Strategies 9 and 10:
Strategy 9 is about reviewing assessment data to plan instruction. By reviewing assessment data teachers can change, modify, or examine their current teaching practices. When assessment is reviewed it can ultimately help improve student achievement. The chapter goes on to explain how a literacy coach can conduct an assessment meeting. I liked the agenda given. I also like the emphasis on managing time. Having someone keep time is crucial. It keeps the meeting flowing and keep everyone on track. The discussion questions help guide the meeting too. It was very straight forward.
Strategy 10 is very similar to 9, but it's more specific. With this strategy, the teacher examines specific student work not an assessment, yet can include assessments/test. Routinely examining student work should be a common practice. Sharing work of students with other teammates and coaches helps have a new set of eyes to see if teaching practices are helping students meet their goals of learning. As a group, you use a critical eye to examine the work to determine not only if the students are meeting the standard, but if the teacher needs to tweak their instruction. The chapter gives 5 guiding questions that should be asked when examining work. These questions keep the group on track.
How do you think these strategies support each other in program improvement?
These strategies are very similar to me. Strategy 9 seems to be broader, like you are looking at the assessment as a whole to see trends. Strategy 10 is more student driven by looking at the individual. Each strategy meets different needs, yet both strategies need to be implemented to see true improvement.
What are the strengths and challenges of doing each, do you think, in your setting?
I will begin with challenges. I think a big challenge is finding the time. Assessing data doesn't seem to be as big a time issue as examining student work. I think most schools implement an assessment data review one way or another. It's easy to look at assessments and quickly see where the holes are in teaching instruction. I think finding the time to assess student work is more difficult. To have this strategy work, I would suggest only bring one student at a time and the one who needs the most help. Strengths of these strategies, especially when meeting in a group, is that a fresh set of eyes can see things you can't. As a teacher you can feel defeated by trying to come up with ideas on your own. By working with a group there are lots of ideas you might not have thought of. Another strength is if the agenda is implemented with each, the time is used efficiently. I think in the past the reasons these strategies haven't been as successful in my settings were because people got off topic. At times it was a grip fest. We needed to appoint positions and have an agenda. When I'm a literacy coach, I think I might bring a poster with the agenda on it and give everyone a job title: time keeper, strategy recorder, etc. This will keep everyone on track.
How would they help the faculty you surveyed to make change?
I'm not sure if the school I surveyed in using strategy 10. I do know they were implementing data teams and meeting with grade levels. I think assessing student work would help look deeper into a child's struggles along with looking at the assessment data. Seeing their work would help the team make more specific changes for that specific child. I think when RTI meetings are happening, student work is brought to the meeting, but I don't think student work is the main focus. I think having meetings that used the work as the main focus would be more helpful.
If I was the literacy coach at the school I surveyed, I would sit in on these meetings and take notes. I would write down common challenges I heard and possibly develop a PD based on those concerns.
Questions:
Does your school setting use data assessment to change instructional teaching? Have you ever used student work as the main culprit for change?
I'm really sorry, I just realized how hard this is to read. I will edit and change the background!!
ReplyDeleteI have not been a part of a school that has used data assessment to change instructional teaching. I do see the benefits from it! The more I read about these strategies I see the benefits that students would receive. We use our DIBELS assessment to place students on RTI and we continue with progress monitoring. I not used student work as the main culprit for change. I have used students work to show parents that not all assessments like DIBELS are the main say when it comes to student's placements. I don't always see this type of assessment reliable. If I notice that a student did well on the test but their work tells me otherwise, I will use the student's work to plan small groups and work on that specific topic.
ReplyDeleteI think you are on target with what you say, Erin. Student work really gives insight into individuals that standardized out of context testing misses.
DeleteThat's great you recognize when to pull other work and compare! I think the only reason I was involved with school wide data assessment was because we had a literacy program that required us to assess the data. We had to know where our kids were weekly so we could plan their small groups. Otherwise I don't know if I'd know how to do it. I feel like everyone has to be one the same assessment also to be able to compare school wide data. I think your school would have a hard time analyzing data with only DIBELS. I think you're better off using school work to truly understand your students! That's great you keep their work and show parents! It's neat to see their progress!
DeleteI wouldn't say that my school uses data assessment to change instructional teaching. At first I thought "sure" but the more I think about these strategies I feel that instead of altering our practice we may be asking children to keep "practicing" using the same methods. Like Erin, I've shared student work with parents to document growth when testing may indicate differently, but I haven't used it as the main reason for change.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight. I didn't think of the way you put it, "asking kids to keep practicing." I think you're on to something. I think a lot of schools do this. Lets me honest, us teachers tend to think what we are doing is right. I know I've thought that at times. It takes true reflection and honesty to think, "well maybe I need to change MY approach."
DeleteI agree, Kaitlin. Sometimes it can be a bit painful to be honest in our reflections but it's so important to improving our practice. I've really started to think about what I can or need to do first instead of what my teachers need to do.
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