ON-DEMAND WORKSHOP
Practical STAAR Test Prep Strategies
During this on-demand virtual workshop, Texas educators from grades 3-12 learn ready-to-use strategies to improve reading comprehension along with short and extended constructed responses aligned with ELA TEKS standards.
This course goes beyond simply outlining the skills educators need to teach. It shows teachers how to teach the TEKS English Language Arts and Reading skills effectively.
Participate from the comfort of your home or school.
Earn 5.25 hours of Texas-approved CPE credit.
Gain lessons, STAAR test samples, and digital resources that support STAAR test prep.
Get one year of on-demand access to course videos
Tiffany McQuaig-Wallace
Literacy Curriculum Specialist
Spring ISD – Houston, TX
Ross Green
Cleburne ISD – Cleburne, TX
The presentation was energetic, even in a virtual setting! We’ve definitely added a few new strategies to our toolbox. Great overall strategies and information!
Jeffrey Pilcher
Garland ISD – Garland, TX
Three reasons to watch this course
1
Success requires confidence and familiarity.
The revised STAAR test includes various question formats that often trip up students on test day. Knowing these potential pitfalls, teachers can prepare their students to confidently navigate these unique question types on STAAR.
2
Success on the STAAR test is only part of the goal.
The ultimate goal isn’t passing the STAAR test— it’s mastering the TEKS standards. While this workshop specifically addresses facets of the state test, it’s only because STAAR is the tool used to assess mastery of ELA TEKS standards. The bigger goal of this workshop is to create strong readers and writers whose skills go beyond standardized assessments.
3
Success on the STAAR RLA test requires explicit instruction.
The secret in preparing students for the STAAR test is not simply to assign more reading, ask more complex questions, and assess with more prompts. Rather, it comes down to sharpening the teacher’s capacity to provide direct and explicit reading and writing instruction so that students are equipped with the most essential literacy skills.
A virtual workshop just for Texas educators
To get kids ready for STAAR, teachers must start immediately, plan intentionally, and teach explicitly using TEKS resources. This on-demand workshop will provide the tools teachers need to do just that.
PART 1: Target the depth of thinking that students must execute when reading any text.
- Concretely explain the inference process needed to answer standards-based comprehension questions about complex texts.
- Learn STAAR test-taking tips to attack unique technology-enhanced questions like the multi-part and multi-select.
PART 2: Understand the importance of teaching students how to communicate their thinking in test-specific writing formats.
- Define the ingredients required within short constructed responses on the STAAR test.
- Propel students beyond simply stating evidence to explaining it— from generating a basic response to a polished one.
PART 3: Advance students beyond making single-text inferences to generating multi-text syntheses.
- Identify a step-by-step process for reading and annotating multiple texts in one sitting.
- Dissect how readers integrate ideas learned from multiple sources to generate a new thought or synthesis.
PART 4: Ramp up expectations to include reading multiple texts and composing an extended constructed response—all in one sitting.
- Provide explicit instruction on academic vocabulary to support students in decoding and responding to prompts.
- Show students how to leverage their short-constructed response skills to compose longer informative, argumentative, and correspondence responses.
This virtual workshop is perfect for:
- Grades 3-12 RLA Teachers
- Grades 6-12 Content-Area Teachers
- Literacy Coaches/Coordinators
- Title I Teachers/Directors
- ELL Teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- High-Ability Teachers
- Campus Administrators
ON-DEMAND WORKSHOP
Workshop Itinerary
Session 1
1 hour 15 minutes
Session 2
1 hour
Session 3
25 minutes
Session 4
1 hour 15 minutes
Session 5
1 hour
Session 6
25 minutes
After participating, you will be able to:
Target the thinking that students must execute when reading any text.
Reveal to students that their thinking must also be communicated in writing.
Advance students beyond making single-text inferences to generating multi-text syntheses.
Raise the rigor to reading multiple texts and composing extended constructed responses — all in one sitting.
Get answers to questions like:
At the beginning of the school year, which RLA TEKS skills should I teach first?
Beyond the TEKS curriculum, what can be done in the content areas to cultivate critical reading and writing skills?
Earn Texas-Approved CPE Credit
Watch each session to earn a total of 5.25 hours of TEA-approved professional development credit.
Allied States Cooperative Approved Vendor
Smekens Education is an approved provider of professional development with the Allied States Cooperative.
Region 11 Approved Vendor
Smekens Education is an approved provider of professional development for ESC Region 11.
Meet Your Guide
Kristina Smekens has built a reputation for using enthusiasm, humor, and common sense to equip K-12 educators with practical, demystifying strategies for teaching reading and writing.
Kristina has closely followed the evolution of the STAAR assessment. She knows about the 75% cap on multiple-choice questions and is up-to-date on technology-enhanced formats like multi-select, multi-part, inline, grid-in, and hot text.
She knows that the general writing prompts have been replaced with open-ended read-write prompts. She also knows how to prepare students to respond to 2-part questions—provide your answer with relevant textual evidence.
For Texas educators who want a plan to prepare their students, join Kristina Smekens as she reveals classroom-tested lessons and strategies to put your students on track for STAAR success.
Pricing & Group Rates
ON-DEMAND WORKSHOP
1 TICKET
$169
2-14 tickets
$159
CAMPUSWIDE
$2,500
Included with your registration
Course Access
Access 5.25 hours of course videos for an entire year
Earn Credit
Receive a certificate reflecting 5.25 hours of CPE upon completion
Engaging strategies
Gain the tools & motivation you need to get students ready for the STAAR test
Downloadable Handout
Receive a full-color downloadable handout to use for taking notes
Self-paced videos
Progress through the workshop at your own pace
Digital Resources
Gain lifetime access to a strategy-packed digital resource website
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer a group discount?
Yes! Groups of 2-14 receive a $10 discount. Or provide campus-wide access to every teacher for $2,500.
Can I earn CPE Credits?
With prior approval from the attendee’s school district, participants may receive credit for 5.25 hours of Texas-approved CPE credit for participating in this on-demand workshop. A certificate will be provided upon completion, which can be used to verify attendance. Visit our Continuing Education Credit page for more information about how this workshop fulfills Texas continuing education requirements.
Can I earn Graduate-Level Units?
Through a partnership with University of the Pacific, workshop attendees are eligible to pursue one, two, or three nationally-accredited graduate-level semester credits/units after this virtual event. The cost of graduate-level credit ($62 per credit/unit) is separate from the cost of attending a workshop. For more information, please contact us.
Can I share access with my colleagues?
Sorry, sharing your personalized link to watch the workshop is not allowed. Our Terms of Use specify that one registration fee allows access for just one person. However, we are happy to offer group discounts. Give us a call at (888) 376-0448 to get the details.
What if I'm unhappy with the workshop?
Every Smekens workshop comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. We are convinced the simple and effective strategies will transform the way you teach, so we stand behind our workshops with full confidence. If you aren’t satisfied, contact me within the first ten days of your workshop access, and I will give you a refund immediately. There are no additional forms to fill out, and there will be no delay. Just call (888) 376-0448 and ask for Brady or email me directly. We give you our personal promise of a speedy, hassle-free, no-questions-asked, total and complete refund.
Have a Question?
Complete the form below or call (888) 376-0448.