BETH+JACOB+OF+BORO+PARK

Basya and I met for close to five hours in her office. I taught her how to read different reports including: //the frequency distribution report, group item analysis, individual item analysis, content strand analysis,// and //student ranking list//. I showed her how to use different reports to gather different information. Together, we looked at questions where students scored between 60-75% correct, our ZTI, __as__ __well__ __as__ questions where students scored below 60% correct. I have decided to look at the below 60% questions, because I have discovered that occasionally the question (and the skill) is one which the students ought to have answered correctly or mastered. Furthermore, there have been questions where a simple adjustment in instruction would result in students answering the question correctly. (See [] //question # 22//. If teachers would show different configurations of an octagon and not only the “stop sign,” student understanding may increase.) Together we reviewed each math question that fell both within and below our ZTI. We analyzed the skills necessary for success, the possible reasons why students erred, and discussed pedagogic interventions. We discussed the importance of having students explain their thought process and meta-cognitive process during problem solving. We discussed the importance of having students rewrite the question, identify the question being asked, noticing the formulas provided and working in a step-by-step fashion. In order to address the large number of students and faculty, I suggested the possibility of implementing grade advisors, who would in turn be responsible for sharing information with the teachers on their grade. I also suggested implementing //Do Now// activities, which holds students accountable for a task immediately upon the beginning of class. This not only has a classroom management benefit, but also allows for mini-lessons and reviews of concepts and skills which require further rehearsal. I suggested that teachers use questions from the exam which fall in the ZTI range as a //Do Now.// We discussed using the 2009 math exam as an assessment tool for the 7th graders, although they are the same students. We further discussed the possibility of using the exams of the previous year (the 5th grade exam) as assessments for the incoming grade, the 6th graders).
 * Meeting Date:** June 30, 2009
 * Name of School:** Bais Yaakov of Boro Park (Beth Jacob of Boro Park)
 * Principal:** Mrs. Basya Weinstein
 * Participants:** N/A
 * Tests reviewed:** 4-6-8 Math 2009
 * Meeting Summary: **

Basya immediately engaged with the data and grasped the implications for instruction. She immediately recognized how the reports overlapped, intersected, and how they could be used to understand student performance. She began asking for certain information and I was able to show her which report would give her that data. She is enthusiastic about having the five principals who work under her and supervise various grade levels, be part of this process. It appears from Basya’s description that there is minimal, if any, time for staff development. Some of her teachers are contracted by the number of periods they teach and are only in the school as contracted. I suggested modifications to the schedule, like the inclusion of “Club Hour,” which would, on a rotating basis, free teachers for professional development.
 * Impressions: **

Basya has invited me to return to the school on July 28, 2009 and review the 2009 __ELA__ data for grades 4, 6, 8. I am in the process of sending her CDs with the //Skill Enhancement Repor//t for grades 4, 6, 8 for both Math and ELA so she can see: (a) the level of proficiency of (b) each student on a (c) per skill and (d) per standard basis. She also inquired about my flexibility in presenting professional development workshops on using the data to drive instruction to her staff throughout the 2009-2010 school year.
 * Plans for Follow Up: **

**Meeting Date:** July 28, 2009 During my second meeting with Basya, we analyzed the ELA data for grade 6. Together, we looked at questions where students scored between 60-75% correct, our ZTI, __as__ __well__ __as__ questions where students scored below 60% correct. Together we reviewed each ELA question that fell both within and below our ZTI. We analyzed the skills necessary for success, the possible reasons why students erred, and discussed pedagogic interventions. I discussed the idea of having students identify the verbs and phrases within a story that describe the dominant emotion of the character. For example: In one story, the students were asked to identify the main idea. Each of the choices dealt with an emotion. I suggested looking back at the passage for textual support and evidence and highlighting the words and clues the author uses to describe, in this case, the fear of the protagonist. We used the //Frequency Distribution// report, side by side with the //Student Rank List//, both aggregated and disaggregated by homeroom. In this way, Basya was able to see how the grade performed as a whole, as well as how each class performed per question. Basya then took out the IOWA scores for her 6th grade class and cross-referenced them with the ELA scores. She noticed that the same students, who had performed below proficiency level on the ELA exam, had also scored in the single digit or low double-digit percentiles on the IOWA exams. Furthermore, she noticed that some of these students were not receiving any services in reading, but were receiving services in math. She noted the names of these incoming seventh-graders and plans to share this information with the other administrators. We analyzed the //Frequency Distribution// reports closely and noticed that although a majority of students appear to be at or beyond proficiency in one homeroom, that same majority is in fact 2/3 of the class and is at risk of falling to below proficiency, because there are many students who scored in the “low 3s.”
 * Name of School:** Bais Yaakov of Boro Park (Beth Jacob of Boro Park)
 * Principal:** Mrs. Basya Weinstein
 * Participants:** N/A
 * Tests reviewed:** 4-6-8 ELA 2009
 * Meeting Summary: **

Basya remembered how to read and interpret the reports we had learned about during our last meeting. She suggested cross-referencing the NYS scores with the IOWA scores, in order to gain a global picture of the students. She is thinking about whether to stop administering the IOWA exams in favor of NYS testing throughout the school. I advised her that if she chooses NYS testing throughout the grades, the data generated from the reports will allow her to track and identify the progress of each student during her academic career at the school. I suggested that she network with Rabbi Sourkes at Yeshivat Ohr Haiim, who is also contemplating moving to NYS testing for grades 3-8. She mentioned that she experiences a great deal of staff turnover due to engagements and that her 6th grade teacher from last year will not be returning in the fall.
 * Impressions: **

Basya has asked me to come back to the school and review the data and exams for grades 4 and 8. She has also expressed interest in having me present to, meet with, and teach the five assistant principals whom she supervises. We are hoping to schedule this meeting for the first week in September n before Labor Day.
 * Plans for Follow Up: **

**Meeting Date:** August 19, 2009 Basya and I met for close to five hours in her office. I reviewed with her how to read different reports including: //the frequency distribution report, group item analysis, individual item analysis, content strand analysis,// and //student ranking list//. She took notes about the information that each report offered, as well as what could be learned when combining the data from various reports. We discussed at length the details of the upcoming professional development day, (which I will facilitate) scheduled for her five principals, as well as some of her goals for them this coming year. We discussed the challenges unique to her school regarding accountability and brainstormed how this professional development session might support the goals she has mapped out for the principals this coming school year. Upon reflection, we decided on a different approach to the professional development day than we had discussed. I suggested that the principals be given a set of 8 placemats. Each placemat will include the standards for ELA and Math, three and five, respectively. On each of the placemats the individual skills will be listed. The principals will then be given questions taken from a variety of ELA and Math texts from grades 1-8. Their task will be to identify which standard and skill is being addressed by each of the questions. This task complements Basya’s goal of having her principals train their teachers in how to identify the cognitive level of instruction using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Upon completion of the sorting, each principal will be given names of the students in the grades which they supervise. They will be asked to pair the names of the student with the content standard where each student is performing at or below grade level. They will then be asked on what basis or evidence (or data) they drew their conclusions. **// It is the goal of this learning task to underscore the importance of accountability on the part of the principals for instruction and to demonstrate the value of the data reports in establishing a baseline and ultimately using the data to drive instruction. //**
 * Name of School:** Bais Yaakov of Boro Park (Beth Jacob of Boro Park)
 * Principal:** Mrs. Basya Weinstein
 * Participants:** N/A
 * Tests reviewed:** 4-6-8 ELA 2009
 * Meeting Summary: **

After some review, Basya immediately recalled each report and the data it offered. She took notes on each report reminding herself with phrases and key words how each one might be used. She mentioned more than once that after this meeting she felt she truly understood each report. She also mentioned that she is excited by the possibilities that the data offer for instructional accountability. She is particularly enthusiastic about the //Skills Enhancement Report// which provides a detailed report about each student’s performance per standard and per skill.
 * Impressions: **

Basya and I will continue to be in touch regarding the professional development session for her five principals. She has expressed interest, hope, and excitement at the possibility of having me return at various points throughout the 2009-2010 year for continued learning with her staff.
 * Plans for Follow Up: **


 * Meeting Date:** September 1, 2009
 * Name of School:** Bais Yaakov of Boro Park (Beth Jacob of Boro Park)
 * Principal:** Mrs. Basya Weinstein
 * Participants:** Mrs. Weinstein; Mrs. Schorr (principal grades 1&2); Mrs. Lowinger (principal grades 3&5); Mrs. Brezel (principal grade 4); Miss Katzenstein (principal grade 6); Miss Homburger (principal grades 7&8); and Harriet Tabick (Consultant, America’s Choice)
 * Topic:** Importance of using data and establishing a baseline; review of ELA standards and math strands; review of skills within each standard or strand; learning how to interpret select NYS reports

I met with this group of professionals for about two hours. I introduced the meeting with a sample of a student’s writing and established the fact that data refers to more than the NYS exams. I then showed them a quote which underscored the point that oftentimes it is not the things we don’t know that are of concern, but rather, the things we know for sure, that just aren’t so. The group was engaged by the introduction and so I began my first learning task. Each participant was given an envelope with select names of students in the grades she supervises and asked to identify if the specific student was at or below grade level in both ELA and Math. After this activity, the principals reflected that they “generally knew” how a student was performing. One principal immediately said, “This will show us that we really don’t know how the students are performing.” I quickly commented on her ability to recognize the intended goal of the task and told the group that //the data// will enable them to know exactly how each student is performing. We then began the second learning task. The group was divided according to the grades they supervise (with principals who supervise consecutive grades working together) and they were given questions from the NYS exams and asked to identify under which math strand and ELA standard the question fell. When they reflected on this exercise, they realized that they did not have familiarity with the NYS state standards being tested. We then began analyzing the data reports. I introduced them to the //frequency distribution report, group item analysis, and individual item analysis reports.// They began making observations and connections between and among the reports almost immediately. One principal flipped to additional reports and commented that it was possible to “figure out the reports” and when she saw the //rank list report//, she said, “This is amazing!”
 * Meeting Summary: **

The assistant principals were engaged almost immediately in the learning process. Harriet joined in and participated actively in all the aspects of the professional development seminar. I feel that this is a group committed to using data and to establishing a data baseline for their students. They expressed many times that were surprised at the value of the data and at how interesting data analysis can be. I think it was extremely beneficial that Basya and I met a number of times prior to this staff development seminar. It allowed us to send the same message to her principals and have a common language. Basya and I plan to continue to be in touch and discuss additional professional trainings for her principals and teachers.
 * Impressions: **
 * Plans for Follow Up: **

** ** Data-Driven Instruction ** ** י״ב אלול תשס״ט ** ** Principal Responsibility: ** To monitor the educational progress of each child and ensure she advances academically ** Seminar Objective: ** To gain additional tools to achieve the above responsibility ** Tentative Schedule **
 * AGENDA:
 * Professional Development Seminar **
 * Beth Jacob of Boro Park **
 * September 1, 2009 **
 * 11:00-11:45 **
 * Introduction and Learning Task: Standard and Strand Sort **
 * 11:45-11:55 **
 * Short Break **
 * 11:55-12:30 **
 * Interpreting Data Reports from the NYS Exams **
 * 12:30-12:45 **
 * Classroom Connections **
 * 12:45-1:00 **
 * Exit Cards **

** Meeting Dates: December 9th and 16th 2009 ** **Name of School:** Bais Yaakov of Boro Park (Beth Jacob of Boro Park) **Principal:** Mrs. Basya Weinstein **Participants:** N/A**:** **Goal:** Planning “Understanding and Using Data” Professional Development Seminar **Meeting Summary:** Basya and I met to outline session one of a multiple-part professional development seminar for her teachers on understanding BARS reports and using the data to inform instruction and lesson planning. As her staff is relatively young with minimal formal educational training, lesson planning with behavioral objectives is one of Basya’s goals for her teachers. She and I discussed having teachers align the objectives with the NYS standards under which they fall. We discussed conducting this seminar for teachers in grades 1-8 and soon realized this was too great of an undertaking for one session. We decided to break down the professional development into manageable components. To that end, we are inviting teachers in grades 3,4,5 to the initial seminar. This accomplishes a few goals: (a) the number of teachers is manageable with 19 teachers attending; (b) the principal for grade 3 also serves as the principal for grade 5 and we are able to build a relationship with her which will affect teachers in two grades; (c) we are able to foster a relationship between the 3rd /5th principal and the 4th grade principal which we hope will positively impact curricular planning and foster communication between them, as well as the respective teachers they directly supervise; (d) the 4th grade exams are the first ones taken by the school and we are beginning with the teachers in the grade before (3rd), the teachers in the grade of (4th), and the teachers in grade 5 who are both recipients of 4th graders and the teachers of 5th graders who are again tested in grade 6. We decided to start slowly, introducing the teachers to two reports from the BARS system; the Group Item Analysis (GIA) and the Skills Enhancement Report. I am working with Ryan from ESBOCES to sort the students according to their 2009-2010 class lists so that this year’s 5th grade teacher will receive the roster of her current students. I am also working with Basya to determine which 3rd grade teacher from 2007-2008 should receive which report from 2008-2009 about which students//. In this way, each teacher will have the data that are most meaningful to her//. During the PD seminar, we will analyze the GIA and identify test questions (math, for the initial meeting) where 60-75% of the class answered correctly. In this way, we will stay within the Zone of targeted Instruction (ZTI). We will deconstruct the skills necessary for success on these test questions and identify the standards under which they fall, as well as the skills they test. **Impressions:** Basya continues to further my thinking and challenge the possibilities of using data to inform instruction. Working with her is teaching me a great deal about the many ways the data can be manipulated in order to serve the goals of educators. She continues to be a willing and eager partner. **Plans for Follow Up:** I am in the process of compiling the necessary materials for the PD seminar scheduled for February 9th and Basya and I are continually talking about other ways for integrating data to inform instruction in her school setting.