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Videotapes
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Documents
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The Writing Packet and The Reading Packet
Originally created for students in alternative school or individualized settings, these packets are also valuable for any student whose TAKS knowledge is deficient or who is having difficulty reaching the goal of meeting the standard or being commended. The appropriate packets are a good introduction for those entering middle school or high school. They can be great time-and-effort savers for teachers new to TAKS or to TAKS at their current level or for parents who wish to educate or help their students at home.
Contents (adjusted for middle or high school levels):
The Writing Packet
- Introduction to the Writing TAKS:
Purpose, design, scoring, detailed contents
- Approach to the Writing TAKS:
Process and procedures for composition and editing
- Taking and Coding the TAKS Test
- TAKS Composition Notes:
Hints and strategies for passing and/or excelling
- Sample prompts
- Sample "Semi-formula" Introductions for Emergency Situations
- Sample "coded" TAKS editing passage
- Practice TAKS editing passage
The Reading Packet
- Introduction to the Reading TAKS:
Purpose, design, scoring, skills and concepts by objective
- Approach to the Reading TAKS:
Process and procedures
- Basic Procedures for TAKS Reading Passages:
A "memorizable" outline of the complete process
- Taking and Coding the TAKS Test
- Sample "coded" TAKS reading passage
- Sample practice TAKS reading passage
Cost:
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- The Writing Packet - Middle School (6-8)
Cost: $65.00 (+ $8.50 S/H)
- The Writing Packet - High School
Cost: $65.00 (+ $8.50 S/H)
- The Reading Packet - Middle School (6-8)
Cost: $65.00 (+ $8.50 S/H)
- The Reading Packet - High School
Cost: $65.00 (+ $8.50 S/H)
Order multiple packets and save!
- Any two packets
Cost: $120.00 (+ $13.00 S/H)
Save over 7% versus buying two packets individually!
- All four packets
Cost: $215.00 (+ $18.50 S/H)
Save over 17% versus buying four packets individually!
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The Making Instructional Sense out of Test Scores Video Series
Video 2: Understanding Your Students
This series provided the foundation for mastering the TAAS test for districts and campuses throughout Texas. Video 2 remains the standard for understanding students as learners and test takers in all academic and testing situations and for all testing programs, in or outside of Texas. This 55-minute videotape constitutes a thorough introduction to identifying, understanding, and working with student instructional groups (mastery minus, bubble, etc.) A must for new teachers, it provides an efficient means of filling in staff-development gaps and bringing new teachers quickly on board - something especially important with increasing rates of growth and retirement.
Cost:
The Making Instructional Sense out of Reading Comprehension Series
Video 1 - Introduction to Reading Comprehension (45 minutes)
Video 2 - Reading Process for Nonfiction (70 minutes)
Video 3 - Reading Process for Fiction (64 minutes)
Video 4 - Reading Process for Testing (80 minutes)
Educators widely recognize that although good improvement has been made with phonemic awareness and decoding - learning to read - most students' reading comprehension - their ability to read to learn - remains at a very basic level. This 4-videotape series constitutes a comprehensive basic-training program, the starting place for establishing consistent, process-based instruction on a campus or district-wide basis. The four videotapes, which can be used individually or as a sequence, include:
Cost:
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- series of 4 videos
$800.00 NOW $550 (+ $20.00 S/H)
- individual video $150.00 (+ $15.00 S/H)
Cost includes 1 manual (apx. 100 pages for 4-tape series) of transparency masters, passages, activities, forms, and discussion.
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TAKS Vocabulary Components
These are specialized vocabulary lists for TAKS science and social studies. They do not pretend to be a general list of "what you (or professionals in the field) need to know" in science and/or history. Instead, they provide a fairly comprehensive picture of the vocabulary actually found in the test bank by taking important terms and "carrier words" from the Released Tests for 2003, 2004 and 2006, the Study Guides, and the Information Booklets. Definitions are given only when they are provided in the Study Guide so teachers can compare TAKS versions with their texts. Districts or campuses purchasing a master may copy at will within their own district. The following are available:
Science
Social Studies
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Like the Science documents, the Social Studies lists provide the terms and references known to be in the test bank (covers the released tests for 2003, 2004 and 2006, plus the Study Guide). Definitions are provided only when they appear in the Study Guide, and they are largely verbatim. The lists can also be used effectively as an assessment of students' prior knowledge. Each list includes a chart which analyzes test components. The following are available:
- Sample References and Terms from TAKS Social Studies - Grade 8.
8 pages plus a chart, with terms organized by Objectives. A mini survey of important people/places/events in early American history; helpful for both diagnosis and review.
Cost: $18.00 (+ $5.50 S/H)
- Sample References and Terms from TAKS Social Studies - Grade 10.
7 pages plus a chart, with items organized by Objectives. Particularly helpful in showing the significant differences between the 10th and llth grade tests.
Cost: $18.00 (+ $5.50 S/H)
- Sample References and Terms from TAKS Social Studies - Grade 11.
8 pages plus a chart, with items organized by Objectives. A mini diagnosis or review of the second half (post 1860s) of American history.
Cost: $18.00 (+ $5.50 S/H)
- Order all three and save.
Cost of all three Social Studies vocabulary lists:
Cost: $48.00 (+ $11.00 S/H)
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Analyses of Reading Item Patterns
Following an analytic introduction, these comprehensive documents are organized by reading objectives. First, the relative importance of the sub-skills within each objective are charted for the existing tests, with state results shown. Then past released-test items for the objectives are organized into patterns, with the question form for each application listed in order to display wording and document repetitions. (Covers the released tests for 2003, 2004 and 2006.) Each pattern is followed by "Comments" and suggestions from Dr. Crook. These documents provide invaluable tools for understanding the test design, developing benchmarks, and planning classroom instruction. Three levels are provided:
Analyses of Science Item Patterns
High School (Grades 10 & 11)
Following an analytic introduction, these comprehensive documents are organized by the five science objectives. First, the frequency of testing for each subskill/expectation is charted based on the 2003, 2004 and 2006 released tests. Then past released-test items for the objectives are organized into patterns, with the question form for each application listed in order to display wording and document repetitions. Each pattern is followed by "Comments" and suggestions from Dr. Crook. This document provides invaluable tools for understanding the test design, developing benchmarks, guiding vocabulary study, and planning classroom and tutorial instruction.
Analysis of TAKS Science Question Patterns
Elementary (grades 2 - 5)
This 49 page document organizes the TAKS questions from the 2003, 2004, and 2006 released tests, as well as the TAKS Study Guide, by the four science objectives and the TEKS categories and student outcomes which develop each one. After an analytical introduction, the frequency of testing for each outcome/expectation is charted for each test. The question stems from each source, verbatim, are then organized into patterns and charted, with notes about answer choices and format. Each pattern is followed by "Comments" and suggestions from Dr. Crook. This document is an invaluable too for understanding the test design, developing benchmarks and classroom tests, guiding vocabulary study and planning classroom and tutorial instruction. The discussions of levels of questioning and the recognition of prevalent patterns should be especially helpful.
The Student Analysis Packet: 2007 Update
The information you need to identify student instructional groups, make sense out of the TAKS scale scores, and plan tutorials - updated annually for the standards of the current TAKS. Changing "the numbers" every year is especially important because of ongoing modification in passing standards.
Each packet contains:
Note: All sections of this essential packet for data disaggregation have now been updated for 2007 and that the packet is available for the same price, with only a small adjustment for rising postal charges.
2005 2006 2007 performance standards for all subjects, all grades;- TAKS scale-score correlations with percentages and historical data for all grade levels and subjects;
2005-2006 2006-2007 instructional group charts for elementary, middle, and exit level
Cost:
TAKS Frequency Tables
Educators realize that all outcomes or targets included in the TAKS are not equally important, but it can be challenging to decide how distribute the limited time for academic tutoring and support. These tables document how often each outcome or target in each objective was tested in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 and, over time, provide an indication (not a promise) of the relative importance of each skill or concept. This is the first documentation to consider when planning tutorials.
| | Cost | S&H |
| Math Frequency Tables |
| Elementary Packet (grades 3,4,5,6) | $40.00 | +$8.50 |
| Middle/Intermediate Packet (grades 5,6,7,8) | $40.00 | +$8.50 |
| High School Packet (grades 9,10,11) | $40.00 | +$8.50 |
| All Packets | $95.00 | +$13.50 |
| Any One Grade Level | $15.00 | +$6.50 |
Science Frequency Tables |
| Grade 5 | $15.00 | +$6.50 |
| Grade 8 | $10.00 | +$6.50 |
| Grade 10-11 | $18.00 | +$6.50 |
| All Packets | $35.00 | +$8.50 |
Social Studies Frequency Tables |
| Grade 8 | $15.00 | +$6.50 |
| Grade 10 | $15.00 | +$6.50 |
| Grade 11 | $15.00 | +$6.50 |
| All Packets | $38.00 | +$8.50 |
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