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Question Answer Relationships (QAR) Print E-mail
The Question Answer Relationships (QAR) Teacher Development Academy (as part of Questioning as Thinking) is targeted for middle school and high school teams to engage in a research-based instructional strategy that provides a framework for making explicit the invisible processes underlying reading comprehension in order to improve reading achievement for all students.
The purposes of QAR Teacher Development Academy are:
  • to promote reading achievement at all levels for all students at middle and high school teams
  • to build the state’s capacity to support schools in providing a research-based instructional strategy that provides a framework for making explicit the invisible processes underlying reading comprehension in order to improve reading achievement for all students.

QAR is a strategy that engages students in the process of differentiating the types of questions students could ask of text. QAR provides a framework for organizing comprehension strategy instruction across all grade levels and in a variety of subject areas. Students learn to distinguish between types of questions. Teaching students QAR gives students the language for talking about the strategies they use to answer questions. It helps students develop an awareness of their own cognitive processes when answering questions. QAR helps all readers at all grade levels benefit from learning to think about information sources used for asking and answering questions.

To accomplish the goals stated above, the Department invited upper elementary and middle school teams to participate in QAR training and follow up professional development sessions throughout the school year.

QAR for 2007-08 has two strands:

  • Train the Trainer, provides AEA consultants, principals, literacy strategists responsible for QAR professional development with the knowledge and materials to support technical assistance to schools. Those involved in Train the Trainer have participated in the Teacher Development Academy for QAR and have implemented the strategy in schools/districts for at least 2 years.

    The meeting dates for the group are:
    • July 17-19, 2007
    • October 25, 2007
    • December 14, 2007
    • February 22, 2008
    • April 24, 2008
  • Professional Development to middle school and high school teams along with teachers from Higher Education institutions methods and content area professors.
    The schools involved are:
    • Valley CSD
    • MFL Marmac CSD
    • North Scott CSD
    • Dubuque - Hempstead
    • Dubuque CSD, Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School
    • Jesup CSD
    • Howard-Winnesheik CSD
    • Louisa-Muscatine CSD

    The higher education institutions involved include:
    • Upper Iowa University
    • Luther
    • Coe College
    • Ashford

    The meeting dates are:
    • June 19-21, 2007
    • September 27, 2007
    • February 21, 2008
    • April 17, 2008

2005-07 Participating School Teams
Maquoketa Valley CSD, Maquoketa Valley Middle School
Woodward-Granger CSD, K-12
Corning CSD, Corning High School
East Marshall CSD, K-12
Glenwood CSD, Glenwood Middle School
Council Bluffs CSD, Abraham Lincoln High School
Marshalltown CSD, Marshalltown High School
Dubuque CSD, Dubuque Senior High School and Hempstead High School
Des Moines Independent CSD, Hoover High School

Contact
Deb Squires, Consultant
515-281-6235
deb.squires@iowa.gov

 

 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 February 2008 )