5. Submit Implementation Portfolio

We have a third-grade class of 25 English Language Learners. Academic vocabulary is quite challenging at times. I use the LINCing routine mostly with small groups, and we work on just 2-3 essential vocabulary words per unit. Each student uses the routine approximately every 2 weeks or so. That is the average length of a unit of study for us as well.  

Submit Implementation Portfolio Background… We have used the LINCing Routine during the current 2017-2108 academic term.  Our school operates on the Semester 4X4 system resulting in new classes each semester.  We are currently in the second semester, the fifth week of instruction.  Currently, two 9th grade English classes are being instructed.  Class number 1---24 students enrolled of which 9 are IEP students, 3 have 504 Plans, and 12 are GENED.  IEP Exceptionalities include, 1) autism, 2) emotional disability, 3) other health impairment, and 4) specific learning disabled.  The class has 5 females and 19 males enrolled.  5 students are African-American and 19 are white.  3 students read at grade level or above.  The overall average of the class independent reading level  (IRL) is 6.5 (Should currently be at 9.5).  The lowest IRL in the class is 2.3.  IEP students average 5.3 accommodations per class.  11 students receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch.  Class average GPA is 2.0375.  7 students present with medical alerts.  The average IEP student service delivery is 4.738%.     Class Number 2---25 students enrolled of which 11 are IEP students, 2 have 504 Plans, and 12 are GENED.  IEP Exceptionalities include, 1) emotional disability, 2) other health impairment, and 3) specific learning disabled.  The class has 6 females and 19 males enrolled.  4 students are African-American and 21 are white.  4 students are reading at grade level or above.  The overall average of the class independent reading level (IRL) is 6.1 (Should currently be at 9.1).  The lowest IRL in the class is shared by two students ranked at 2, while a third is rated at 3.  IEP students average 5.7 accommodations per class.  11 students receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch.  Class average GPA is 1.979.  5 students present with medical alerts.  The average IEP student service delivery is 11.463%. Total students---                          49 IEP students---                            21 (43%) 504 Plan students---                    5 (10%) Students receiving services)---     53%   IEP Exceptionalities---                 autism (1), ED (4), OHI (7), SLD (9). Female students---                      11 (22.45%) Males students---                        38 (77.55%) African-American students---       9 (18.36%) White students---                        40 (81.64%)   Students reading at or above grade level---                           7 (14.29%) Students reading below grade level---                                   42 (85.71%) Students receiving free or reduced breakfast and lunch---      22 (45%) Implementation… We have taught the short story unit and have used the LINCing Routine to introduce vocabulary per story.  The four stories featured similar themes, actions, and outcomes regarding structure.  The vocabulary lists drawn from each varied per story, with the first having 11, the second 9, the third 7, and the fourth with 9.  The stories taught included: a.     “The Cask of Amontillado”                      Edgar Allan Poe, b.     “The Most Dangerous Game”                Richard Connell, c.     “The Scarlet Ibis”                                   James Hurst, d.     “The Lottery”                                         Shirley Jackson. We used 70 minutes of a 94-minute block to teach the initial introduction to the LINCing Routine based on the first story.  Another 25 minutes was required the following day to complete the introduction of the list.  The students had each word on the list modeled for them with some measure of reluctance for voluntary participation being noted. During the vocabulary lesson for the second story taught, 45 minutes of a 94-minute block were devoted to the exercise.  Of the 49 students, 8 finished during the exercise and the balance of students were directed to finish the exercise for homework and given two evenings to finish the work on their own.  Of the 41 remaining students, 9 turned in their completed work the next day.  Of the 40 remaining students, 29 turned in the work on the second day, with four of those incomplete.  Of the remaining 11 students, 7 turned in the work over the following week and two of those were incomplete.  4 students did not submit anything to date.  2 were absent on the original day of the class modeling and 2 lost their work after having received more than one copy. Story three featured the shortest vocabulary list.  45 minutes of a 94-minute block were dedicated to the exercise in class.  It was during this lesson that the most student progress was demonstrated.  Students grasped the opportunity and set to work independently or in groups of two.  They were quickly beginning to feel comfortable with the requirements and expectations of the exercise.  Of the 49 students, 31 submitted their finished work prior to leaving class.  On the following day, 12 students submitted their work, 5 of these being incomplete with a number having two or more reminding words not noted.  3 students submitted work in the next three days, with 3 still not having turned in the assignment.  With the last story, students were taught the vocabulary list, given slide copies of the presentation, and a blank LINCing table and required to create their own table by completing the entire sample on their own.  Time did not permit that the exercise be completed in class.  It was assigned as homework for submission in two days’ time.  Tomorrow (3-15) is the submission date as I compose this. A matching quiz style assessment, word to definition, was administered for the first three vocabulary lists to date. These were given at the beginning of each class following a brief review.  An exit pass was assigned at the end of class on the same day that the quizzes were given regarding the same vocabulary list used earlier in the class period.  The students demonstrated moderate, yet improved growth, as they came to understand the expectations of the assessment phase. Quiz--- a.     Quiz #1         score average---73%, b.     Quiz #2         score average---78%, c.     Quiz #3         score average---86%, d.     Quiz #4         score average---pending. Exit pass--- a.     Pass #1        score average---82%, b.     Pass #2        score average---78%, c.     Pass #3        score average---86%, d.     Pass #4        score average---pending. Scoring rates were similar in outcome.  It suggests the students learned the information compartmentally.            

I completed the LINCing routine with all classes (3) during one day in February of this year. This content was presented to math 6 students in the collaborative setting. Each class is comprised of approximately half special education students and half regular education students. The group sizes range from 22-29 students. The routine took about half of a class period to complete, or about 45 minutes. Since this was a review of prior knowledge, students were asked to get out their study guide folders, which contain all of the properties and their corresponding definition/examples. They were able to use this as a reference while they worked. Initially, we completed the first term together as a class and brainstormed together. Students were then asked to choose several other terms in order to complete their own LINCs tables. When students had each completed at least 1-2 examples, we regrouped as a class and went over good examples. Students really enjoyed this activity and getting to exercise their creativity in math.