Pages: 48

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 15

This chapter explores the changing instructional data landscape due to technology expansion, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other factors in order to better understand the environment in which everyone will be utilizing data to drive instruction. The pandemic effectively paused traditional summative assessments and accountability measures, creating a void where schools expected to see prior year data. In the absence of prior year summative data points, schools were forced to base their instructional plans on current year formative data, pushing them to place a heavier emphasis on real-time data from formative assessments. Teachers expressed skepticism about the validity of assessment data as students had access to unauthorized supports at home. The term "learning loss" was coined in anticipation of reduced learning opportunities that would stem from distance learning, but maximizing learning through formative data to inform instruction and planning keeps the focus on actionable next steps.

Pages: 15

This chapter examines how students' classroom vision informs their approach to equity, instruction, and planning and what role formative data points play in bringing their vision to life. Consider a blended learning model that uses instructional technology to personalize learning and facilitate students’ growth mindset. The flipped classroom model in which new content is introduced at home through readings and teacher-recorded videos and class time is used for collaboration, discussion, and application is a particularly strong model to facilitate formative data use. An equity-based vision that fosters students' growth mindset and promotes constructivist thinking is one that builds students' capacity as independent learners. Students can make meaning by bringing in their own experiences and learn to develop the belief that they can continuously learn and grow. With thoughtful, equitable opportunities that facilitate independent learning, the teacher can incorporate data-driven scaffolding and supports using technology to ensure all students succeed.

Pages: 14

This chapter focuses on how instruction driven by formative data can impact student achievement. Each formative data point should lead to actionable next steps; otherwise, its impact is diminished. Formative data points from classroom instruction and assessment are just one piece of the formative data analysis puzzle at the organizational level. The organizational level analysis includes attendance, graduation rate, socioemotional well-being, and other factors to create a more comprehensive view of the organization. Technology can enhance formative data collection and application if prompts are designed to take advantage of its potential. Instructional technology can be used to present content through video, audio, and digital kinesthetic methods to make learning more accessible. Individualized differentiation and an unrelenting focus on equity are critical elements of social justice; formative data can facilitate the use of both. Formative data informs planning and instruction to differentiate learning opportunities for students, often at an individualized level through the use of technology.

Pages: 74

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 18

This chapter explores the best practices to develop students’ formative assessments, particularly their actionability and timeliness. It discusses how to determine the most appropriate amount of data to gather in each formative assessment to inform planning without taking too much time away from instruction. Truly actionable data are easily accessible; if the data points are challenging to collect, some of the effort required to access them will inevitably impact the likelihood of regular collection and utilization. Helping students understand formative data points dramatically impacts the development of their growth mindset as they become active participants in their learning. This access to formative data also fosters students' growth as independent learners as they take more ownership of their learning, a critical element in promoting equity in education. The formative learning process is now a continuous one that can continue between class periods through the use of instructional technology.

Pages: 17

This chapter explores two types of formative assessments, namely on-the-fly and pre-planned, and how they can inform instruction and differentiation. Both types of formative assessments impact classroom pedagogy but often result in varying actionable next steps. Administering on-the-fly formative assessments as needed is strictly a challenge for teachers who need real-time information to make instructional decisions in a moment's notice. Polling programs are among the most efficient ways to gather on-the-fly formative data. They allow teachers to quickly gather feedback from students without the need for login information or other steps to get started. Another on-the-fly formative data tool is a keyword program like AnswerGarden, which allows students to respond to a prompt or question with a brief answer. Formative assessments can also be built directly into lessons when using presentation-style programs like Nearpod or Poll Everywhere. Students can use instructional technology to generate formative assessments for their peers as a way to extend their own understanding.

Pages: 13

This chapter shows how digital self-assessment rubrics, self-selected small groups, and self-monitored digital success trackers using instructional technology can significantly extend students' ability to gain a deeper understanding of mastery levels and build their capacity as independent learners. One of the most important ways to build this aspect of student learning is to invite them to become active partners in formative data analysis and actionable next steps. Progress tracking offers accountability and encouragement, but perhaps the most important effect of the change in combining data tracking with an explicit approach to formative assessment has been the culture shift: a move away from an emphasis on letter grades to an emphasis on improvement. Building students' capacity to self-assess and take charge of their learning is critical in their development as independent learners, one of the most important characteristics one can impact on students before they graduate.

Pages: 11

This chapter explores the benefits of analyzing formative data collaboratively to identify and celebrate best practices through professional learning communities (PLCs), in-person and virtual peer observations, teacher-led professional development, and success celebration events. PLCs are highly effective when the team develops and implements common formative assessments to review the data together. Peer observations are most effective when they are short and frequent; an extensive observation often provides too much information to apply all at once. To maximize the impact for both the observer and the teacher being observed, schedule a short debrief after each observation. Virtual peer observations can be implemented live through video-conferencing programs such as Zoom or Google Meet if cameras are set up in locations to facilitate observations, but they can also be viewed asynchronously if the lesson is recorded. In either case, be sure proper permission has been granted by anyone who will be in the virtual observation.

Pages: 10

This chapter shows how the philosophies and strategies can lead to a re-envisioned classroom that shifts the role of the teacher to develop students as independent learners and ensures equity and access for all students. The main purpose of formative assessments is to provide the necessary data to differentiate supports and provide each student with the learning experiences required to ensure their success. Ensuring access requires multiple levels of support, each critical for an equity-focused classroom that prioritizes each individual student's path to success. Access also includes providing the necessary training to maximize the impact of the resources. This includes direct training, peer support teams, and student-accessed guides for technology usage. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sudden pause on summative assessments and data, leading many educators who were used to analyzing their results to shift to a greater focus on formative data.