In the Scholastic Dashboard, you can use the Grouping Tool to create small groups informed by data gathered in your Scholastic Digital programs (Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.; W.O.R.D.; Literacy Pro; and NSGRA, K–6).
The more time your students spend in these programs, the smarter the Grouping Tool becomes. As students progress, you’ll see suggestions for reconfiguring your groups based on new data received from these programs. To begin forming your groups, select Grouping Tool and then Create New Groups.
DEFINE GROUP ORGANIZATION
Primary Focus
To begin, select the primary organizing principle for your groups. The Grouping Tool offers three ways to automatically form groups based on the most current data. This data is constantly refreshed, and users will get information about reconfiguring groups based on the most current data.
- Reading Level: These groups are organized according to Lexile measures delivered from Literacy Pro or Guided Reading Levels from Literacy Pro or NSGRA, K–6.
- Skills: These groups are organized according to skills data from Scholastic F.I.R.S.T., W.O.R.D., and/or Literacy Pro depending on which Scholastic Digital programs your students are using.
- Interests: These groups are organized according to data about students’ interests from Literacy Pro or NSGRA, K–6.
If one of these choices is disabled, that means that there’s not yet enough data about your students to organize groups in this way. If just a few students lack data related to the organizing principle you selected, you’ll see a note under the corresponding choice.
Note: You can also opt to create your own teachers elected groups.
Tie-Breakers
After you select the primary organizing principle for your groups, you’ll be asked to select the tie-breaker, or secondary, organizing principle.
The Grouping Tool uses the tie-breaker to create multiple groups if there are more than six students that match to the same group.
For example, say you’re organizing your groups by reading levels and you’ve selected interests as your tie-breaker. Imagine also that you have 12 students at roughly the same reading level. The Grouping Tool will look at these students’ interests to create multiple groups at this reading level, each unified by similar interests.
- Reading Level (Guided Reading Levels or Lexile measures): If this is your primary organizing principle, you can select skills or interests as your tie-breaker.
- Skills: If this is your primary organizing principle, you can select reading levels (GRLs or Lexile measures) or interests as your tiebreaker.
- Interests: If this is your primary organizing principle, you can select reading levels (GRLs or Lexile measures) or skills as your tiebreaker.
Number of Groups
Next, you’ll indicate the number of groups you’d like to form. (The recommended number of students per group is four to six.) The Grouping Tool may adjust the number of groups to create the best groups, according to the organizing principles you have selected.
Finally, select Continue.
PREVIEW & EDIT GROUPS
After you select the organizing principles for your groups, the Grouping Tool will generate a set of groups.
Group Header
The header at the top of each group provides an overview of the group’s reading level, skills, and interests.
- Reading Level: The range of reading levels, from low to high, within the group. Reading levels are displayed as Guided Reading Levels or as Lexile measures, depending on the choice you made when you were organizing the group.
- Targeted Skills: The skills students in this group are struggling with, according to their performance in their Scholastic Digital programs.
- Top Interests: The interests that the majority of students in the group share.
- See More Data: This is a complete record of each student’s work in Scholastic Digital programs.
Student Data Summary
Additional detail is available about each student. At the bottom of the screen, toggle to Student Data Summary: On to open each student’s tile and reveal that student’s top three targeted skills and top three interests, as well as his or her current reading level.
Customize Your Groups
You can customize the groups generated by the Grouping Tool:
- Review your groups and make any revisions by moving students among groups.
- Review the name of this set of groups; revise as needed.
- Review the name of each group; revise as needed.
When you have finished, select Save Groups.
Move Students Within Groups
To move students within groups:
- Check the box(es) next to the student(s) you’d like to move to another group.
- At the bottom of the screen, use the Select a Group drop-down menu to choose the group the student(s) will be moved to. (You can also add a new group.)
- Select Move Students. You’ll see the selected student(s) in their new group. (The data in the Group Header will update automatically.)
- Continue moving students as needed.
- Select Save Groups when you have completed your groups.
Group Data Chart
For detailed information about each student in a group, select the See More Data in the group header to view a Group Data Chart. This printable report displays the most recent data from Scholastic F.I.R.S.T., W.O.R.D., Literacy Pro, and/or NSGRA, K–6 (depending on which resources your students have access to).
Student Data Chart
To view this report by student, select the graph icon next to the student’s name.
TEACHER-SELECTED GROUPS
If you have opted to create new groups based on your own criteria, type in the names of your new groups. Select Add a Group to create additional groups.
Add Students to Groups
You will then see a group roster, as well as your new (empty) groups.
To move students into a group:
- Check the box(es) next to the student(s) you’d like to add to a group.
- At the bottom of the screen, use the Select a Group drop-down menu to choose the group the student(s) will be added to. You can also use this drop-down menu to add a new group.
- Select Move Students. You’ll see the selected student(s) in the new group.
- Continue adding students to each group. Select Save Groups when you have completed your groups.