The Middle School CRES

1. The Middle School CRES How to Use and Assess the Portfolios

3. Definitions Working Portfolio: The working portfolio is a folder for students to house all of their formative writing. Practice BCR�s and drafts of ECR�s, plus other writing for the course, will appear here. CRES Showcase Portfolio: The CRES Showcase Portfolio pulls together the student�s summative writing. County assigned BCR�s, final ECR�s, and timed writings will appear here.

4. What counts as a BCR for the working portfolio? Responses that address reading indicators can be scored using the BCR rubric Examples include: oral responses, speeches, group presentations, student discussions, drawings, completed graphic organizers, projects, written responses � �

5. What counts as a BCR for the CRES Showcase Portfolio? Written response to the secure BCR questions provided by FCPS

6. What counts as an ECR for the Working Portfolio? Any written text produced by students may be evaluated for written expression or language usage. Examples include: poems, short stories, essays, journal entries, letters, speeches, proposals, written BCRs, research papers

7. What counts as an ECR for the CRES Showcase Portfolio? Any formative ECR from the Working Portfolio may be removed and submitted to the CRES Showcase Portfolio as evidence of mastery of the writing and language usage indicators

8. What Does Not Change? Worth: The CRES counts for an assignment in the 4th term grade BCR�s, ECR�s, timed writings, and a Language Usage requirement, are scored using familiar rubrics and anchors. Students revise their ECR�s and choose the best ones to include in their CRES Showcase Portfolio. Timed Writing procedures do not change at all.

10. What Does Change? Portfolio Use: Teachers will maintain both a working portfolio and a CRES Showcase Portfolio for each student. BCR Requirements: Old: Students choose their 4 best BCR�s per pair of units New: County designates 4 BCR�s per semester.

11. What Else Changes? Pinnacle eliminates the need for CRES Spreadsheets and Bubble sheets. Deadlines: Teachers will be given dates by which they must enter students� BCR scores into Pinnacle. Teacher Selection of BCR Texts: Teachers will select an appropriate text to accompany the question. Texts selected should represent the enrolled grade level and enrolled course level.

12. More changes BCR & LU Rubric Percentage Equivalents: These have been adjusted to align with MSA rigor and standards 4=100 3=87 2=74 1=61 NSR=48

13. Advantages for Teachers Two portfolios instead of three. Eight BCR�s per year instead of twelve. Averaging is no longer required. Deadlines help guide pacing. Working portfolio serves as an instructional tool to help student reading, writing, and language usage achievement.

14. CRES Showcase Portfolio Contents January 23, 2007 BCR #1 BCR #2 BCR #3 BCR #4 2 ECR�s Timed Writing June 13, 207 BCR #1 BCR #2 BCR #3 BCR #4 2 ECR�s Timed Writing

15. Best Practices Consider how you will establish and maintain your working and CRES Showcase Portfolios. Plan to use your working portfolio as an instructional tool to maximize student growth. Assign frequent practice BCR�s to prepare for the formal BCR assessments. Assign more than two ECR�s (four or more!) to allow students to have a real choice as to which ECR�s move to their Showcase Portfolios. Set up your Pinnacle CRES category and enter your BCR grades in a timely manner to avoid the end-of-term crunch.