Presented by: Bridget Harrison, Secretariat

Unraveling the Mystery of School Data: Making it Precise,Personal, and Relevant

to Students and Teachers

Presented by: Bridget Harrison, Secretariat

John Herbert

Assessment and Evaluation Coordinator

Unraveling the Mystery of School Data

Up to this point you have assessed and collected and reported but now you and your school want to know how to make a difference for students. In this workshop you will learn how to assess for learning, how to go from assessment for learning to instructional design and how to apply the design to make a difference for those students who struggle to make the level 3 standard.

This is the session that will facilitate you and your schools perform at a high level of effectiveness. Find out the processes that will help you to achieve the goal of 75% by 2008.


• Grade 6 (2007 – 2008)

• Grade 5 (2006 – 2007)

• Grade 4 (2005 – 2006)

• Grade 3 (2004 – 2005)

Provincial “Pledge”

That 75% of our Grade 6s will be at or above Provincial Standard (level 3) by 2008


HOW DO PRINCIPALS USE THIS WITH THEIR STAFFS TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF INSTRUCTION AND LEARNING?

Our recent thinking is that we use IIR data and Student Roster data tobifurcate the planning in schools: one plans BACKWARD for issues in eachdivision of program and instruction, and one also plans FORWARD forindividual students, as this data tells us specifically what the areasrequiring attention are, for each student.So for example, in one school we examined, not one student in gradethree answered correctly the question about the difference betweenfiction and non-fiction. ERGO - this is an issue for program andinstruction in the entire Primary Division, and teachers can plan toremedy this. At the same time, in planning forward for individualstudents, for example, we can employ flexible groupings to gatherstudents together who need intervention around similar weaknesses, anduse explicit teaching to move these students ahead.

B. Harrison, Secretariat


• Looking at the EQAO information – 2004-2005

• Grade 3 – individual concerns with students• Grade 6 – concern about the program

• Looking at the Classroom data– Last year’s results

• Individual concerns about students

– Comparing term CASI results• Concern about program if no improvement

• Focusing on Writing, today!



• Grade 3 – individual concerns with students– Using the Student Rosters, circle those marks below

standard for writing tasks 1,4,5 (questions 19, 13, 14)» 40 mark question – 20=level 2; 10=level 1» 60 mark question – 30=level 2; 20=level 1

– What does the Gr. 4 teacher do with this?– What does the Primary Division do with this?



• Grade 6 – concern about the program– Using the Item Information, consider question 21

» 40 mark question – Add percentages for level 40 – 30» 60 mark question – Add percentages for level 60 – 40» Repeat for school, board, and province, and for

question 13 and 14» Star areas of concern

– What does the Gr. 7 teacher do with this?– What does the Junior Division do with this?


• Looking at the Classroom data– Last year’s results

• Individual concerns about students

– Report shows writing and oral results • (no reading, CASI, LAP, or math results)

– What does the new teacher do with this?– What does the last year’s teacher do with

this?


• Looking at the CASI data (new report)– Comparing term results

• Concern about program if no improvement• Need to consider type of question especially!

– What does the new teacher do with this?– What does the last year’s teacher do with

this?


And what does the principal / vice principal do with …

• Item Information Report?

• Student Roster?

• Classroom Profiles of Achievement Data?

• CASI comparison charts?

Unraveling the Mystery of School Data:What do others say on the matter?

• “In an ideal world, the teacher would have precise and current knowledge of each student’s starting points and also of what assistance each student requires to move to the next level.”

• “The teacher’s role … is to scaffold the learning of the new task, revealing to the learner how to move from what he or she can currently do independently to a higher level of functioning.”

Fullen, Hill, CrévolaBreakthrough, Corwin Press

Unraveling the Mystery of School Data: Fullen, Hill, Crévola

• In Breakthrough– Explains where other plans have failed– States what is required

• Personalization, Precision, Professional Learning

– Expands on Student Learning Profiles– Promotes the use of Assessment for Learning

to a new level!• EXPERT INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS


• Assessment for Learning – Teacher expected to use assessment to

shape and direct further instruction– Requires good assessments (based on

curriculum, student aware of expectations)– With good feedback, student is aware of how

to improve in areas which the teacher feels in important.

Fullen, Hill, Crévola

Model of a daily cycle of assessment and instruction, focusing on the individual student.


• Expert Instructional Systems – Modeled after Health Care Systems– Still requires good instruction, good assessments, and

good feedback– EIS helps teacher in suggesting appropriate

instructional strategies and class groupings, based on data of the student and classroom results

– Requires developing Critical Learning Instructional Paths for learning

– Will still require teacher to make decisions, but allow for Focused Instruction

Unraveling the Mystery of School Data:

• Expert Instructional Systems – FOR NOW– Still requires good instruction, good assessments, and

good feedback– PLCs, Principal and Coordinators can help teacher

in suggesting appropriate instructional strategies and class groupings, based on data of the student and classroom results

– Requires teacher to share results, and time to meet with other(s) to discuss options

– Will still require teacher to make decisions, but allow for Focused Instruction

Unraveling the Mystery of School Data:

• So what can you do???– Ask for the assessment before the unit?

– Help teacher / division to analyze last year’s results AND USE THE INFORMATION!

– Ask the focused question “Why are you teaching that student that way?”


“In a changing world, a healthy school is one where teachers constantly revisit and renew their purposes; always looking for evidence and feedback about how well they are doing, and honestly examining whether they need to do things differently or better.”

Hargreaves, FullanWhat’s worth fighting for out there.


“… ask questions that might highlight … uncomfortable answers that challenge us to change. …each idea should become a hypothesis that can be investigated and examined by considering data. …. Guard against ending it too soon or staying on the surface with issues that may be interesting but are not controversial.”

Lorne, KatzLeading Schools in a Data-Rich World


“ Working with data does not produce obvious answers out of the fog. Instead it brings issues and ideas to the surface for discussion and clarification. … It requires patience, sensitivity, and trust. ”

Lorne, KatzLeading Schools in a Data-Rich World

Documents

Presented by: Bridget Harrison, Secretariat