Training Objectives ​

Essential Questions​

Training Sections - Click on the section you would like to jump to

Why do teachers use ChalkTalk?

How do teachers use ChalkTalk?

Step 1 - Introduce students to the program and ensure everyone has access

Step 2 - Administer the placement (diagnostic) test in one or multiple sittings

Step 3 - Analyze the skill level report to set class, group, and individual goals

Step 4 - Choose and teach lessons based on skill data, the scope, and sequence or the calendar tool

Step 5 - Administer a second diagnostic based on the calendar tool to analyze growth

What are the Lesson Materials?

How should I use the lesson materials?

The diversity of lesson materials empowers teachers to choose a structure that works best for their classroom culture and teaching style. With a priority on primary materials, the lesson materials provide 2-3 days of content for each ACT/SAT tested skill. Check out these examples below.

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How often should I teach ChalkTalk?

Using ChalkTalk is less about time than it is about the number of lessons completed. As you will find later in this training, for each lesson, we can tell you the average amount of SAT/ACT questions per test. Therefore, we advise teachers to focus on lessons completed each month.

When do I start using ChalkTalk?

We’ve worked with your district/school administrators to create an implementation timeline. The dates for the testing windows will be shown on your dashboard.

Lesson Notes (Whole Groupe) - Primary Material

The primary notes of the lesson. Go here to mark a lesson complete, facilitate openers, lead discussions, and walk-thru examples with the entire class. This is the most important resource that we offer. It requires direct teacher involvement.

Group Activity (Whole Group, Small Group, Independent) - Primary Material

WHOLE GROUP (FOR ELA/READING ONLY) - the group activity contains a passage, three questions, and rules/explanations for each question’s answer. Close or popcorn read the passage, then use the gradual release model (I-do > we-do > you-do) for the three questions while students take notes on the rules/explanations after each question.

SMALL GROUP (BOTH) - Place students into groups, then start the group activity. First, students will answer the three questions individually and then work as a group to choose a collective answer.

INDEPENDENT (BOTH) - Place students into independent groups, then start the group activity. Students will answer the three questions individually.

Primary & Intervention Worksheet (Small Group or Independent)

Each lesson has two pdf worksheets that can be used for group or independent work. For ELA/Reading, worksheets include a passage and three questions. For math, worksheets include three multiple choice questions.

Math Adaptive Practice (Independent)

Each Math lesson has a tab for adaptive practice. The activities are individualized for each student’s skill level of the lesson. This activity is 5 questions long, and because they are adaptive, students will never receive the same questions twice. Teachers cannot view questions beforehand.

On the teacher’s intervention tab, they can review student scores on the adaptive practice, assign practice and learn the student’s skill level.

ELA/Reading Adaptive Practice (Independent)

Like math, the ELA/Reading practice is individualized for each student’s skill level, teachers cannot view questions beforehand, and students will never receive the same questions twice. For English, there is a passage and 5 questions for each activity. For Reading, there is a passage and 11 questions for each activity. The Reading practice is based on 2 or more lessons, and the activity can be found in the curriculum column underneath the lessons' titles. The practice will take the unit's name and include a number like Usage #1 or Sentence Structure #2.

Study Hall Mini-Lesson Video (Independent)

Most lessons include a 2-6 minute mini-lesson video. The videos are closed captioned and include 2-3 questions at the end of the video. Unlike the other lesson materials, teachers cannot review student results, and the questions do not come equipped with answer explanations.

Skill Level Report

Navigate to the dashboard and practice details to identify whole group and individual skill levels and assign activities. The skill level report is created after the diagnostic and updates from adaptive practice activities.

Skill levels can be found in the intervention tab of each math lesson.

A version of the skill level report can be downloaded into a .xlsx sheet. Find it on the practice details screen.

Scope & Sequence

Navigate to the Teacher Training Icon in the bottom left, then select the scope and sequence to learn the average amount of SAT/ACT questions on the test per skill.

How to find a lesson

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