Can you believe it's already time for our December Newsletter? This year is really flying by!!

As a reminder, normally, we publish our newsletters on the first Monday of each month from September - May. Any other necessary communication during the month will come through our ELAR Listserv, so be sure that you have signed up using the button at the bottom of the newsletter.

Click on the link below to see the complete list of our face to face and Zoom session PD offerings for Spring 24.

It is still true that some children come to school with a smaller vocabulary than their peers (David, 2010, Duff & Brydon, 2020; Templin, 1957; White, Graves, & Slater, 1990). If students do not have enough word knowledge to access the correct meanings of the words they read in text, they fail to comprehend those texts and struggle to keep up with their peers. This session is an overview designed to give teachers who work with early grade and pre-school children the tools they need to effectively teach vocabulary.

Date: December 6, 2023 or December 13, 2023

Time: 9-4

Location: Region 10 ESC

Presenter: Dr. Pearl Garden

Email: pearl.garden@region10.org

Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @LiteracyPearls

Preparing students for the rigor of standardized tests can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to equipping your students with the essential skills to excel on the STAAR test's Extended Constructed Response (ECR) items. This session aims to alleviate the challenges by offering practical strategies, valuable insights, and collaborative activities designed to empower teachers with the tools they need to guide their students towards writing exceptional ECRs. Join me for a hands-on, interactive workshop specially crafted to enhance teachers' expertise in teaching ECRs effectively.

Date: January 19, 2024

Time: 9-4

Location: Region 10 ESC

Presenter: Chandra Shaw

Email: chandra.shaw@region10.org
Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @CShawR10

The Extended Constructed Response (ECR) on the English 1 and English 2 End of Course (EOC) exams set expectations that incorporate text analysis and evidence-based writing that is foundational to students' college readiness. In this session, participants will review strategies to promote text-based thinking before getting "the 411" on how EOC writing expectations align with various college-readiness standards. In order to inform instructional practices around writing, participants will take a deep dive into rubrics and samples of student writing craft. In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in reading and writing experiences that will foster authentic writing growth for increased success on EOCs and beyond.

Date: January 25, 2024 or February 13, 2024

Time: 9-4

Location: Region 10 ESC

Presenter: Jennifer Gunn

Email: jennifer.gunn@region10.org
Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @GunnTexas

While it is important to expose students to test formatted items so that they are prepared for the state assessments, this does NOT have to be a boring and stressful process. In fact, studying for the STAAR 2.0 RLA test can be quite fun and engaging for both students and teachers! In this session, participants will learn strategies to improve students’ conditioning and stamina for STAAR Reading, Constructed Response, and Revising and Editing, and how to organize those activities into a rewarding 2 or 3 week bootcamp which will offer a welcomed break from the old “drill-n-kill” methods used by some which only add to teachers’ and students’ anxiety and frustration levels.

Dates: February 12, 2024 or March 1, 2024

Time: 9-4

Location: Region 10 ESC

Presenters: Chandra Shaw & Jennifer Gunn

Email: chandra.shaw@region10.org jennifer.gunn@region10.org
Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @CShawR10 @GunnTexas

During this session, RLA teachers planning with TRS from across the Region will come together to plan for their next unit. During the first part of our day, participants will go through TRS documents and identify how to utilize them in the planning process, work on unpacking performance assessments, and explore how ITRS can help us include these in our instructional units. During the second part of our day, participants will on planning out daily instruction!

Dates: January 16, 2024 or March 27, 2024

Time: 8:30-3:30

Location: Region 10 ESC

Presenters: Christopher Gray

Email: christopher.gray@region10.org

Location: 400 East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Twitter: @CGrayR10

Be sure to sign up for the RLA TRS Listserv: https://bit.ly/R10RLATRS

House Bill 1605 (88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023) requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop rubrics in consultation with and approved by the State Board of Education that will be used to evaluate the quality of instructional materials.

TEA was directed by the SBOE to develop rubrics for K–8 English language arts and reading, K–6 Spanish language arts and reading, and K–12 mathematics. TEA is seeking your feedback on the draft IMRA rubrics. If you would like to provide your feedback, check out the rubrics below and submit any feedback using the Public Comment Form by December 15, 2024.

Join us at our 5th Annual Region 10 and 11 Assessment Conference: Spotlight on Success. Sessions will include opportunities to learn from experienced assessment practitioners, engage in best practices, and enjoy the opportunity to network and connect with others in the field. Register today to learn, network, and help shine the spotlight on success! Participants will also have the opportunity to hear sessions from TEA, Cambium, and Performance Reporting.

Early Registration Ends December 15!!!

With teacher shortages continuing to be an issue in education, it's important for districts to find ways to tap into pools of talented educators from all backgrounds and retain those teachers once hired. Listen to a recent episode of Classroom Q & A where Larry discusses this important topic with a diverse group of educational leaders in The Path to Attracting More Teachers of Color Starts Here.

Focusing on emerging bilinguals in Grades K–5, this research-based guide supports educators through every step of planning and implementing biliterate writing instruction and monitoring student progress. Educators will learn proven strategies for teaching writing in tandem with other language arts skills, and they’ll get an invaluable Literacy Squared Writing Rubric to help them assess children’s developing writing in both Spanish and English.

The Region 10 ELAR team provides literacy support through professional development services, instructional coaching, and technical assistance.

Twitter: @R10ELA

Gr K-5 Literacy Consultant

Email: pearl.garden@region10.org
Phone: 972-348-1318
Twitter: @LiteracyPearls

3-8 Literacy Consultant

Email: chandra.shaw@region10.org
Phone: 972-348-1564
Twitter: @CShawR10

6-12 Literacy Consultant

Email: jennifer.gunn@region10.org
Phone: 972-348-1080
Twitter: @GunnTexas

• September 2023
• October 2023
• November 2023