Using Data to Plan and Teach

1. Using Data to Plan and Teach
• The primary reasons to assess are to know what
students learned and what they did not learn, to
know if the methods and materials used or
provided were helpful, and to know what to do
next
• Assessments give us the data we need to be
reflective about our teaching and the learning
experiences of our students
• Richard Evans -
http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432779245

2. Laws related to assessment
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA) of 1965
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
• Education of All Handicapped Children Act
(EAHC) of 1972
• Individuals with Disabilities Educational
Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA-2004)

3. Response to Intervention (RTI)
• RTI is designed as a multi-tiered process to
identify and support students with learning and
behavior problems
• The essential components for effective
implementation of RTI are:
– high-quality, scientifically-based classroom instruction
– ongoing student assessment
– tiered instruction
– parent involvement

4. Additional purposes of assessment
• Establishing classroom equilibrium
• Planning and conducting instruction and
determining instructional effectiveness
• Diagnosing student strengths and weaknesses
and placing pupils
• Providing feedback and motivational incentives
• Diagnosing pupil problems and disabilities
• Judging and grading academic learning and
progress

5. Types of high-stakes tests
• Tests given at the end of courses or to measure
yearly progress have been termed as high-stakes
– Individual high-stakes tests include exit exams that
determine graduation status
– Large scale tests include the NCLB mandated
examinations of student progress toward meeting state
standards where students are expected to show
Annual Yearly Progress (AYP)

6. Impediments to student success
• Five barriers generally impede success of
students with disabilities on high-stakes
assessments:
– Inadequate opportunities to learn
– Placement in more restrictive settings
– Reasonable accommodations are not provided
– Remediation is not offered or is offered in an
ineffective manner
– Over-reliance on data for one test score

7. Using Universal Design
• Universally designed assessments:
– Do not change the standard of performance
– Are not meant to replace accommodations
– May benefit all students including English Language
Learners

8. Using Universal Design
• Seven elements of design for UDL
assignments:
– Accessible, non-biased items
– Inclusive assessment population
– Precisely defined constructs
– Amenable to accommodations
– Simple, clear, intuitive instructions and procedures
– Maximum readability and comprehensibility
– Maximum legibility

9. Accommodations for students
who need additional support
• Classroom assessments
– Change in assessment setting
– Changes in duration or organization of time
– Changes in scheduling
– Changes in presentation
– Changes in response mode

10. Teaching strategies for
assessment
• Generalized test-taking skills: skills necessary to
prepare and study for tests
– Reading
– Understanding and following written and oral directions
– Understanding the requirements of specific types of
questions (i.e., multiple choices, matching, essay, etc.)
– Marking answer sheets correctly
– Proofreading and correcting answers
– Managing time during the test
– Controlling test anxiety

11. Teaching strategies for
assessment
• Generalized test-taking skills:
– General study skills
– General test-taking strategies
– Mastering test directions
– Mastering test formats
– Taking multiple choice tests
– Using separate answer sheets
– Cognitive strategies