memorization and incorporate activities that engage students in critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

• Differentiation: Tailor your approach to cater to the individual needs and learning styles of each student.

• Authentic assessments: Incorporate assessments that go beyond test-taking skills and reflect students' true understanding of the material.

Remember, our district-wide strategy, SWIRL (Speaking, Writing, Interacting, Reading, Listening), provides a valuable framework for achieving these goals. By integrating SWIRL activities into your lessons, you can provide students with opportunities to:

• Practice essential skills across different modalities

• Develop critical thinking and communication abilities

• Receive valuable feedback that informs further instruction

Most importantly, I encourage you to embrace the process of learning through testing. By creating engaging lessons that expose students to the testing format while fostering their continued growth, we can ensure a successful testing season that showcases the progress students have made throughout the year.

On behalf of the Bilingual department, I wish you and your students all the best for the upcoming testing season. We are confident that your dedication and creativity will lead to a positive and rewarding experience for everyone.

Director of Bilingual Education

& World Languages

Michelle Pineda-Rodgers

Hempstead Union Free School District

516-434-4154

Click Link to Book time with me

The SWIRL strategy, which focuses on Speaking, Writing, Interacting, Reading, and Listening, can be a powerful tool to create a well-rounded and engaging test preparation plan. Here's how to incorporate each element:

Speaking:

• Practice Explanations: Explain key concepts to a friend or study partner. Verbalizing your knowledge helps solidify understanding.
• Formulate Questions: Anticipate potential test questions and discuss them with classmates.
• Debate & Discuss: Debate opposing viewpoints on a relevant topic to solidify understanding.

Writing:

• Summarize Key Points: After reading a study guide section, write a concise summary in your own words.
• Create Mind Maps: Visually organize information by creating mind maps with central topics and branches for details.

Interacting:

• Study Groups: Discuss concepts, share study materials, and quiz each other in a group setting.
• Debates: Assign opposing viewpoints on a topic and debate them with a partner. This clarifies understanding and reinforces critical thinking.
• Peer Tutoring: Offer tutoring to a classmate on a topic you grasp well, reinforcing your own knowledge.
• Role-Playing: Role-play scenarios related to the test to practice applying knowledge in a simulated environment.

Reading:

• Active Reading: Read practice tests and study materials actively, highlighting key points and taking notes.
• Diverse Sources: Read from different sources, including articles, and online resources, to gain a well-rounded perspective.
• Questioning Technique: While reading, actively question the text. What is the author's purpose? What evidence supports their arguments?
• Practice Tests and Past Papers: Analyze past tests and practice questions to get familiar with the format and difficulty level.

Listening:

• Peer Presentations: Have each other present key topics from the study material, encouraging active listening and comprehension.
• Video explanations: Listen to an audio book, listen actively, pause to take notes, and then discuss the information with peers.

Benefits of SWIRL:

• Engaging and Varied: By incorporating different activities, SWIRL keeps studying interesting and caters to different learning styles.
• Reinforces Knowledge: Actively using information through speaking, writing, and interacting strengthens memory and understanding.
• Collaborative Learning: Interacting with peers through discussions and presentations fosters collaboration and deeper learning.

By utilizing SWIRL, you can transform test preparation from rote memorization to a stimulating and effective process that boosts confidence and leads to success.

Scholars at Jackson Main Elementary school learning and singing the SWIRL song.

Thank you Ms. Lee-Segredo for your hard work and dedication!!

Please click on the links below to access the NYSESLAT test samplers to utilize with your students. The DFA includes the listening component of the test in which teachers will read aloud to students, as well as the answer key. Copies of the attached test prep materials will be delivered to your designated buildings soon.

Grade K - https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/k-sampler.pdf

Grade K DFA- https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/k-sampler-dfa.pdf

Grade 1 DFA-https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/g1-sampler-dfa.pdf

Grade 2 DFA- https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/g2-sampler-dfa.pdf

Grades 5&6 DFA- https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/5-6-sampler-dfa.pdf

Grades 9-12 DFA-https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/9-12-sampler-dfa.pdf

As we continue to prepare our students to become life-long learners, our goal is to ensure students achieve personal growth and academic success through an effective instructional program which responds to each student's needs and aspirations in a safe and nurturing environment.

Nearpod is a great way to teach lessons to support learning in the four modalities and offers test prep in all content areas by grade and by standard. The learning platforms also offers graphic organizers, ppt slides, lessons, and authentic, hands-on collaborative activities for all students. You can access the platform through Renaissance or Clever to being planning lessons in English and Spanish!

In an effort to help teachers better and more easily connect assessment results with effective instructional solutions, Renaissance has connected two of the most widely used tools in education: Nearpod and Star Assessments.

Differentiated and Targeted Instruction

Easily identify each student’s individual level and deliver “just-right” practice aligned to Math and ELA standards. As students practice independently, Freckle continuously adapts and provides content that fits the variety of ways they learn best. Use Freckle to support high-dosage tutoring, independent practice, or whole-class instruction.

Please log into Lexia to compliment classroom literacy instruction and provide differentiation through a menu of activities and learning resources. It's designed with a range of learners in mind, building their phonemic awareness and phonics so they can move from "learning to read to reading to learn".

• Test Prep Best Practices Utilizing Nearpod and Renaissance -Facilitator: Daniela Ranieri
• NYSESLAT Turnkey Training- Facilitator: Lizz Sarceno
• Supporting Students with Interrupted/Inconsistent Formal Education- Facilitator: Beatriz Caban