Getting+Started+A+Guide+for+Administrators

Below are suggestions for what administrators can begin to do in their school in order to foster a school culture of data-driven instruction:

**Enduring Understanding:** There needs to be a __relationship__ between instruction and assessment. (Mokhtari et al. 2007) (the word "drive" can be used, one "informs" the other)

**Enduring Understanding:** "Teachers and students need to understand that assessment is for helping them not for judging them." (Language Arts, 2009, page 395).


 * Enduring Understanding:** "Assessment is not the goal. The goal is student learning. Assessment is a tool." (Language Arts, 2009, page 396).


 * Enduring Understanding:** "Assessment and evaluation should be ongoing, daily, and easy to gather and interpret." (Language Arts, 2009, page 396).

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1. Post the school mission regarding students' academic performance (Supovitz & Klein, 2003) (p.29-30) For ex: All students will read 25 books All students will read at least one book from a minimum of three different genres (These can be generated from the ELA Standards and Math Strands)
 * SCHOOL WIDE/ADMINISTRATOR BEHAVIORS:**

2. Make it known (to students, faculty, board, and parents) that "we are a school that" is commited to using multiple forms of assessment to idenitfy students' strengths and areas of need.

3. Make it known that "We are a school committed to developing a culture of systematic inquiry into the relationship between the instructional practices of teachers and the learing of our students." (Supovitz & Klein, 2003) (page 2)

4. Encourage (require?) teachers to identify the standard they are targetting in their lesson plans for each learning activity. Develop rubrics for each assessment. (This does not need to be chapter and verse, but it can come from the ELA learning standards and Math Strands). Accountability for teachers and administrators to know that they have covered the standards equally.

5. Identify "Lead Teachers" or "Administrators" who will be on the school data team. This team can be (and ought to be) dynamic, but always include a member of the administration.

6. Commit to using the data to influence curricular changes, staff development opportunities, resource purchases, scheduling of classes (literacy blocks,math blocks irrespective of grade level but skill level? different days can be set as extended time for different subjects) teacher class assignments etc.

7. Consider using the data to revise the report card system. Instead of A, B, C, D or E, G, VG, P consider using standards to drive the report cards. In ELA Standard 1, your child is "proficient" "below proficiency" etc. "Standards-based grading"

8. Schedule time for your teachers to observe their students, without losing prep time.

9. Schedule time for your teachers to co-plan. "A Common Prep period for all 4th grade teachers"

10. Get Educated: > > > > > > > > > **TEACHER BEHAVIORS:** > > > > > > > > > 1. Create a folder for each student in your class. This folder ought to contain the student's data (external assessments/test scores) from the previous year. This can be transferred from teacher to teacher throughout the student's academic career. Need to be certain that the school values encourge growth on part of each child and that all teachers believe that every child can learn. See above school culture. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 2. Create a portfolio for each student's work and monitor the improvement throughout the year. Student work is a good indicator of learning. (Is the student using proper capitalization? punctuation? spelling? math forumla? lining up the place value columns? etc.) > > > > > > > > > 3. Schedule time to observe (and record) using a running record each student in the class at least twice a monnth. Work with the administrator to see if coverage is possible so you can observe w/o losing prep time. See AUSSIE rubric sample where teachers can highlight individual skills observed. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 4. Co-plan with other teachers on the grade.
 * Train your teachers in data-analysis.
 * Make sure you have the necessary skill set to interpret the data, as well.
 * Learn how to use the computer/technology to collect, sort, and analyze your data.


 * TAKING A DEEP BREATH: Limitations for "Gauging Pupil Achievement Based on Testing"**: (taken from Data Driven Decision Making by Dr. Marlow Ediger.


 * pages 11-12**


 * 1) it is a one-shot approach; only given once a year
 * 2) evaluates "on demand achievement" and not daily progress
 * 3) provides a numerical result and not an evaluation of student work (though ELA tests do have student work)
 * 4) machine-scored . . allows for error
 * 5) evaluates written work and not ability to express orally
 * 6) does not measure a Ss purpose for reading/math
 * 7) does not measure Ss attitude toward reading/math
 * Other Forms of Assessment**
 * 1) Portfolio Assessment (w/rubrics and evaluation and student input)
 * video tape or CD of Ss discussing content/ reader's theater
 * record of library books borrowed and a mini-summary
 * illustrations which reveal comprehension
 * model
 * mural
 * journal writing
 * checklist
 * word problems with word problem solving process explained

2. Student Work 3. Rubrics 4. Running Records/observations 5. Chapter/unit tests 6. Performance-based assessments (Can students solve real life problems? What strategies do they employ? See Flynn pages 33-34).


 * Defn: Performance-Based Assessments:** "Tasks conducted by studnts that enable them to demonstrate what they know about a given topic." Students are also better able to communicate what they have learned. Students APPLY knowledge and information. Allows for students to tackle the SAME task according to their OWN thinking process. (Flynn, page 33).

Mokhtari, K., Rosemary, C.A.,& Edwards, P.A. (2007) Making instructional decisions based on data: What, how and why. //The Reading Teacher,// 61 (4), 354-359.
 * Article:**
 * Article is available in hard copy for distribution.
 * Pages 356, 357, 358 offer excellent worksheets for school teams.

** Article: ** Martiniello, M.. (2008). Language and the Performance of English-Language Learners in Math Word Problems. Harvard Educational Review, 78 (2), 333-368,429.
 * Issue: performance of ELL's on Math exam which relies on language
 * Experts argue for the distinguishing between the language skills of ELLs from their subject-area knowledge
 * Test items include: complex syntactic and lexical features that challenge ELL text comprehension (p. 334)
 * Additionally: subordinate clauses; passive voice; which "one" versus the number "one" (see test question p. 342).
 * "one shown below" versus "one that is shown below" OR "the spinner that is shown below"; rewriting would make it easier to understand the question. (p. 346)
 * Difficulty of words is related to their frequency of use; Research shows that in order for comprehension to occur 90-95% of the words in a text must be known to the reader. (p. 335)
 * **POINT:** "ELLs tended to have a lower probability of correctly answering linguistically complex items than non-ELLs with equivalent math ability." (p. 337)
 * This study found high association between language proficiency and socio-economic status. (implication for BJE schools?)
 * ​ Words in math problems that were unfamiliar to ELLS "owe"; "coupon" (low-frequency words)
 * A store situation with a coupon would provide the CONTEXTUAL clues for the ELL to function successfully, whereas a test question is highly decontextualized (p. 360)
 * Classroom implications:
 * Did the ELLs miss the instruction b/c of their ELL status?
 * Were teachers less-prepared to teach this math concept to ELLs?
 * Research shows that teachers of ELL students have less math training and lower certification rates (p. 359)
 * Can teachers simplify the language of in-class assessments without diluting the skills being tested?
 * What about the test writers for the state exams?