Essential Practice #4
Monitoring Student Achievement
State test scores help set goals for improvement. But state tests cannot improve student results. For that, we need better formative assessment: screening, progress monitoring, and “mastery measurements” that assess students’ growth against specific learning objectives.
The Information Pyramid illustrates the types and uses of assessments for learning.
Assessments vary in purpose and frequency. Frequency increases as you descend the pyramid.
- Level 3 comprises summative assessments such as state tests, normally given once a year, useful for gauging students’, schools’, and districts’ proficiency against standards.
- Level 2 comprises interim assessments of two types, used to determine how groups and individual students are doing relative to proficiency standards.
- Screening/benchmarking, given 2-4 times per year, monitor growth of groups toward goals and may also provide information as to which standards have been mastered.
- Progress monitoring, given monthly or more frequently, measure growth during the year and longitudinally over several years.
- Also in level 2 are diagnostic assessments to help identify specific areas of weakness.
- Screening/benchmarking, given 2-4 times per year, monitor growth of groups toward goals and may also provide information as to which standards have been mastered.
- Level 1 is practice monitoring, done daily. These are measurements of learning tasks, or of how well students comprehend explicit instruction. Mostly mastery measurements, these instruments provide direct estimates of Academic Learning Time.
SetPoint uses the most advanced technology for classroom assessment: Renaissance Learning’s STAR Constellation for screening and progress monitoring, and Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, and MathFacts in a Flash for managing daily practice of skills. Classroom-embedded technology for regular assessments saves teacher time and makes all data readily available JBHM specialists and Renaissance trainers coach all classroom teachers in applying these and other assessment tools, such as sample assessments that mirror state tests.
Data on professional practices and level of implementation are tracked in JBHM’s ILeRT technology. Together, the Renaissance and JBHM tools form a complete “learning information system” that keeps everyone continuously informed about the progress of the school transformation.
