Analyzing School Assessment Data Competency

Evidence of the candidate’s competence in Analyzing

school assessment data from common formative
assessments, summative assessments, standardized
assessments, and interim or benchmark assessments
with school staff and with individual teachers that are
significant in number and progressively more complex.
Possible Internship Activities - Must have prior
approval by the Mentor Principal.
Expected hours to complete: 20

School Assessment Data

I was able to create a data tracking and collaboration tool that was implemented throughout our
school for assessing both formative and summative assessments across grade level teams. Before
creating this tool, our PLC or collaboration meetings did not have a set direction for our
conversations and it was challenging for us to feel unified as a school in the processes we were
taking to analyze student data and make reteach and enrichment lessons for our students. This
tool is a document that was shared with all grade levels in which teachers could place student
names into three categories based on scores from their formative and summative assessments.
These three categories were students who have “got it” with the concept, “almost” got it with the
concept, and students who are “not yet” there with proficiency in the concept. It walked teachers
through identifying their priority standards for the quarter, and then breaking that standard down
into steps or scaffolded levels that they could assess for understanding. Teachers had a place to
document data in these three categories for a pre-assessment, 3 CFAs (Common Formative
Assessments), and then a post-assessment or a summative assessment. I was able to provide
training for teachers on the use of this document to guide their collaboration time so that they
could have it be useful for their team. I was then able to sit in on several PLC meetings and
follow up with more than one grade level on their success with identifying student learning errors
and standards that needed to be retaught or extended.

Please describe the process in which you engaged to assess standardized assessments.

The process for assessing standardized assessments is carried out more on a school wide level.
At the beginning of the year, the preliminary data from the previous year is usually available.
Two years ago, I was able to participate in a data dive for our school with the state standardized
assessments we had for RISE in the state of Utah. With this data dive, we were able to look at
our school performance compared to other schools who are geographically, and
socioeconomically similar to our own. We used this information to assess our school goals and
write revisions to our CSI plan that we submit to the state. With COVID, things have been a little
different. That CSI plan and the goals that are listed in that plan have not had to technically be
revised since we have not had standardized assessments for the last two years, but at the
beginning of this year, we were still able to do a data dive with the information that we did have
on district provided standard assessments in both math and ELA. This data told us that our
school, along with much of the state, was more greatly impacted in math due to COVID, which
we were not expecting but the data helped us to get this picture. We made modifications to our
CSI plan based on these results, and I was able to participate in the community council meeting
for approval of the new goals. These assessments though, are the ones that I was able to engage
with the least, given the circumstances with COVID.

Please describe the process in which you engaged to assess interim or benchmark assessments.

This process was probably the most exciting for me to participate in. After collecting our initial
benchmark assessment data as a school for both Acadience Reading and Acadience Math, I was
able to work with our instructional coach and our literacy specialist at Jackling to create a data
wall in our conference room. Our PLCs or collaboration time takes place in this conference
room. This data wall had an area for each grade level, and then a section divided by teacher. Each
student in their class and their benchmark scores were placed on a paper and given a magnet on
the back so they could stick to the data wall. We were able to highlight students' scores dividing
them up into the levels that Acadience identifies such as “needs intensive, instructional, or
extension support”. With this color coding process done, teachers were able to come in and move
a student’s magnet as they make progress from their previous benchmark data so that we could
see an overall picture of where students are, plan instruction, look for holes in our teaching, and
group students for small group instruction. It will be exciting to see how this data wall will
continue to be used throughout this year and in years to come.

Please describe some of your assessment interactions with school staff.

As mentioned before, I was able to provide training on the data tracking tool, and help kick start
conversations about student needs so that plans for reteaching could take place. These
interactions were extremely valuable as I learned just how different each team is in the way that
they assess standards and follow through with curriculum mapping. It was really interesting to
see how different teachers use the information they get from data, and then to be able to help
specific teams use the tracking tool to guide their conversations and ultimately better plan their
instruction to differentiate for students. I was also able to assist in identifying common trends
with data, especially with CFAs and summative assessments so that teachers could track it and
then take that information to our Student Support Team and seek further guidance for
interventions when a student reached that point.

Please describe some of your assessment interactions with individual teachers in your school.

I was able to work closely with three teachers in the elementary school on analyzing student
data, and then taking that and comparing it with our district’s proficiency scales to better plan
instruction. We were able to collaborate on instructional methods that I use in my own
classroom, as well as methods for aggressive monitoring that I use that ultimately ended up
benefiting them to be continually monitoring their students. These teachers were stuck in rut of
giving big tests every week on friday and then not really knowing what to do with that
information. We were able to set expectations for more systematic assessment and data
collection, and then use aggressive monitoring to quickly track observations during small groups.
These teachers found that this worked well for them and they have reported to me that it made
tracking data a lot less overwhelming so that they could have the time and energy to collaborate
on the results of that data.

Hours engaged in the completion of this artifact: _20_