Data Boards - Tracking Student Achievement Throughout the Year

Monitoring Student Achievement 2015

RTC

Criterion 1: establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of akonga

Criterion 4: Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of personal professional practice

Criterion 5: Show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning

Criterion 6: Conceptualize, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme

Criterion 11: analyse and appropriately use assessment information, which has been gathered formally and informally

Criterion 12: use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in my professional practice

Tataiako:

Ako:  Takes responsibility for their own learning and that of Maori learners 

specifically named the Maori students from the charter goals

Appropriately conducted quantitative analysis of assessment data is one of the most powerful methods of using information to improve teaching and learning for students, both individually and collectively.  We know how essential it is to accurately read and interpret data, so that we know where students are in their learning, and are able to best set goals and plan for optimum teaching and learning.  

We know that test scores should not be used in isolation to calculate the achievement level of a student. We use a range of resources to make our decisions about where students are place as any test is just a snapshot, and our student’s results should be considered along with a wide range of other evidence.

Overall teacher judgments of achievement and progress involve combining information from a variety of sources, using a range of approaches. Evidence is gathered in the following three ways:

• Observing the process a student uses to complete a learning task.

• Conversing with the student to find out what they know, understand and can do.

• Gathering results from formal assessments, including standardised tools.

At Vardon this year we have changed the way we use our assessment data. We now are monitoring student’s levels at three key times throughout the year via visual data boards to monitor progress and to make us aware of where students are currently achieving.  (Criterion 4) Previously this was done through spread sheets and tables on the computer.  The data boards are a very visual indicator, and are something that is easily shared and discussed during our team meetings.  (Criterion 5), (Criterion 1)We are now using these more effectively for planning units of work than we have done with the previous version.  They are also used to inform our next steps in our inquiry project we are currently undertaking (Criterion 12)We can look at these and describe things we notice, students who are moving, and possibly students who haven't moved and why this is.  We can also discuss together different strategies we are using in class to move our students learning, so other teachers in the team can try these ideas with their own learners to see if this has a positive effect on their progress too.  

It also helps teachers to be more aware when perhaps students are not progressing as they should.  For example, recently when i completed my year 6 reading data, I realized there are two students who haven't moved.  It has keyed me into their learning and made me aware that they may need a bit more focused instruction and DAT to ensure that for the next data board entry, I can confidently move their names and show their progress along the levels. (Criterion 6), (Criterion 11)  

These boards are also a useful tool for the teaching staff to show student achievement to our BOT at key times throughout the year.

Below are some photos of our year 5 and 6 reading data boards: