Literacy Task Overview

(Multiple Subject only)

1.5 hours

As you know all California student teacher candidates must successfully complete a Teaching Performance Assessment encompassing two content areas (Mathematics and Literacy) before being credentialed. Candidates will complete the edTPA Elementary Mathematics with Literacy Task 4 portfolio during their student teaching placements this year. They will complete the Literacy Task 4 in Fall Quarter and the Elementary Mathematics Tasks 1-3 in Winter Quarter. The complete edTPA portfolio will be submitted at the end of Winter Quarter. Assessing candidates ability to teach in the other content areas are embedded into the methods courses throughout the Multiple Subject Student Teaching program. Please review the following information about the Literacy Task 4 so that you can support your candidate through this process.

Overview: The Literacy Task involves 3 related learning tasks that the candidate will complete:

a. Analyze a formative assessment related to an essential literacy strategy* and related skills for comprehending or composing text for the whole class. This formative assessment should be part of a learning segment (3-5 lessons focusing on the same essential literacy strategy). The learning segment may be taught by either or both the Mentor Teacher or candidate. If each of your reading/writing groups has a different focus on an essential literacy strategy, the candidate may work with a group of at least 6 students as the “whole class.”

b. Based on analysis of the whole class assessment, identify three focus students’ who may need more opportunities to clarify, practice, or develop the essential literacy strategy and related skills. Plan and teach a lesson targeted to this need.

c. Evaluate the effectiveness of the re-engagement lesson (targeted lesson) based on evidence of student thinking and/or learning from new work samples from the three focus students.

* An essential literacy strategy is an approach selected deliberately by a reader or writer to comprehend or compose text. When students are able to select and use strategies automatically, they have achieved independence in using the essential literacy strategy to accomplish reading and/or writing goals. Related skills are skills that students will develop and practice while learning an essential literacy strategy for comprehending or composing text within the learning segment. These skills should help students understand and apply the essential literacy strategy that you are teaching.

Suggested Timeline

How can mentor teachers support their candidates?

We request the Mentor Teacher’s assistance in supporting our candidates by:

Collaborating on long-term planning to determine the topics scheduled for the upcoming quarter/semester
Collaborating with credential candidates to select a central focus for a learning segment that is aligned with Common Core or academic content standards and the time period to teach the learning segment
Providing support and instructional materials that the candidate can review to plan his/her learning segment
Assist the candidate in collecting video permission forms from parents
Obtain equipment required for video recording, if available
Assist with video recording

Because the passage of edTPA is a requirement for applying for a credential, Mentor Teachers may not:

Edit candidate materials
Select video clips with the candidate
Provide actual candidate TPA materials on public access websites
Providing specific analyses of candidate responses prior to submission for scoring
Share materials across candidates or with others that are intended to be submitted or have been submitted for scoring

Some examples of essential literacy strategies and related skills are:

Comprehending Text

Make Inferences

Use prior knowledge and background experiences
Use textual and/or picture clues
Use details in the text

Use evidence from text to support an opinion

Identify details from a text
Use knowledge and experience to form an opinion
Use specific text examples to relate to the opinion

Retell a story (sequence the events of the plot)

Identify the major events and details
Sequence the events in the proper order

Composing Text

Writing a narrative

Writing an introduction to hook the reader and establish the situation for the narrative
Using dialogue
Strong word choice (description)
Use of transitional words to sequence events

Revising a draft

Adding clarity where needed to respond to readers’ comments
Understanding the audience
Features of genre/text type
Language conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation)

Additional examples of Essential Literacy Strategies and Related Skills

Use this link to access this document with addtional examples of essential literacy strategies and related skills for composition and comprehension.

https://bit.ly/LiteracyStrategySkills

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us:

Myuriel von Aspen

Multiple Subject Coordinator edTPA Coordinator

vonaspen@uci.edu

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