Tracking Student Progress

Research has shown that some teaching strategies are more beneficial than others as it pertains to the effect on student learning.  The strategy shown to have the most positive impact on student learning is "Tracking Student Progress."  Students rarely have the chance to observe their progress toward a specific learning goal over a period of time.  By tracking their progress, students observe their improving scores, and can interact with the teacher about the reasons for their progress.


We recognize that teaching is as much an art as it is a science. Evey student is unique, so we can't know how each will respond to the lessons, interventions, programs, or our strategies, either now or in the future.  However, Marzano's Learning Sciences Institute studies the effects of nearly every teaching strategy, and has identified this as having the biggest impact on student learning.  Here's a sample/template chart for tracking student progress taken from Marzano materials:

Notice that this score sheet is for the students to use themselves.  On the graph, the y axis is a 0-4 student scale.  The x axis is for the dates the progress toward the learning goal is monitored.  A student scale would also accompany this chart.  The student scale indicates the level of competency achieved.  The chart and scale can then be kept together in a student folder throughout the year along with several other scales and charts for other identified learning goals.

Betsie Valley 2nd Grade Teacher Asa Kelly Leads Benzie Central Boys Cross Country to State Championship

Congrats Asa, Michigan's 2013 Coach of the Year!

Articles you might be interested in:

When Students Track Their Progress - Marzano article from ACSD

Prepared Student Scales Based on Common Core Standards - Must have iObserve password

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Inspiring Young Kids from Olivet, Michigan

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Through the Tunnel of Assessment

We are through the first two months of school, and behind us is the long assessment tunnel.  We've come out on the other side, and though we learned a tremendous amount about our students and their academic strengths and needs, we are happy to begin teaching now.

In September, we assessed all students in the areas of language arts and mathematics.  Benzie Schools uses a product called AIMSweb to assess reading fluency, comprehension, math computation, and math concepts.  The idea is basic: quickly and universally screen students; provide supports and interventions for students below benchmark; monitor individual student progress throughout the year.

In addition, in the first week of October, all Benzie Central Schools began the Best Practice of using a computer-based diagnostic assessment tool.  NWEA MAP tests are computer-adaptive, meaning the assessment constantly interfaces with the students' responses.  Students are challenged on this assessment to answer questions at their specific level for a variety of different concepts.

MAP tests help prepare our students for taking computer-based assessments, which is in the very near future in Michigan, but more importantly, it allows the school staff to target instruction to the specific areas that our students show they need.  It also allows us to regularly provide some very critical academic feedback to students and parents by using the program's many reports.

Following the large amount of work that went into providing students the AIMSweb and NWEA MAP tests listed above, we were immersed into a two-week testing window in mid-October for the State of Michigan's required assessment, MEAP tests.   Students were assessed in Math (3rd, 4th, 5th), Reading (3rd, 4th, 5th), Writing (4th), and Science (5th).  The data that comes out of this assessment is not made immediately available by the State.  Results are useful at the local level in the spring, as we begin work on our School Improvement Plan.

Of course, there are even more assessments: formal quarterly math assessments in Math... daily formative assessments gauging levels of competency and mastery... and the list goes on...

However, the three major district-wide assessments are AIMSweb screeners, NWEA MAP tests, and MEAP tests. These each take a lot of time to either prepare or to administer, or both.   Often it feels like we don't teach our regular lessons until much too late in the fall.

But we also understand that there is value in these assessments, and that each one serves a different instructional purpose.  For example, four AIMSweb tests can provide educators with reliable data immediately useful for identifying students needing targeted assistance.  And upon completion of one 40-60 minute MAP test, a teacher has the potential to provide a student with an individualized instructional "road map."  MEAP is a common assessment on the state level.  It provides our school and district with the opportunity to look at entire systems (academic programs within our curriculum), and make large-scale systems decisions.

In the end, we recognize assessments as being necessary in order to make our school, our instructional time, and our programs most effective.

Last week at Betsie Valley Elementary

5th graders were led at Camp Hayo-went-ha by Mr. Wassa, Mrs. Kessler, Mr. Cox, Miss Kitty, and Mrs. Smith.  It was an amazing time of teamwork and relationship building for this group, and it undoubtedly provided life-long memories for everyone.

Teachers, students, and parents came together on Friday night for the Fall Carnival.  It was a fun night for all, and in the process, the community came together and raised some money for the Hathaway family.

The Scholastic Book Fair was at Betsie Valley last week.  Kids had the opportunity to visit the Book Fair twice, and many left with very fun and interesting books (and posters and trinkets).

Articles you may be interested in:

The Biggest "Game-Changer" in Education

5 Things Most People Don't Know about Poverty and Student Achievement
 
Data Driven or Driven by Data...? - I love this article, and I especially loved reading the comment section at the bottom of the article.

7 Shortcuts You Will Regret Taking in Life

Videos you may be interested in:

Mistakes are not only ok, they're beautiful!

Never Give Up!

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