'Let’s leave data for special and rare occasions.' View the original post here: https://twosigmas.com/blog/how-to-measure-student-progress/

2. Obviously, we want our students to
progress in our classroom. We
want them to learn. The science of
measuring such progress is led by
data and the movement through
grades of achievement. As
teachers, we face the problem of
roller coaster learning – where
progress goes up and down and
spirals around – this affects the
reliability of such data. 2

3. The go-to answer for monitoring students'
progress may be obvious to some. Employ a
student progress tracker and monitor data
closely, right? Wrong. This is likely to be
unhelpful and inconclusive. This is especially
true in the short-term of a single lesson –
where no perceivable shift in data will ever
occur. The need for data driven proof of
progress leads to the over assessment of
students, with schools constantly pushing for
more tests. Unfortunately this puts more and
more pressure on the students, which is not
the desired outcome at all.
3

4. Here are some alternative ways of monitoring
student progress, which do not involve data
and do not require a formal assessment by
way of a test:
1
Start the lesson demonstrating what they
do not yet know. Ask students to write a
paragraph about X. Then, through the
course of the lesson help them
understand X. Ask them to write the
paragraph again and highlight all the
additional points they were able to make.
You can then clearly see where any
development of their knowledge has
been made.
2
Set a discussion activity at the end of a
period of learning. Spend 5 minutes sat
with each group as they work through the
discussion points. Ask students questions if
necessary. Listening to the discussion and
the answers to the questions will help
reveal progress.
4

5. Here are some alternative ways of monitoring
student progress, which do not involve data
and do not require a formal assessment by
way of a test:
3
Ask students, through a system of
cards (red, yellow green), or by holding
up fingers (1 – 5 digits), to quickly tell
you how confident they feel. You may
even want to go for the simple thumbs
up/ thumbs down approach.
4
Talk to your students as they are leaving
the classroom – Talk to anyone you worry
has not made progress that lesson due to
lack of visible input. Check to see if they
were unclear on the lesson objectives or if
they were just being a little lazy.
5

6. Here are some alternative ways of monitoring
student progress, which do not involve data
and do not require a formal assessment by
way of a test:
5
Set up interim activities that you can mark
and comment on as they go along – do not
wait for an end assessment. Give gradual
feedback on smaller tasks that will help
you see how their knowledge is generally
progressing.
6
When marking their work, ask students to
complete a task that responds to the area most
in need of improvement. The response should
be in the form of a mini-activity that targets the
specific areas that is evidently unclear to them.
Move around the room and tick mark this
activity as they work to see if they have
identified the are and made some small
changes.
6

7. 7
When a senior member of staff walks in your room to
assess your lesson they will look at three things:
1. What is on your board,
2. What is in the books
3. What the body language of the students show
As this is the case, it should be how student progress is
assessed the majority of the time.
Let’s leave data for special and rare occasions.