DPS Assessment Communications

Training

October 10, 2011

About SE2

• Communications firm that works on issues within the public arena

• Expertise and significant experience in education

• Numerous DPS projects

• Hired by Accountability, Research and Evaluation office to lead communications about the value of assessments

Communication Objectives

• Communicate that assessments provide meaningful results in a timely manner and explain their value

• Show how teaching can be adjusted to meet the needs of the individual students based on assessments

• Demonstrate that the district has listened to teacher concerns and criticizes and is selecting assessments that are easier and faster to administer

• Reinforce the importance of evaluating teacher effectiveness in accurate and useful ways

• Remind teachers and parents of the tools (e.g. portals) available to improve access to information about individual students

Today's Objectives

• Articulate the importance of assessments and the critical role you play in communicating this message

• Gather background information about the research the district has conducted over the past few months, understanding teachers and parents' perceptions of assessments

• Convey the main vision and goals to promote the value of assessments

• Understand how and where to talk about these goals, and tools to help you do so effectively

Today's Objectives

• Understanding the importance of assessments and the critical role you play in communicating this

• Background information about the research the district has conducted over the past few months looking at teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments

• The main messages behind assessments

• How and where to deliver these messages

Research – Summary

Types of Research Conducted

• Teacher focus groups• Parent focus groups• Teacher survey• Secondary research

Today's Objectives

• Understanding the importance of assessments and the critical role you play in communicating this

• Background information about the research the district has conducted over the past few months looking at teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments

• The main messages behind assessments

• How and where to deliver these messages

Communications Strategy

Consistency in Communications

SE2 Colorado Democratic PartyDemocratic Senatorial

Campaign Committee

Women’s Voice Women VoteLeague of Conservation Voters

Audience. • Values• Opinions• Knowledge• Behaviors / Likely action

What Teachers Care About

• The district is developing and implementing helpful assessments that are easier and faster to use

• The district has listened to their input regarding assessments and responded with assessments that are based on standards and align with classroom instruction

• Assessments benefit the growth and overall achievement of individual students through progress monitoring and personalized information

What Parents Care About

• The growth and achievement of their individual child

• How they can help their child achieve

• That their child is prepared for tests

• What they hear from teachers

Assessment Communications Strategy

• Focus on teachers

• Parents depend on teachers for communications and understanding regarding academic performance

• Teachers' understanding is key for parent understanding – teachers are the messengers

• This strategy lays the groundwork for LEAP

• Additional resources and tools (e.g. new Parent Portal) for parents are not available yet

Today's Objectives

• Understanding the importance of assessments and the critical role you play in communicating this

• Background information about the research the district has conducted over the past few months looking at teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments

• The main messages behind assessments

• How and where to deliver these messages

The Vision and Goals

Context

• DPS assessments are:o Developed through an intentional and purposeful process

o Driven by teacher feedback

o Focused on the ultimate goal of student achievement

o In accordance with guidelines set by SB 10-191

o Part of 2011-2012 roll out of assessments in response to feedback

o Part of a continuous process of updates and enhancements

The Vision

How and Why

How Why

Personalized

Efficient

Meaningful

Connected

Promoting Individual Student Achievement

DPS’ Improved Assessments Will Promote Student Achievement By Being More:

Personalized

• More frequent assessments measure individual student growth and progress, allowing teachers to evaluate and address students’ needs more precisely

Efficient

• Administering assessments through an online platform takes less time and is easier, giving teachers more time with students and less time grading papers and entering data.

Meaningful

• Assessments have improved reporting capabilities, producing faster results with clear graphs, so teachers can use the information in a timely and impactful way

Connected

• Assessments align with standards and curriculum, providing an accurate and more complete picture of what a student should know each day

Parent Message Framework

How Why This Helps Teachers

Why This Helps Parents

Efficient and Meaningful

Connected and Personalized

Promoting Individual Student Achievement

DPS’ Improved Tests Will Promote Student Achievement By Being More:

Efficient and Meaningful

• Efficient and meaningful results and tests mean more teaching time

Connected and Personalized

• Connected and personalized tests reflect curriculum and get integrated into classroom instruction

Today's Objectives

• Understanding the importance of assessments and the critical role you play in communicating this

• Background information about the research the district has conducted over the past few months looking at teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments

• The main messages behind assessments

• How and where to deliver these messages

Tools for Communicating

The Role of Stories

• Messages need stories

• For audiences to fully appreciate the value of district assessments, it is critical that you provide them with examples

• The general structure of effective message delivery is:

o The claim is the compelling, high-level message

o The fact is the specific action and method through which the message comes to fruition

o The illustrative examples are actual stories and quotes that demonstrate the reality of the message being delivered

Example

CLAIM: Assessments take less time and are easier to administer through an online platform.

FACT: In order to better focus the time spent teaching, the district introduced K-5 computer-based ,adaptive reading assessments, which will be easier to administer, will take less time, and will be integrated into classroom instruction.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 2: “School was really fun today because we got to go to the computer lab and take a

test.” (Elementary Student)

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1: “Love it! It is about time we get a tool like this – quick, informative, manageable and data driven.” (Teacher)

Activity 1: Give it a try

Where to Communicate

Parent-

Teacher

Conferences

Network Meetings Website

PresentationsMeetings

Events

Emails

Conversations

Newsletters

Activity 2: Say the right thing

Try This

• DPS tests

• State and district tests

• “Help individual students”

• “Help you help your child”

• Growth

• Progress

• Achievement

• Connected to classroom curriculum

• More accurate

Recommended Vocabulary

Recommended VocabularyTry This

• Personalized

• Tied to what students are taught in the classroom

• Teachers can help parents with the results and what to do with them

• Test scores and grades go hand-in-hand

• Faster results

• Clear reports

• Quick pulse checks to diagnose and adjust

Recommended Vocabulary

Instead of That

• Assessment (especially with parents)

• Acronyms and jargon

• Specific tests’ name (especially with parents)

• CSAP (now TCAP)

• Frequent testing, more testing

Keep In Mind

• Think about what you say and how you say it

• Put on your “instructional hat” (i.e. be a teacher) when you are speaking

• Remember that assessments are a work in progress; continue to talk to teachers, ISs, ARE, etc.

• WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK

SE2

Questions?