In Which Student Assessment All Becomes Quite Clear

And thus nearly an entire school year has passed without another blog post.  June finds me teaching 4th grade, but in a different school than where I started.  Rather than go into all the details as to how that happened, I want to share something really positive that occurred yesterday after we teachers had loaded the students on the bus 3 hours early (it was a half day) and gathered together to share successes of the school year.

Here's the deal:  During my short career as a teacher, I had seen standardized tests scores, I had heard bits and pieces as to how that data was typically used, but I had yet to play any role in analyzing that data, nor did anyone really properly explain to me how to read and understand results.  I am happy to report that I am now a data-analyzer extraordinaire!

One of the things that I really like about the school I am currently at is that the administration provides the teachers with quarterly assessments that they are required to give students.  Now, this type of thing may be on par with what a school typically does, but my previous experiences were that teachers were often left to their own resources.  And, if you are a new teacher, that is overwhelming, not to mention completely confusing!

Yesterday, we split into groups according to grade level and took the data from the tests the students were given at the beginning of the year and compared them to end-of-the-year results, calculating percentages, figuring out growths (or deficits), and charting the progress of individual students during the course of the year.  At the beginning of the year, teachers had been given specific goals as to what students should be able to do each quarter and each time a test was given, the results page was color-coded into 3 groups: at level, slightly below level, and warning: this kid needs help!  It was all so lovely and clear-cut and .... easy to understand.  Experienced teachers may read this post and say, "Duh, how come this is news to you?"  Well it is news to me, so there, and also one of the many reasons I have been thankful to learn and grow as a teacher at this particular school.

At the end of the data collection meeting we were all given noisemakers and celebrated goals that were met and percentages that had been raised.  It was silly, but fun.  It also challenged us to look at things in a different light.  And I think involving teachers at this level is ingenious of the administration (and, I imagine, takes some of the work off their shoulders, giving them time to provide support elsewhere).  Bravo, school!



What's up next for Ms. Olson?  Weeeeellll, school's out in a week and then I'm off to Europe!  Details to follow ....  (Although it's only for a short visit.)