• Provide consistency across the school in the assessment protocols <strong>and</strong>practices governing common assessments, <strong>and</strong> the variety <strong>and</strong> range ofassessments used to inform learning.•Allot time for moderation of common assessments across campuses.• Review existing external testing tools to ensure that they best meet the needsof <strong>SAS</strong> students, have the greatest impact on learning <strong>and</strong> offer feedbackthat can inform learning for all grade levels.• Devote continued attention on the work of refining <strong>and</strong> aligning school-wideassessment practices.• Embed the EAGLES into core units <strong>and</strong> continue to track the data forEAGLES for which instruments have been identified.• Look for ways to assess the impact of EAGLES integration on enriching<strong>and</strong> personalizing student learning, with particular attention paid to“Empowered” <strong>and</strong> “Ethical”.Engage <strong>and</strong> support teachers, administrators, <strong>and</strong> staff in a unique professionallearning community that provides opportunities to grow, develop, <strong>and</strong> learntogether in all aspects of their professional lives.• Address the need for professional development on assessment acrossthe school to ensure that assessment impacts student learning: includedeveloping a school-wide assessment philosophy, building assessmentliteracy, as well as disaggregating assessment data.Data Sources<strong>SAS</strong> Atlas Rubicon – web-based curriculum-mapping siteUnit plansTask Force notesTeam minutes <strong>and</strong> notesSubject Area Evidence BindersProfessional development calendar<strong>Curriculum</strong> <strong>and</strong> Professional Development H<strong>and</strong>bookTeachers Teaching Teachers PD ProgramPlymouth State University Course GuideProfessional development recordsStudent workITBS scoresERB scoresNSSE Survey ResultsClassroom displaysIB/AP ScoresSEARCH Assets Survey Results <strong>and</strong> ReportData in a Day Report88Shanghai American School Self Study Report
Program Review Progress ReportsLanguage Arts PK – 5 Program Review ReportWHAT CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTReview of St<strong>and</strong>ards, Benchmarks <strong>and</strong> Unit PlansAt the end of the 2006-2007 the PK-5 language arts task force completed the reviewof the st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> benchmarks. In the fall of 2007, with the documentation inorder, the process of building curriculum maps began with designation of whichst<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> benchmarks were to be taught in each of the quarters. In grade levelteams, decisions were made to align these for each campus, <strong>and</strong> the work of thelanguage arts task force for PK-5 began.An Atlas audit of elementary language arts noted some progress over the pasttwo years. In the Midterm Report, little was documented in terms of the writtencurriculum, including st<strong>and</strong>ards, benchmarks, scope <strong>and</strong> sequence, assessments. Allof these are now fully documented, or are in process of being documented at Atlas.The main area of focus is in the linking of the curriculum to the assessments <strong>and</strong> theEAGLES, which are not fully integrated into units as of yet. Atlas data will begindisaggregation in the SY2008-2009.The PK-5 language arts task force developed a five-year language artsimplementation plan which is supported by an ongoing professional developmentplan. The components of the plan focus on common assessments, essential teachingagreements, readers’ <strong>and</strong> writers’ workshop <strong>and</strong> word study.Essential Teaching AgreementsThe essential teaching agreement were written <strong>and</strong> adopted by the PK-5 languagearts task force school wide <strong>and</strong> were developed to support the readers’ <strong>and</strong> writers’workshop model:We teachers of PK-5 Language Arts at Shanghai American School will . . .• Use common <strong>and</strong> ongoing assessments to inform, guide <strong>and</strong> differentiateinstruction, <strong>and</strong> to provide early intervention to meet the developmentalneeds of all students.• Clearly communicate learning objectives <strong>and</strong> provide regularopportunities for students to self assess, reflect <strong>and</strong> set goals to guidetheir learning.• Provide regular opportunities for students to learn in a variety ofgroupings including working in partnerships, small groups, large groups<strong>and</strong> individually.• Provide a balanced literacy program that includes explicit <strong>and</strong> systematicinstruction in reading, writing, listening <strong>and</strong> speaking <strong>and</strong> word study.Kindergarten students in Ms. Bryan’sclass formulated questions underthe topic “travel”. John, “How dopeople make jet skis?” Talia, “Howdo you make a house?” Daniel,‘How do people make elevators?”Next, they will research to try tofind the answers. Students willpresent their knowledge through aperformance, a model, or writing.The last piece of the unit will beto go <strong>and</strong> actually visit one of theplaces researched, such as a trainstation.HOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHTWriter’s Workshop ModelStudents in the PK-5 language arts program will be taught the skills <strong>and</strong> content ofreading <strong>and</strong> writing through a workshop approach. The writers’ workshop is defined asan approach to teaching writing that invests students into writing <strong>and</strong> the writing process.The workshop consists of a writing period that includes daily mini-lessons,individual, group <strong>and</strong> peer conferencing, <strong>and</strong> common sharing period to addressa variety of writing strategies. Students will be instructed using a variety ofinstructional genres for both reading <strong>and</strong> writing <strong>and</strong> the qualities of writing <strong>and</strong>reading will be supported through age <strong>and</strong> developmentally appropriate text <strong>and</strong>writing strategies. This approach aligns with the teaching of writing in grades 6-12.Shanghai American School Self Study Report 89
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