Grade Level CRCT Analysis (Topic #2)

Topic 2: Leading Grade-level CRCT Analysis Leading a Team Through Grade-level CRCT Analysis

Updated 4/8/2011 Page 19 of 52 ©2013 Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement, Inc. (GLISI). All rights reserved. Not to be used or reproduced without written permission.

Topic 2: Leading Grade-level CRCT Analysis

Leading Teachers Through Grade-level CRCT Analysis

Standardized test data - and in particular, criterion-referenced test data - provide teachers with information about how well their students have performed against a standard (in this case the Georgia Performance Standards, or GPS).

Analysis of student performance on a criterion-referenced test provides the school with one measure of how teachers are meeting the needs of all students in improving their scholastic achievement.

Wise use of this data empowers teachers to make better instructional decisions in prioritizing, mapping and implementing the curriculum.

In this topic you will:

Assemble Assessment Notebooks for use in the analysis process

Lead a team through a grade-level CRCT analysis meeting

Why Should Teachers Analyze Student Performance?

When teachers analyze their own test data, they own it.

Leaders often analyze and present standardized test results to teachers. These teachers may be interested for the moment, but do not use the data when they go back to their classrooms to work with children.

It is critical that each teacher knows their own students’ performance results as well as the results of all students in the school so he/she can use that information to effectively and efficiently improve instruction. When teachers analyze data it allows for the development of a systemic plan for addressing the individual needs of students as well as the performance of all students and the various subgroups of students



The Assessment Notebook

As a leader, you will repeat this task with teachers many times during the year. In order to facilitate the tracking and trending of the CRCT test results for each teacher, you should organize achievement data into a binder for each teacher on the grade-level. This is referred to as the Assessment Notebook.

As the leader, you need to prepare one Assessment Notebook for yourself and one for each participant in the group of teachers that will participate in the data analysis process. The notebook should contain the following for each teacher in the grade-level:

One complete set of CRCT reports:

o Class Performance Summary (only teacher’s own)

o Class Roster Summary (only teacher’s own)

o School Performance Summary (grade-level only)

o System Performance Summary (grade-level only)

o State Performance Summary (grade-level only)

Previous year's CRCT analysis (if available)

One complete set of TEACHER’s forms (see the Appendices):

o Form #1-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Analysis (completed, but with names of teachers removed if necessary)

o Form #2-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Trend Comparison (completed, but with names of teachers removed if necessary)

o Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis (blank)

o Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Trend Comparison (blank)

o Form #3-B: TEACHER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis (blank)

o Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis (blank)



What Resources are Required?

One set of flip chart pads and markers for the leader to use

Highlighters in two colors (pink and green) – One set for every participant

Three-ring binders and tabs for Assessment Notebooks:

o Sufficient size to hold all reports used during the process

o Sufficient number of tabs for all desired sections

o One notebook for each participant (including the leader)

Tip(s) Since you will be using the Appendix forms for work in your school at a later date, it is important that you make photocopies for yourself and any participants for this practice in order to keep the originals clean.

In general, you will not share the majority of your own CRCT analysis with the teachers that participate. Rather, use it to guide you as you lead teachers through their own analysis.

The trends that you identify with your teachers should contribute to the teacher’s decision-making on individual goal development further discussed in later Rising Stars module topics.

A minimum of 45 minutes is suggested for the group analysis. Depending upon the teachers’ experience levels, you may need to allot more time for this exercise.

How Do I Do It? Read through the steps in the step-action table (see next page)

Study any accompanying examples

Complete the practice exercise

Share the results with your Performance Coach



Step-Action Table

Step Action

1. Schedule the grade-level meeting

This analysis process should be completed with each grade-level team, in separate meetings:

Select the grade-level team you will lead during this meeting

Schedule the meeting and invite participants

Ensure that sufficient, uninterrupted time is scheduled (at least 45 minutes)

2. Collect resources Assemble the materials needed to engage the grade-level team in the analysis, including enough copies of all CRCT reports, data analysis forms, pink and green highlighters, and chart paper.

Organize achievement data into an Assessment Notebook for each teacher participating. Refer to The Assessment Notebook in the topic introduction for a list of materials contained in the notebook.

3. Assemble LEADER’s forms needed for the meeting

These are the forms you completed during your initial analysis and preparation:

Form #1-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Analysis (filled out, showing all teachers’ scores, but hiding teacher names)

o One copy for you PLUS one copy for each participant

Form #2-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Trend Comparison (filled out)

o One copy for you PLUS one copy for each participant

Form #3-A: LEADER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis (filled out)

o One copy for you ONLY

o You will not share this report with participants; rather, use the knowledge you gained from your analysis to pose provocative questions and coaching guidance to your participants as you facilitate them through the process

4. Assemble TEACHER’s forms needed for the meeting

You will need one copy of each of these blank forms for each teacher attending the meeting:

Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis

Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Trend Comparison

Form #3-B: TEACHER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis

Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis

Provide previous years’ achievement test data analysis by teacher and grade-level if available.



Step Action

5. Kick-off the grade-level team

If there has been a turnover of teachers, allow new teachers to use the data from departed teachers to analyze as part of the team.

If teachers have been added to the grade-level since testing, provide all grade-level protocols and forms in their Assessment Notebook. Encourage them to work with their mentor teacher to analyze class and grade-level data

Review the purpose of the meeting. Emphasize the importance of a careful analysis in order to ascertain strengths and areas of need to improve teaching strategies and thus increase student achievement.

Distribute the Assessment Notebook and review the contents.

6. Review Georgia CRCT Grade-level Analysis

Invite teachers to review the completed Form #1-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Analysis in their Assessment Notebook.

Demonstrate how you retrieved this information from the Class Performance Summary report.

Like you did in the previous topic, teachers should review the data and use a green highlighter to identify strengths and a pink highlighter to identify area for needed improvement.

7. Complete Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis

Instruct teachers to turn to Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis in their Assessment Notebook.

Direct teachers to transfer the data from Form #1-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Analysis to Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis. Note that they are only transferring their OWN data (their own column) from the LEADER’s form onto their own form. (Other teachers’ data is included for reference and comparison.)

Note: The point of providing them LEADER’s form is to maximize time during this meeting – if participants had to pull this data from CRCT reports themselves, that would take all of the time allotted. With this method, you give them enough data to get started, which saves time for pulling data from other CRCT reports and for analysis.

If past year CRCT data are available, have the teacher transfer past year data first into the columns provided indicating the year of the test results at the top of the column.

Teachers should file this form in their Assessment Notebook.

8. Complete Form #1-B: LEADER’s Grade-level Trend Comparison

Direct participants to look at Form #1-B: LEADER’s Grade-level Trend Comparison.

Demonstrate how you pulled information from the various CRCT Reports and used it to insert grade-level (aggregate) data onto this form.

Explain that teachers will use this form to compare their own trends against those of the grade-level as a whole.



Step Action

9. Complete Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Trend Comparison

Instruct teachers to turn to Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Trend Comparison in their Assessment Notebook.

Direct teachers to use the CRCT reports in their notebook (which are particular to their own classrooms) to insert their individual data onto this form, using the technique you demonstrated.

Instruct teachers who have their past CRCT data to enter it, as well as current year data, onto Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Trend Comparison.

When teachers have completed their forms, demonstrate how they can:

o Compare the TEACHER’s Individual Trends against the LEADER’s Grade-level Trends (per year and over time)

o Compare their own Individual Trends over time

A comparison of trend data allows the teacher and their leader to review teacher data over time to determine progress and areas that need improvement. This data should contribute to the teacher’s decision-making on individual goal development further discussed in later other modules.

10. Complete Form #3-B: TEACHER’s Reflection on Georgia CRCT Results

Explain the purpose of Form #3-B: TEACHER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis.

Ask teachers to use their highlighters to mark subject area and domain strengths and weaknesses and some preliminary conclusions from the review of the data.

Record their thoughts on the flip chart and have the recorder type the minutes of the discussion.

Tip: Keep a copy of Form #3-A: LEADER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis with you during this part of the meeting. Use it to help you pose provocative questions for the teachers’ reflection.

Ask teachers to develop a list of questions for further study. List the questions on the flip chart and record them in the minutes.

11. Facilitate sharing of preliminary conclusions

Encourage teachers to discuss their analysis of their class performance summary noting strengths and areas of need.

Teachers should share their results with their colleagues, while keeping in mind factors which could have contributed to the discrepancies in scores.

Record data that are discussed on a flip chart, making sure that the notes will be typed and distributed for later use.

12. Develop grade-level consensus

Facilitate a discussion of the conclusions and questions for further study and come to consensus on the grade-level strengths and weaknesses and areas for further study.



Step Action

13. Complete Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis

Assign a recorder to write the results of the team’s discussion and consensus onto a copy of Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis. Have the recorder read what they wrote, and the team indicate whether that accurately describes their agreements.

Explain that you will have this form typed up and will distribute a copy to each participant soon after the meeting.

14. Close the meeting

Inform teachers that in the near future they will have opportunities to see the CRCT results for all grade-levels in a full staff meeting. In this meeting, they will be asked to identify strengths, weaknesses, questions, and needs for school-wide improvement.

Suggest that teachers would be well served to continue to review their results. They should use them to make preliminary plans for their classroom and for the grade-level to set goals to increase student academic achievement.

Thank the participants and advise them of next steps.

15. Follow Up Have the notes compiled and distribute the minutes of the discussion to members of the team.



Practice Exercise

Instructions Complete the steps in the Step-Action Table for this topic

Fill out the Practice Worksheet and/or forms, listing results that are realistic based on the information in the practice scenario below

Check your work

Meet with your Performance Coach to review the results and decide what to do next

Practice Scenario Work with one or more peers from an appropriate grade level who will act as the “team” to complete this practice exercise.

Continue working with the same grade-level you used in Topic 1.

Prepare all necessary materials for a meeting with this grade-level team. Make copies of the necessary forms from the Appendices. Assemble an Assessment Notebook for each participant (including yourself).

Lead your team through a grade-level CRCT analysis meeting.



Topic Practice Performance Checklist

Select one: Performer’s self-assessment Performance Coach’s observations

Performer’s Name:

Performance Coach’s Name:

Date of Performance:

Check off each criterion that is observed. If the performance meets criteria with satisfactory quality, mark Yes. If not, mark No and provide feedback (use the back of the page for more space). Enter this performance into your portfolio when all items are marked Yes.

Evidence Criteria Proficient? Give Feedback.

1. An Assessment Notebook is present for the leader and each participant

Notebooks include:

Complete set of CRCT reports:

Class Performance Summary

Class Roster Summary

School Performance Summary

System Performance Summary

State Performance Summary

School Summary Report of all Student Populations for Reading, English/Language Arts and Mathematics

Previous year's CRCT analysis (if available)

Complete set of TEACHER’s forms:

Form #1-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Analysis (completed)

Form #2-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Trend Comparison (completed)

Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis (blank)

Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Trend Comparison (blank)

Form #3-B: TEACHER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis (blank)

Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis (blank)

Yes

No



Evidence Criteria Proficient? Give Feedback.

2. The necessary materials are prepared

Adequate supplies are present

Leader Reflection of Georgia CRCT Results is complete

Yes

No

3. Teachers have completed all forms

Directions for completing the forms are clear

All forms are completed accurately

Yes

No

4. Discussion of preliminary conclusions is effectively facilitated

Teachers are encouraged to discuss strengths and weaknesses

A list of further questions for study is developed

Data is recorded on flipchart

Notes are compiled for later distribution

Yes

No

5. Consensus is reached and documented

General consensus of grade-level strengths, weaknesses, and areas for further study is reached

Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis is accurately completed by participants

Notes are compiled for later distribution

Yes

No

Documents

Grade Level CRCT Analysis (Topic #2)