RDG 6940 Framework for Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting On Practicum Projects

Name: Adam Miserlian

School & District: Brewster Elementary, Rochester Community Schools
Grade(s) & Subject Area(s): 1st Grade, ELA
Part I: Project Plan
A. Rationale
My plan for the first practicum project is to coach a second year teacher in my building how to
effectively administer running records using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment
System. Lauren is an effective kindergarten teacher; however, she is lacking experience in
administering running records. Running records are a highly effective method for assessing
students oral reading, providing one of the most powerful tools for fine-tuning guided reading.
Using running records as authentic assessment practices, holds enormous potential for
changing what and how we teach and how children come to be readers and writers (Allington &
Cunningham 1996).
As a reading specialist, I would like to coach Lauren in the process of gathering the data from a
running record and critically analyzing her students reading behaviors to better understand the
strengths and weaknesses to guide her balanced literacy instruction. Running records as an
assessment may give Lauren information about student learning that can inform her
instructional decision-making; however, new teachers need more than just assessment forms
and assessment manual directions. They need a supervised coaching experience to provide indepth knowledge examining each error and determining which of the three-cueing systems the
student used when making the errors (Fountas & Pinnell, 2008). Therefore, it is my goal to
ensure Laurens F & P assessment kit is complete before we begin our training and that she is
familiar with the following materials: benchmark books, recording forms, student writing
materials, F & P calculator, and the assessment summary forms. Next, I will demonstrate how to
administer a running record with a first grade student providing a detailed explanation of
scoring. I will repeat this process to ensure Lauren can see the students independent,
instructional, or frustration reading level.
I am confident, that this training will provide Lauren with the knowledge and confidence she
needs to administer a running record and how to effectively analyze the data to guide individual
literacy instruction.
B. Goals & Outcomes
My goal is to provide the coaching and support Lauren needs to administer a running record,
score, and interpret a students reading behaviors to effectively guide individual instruction.
Intended outcomes:
The teacher will have a complete Fouantas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System to
administer running records.
The teacher will record the students oral reading through check marks and other
conventions.
The teacher will determine the students independent, instructional, or frustration reading
level.

RDG 6940 Framework for Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting On Practicum Projects

The teacher will analyze cues used and cues neglected during oral reading.
The teacher will analyze a students strategic processing of text through interpretation of
the strategies used during oral reading.
The teacher will use data effectively from running records to guide individual instruction.

C. Roles & Responsibilities

For this project, Lauren and I have already met and she was very willing and interested in
participating in this practicum project after hearing my rationale, goals and intended outcomes
for assessing literacy skills. As a reading specialist, my role is to arrange several meetings
before school, after school, and around our prep time if necessary to explain the value of this
informal assessment training and how she can use it to inform her teaching. In addition, I will
address any questions or concerns Lauren might have about our training. I will be responsible
for ensuring Laurens F & P kit is complete and that she is knowledgeable of all materials
contained in the kit. I will also provide detailed instruction for administering a running record and
scoring a running record. I will also provide various samples of previously scored running
records with detailed explanations for Lauren to use as a reference or guide. Finally, I will
discuss a timeline that Lauren agrees to.
D. Timeline
I have already met with Lauren to discuss this project and we have arranged to meet on
Tuesday before school to take an inventory of her Fountas & Finnell Benchmark Assessment
Kit. Lauren and I will review our specials schedule to arrange one day during her prep time for
demonstrating a running record and one day during my prep time that I can coach her as she
administers a running record with her student. Lauren already agreed to meet after school to
score, analyze, and discuss how the results of her running record can strategically guide her
instruction.
Part II: Project Implementation & Artifacts
A. Implementation
In our first Meeting, Lauren and I met after school to take a thorough inventory of her Fountas &
Pinnell kit that was assigned to her. I wanted to ensure that Laurens kit was not only complete
but that she was knowledgeable of all of the available resources contained in the assessment
system, in addition to the recording forms and leveled benchmark books. As a new teacher, I
was never coached or even introduced to the optional assessments included in the
Assessments Forms that I feel would be extremely beneficial to Laurens beginning readers in
her kindergarten classroom, particularly the Phonics and Word Analysis Assessments, which
could be utilized in addition to her running records. After completing the inventory, I asked
Lauren about her strengths/weaknesses, comfort level, and what she hoped to gain from our
coaching sessions. She indicated that she had some training as a new teacher administering
running records but she felt she needed more practice with coding errors and determining a
students instructional level verses a students independent level. At the end of our meeting, I
gave Lauren a packet that I organized from Fountas & Pinnells Benchmark Assessment System

RDG 6940 Framework for Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting On Practicum Projects
and When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works that would give her a quick overview of
coding and scoring errors as well as a guide to understanding reading behaviors. I highlighted
several areas and asked Lauren to look over it carefully prior to our next meeting. Furthermore, I
emphasized that we will continue to refer to this packet as an invaluable resource throughout
our coaching sessions together.
The next day, during our prep time, I reviewed the materials needed to administer the
assessment and the running record resource packet that I gave her. We spent a great deal of
time discussing the most common oral reading behaviors and how to annotate or code them on
the assessment recording form using a previously scored form. These conventions used for
miscue analysis included submissions, omissions, insertions, repetitions, self-corrections, told,
and sounding-out markings. In addition, we looked really closely at the errors the student made
to ensure Lauren was confident in recognizing which system and processes the student was
using or not using (Meaning, Structure, Visual) in their errors or self-corrections. Next, we
practiced completing the scoring by calculating the oral reading accuracy rate, fluency, and
comprehension score.
On Friday, during Laurens prep time and my literacy block time, I conducted a running record
assessment. I had my students reading independently and found a quiet area to conduct the
assessment. My kit was next to me (with multiple recording forms) and the materials were in
order and everything was prepared to administer the running record. I selected a student and
conducted two assessments to demonstrate both independent and instructional reading levels. I
recorded all information and errors made. During our lunch, Lauren and I scored and analyzed
the running record together determining the students independent/instructional placement level.
I gave Lauren a cheat sheet that incorporates accuracy and comprehension to help determine a
students independent, instructional, and frustration level. I also reminded Lauren that
sometimes the numbers do not add up perfectly and that experience will help as well as
observing the reader carefully before and after an error.
On Tuesday, I was able to observe Lauren complete a running record with one of her students
during her literacy block and my prep time. Lauren was well prepared and her materials were
organized and available. She administered the assessment conference with poise and
confidence. She tallied the errors and scored the accuracy, fluency rate, and comprehension
portion of the assessment. During her prep time, she went back and coded the errors using M,
S, and V. After school, we revisited her concerns and questions from our first coaching session
as we looked over her running record, particularly her coding. Lauren felt more confident in her
ability to administer a running record however; she still had some concerns about interpreting
the results, especially determining when a student is using or not using Meaning, Structure, or
Visual processes. I reminded Lauren that there are many variables when analyzing reading
behaviors and that practice and experience will help tremendously; however, I book marked
several pages in her Fauntas & Pinnell Assessment Guide that focused on this topic.

RDG 6940 Framework for Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting On Practicum Projects

B. Artifacts
FOUNTAS & PINNELL Benchmark Assessment Kit System Inventory

Lauren Administering Running Record

RDG 6940 Framework for Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting On Practicum Projects

Part III: Professional Reflection on Project

A. Reflection on Project Impact
Coaching Lauren on administering a running record and analyzing the data was extremely
rewarding for both of us on many levels. This project encouraged collaboration across grade
levels and it really solidified the importance of discussing how student behavior and interpreting
data from a running record is so vital. Although Lauren is a second year teacher, she was
knowledgeable about the procedures in administering a running record as well as the
assessment tools contained in the kit but she lacked experience in recognizing and scoring the
miscues a student made. Therefore, I focused my coaching on miscue analysis and the reading
behaviors students use to determine their independent and instructional levels. Throughout our
coaching sessions, Laurens understanding of coding specific miscues grew tremendously as
well as her confidence in recognizing student reading behaviors. After watching her administer a
running record, it was evident that Laurens ability to administer, score, and recognize strategies
a student used or didnt use while reading will benefit her and her students instructional
development. We are both looking forward to our next coaching cycle that will focus on how this
data obtained from running records can be utilized to differentiate her classroom instruction.
B. Reflection on Professional Growth as Reading Specialist
As a reading specialist, it is imperative to continue to grow as a professional. Coaching a peer
within my own building gave me an opportunity to demonstrate my craft while building
collaboration among other staff and different grade levels. This coaching experience not only
increased Laurens confidence in administering a running record it gave her an opportunity to
really look closely at the data to inform her instructional approaches in her classroom moving
forward. Empowering teachers to effectively use assessment and drive their teaching is
extremely powerful. Not only did Laurens confidence sore, so did mine. From our discussions
together, it is evident that there is a need for more consistency and training in using running
records to guide our teaching as well as more opportunities to build collaboration across grade
levels and I look forward meeting that challenge.

RDG 6940 Framework for Planning, Enacting, and Reflecting On Practicum Projects
References
Allington, R. L., and P. M. Cunningham. 1996. Schools That Work: Where All Children Read
and Write. New York: Harper Collins.