Grades 3-10:
Full Curriculum Training: This 3- to 3.5-hour training is a comprehensive review of both text-based and non-text-based essay writing. Teachers will be guided through each section of the Top Score Writing curriculum and all digital resources to ensure the effective and efficient integration of the program into their instruction. Participants will walk away with a wealth of research-proven instructional strategies, ideas on how to easily differentiate instruction, and, best of all, the knowledge of how to make writing tun for students and teachers! This training provides a great foundation for teaching writing and is appropriate for teachers new to Top Score or teaching writing in general.
Raising the Bar on Writing Instruction: This 3- to 3.5-hour training will provide a brief overview of the writing process and the structure of several genres of essays. The training will focus on diving deep into areas where students typically struggle and providing brand new strategies, activities, and tools. These new materials are not included in the curriculum! For veteran Top Score teachers, this is a great way to take instruction to the next level. Also included is a direct process for monitoring students’ progress through the use of provided progress tracking tools, informal assessments, checklists, and anecdotal notes. Teachers will leave confident in their ability to individualize instruction to
maximize student performance.
Differentiating Writing in the Classroom: This 1.5-hour presentation is an in-depth discussion on how to increase every student’s writing ability by monitoring individual performance and organizing and implementing skill groups. A collection of progress monitoring, tracking, and informal assessment tools will be provided to allow teachers to easily implement effective differentiated instruction. Teachers will also learn explicit strategies for fostering a growth mindset in students through a variety of self-assessment tools and daily reflection. Finally, various tun and engaging writing center activities will be supplied for teachers to take back to the classroom and use the very next day!
Mini PD Series: This is a collection of five mini-PDs that are each half-hour long. Each PD focuses on a different aspect of essay writing and provides new strategies and materials to remediate students’ biggest needs. These PDs can be done individually on different days, during planning periods, etc. or all at once in l½ hours
Mid-Year Meeting: This 1.5-hour training is individualized for each school and is an excellent addition to Top Score Writing’s scoring of student essays. The consultant will present an in-depth review of students’ performance and specifically identity areas of strength and areas for improvement. Teachers and will work collaboratively with the consultant to set a focus plan for the remainder of the year.
Modeling and Working with Students: During this consultation, Top Score trainers will model instructional strategies in the classroom and/or work with small groups of students. There will be a short overview and debrief provided for teachers. If requested by the school, the consultant could also observe classroom teachers instructing and provide constructive feedback.
Scoring Through Sample Papers: This 1.5-hour training provides teachers with the knowledge to score student essays accurately and efficiently.
Grades 2-3:
Building a Solid Foundation for Writing: This 2-hour training focuses on teaching writing in the primary grades. We will focus on teaching younger students how to navigate the writing process and construct well-structured and organized essays. Specific strategies, activities, and tools for each writing genre are provided. Teachers will also learn explicit strategies for introducing text-based writing and referencing to our youngest writers.
Mid-Year Meeting: This 1.5-hour training is individualized for each school and is an excellent addition to Top Score Writing’s scoring of student essays. The consultant will present an in-depth review of students’ performance and specifically identify areas of strength and areas for improvement. Teachers and Top Score consultants will work together to set a focus plan for the remainder of the year.
Modeling and Working with Students: During this consultation, Top Score trainers will model instructional strategies in the classroom and/or work with small groups of students. There will be a short overview and debrief provided for teachers. If requested by the school the consultant could also observe classroom teachers instructing and provide constructive feedback.
