Elementary Literacy

Task 1: Context for Learning Information

TASK 1: 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: _____
Suburban: ___x__
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 classroom I am teaching uses a team teaching approach. My mentor teacher specializes in
reading and the teacher next to us specializes in math and writing. The two classes spend the
day switching between the two teachers and two classrooms. The school is set up in pods.
Each grade has its own pod. The pods are open and the different classrooms do not have
doors. Instead they have large entryways with a common area in the middle of all the
classrooms. The fifth grade teachers switch students for RTI math time. Each teacher has a
different level of students who they meet with each day for focused instruction. Roosevelt
Elementary is a focus school, meaning that they have low test scores compared to other
schools in the state.]
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.
[Benchmark Literacy is the school wide curriculum used for reading and writing. The fifth grade
team has a pacing plan in place that is implemented before the MCAs to ensure that all reading
components are covered before students take the MCAs.]

About the Class Featured in this Learning Segment

1. How much time is devoted each day to literacy instruction in your classroom?
[There is a total of 2 hours and 50 minutes devoted to literacy each day in my classroom.
There is 40 minutes of writing, 30 minutes of word study, 30 minutes of a reading mini lesson,
60 minutes of independent reading, and 10 minutes of read aloud every day.]
2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in literacy? If so, please describe how it affects your
class.
[Small groups during independent reading time are based on DIBELS and NWEA scores.
Students who are considered lower level readers are assessed in fluency twice per month.
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Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Context for Learning Information

Average level readers are assessed for fluency once a month. Reading groups are based on
comprehension of weekly bubble tests. Accelerated Reader tests help give each student a
reading range.]
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.
[Benchmark Literacy, Benchmark Education, 2012 is used for literacy instruction.]
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.
[ iPads, novel sets, national geographic magazine, reading A-Z website, Accelerated Reader,
projectors, readworks.org, and DIBELS are used as other resources.]

About the Students in the Class Featured in this Learning

Segment
1. Grade-level(s):
[ 5th Grade ]
2. Number of

students in the class: __18___

males: __11___ females: __7___
3. Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations, or
modifications for your students that will affect your 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 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
EBD

Number of
Students
2

LD

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Scheduled breaks, more lenient on
discipline
Tests read aloud, lower grade level
homework, less homework questions,
modified spelling lists, quiet room for
testing

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

English.

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

2 of 3 | 4 pages maximum
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.

Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Context for Learning Information

Students with Specific Language Needs

Language Needs
ELLs

Number of
Students
4

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Additional explanations when needed,
time spent with ELL specialist

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs
Struggling readers

Number of
Students
5

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Ongoing reading assessments, one on
one work with reading interventionist

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

3 of 3 | 4 pages maximum
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.