NHSAA 2007 Best Practices

ConferenceUse Assessment Results to Get What You

Need

Presented by Dr. Elle AllisonCenter for Performance

Assessment

A Student Once Wrote…A Student Once Wrote…

“Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advise. The killed him. Socrates died from from an overdose of wedlock. After his death his career suffered a dramatic decline.”

“Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advise. The killed him. Socrates died from from an overdose of wedlock. After his death his career suffered a dramatic decline.”

Our Search for Meaning…

Our Search for Meaning…

“We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life--daily and hourly.”

--Victor Frankl

“We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life--daily and hourly.”

--Victor Frankl

To Make Meaning…To Make Meaning…

Adopt the view of nature:

Assessment results as feedback vital to the sustenance and growth

of your school or district--at the level of purpose.

All life thrives on feedback & dies without it. Without feedback we shrivel and marginalize ourselves.

Adopt the view of nature:

Assessment results as feedback vital to the sustenance and growth

of your school or district--at the level of purpose.

All life thrives on feedback & dies without it. Without feedback we shrivel and marginalize ourselves.

FeedbackFeedback

Is self generatedDepends on the context right now

Changes--does not stay in rigid categories

Allows in new and surprising information

Indicates when adaptation and growth is needed

Is self generatedDepends on the context right now

Changes--does not stay in rigid categories

Allows in new and surprising information

Indicates when adaptation and growth is needed

Give Data a New Job: From Bully to

Servant

ZOOMZOOM

Your Assumptions?Your Assumptions?

What do you believe about assessment results?

Results data are truthData can increase student achievement

Data is used to punish educatorsData are dishonestResults are not relevant to real life

What do you believe about assessment results?

Results data are truthData can increase student achievement

Data is used to punish educatorsData are dishonestResults are not relevant to real life

Defining Terms: Assessment Results

Defining Terms: Assessment Results

InternationalNationalStateDistrictSchoolClassroom

InternationalNationalStateDistrictSchoolClassroom

Defining Terms: Wants and Needs

Defining Terms: Wants and Needs

Wants--growthAn absence/shortage

Something someone desires or needs

The state of being poor

Wants--growthAn absence/shortage

Something someone desires or needs

The state of being poor

Needs--sustenance

NecessityUrgencyInevitability

Required for success

Needs--sustenance

NecessityUrgencyInevitability

Required for success

A case StudyA case Study

One district’s story:80% free and reduced lunch68% minority student enrollment

40+ languages

(D. Reeves, The Learning Leader, 2006)

One district’s story:80% free and reduced lunch68% minority student enrollment

40+ languages

(D. Reeves, The Learning Leader, 2006)

Elementary Schools, Then and Now

Elementary Schools, Then and Now

1998:Schools with more than 50% of students proficient in Grade 3 English: 11%

1998:Schools with more than 50% of students proficient in Grade 3 English: 11%

2005: Schools with more than 50% of students proficient in Grade 3 English: 100%

2005: Schools with more than 50% of students proficient in Grade 3 English: 100%

Middle Schools, Then and Now

Middle Schools, Then and Now

1998:Schools with more than 50% of students passing English: 0%

1998:Schools with more than 50% of students passing English: 0%

2005:Schools with more than 50% of students passing English: 100%

2005:Schools with more than 50% of students passing English: 100%

High Schools, Then and Now

High Schools, Then and Now

1998:Schools with more than 80% of students passing English Language Arts: 17%

1998:Schools with more than 80% of students passing English Language Arts: 17%

2005:Schools with more than 80% of students passing English Language Arts: 100%

2005:Schools with more than 80% of students passing English Language Arts: 100%

Using Assessment to get what you Need and

Want

Using Assessment to get what you Need and

Want1. Ask the questions that

matter2. Look at Cause and Effect

Data3. Accountability: Watch your

indicators

1. Ask the questions that matter

2. Look at Cause and Effect Data

3. Accountability: Watch your indicators

Form Follows FunctionForm Follows Function

Questions at the level of purpose begin to give meaning to assessment results.

Questions at the level of purpose begin to give meaning to assessment results.

Questions at the Level of Purpose

Questions at the Level of Purpose

Do we believe all kids can learn? Do we believe we have power? Are our expectations the same for all students?

Who is learning? Are there achievement gaps? Are all students proficient in reading, writing, math?

How long does it take us to help students who are not learning?

Do we use best practices in curriculum, instruction and leadership?

Do we believe all kids can learn? Do we believe we have power? Are our expectations the same for all students?

Who is learning? Are there achievement gaps? Are all students proficient in reading, writing, math?

How long does it take us to help students who are not learning?

Do we use best practices in curriculum, instruction and leadership?

Two Types of DataTwo Types of Data

Effect Data: Student achievement results from various measurements

Cause Data: Information based on actions of the adults in the system

Effect Data: Student achievement results from various measurements

Cause Data: Information based on actions of the adults in the system

Two Types of DataTwo Types of Data

“In the context of schools, the essence of holistic accountability is that we must consider not only the effect variable—test scores—but also the cause variables—the indicators in teaching, curriculum, parental involvement, leadership decisions, and a host of other factors that influence student achievement.”

(D. Reeves, Accountability for Learning, 2004)

“In the context of schools, the essence of holistic accountability is that we must consider not only the effect variable—test scores—but also the cause variables—the indicators in teaching, curriculum, parental involvement, leadership decisions, and a host of other factors that influence student achievement.”

(D. Reeves, Accountability for Learning, 2004)

The Leadership/Learning Matrix (L2 Matrix)

The Leadership/Learning Matrix (L2 Matrix)

LuckyHigh results, low understanding of antecedentsReplication of success unlikely

LeadingHigh results, high understanding of antecedentsReplication of success likely

Losing GroundLow results, low understanding of antecedentsReplication of failure likely

LearningLow results, high understanding of antecedentsReplication of mistakes unlikely

Antecedents/Cause Data

Eff

ects

/Res

ult

s D

ata

Watch Your Indicators--

Accountability

Watch Your Indicators--

AccountabilityMeasure them locally and frequently. Plot them out. Post them in the school or district.

Measure them locally and frequently. Plot them out. Post them in the school or district.

Data Walls: “The Science Fair for

Grownups”

Data Walls: “The Science Fair for

Grownups”

AnalysisWhy are we getting the results we

are?

DataState and

district

StrategiesActions of the

adults

Sample Data WallsSample Data Walls

Topic for professional conversations

Located in prominent places

Topic for professional conversations

Located in prominent places

Sophisticated Data Analysis At Its Finest

Sophisticated Data Analysis At Its Finest

Simple bar graphs

Can be student generated

Simple bar graphs

Can be student generated

Month-to-Month FocusMonth-to-Month Focus

Updated frequently

Data from various sources

Updated frequently

Data from various sources

Month-to-Month Comparisons

Month-to-Month Comparisons

These data walls are meaningful to the students as they track their achievement

These data walls are meaningful to the students as they track their achievement

See page 76

Questions to Ask in order to Grow into the Purpose of the Organization

Questions to Ask in order to Grow into the Purpose of the Organization

Who gets to design the measurement? How will we measure the measures?Are we designing measurements that are permeable?

Will these measures create information that increases learning in the organization?

What measures will inform us about cause data without destroying them?

Who gets to design the measurement? How will we measure the measures?Are we designing measurements that are permeable?

Will these measures create information that increases learning in the organization?

What measures will inform us about cause data without destroying them?

Call to Action: Use Assessment Data to Sustain

and Grow

Call to Action: Use Assessment Data to Sustain

and Grow Ask questions that matterCause and Effect Data: Instructional Practices and Student Achievement

Accountability: Watch your indicators

Ask questions that matterCause and Effect Data: Instructional Practices and Student Achievement

Accountability: Watch your indicators

Thank YouThank You

Dr. Elle AllisonCenter for Performance Assessment

www.makingstandardswork.com

Dr. Elle AllisonCenter for Performance Assessment

www.makingstandardswork.com