EDUC 529/683

Artifact Description
The artifact I submitted is the rubric that went along with the practicum I completed
for the class. The instructor has commented on the work, as well. In order to
complete my practicum, I did over 15 hours of assessment and tutoring with an
elementary and middle school student. I created lesson plans while using specific
assessments to guide my practice.
As I began my practicum, I created a practicum plan. In this plan, I outlined the
students grades, assessments being given, and potential dates of the intervention
sessions. I also completed a case study which discussed the background of the
child, the reason for the referral, the case history, details about the assessment and
intervention sessions. Also included were the lesson plans that I created and
followed to meet the needs of each learner. Each lesson focused on a word
study/phonics component, a fluency piece, and a comprehension portion. In
addition, I included my pre- and post- assessment data for comparative purposes. I
used a variety of assessments such as the Words Their Way spelling inventory, the
Names Test, and the QRI-5. In the end, I concluded with a report detailing the
student progress.
Professional Growth
Before taking this course, I was comfortable with some assessments I could use to
measure a students current level of functioning in reading. I was also familiar with
planning intervention instruction based on diagnostic assessment because of my
role as a literacy coach.
During this class, I was amazed at how much more there was to learn. I increased
my repertoire of informal reading assessments to determine next steps for carefully
planned instruction. Also, we honed in very specifically on the if this, then do this
approach to intervention. The instructor provided very specific guidance around
reading problem and reading instructional solution. I also was able to practice
the skill of using running records to assess level of functioning and next steps.
Since completing both the course and the practicum, I feel even more comfortable
assessing students and their reading abilities. I also took away a great deal of
instructional resources to meet the needs of our schools intervention students. The
experience of writing the case study was very helpful as I routinely communicate
with teachers and parents about student progress.
Understanding & Application of Standards
Standard #8- Teachers know how to test for student progress.

This class continued to build my knowledge of how to assess student reading

progress and use the assessment information to craft lessons to address deficits. It
is important to see the whole picture of the reading ability of the student, so a
variety of assessments is necessary to track progress. This course provided me
with a great deal of choice around informal inventories.
Impact on Student Learning
Since this class, I have used the Words Their Way spelling inventory and program
with many students for intervention. The inventory has given me a clear picture of
which spelling stage the student is in and what sort of instruction would meet that
need. I currently have 7 teachers using the program, with fidelity, with their
students and they are seeing immense gains.
In addition, I have used the QRI-5 to diagnose the needs of many of our students.
The data provided by the QRI-5 assessment has been valuable as I work with
teachers to design intervention instruction. The summary section gives great
information about what areas students are struggling with in terms of
comprehension. This tool has also been effective because our school has 6 th-8th
graders and there not many intervention assessments for the older grades readily
available.
Overall, the learning I acquired in the course and the practicum is being put to great
use on a daily basis and directly impacting student reading achievement.