Action Plan

How was it implemented?

I first gave a pre-test to see where my students scored in their writing according to my district rubric, as I did with the baseline at the beginning of the year. I saw which trait my whole class needed extra support with and utilized that in my conferencing. I then implemented writing conferencing during independent work time in writing. I spent between 2-8 minutes conferencing with each student at least once a week on his or her writing. I looked at an area of strength and looked at an area of growth to speak with them about. During the conference I collected data through anecdotal notes as well as quantitative data through their daily writing.

When was it implemented?

This study ran from January 19th to March 31st. The writing conferencing occurred daily during independent work time.

With whom was it implemented?

This study was implemented with each of my 21 kindergarten students. I used my CADRE mentor as an expert in the field to model and provide support in the implementation of writing conferencing.

What was implemented?

In my classroom I implemented writing conferencing. I spent between 2-8 minutes conferencing with each student at least once a week. I focused my instruction based on the student’s specific needs. I took data from the pre-test to pinpoint areas of growth for my students. Students also used a writing checklist to self-assess their own writing. The checklist included convention-based items such as spacing, punctuation, and capitals.

Why was it implemented?

Analyzing data from earlier in the year, I identified writing as an area for support. My students came into kindergarten with a variety of writing experience. Some students were below proficient in letter sound identification and writing sight words. All of my students scored in the beginning range for our district's writing baseline. I knew with these data points, that differentiated instruction would provide the best support for each of my unique students. To provide that differentiated support, I implemented writing conferencing.

Calendar

Pre-Test/Post-Test

Using a pre-test and a post-test showed the growth my students made from the beginning to the end of my study. It showed the level of effectiveness of conferencing. I used my district's 4 domain and 16 point rubric for the assessment of both tests. I took the data from the pre-test to note which trait I should focus on as a whole class and incorporate that into individual writing conferences as well.

Data Collection Methods

Anecdotal Notes

As I was conferencing, I recorded my conversations on a note-taking sheet to keep a running record during the study. This allowed me to see what areas had been discussed and how they implemented those discussions into their future writing.

Quantitative data on daily writing

While conferencing with students, I also took quick quantitative data on their daily writing. I noted how students used specific traits in their writing. For example, if focusing on starting a sentence with a capital letter, I noted something like, “Student started 2 out of 5 sentences with a capital letter.” When they reached proficiency (80%), then I was able to shift my focus to a new growth target. I also interviewed students at the end of the study to ask if they thought the writer's checklist was helpful.