Reading the Research: A Meta-Analysis about Writing

I mentioned a PLC I'm part of in a previous post. We meet monthly and discuss a piece of research (selected by one of the members) at each meeting. The study I'm writing about today was discussed by my PLC.

I'm sharing it simply to give access to how I process research when I read - how I organize my thinking before, during, and after reading research. This post is not intended to be an endorsement of the research or its conclusions.

The article is available for free for WI educators through BadgerLink.

Research Questions:

1. Are writing interventions, in general, effective for students with LD (learning disabilities)?
2. Which specific writing interventions are effective?

Methods:

• Meta-analysis (searched literature through December 2011) that included 53 effect sizes (collected from 43 studies)
• Only included studies that "involved a true-experiment with randomization, a quasi-experiment with pretest data, or a within subjects group design" (p. 456)
• Only included studies that "included students in Grades 1 to 12 identified as LD with appropriate supporting information" (p. 456)
• Authors defined writing as content generation or sharing of ideas (rather than the physical act of writing)

Findings:

43 Studies were organized in six subgroups containing four or more studies each with an average weighted mean effect size (ES) calculated for each subgroup

• Writing interventions for students with LD (ES = 0.74)
• Significant positive effect sizes:
• Strategy instruction (ES = 1.09)
• Dictation (ES = 0.55)
• Goal setting (ES = 0.57)
• Process writing (ES = 0.43)
• Not statistically different from zero: procedural facilitation (ES=0.24), prewriting (ES = 0.33)

Limitations:

• Results cannot be generalized beyond the specific population studied (students with an identified learning disability in grades 1 - 12)
• Must fully understand each subgroup (strategy instruction, dictation, goal setting, process writing, procedural facilitation, and prewriting) before applying conclusions of the meta-analysis
• Studied content generation - not mechanics of writing (such as spelling, grammar, and/or punctuation)
• Does not discuss new literacies or digital writing (or the use of assistive technology)

Questions:

• Both goal setting and process writing had statistically significant effect sizes. How are these the same and different? Isn't goal setting part of the writing process?
• What conclusions do other types of studies (such as case studies, interviews, observations, etc.) draw about writing interventions for students with learning disabilities?
• What types of writing interventions are effective for other populations (such as students without disabilities, English language learners, or students with disabilities other than LD)?

Connections to Other Work and Studies:

• WI DPI resources about writing instruction
• Writing Next

Complete citation:

Gillespie, A., & Graham, S. (2014). A meta-analysis of writing interventions for students with learning disabilities. Exceptional Children 80(4), p. 454-473. DOI: 10.1177/0014402914527238

What I Learned This Week: Emotional Resilience

I spent two days this week with a group of awe-inspiring literacy coaches and mathematics coaches learning about emotional resilience. Our collaboration was led by Laura Gleisner. 

Our time together was devoted to:

• defining emotional resilience
• considering and developing our own emotional resilience
• learning some coaching techniques to develop the emotional resilience of others

One group's graphic representation of emotional resilience - strength of the body, heart, and mind.

I am still enchanted by the magic that happened when so many knowledgeable, compassionate leaders collaborated around such an important topic. The part of the learning that is occupying my mind today, however, is about saying no.

What do we think of ourselves when we say no?

What do we think of others when they say no?

What do we think of ourselves when we say yes?

What do we think of others when they say yes?

But also:

What do we think of others when they don't say yes?

What do we think of others when they don't say no?

Our ability to say no (and our choice to say yes) is connected to our emotional resilience, and how we respond to the yes or no of our colleagues is connected to building emotional resilience within our organization.

My PLC: What and How

I am fortunate enough to be part of several different collegial groups - professional learning communities or PLCs - that help me learn and grow. 

Today, I want to tell you about one of those PLCs that is particularly close to my heart. We meet monthly over lunch. Our meetings are scheduled about 12 months in advance. We've structured our time in a variety of ways. Right now, someone selects a peer-reviewed and published article (mostly research) about literacy for each meeting. We read it prior to the meeting and discuss it. We keep notes from the discussion, so we are each able to quickly access information when it is relevant to our job.

Here are some lessons I've learned about PLCs from this PLC:

• Our group formed for an authentic purpose. To do our jobs well, we each need to understand reading and literacy from a variety of perspectives.
• We operate from established norms (which we revisit often). We established norms for our PLC and wrote them down. We refer to these norms during our conversations and email exchanges, but we also revisit these norms in a very formal way when our group is struggling.
• We meet regularly. Right now, that's about monthly while eating lunch.
• We communicate. Meetings are scheduled in advance and on everyone's calendar. We use email to confirm attendance or let others know of conflicts.
• We all have ownership. Right now, we meet monthly. Each month we discuss a different research study (peer-reviewed and published) selected by a member. We all read the selected study and come to the meeting prepared.
• We have varied backgrounds and areas of interest/expertise. We each bring a unique lens to our discussions and truly learn and grow from our conversations.
• We do hard work. The pieces we read and discuss are, generally, difficult to understand. Talking about them keeps us accountable and helps us understand.

I Used to Think - Now I Think: Culturally Responsive Practice

The Literacy Booth had a series of posts in our early days entitled "I Used to Think - Now I Think." The posts were modeled after essays in which education scholars' summarized their changing thinking about school reform.

I will use that then/now format to talk about some aspects of my continuing journey to be a culturally responsive person.

I used to think. . . 

• I used to think culturally responsive practice was something educators did - a series of strategies that educators and schools could use to ensure all students felt safe and valued in school.
• I used to think culturally responsive practice was synonymous with multiculturalism or diversity.

Now I think. . . 

• Cultural responsiveness is something individuals and organizations develop through an on-going process that begins with careful (and sometimes painful) examination of beliefs.
• Cultural responsiveness is about windows and mirrors; it's about understanding ourselves (mirrors) and others (windows).
• Cultural responsive practices include the ability to notice and respond to what the person in front of you cares about, needs, and wants. (Thanks for Dr. Carol Lee for this wisdom.)

What has pushed and changed my thinking?

• I attended the Wisconsin RtI Center's professional learning opportunity about culturally responsive practice with a team of colleagues.
• I read Paul Gorski and Katy Swalwell's article for Educational Leadership. 
• I studied Promoting Excellence for All, DPI's collection of resources about closing racial achievement gaps.
• I learned from the work of Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, including this article.

One of My Obsessions: Mystery Show

Mystery Show

Mystery Show, Starlee Kine's podcast for Gimlet media, has been keeping me company on many recent road trips. I've been recommending it to friends often, but I believe it could also be a powerful teaching tool (especially in middle and high schools). 

Every episode is an example of authentic inquiry - something I don't think we (educators) or students engage in nearly enough of. Someone in Starlee's (the reporter) life comes to her with a genuine and burning question ("How tall is Jake Gyllenhaal?" "How did Britney Spears decide to read that book?" "Who does this unique belt buckle found in a gutter belong to?"). Starlee explores all of the possible leads and solves the case. 

It raises questions about audience and purpose. The text is entirely unique - the questions are quirky, the voice casual, the ideas well-developed and thoroughly described. Who is this created for? What is the purpose? Why a podcast instead of another format?

It's an opportunity to practice Wisconsin's standards for speaking and listening. Each episode is around 60 minutes and contains no images - just words. It's great practice in listening, and listeners could analyze the reporter's presentation of knowledge and ideas. (Check out DPI's materials about speaking and listening for more information.)

It (along with Serial and This American Life) have pushed me to think about the larger role of podcasts in the classroom. Podcasts could be valuable (and often free!!) additions to text sets. Podcasts could be a format students choose for presenting knowledge and ideas. Podcasts could be a source of information for research. Check out these links for more about podcasts in education:

• Podcasting in education (from EdTechTeacher)
• Guide to podcasting (for those wishing to create a podcast)
• Educator resources from This American Life (another of my favorite podcasts)

Note. Are you wondering how to listen to a podcast? For those wishing to listen on a smart phone, this article is helpful. Some podcasts also have a web-listening feature. Visit the website for a particular podcast and listen directly on the site.

A Favorite Picture Book

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

We have a very small amount of time with each of our students. I'll be the first to say that time needs to be intentionally and thoughtfully utilized. Sometimes, though, we just need to read a book together. 

In my middle school classroom, a few minutes of September 11 were, traditionally, set aside for just that purpose - reading a book together.

I gathered students together to read The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, Mordicai Gerstein's 2003 award-winning biography of Philippe Petit - a French man who walked on a tightrope between New York City's World Trade Center towers in 1974, not because it is a unique mentor text or because I wanted to teach students about plot or because I wanted to model visualization. 

I gathered students together to read The Man Who Walked Between the Towers because I believe sharing a story is a powerful way to build community and to connect and to remember.

What texts would you include in a text set about the events of September 11, 2001?

Related texts:
Philippe Petit, High Wire Artist

Resources: Literacy-Related SLOs

Literacy-Related SLOs: DPI's 2015 Literacy (un)Conference

Literacy-related school or student learning objectives (SLOs) provide a unique opportunity to improve academic achievement for students, strengthen professional practice, and collaborate with colleagues. DPI's 2015 Literacy (un)Conference highlights the voices of more than ten Wisconsin literacy leaders; each discusses his/her experience with SLOs.

The videos do not focus on the procedural or compliance aspects of SLOs. Instead, each featured literacy leaders speaks honestly about his/her experience. Topics include:

• the SLO as an authentic inquiry process for educators (think: action research)
• strategic assessment within the SLO process
• rigor and focus
• coaching around SLOs
• literacy-related SLOs (disciplinary literacy)

The videos (each less than four minutes) can be used in the following ways:

• "I never thought about that!" Watch one or more to push your thinking about SLOs
• "I have a video for that!" Be familiar with content of videos to be able to share as appropriate in coaching sessions, professional learning communities, or other professional learning situations
• "My staff development is missing a little something. . . " Select one video to intentionally share with your staff as inspiration as they begin thinking about and/or writing their SLO(s) for this year
• "This is perfect for ______!": Maybe you're not responsible for staff development related to SLOs. Share one or more of the videos with the person/people in your district who may be able to use the videos in their work.