1. Assessing Assessments
Kristin Crowley
Reevaluating a school’s assessment plan and use of data to
effectively meet student needs and teacher effectiveness while
overcoming
personal obstacles
Leadership Competency
Data
Personal Leadership

2. Facing Adversity
James Lane Allen is quoted as saying –
Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.
•Accepting my dyslexia is not something that I
easily embrace.
•As an emerging leader I went out of my way to
avoid math and numbers.
•I also struggle to ask for help because I
spent my entire life hiding my disability and
figuring out ways in which I could
problem solve myself.

3. The plan-assess-adjust cycle
• According to the state of New York’s School Quality Indicators the
plan-assess-adjust cycle shows that there is evidence of continuous
improvement of educational practices via data-driven, collaborative
instructional planning and continuous monitoring of progress of all
students and subgroups, e.g., 4-6-week improvement targets; clearly-
defined timeframes to adjust practice during the school year; clear
milestones for progress are defined in advance. (Quality indicator 3.7
in School Leadership)
• According to the State indications of assessment can include;
– Interim assessment reports e.g., Princeton and Acuity Interim
Assessments and classroom assessments used in
conjunction with pacing calendars
– ELA and Mathematics learning activities
organized by ELA and Mathematics skill levels
– Review, analysis & adjustment conducted periodically
– Formal curriculum, instruction and assessment review and
revision

4. The Old Plan (Summer 2011)
Planning for the 2011 – 2012 school year,
Bronx Green Middle School’s assessment
plan included formative and summative
assessments

5. Some of the formative assessments regularly in used
• Formative assessments
Entrance slips
Exit slips
Questioning
Think, Pair, Share
Group discussions (small and whole
class)
Conferencing (individual and small group)
Anticipation Guides
Quizzes
Acuity
iXL
Achieve 3000
Learning Logs
Self assessments
Graphic Organizers

6. Summative Assessments
• Summative assessments;
– Beginning, Mid, and Endline
assessments in ELA
– Baseline and Endline in Math
(inconsistently)
– Reading Records (September,
January, May)
– End of unit projects in all content
areas
– End of unit tests and quizzes
– New York State Assessments
including ELA, Math Science (grade
8), NYSELAT (including alternate
assessment scores)
– Promotional Appeal Portfolio's
– GSIP’s for all IEP students meeting
modified criteria

7. Analysis of the 2011 – 2012 Assessment Plan
(based on the 2010 – 2012 school year)
• Assessment was commonly used in the
classrooms in many forms, however, data was
sporadically collected, rarely looked at to
inform and drive instruction and did not drive
development of teacher and student goals.
• Some teachers used various forms of data
during team meetings to look at student
progress but this was usually limited to
state test scores.

8. The 2011 – 2012 plan
• Inclusion in the Talent Management Policy under
the New State Law for APPR to determine teacher
effectiveness by analyzing the ways in which we
assessed our students. This needed to be
reassessed and revised.
• The school also had to make choices in how we
would not only assess students but also measure
the growth of a teachers effectiveness in
the classroom based on city options for
schools who were “opted-in” to the pilot
program.

9. Assessment Options – via DOE
• CAT – Computer Adapted
Tests
• Performance Tasks
• SLP – Student Learning
Portfolio’s
• Group Measure
• Variance Option

10. Variance Plan
• After considering the options from the city, I made the decision to
apply for the variance application. While it was clearly the most work
on the school level because it required schools to create their own
assessments, submit them for approval, grade and analyze their own
data, and use data to determine teacher growth, it also allowed our
school to align assessments specific to the CIE (City-wide
Instructional Expectations) for the CCLS (Common Core Learning
Standards) and focus on a skill which the historical data for the
school has shown that the students have had the least amount of
growth – writing.
• Working with our talent coach and the leadership team
I developed the variance application and submitted it to
central and the talent management program. The
application is now being used as a model for schools as
a reference for future applications.

11. Implementing the plan
• To meet the needs of this new
plan the following needed to
created;
 Assessments (that mimicked the
state tests in writing)
 Data Capture
 Guide for implementation
 Securement of the assessments
 Norming
 Scoring
 Analysis of data
 Use of assessments to drive
instruction and goal set

12. Assessment Development
Content Area Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
English Language
Arts
Essay with a focus on
Writing Standard 1
Essay with a focus on
Writing Standard 1
Essay with a focus
on Writing
• The assessments had to;
Standard 1
 Align to the Common Core
Standards (either Writing
Mathematics Series of extended Series of extended Series of extended
response questions response questions response questions
modeled after state modeled after state modeled after state
assessments assessments assessments
Standard 1, or Reading Standard
Social Studies DBQ based on
Writing Standard 1
DBQ based on
Writing Standard 1
DBQ based on
Writing Standard 1 10)
Science Series of short and
extended responses
Series of short and
extended responses
Series of short and
extended responses  Be scored using a city-wide
developed rubric
model after state model after state model after state
science assessments. science assessments science
assessments
Art N/A Essay with a focus on Essay with a focus  Given at least two different times
Students recognize on Students
the societal, cultural,
and historical
recognize the
societal, cultural,
in the school year
significance of art
and its connection to
and historical
significance of art  Have a specific means
to capture data
the real world. and its connection
to the real world.
Physical Education Fitness Gram Fitness Gram Fitness Gram

13. Sub-population modifications
• Using some of the guiding principles of UDL
(Universal Design for Learning) the following
was considerations and adjustments were
made;
 Students with Disabilities and English Language
Learners were given graphic organizers and
vocabulary guides (as needed)
 Additional time (as per IEP or state testing
indicators)
 Additional scaffolding based on testing
modifications

14. Assessment Administration
• The assessments were designed to
only measure the students ability to
apply their knowledge of Writing
Standard 1
• Teachers were given guides to
administering the exam which included
1 – 2 lead in sessions which provided
the opportunity for students to be
taught the reading skills needed to
complete the assessment.
• A 2nd or 3rd day was then used to
administer the actual exam in
which the students were able
to use their notes from
the previous sessions.

15. Data and Analysis
• The Data
 The data was then collected and captured in a spreadsheet
 Back scoring was done at random to ensure that teachers were scoring
accurately
 Fall data was then analyzed by the leadership team to help frame goal
setting for teachers
 Teachers then met with the administration to set goals based on fall data
 At the end of the year the fall and spring data was used to help
determine teacher effectiveness and students growth
• Data was used to develop the years instructional plan
 For example in ELA as argumentative units
were planned the data was used to help from
the unit.
 Students demonstrated difficulty with transitions and
conclusions so overall the team embedded more lessons on
these skills.

16. Data Analysis Up Close
• Below is an example of one of the
spreadsheets from the 2011 – 2012
school year

17. Evolving Data Spreadsheets
• The spreadsheets were developed even further in the 2012 – 2013
school year to provide an even more focused lens for data analysis;

18. The good, the bad and the ugly…
• After the first argumentative unit of writing we noticed that the
students did extremely well on it. It did not match an appropriate
level of growth to the assessment.
– An on-demand assessment of writing was done with 90 students
across three grade levels and sub-groups to assess understanding.
• The outcome of the on-demand assessment showed a mix of both to much
teacher scaffolding and a more solid delivery of instruction.
• We also noticed a more succinct delivery of materials to the
students as it was more data driven and grounded in evidence.
• Growth was not as high as we had hoped for students at the end of
the year but growth was still evident in almost all subject
areas.
• Many other schools in our network have looked at our
assessment plan and begun to implement a version of
their own based on our work.

19. Driving the plan for NYS
• Based on the work in 2011 – 2012 on our assessment plan, the NYC
DOE Department of Assessment asked us to spearhead a the small
scale pilot program to guide the development of;
– Implementation on a school level
– Assessment driven instructional model
– Assessment models

20. Redirecting my focus
• During the 2011 – 2012 school year I spearheaded the assessment
development plan.
• However my focus needed to be more of delegation rather then
development in 2012 – 2013. Therefore;
– The ELA coach took over the responsibility to lead the focus team (Grade
6)
– The Math coach took over the development of all assessments outside of
ELA
– Teachers have became trained in assessment development
– The Department of Assessment has taken a role in managing the pilot
• My role has become more of a management on rather then the lead
figure.
• The shift has allowed me to focus my time in other aspects
of running a school in which I needed including resources
and operations.
– This includes resources and operations and personal leadership

21. Additional changes for 2012 - 2013
• Three assessments will be administered
(September, January, and May) under DYO
• Previously unused assessments like Acuity and
iXL are being phased out to focus on more
specific data.
• Teacher teams will meet once a week to
specifically look at the data of the students to
drive instruction.
• Student goal setting based on the
outcome of the assessments both
formative and summative.

22. My thoughts on assessment before
• Assessment was just something that
teachers did in the classroom.
• The plan-assess-adjust cycle was only
obtainable on a small scale – not school
wide.
– Assessment development was something
that came easily.
• Goal setting was not necessarily
assessment driven.

23. My thoughts on assessment after
• Prior to this process I did not fully have an
understanding of the power of assessment.
• Developing and implementing assessment is more
difficult of a task then it looks.
– A lot of factors can sway the outcome of an assessment.
– The way in which you assess also has to be carefully
considered.
• Goals when grounded in assessment driven data
can move instruction.
• My work on assessment this year will
definitely be fundamental as I move forward
in leadership.

24. Reflecting Back
• A school leader uses data to set high learning
goals and increase student achievement. This
effective use of data is demonstrated in the
following elements
– Demonstrates ability to understand and analyze data
from multiple sources.
– Uses data to identify student learning trends, set
goals, monitor and modify instruction, and increase
student achievement.
– Develops school culture and practices
that rely on data to inform adult
learning, professional development,
and decision-making.

25. Reflecting Back Continued
• Triangulation of data is necessary
to ensure accuracy.
• Without accurate data goal
setting, modifications to the
curriculum and ultimately student
achievement is not possible.
• Data and subsequent
analysis should be the
foundation for all
professional and adult
development.

26. Overcoming Adversity
• I continue to struggle with
embracing my disability.
• My fear of numbers is something
I have overcome.
• I have found ways in which I can
begin to delegate more;
– I do not do everything
myself.
– I develop plans to
oversee and manage rather
then do it alone.

27. If the only tool you have is a hammer, you
tend to see every problem as a nail.
Abraham Maslow