DRAFT - Denver Public Schools



DPS Literacy Program

Best Practices in

Writing Workshop Instruction for

Special Education Center Program Teachers

(This rubric has been modified in bold print to reflect the unique needs of special education students in center programs)

| |Getting Started |Developing |Highly Effective |

|Workshop structure |Teacher frequently implements the |Teacher regularly implements the components of |Teacher routinely implements the components of a 60-minute writing workshop including: |

| |components of writing workshop |writing workshop including: |Mini-lessons that are focused and appropriate which support student understanding of |

| |including: |A planned mini-lesson based on the student need|elements and strategies for specific genres of writing. The lessons are based on the |

| |A mini-lesson; |and ability of writing and the needs of |student need and ability and include studying touchstone texts and student work as well |

| |Independent work time |students as determined by the IEP. |as developing rubrics with the class. The lessons provide students with clear |

| |Sharing time for closure at the end |Independent or teacher directed work time for a|expectations and information to improve their writing. |

| |of the workshop. |period of time determined by the student’s |Independent or teacher directed work time which provides opportunities for students to |

| | |individual needs and abilities. Students write|write with clear intentions and purposes and to try the strategies and skills presented |

| | |individually (depending on their ability) while|in the mini-lessons. Students write individually (depending on their ability) or |

| | |the teacher confers with students or leads |discuss their writing with writing partners or response groups. When students are |

| | |small writing groups |writing independently or with the support of an adult, the teacher confers with students|

| | |Writing workshop closes with students sharing |or meets with small groups, focusing on the intended learning from the mini-lesson. |

| | |their writing |Writing workshop closes when selected students share their experiences with trying new |

| | | |writing strategies. The focus is on what they learned about themselves as writers. |

|Classroom Environment |Writing Workshop: |Writing Workshop |Writing Workshop |

| |Students have appropriate materials |Students are engaged in the writing process and|Students participate in a writing community in which they are seriously engaged in the |

| |for writing |share their writing with their classmates. |writing process and support their classmates’ efforts. Productive, accountable talk is |

| |Some charts and rubrics, generally |Charts and rubrics developed by the class are |encouraged by having writing partners, response groups, and/or teacher supported groups |

| |developed by the teacher are posted |posted or accessible and occasionally |so students can work together to improve their writing. |

| |or accessible |referenced. |A variety of class-developed resources are available for students to refer to when |

| |Some student work may be displayed in|Student writing is frequently displayed in |writing, including attribute charts, rubrics, and word walls. Displays are relevant, |

| |classrooms and hallways |classrooms and hallways. |easy to read, and are often referred to by the teacher and student during discussions. |

| |Classroom has a large space | |Examples of writing in different genres, by published authors and by students, are |

| |identified for whole group gathering | |displayed or easily accessible for students |

| |and space for students to work | |Class-developed rubrics include published author and student writing examples to clarify|

| |individually and in partners. | |expectations. |

| | | |Student writing is routinely displayed in classrooms and hallways to provide literacy |

| | | |opportunities, examples of learning and to celebrate students' accomplishments |

| | | |The environment is created with conscious attention to the needs of ELLs |

| | | |Classrooms are arranged to accommodate students in a variety of groupings |

|Student Independence |Students occasionally (Based on |Students frequently (Based on individual |Students routinely: (Based on individual student’s cognitive, developmental, and |

| |individual student’s cognitive, |student’s cognitive, developmental, and |social-emotional needs and abilities) |

| |developmental, and social-emotional |social-emotional needs and abilities) |Manage their own behavior independently |

| |needs and abilities) |Manage their behavior with some teacher support|Know what to do and what to do when they are finished with a writing activity |

| |Manage their own behavior with |Know what is expected of them during work time |Maintain resources respectfully |

| |significant teacher support |Maintain resources respectfully |Work well with writing partners and in small response groups, listening and responding |

| |Follow directions as to what to do |Work well for short periods of time with |appropriately |

| |next |writing partners |Move freely around the room without disruption to locate resources and to confer with |

| |Know how to care for resources |Move around the to locate resources during a |writing partners |

| |Move around the room with teacher |time determined by the teacher | |

| |permission | | |

|Mini-lessons |Teacher frequently does mini-lessons,|Teacher makes some decisions about which |Daily mini-lessons are related and part of a coordinated instructional focus. The focus|

| |mainly using district units, Lucy |mini-lesson to use from the district resources |is based on standards, cycles of writing (using district curricular materials*These |

| |Calkins’ Units of Study for Primary |and the pacing of the units based observation |materials will be used only when available and/or appropriate for the students), and |

| |Writing or Ralph Fletcher’s Teaching|of student needs *These materials will be used |assessed student needs. Mini-lessons present strategies and genres in a variety of ways|

| |Qualities of Writing |only when available and/or appropriate for the |including: |

| |*These materials will be used only |students |Demonstrating writing in front of students |

| |when available and/or appropriate for| |Composing writing together with students (this will look different for each child based |

| |the students | |on the individual student’s cognitive, developmental, and social-emotional needs and |

| | | |abilities) |

| | | |Using touchstone texts or teacher or student writing for the purpose of demonstrating a |

| | | |specific strategy |

| | | |Mini-lessons are sheltered when necessary to support English language learners |

|Conferences |Teachers meet occasionally with |Writing conferences include some of the |Writing conferences raise the level of students’ writing by altering how students write |

| |individual students to help them |following activities: |after the conference. During writing conferences, teachers: |

| |apply information from the day’s |Reading student writing and/or asking questions|Read some of the writing and ask questions that encourage students to talk about their |

| |mini-lesson |about the writing content or process |writing process |

| | |Assisting students in applying information from|Based on students’ questions and interests, decide what to teach the student or what to |

| | |previous mini-lessons |reinforce from recent mini-lessons |

| | |Assessing student writing to determine future |Teach one strategy or one concept clearly by |

| | |instructional goals |Supporting students in using information from previous mini-lesssons, |

| | | |Providing guided practice so students can try out the focused strategy with teacher |

| | | |assistance, and/or |

| | | |Helping students reflect about their writing by asking themselves questions about their |

| | | |own writing process |

| | | |Name the focus strategy and determine next steps with students |

| | | |Link the conference to students’ IEP |

|Artifacts: |Writer’s Notebook |Writer’s Notebook |Writer’s Notebook |

|Writer’s Notebooks, |Students have a writer’s notebook or |Students use their writer’s notebook to try out|Students write daily to record things they notice, observe, and think about. |

|Writing Files and Folders, |a writing file for writing |strategies presented in the mini-lesson |Writing Files and Folders |

|Editing Checklists, and |Writing Files and Folders |Writing Files and Folders |There is a system for organizing student writing that allows students easy access to |

|Touchstone Texts |Students have a place to keep |Students have writing files and/or folders for |work in progress as well as a storage place for pieces that have been completed and may |

| |finished work |“in progress” and finished work. |be revisited. |

| |Editing Checklists |Editing Checklists |Editing Checklists and Tools |

| |Information on spelling and |Students have copies of editing |Students use an editing checklist (Based on individual student’s cognitive, |

| |punctuation. may be posted or given |rules/checklists but they may be used |developmental, and social-emotional needs and abilities) to use as they reread their |

| |to students. (Based on individual |inconsistently or over-emphasized (Based on |work, checking for items on the checklist and making appropriate changes. The editing |

| |student’s cognitive, developmental, |individual student’s cognitive, developmental, |checklist does not bog down students and distract them from getting ideas down on paper.|

| |and social-emotional needs and |and social-emotional needs and abilities) | |

| |abilities) |Touchstone Texts |Touchstone Texts |

| |Touchstone Texts |(Based on individual student’s cognitive, |(Based on individual student’s cognitive, developmental, and social-emotional needs and |

| |(Based on individual student’s |developmental, and social-emotional needs and |abilities) |

| |cognitive, developmental, and |abilities) |Touchstone texts are referred to often so that students can anchor themselves to authors|

| |social-emotional needs and abilities)|Students are encouraged to use touchstone texts|and text they enjoy. |

| |Some touchstone texts are available |whenever they like. |Sections of touchstone texts and other teacher and student writing are identified with |

| | | |post-it notes to support students during writing workshop |

3/1/05 Denver Public Schools Department of Student Services

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