Welcome to the 2011 – 2012 School Year !!!

Our Starting Point

Consider this to be YOUR goal! Autograph Your Work With Excellence!!

EVERY DAY!!

As A Charter School Our Goals Are To... O Raise student achievement. O Have active learning be the center point of our lessons. O Ensure our Learning Centers are ALL KID-CENTRIC vs. Teacher Centric. O Eliminate teacher isolation and function as Professional Learning Teams. O Drive Instruction through data.

Goals for Today O Understand the various types of data. O Understand how and when to use the various types of data. O Understand the component parts of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), our tool to measure academic growth for students and our tool to develop specific learning goals for each student. O Review current student data and begin to make a plan to take full ownership of the success of each of your students.

Why do we need data? O To understand the current and future needs of our students. O To understand the effectiveness of our current programs. O To understand the types of education programs and expertise that is needed both now and in the future.

And Most Importantly!!! 36 That is the baseline number of opportunities you have to make a difference in the lives of our students.

Why do we need to analyze data? O To improve instruction. O To provide feedback to our students on their performance. O To gain a common understanding of what quality performance is and how close we are to achieving it. O Measure program success and effectiveness.

And.... O Understand if what we are doing is making a difference. O Make sure students do not FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. O Know which programs age getting the results we want. O Get to the “root causes” of problems. O Promote accountability.

Most Importantly O Use data to determine goals for increased student achievement, benchmarks for progress, and measurable outcomes.

Let’s take a look at the types of data... O Demographic: enrollment, attendance, dropout rates, graduation rates, ethnicity, gender, grade level, language proficiency, fee and reduced lunch, discipline. O Perceptual – values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, views O Student Learning: standardized tests, curriculum embedded assessments, benchmark tests, end of course test, STAR, report cards and NWEA (a diagnostic test)

Are we ready for a paradigm shift? Are we ready to move from a “Factory Model” to developing an individualized plan for each student? What do our students deserve?

NWEA is the Horse that Is Going to Drive the Cart

Putting Data to Work for Every Child O A kid-centric education starts with detailed, accurate information about where each child is on his or her learning journey. O What does NWEA offer? O Assessments: Their flagship are state-aligned computer-based testing systems, MAP, that is built on 30 years of research and refinement, and adapts to the child in real-time as the test progresses for a pinpoint picture of learning achievement and readiness. Assessments

How does NWEA do that? O When students take the adaptive tests, they are presented with test questions at different levels of difficulty, that adjust based on their responses. O At the end of a testing sequence, the student receives an overall score, called RIT, that indicates the instructional level appropriate for him or her.

O Our RIT scale offers proven benefits: O Stability: A RIT score of 148 ten years ago means the same thing now as it did then. O Grade-independent: Test items match student performance, not grade level. So two students with a score of 210 are at the same level, even if one is in third grade and the other is in fourth. O Equal Interval: On the RIT scale, the increments are the same whether it's the difference between 140 and 152 or 200 and 212. This gives educators a clear yardstick for measuring progress.

O Our assessments adapt to the child in real- time while she takes the test. The results, based on the stability of our data, provide rich insight into learning as it occurs. The implications for instruction and beyond are profound.

O One Size Doesn’t Fit All Each child learns differently. So we developed computerized adaptive assessments that test differently, allowing teachers to see their students as individuals – each with their own base of knowledge. Tests That Adapt to the Student NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests present students with engaging, age- appropriate content. As a student responds to questions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down in difficulty.

A Tool for Teachers O Created by educators for educators, MAP assessments provide detailed, actionable data about where each child is on their unique learning path. Because student engagement is essential to any testing experience, NWEA works with educators to create test items that interest children and help to capture detail about what they know and what they’re ready to learn. It’s information teachers can use in the classroom to help every child, every day.

Adapting the Test to the Student MAP dynamically adapts to a student’s responses – as they take the test. Answer a question correctly and the test presents a more challenging item Miss a question, and MAP offers a simpler item In this way, the test narrows in on a student’s learning level, engaging them with content that allows them to succeed.

The MAP Advantage O Understanding a student's true achievement level and academic needs gives educators an advantage when proficiency exams approach. By using MAP assessments, teachers know precisely where each student needs additional instruction, and how students may be grouped for a more effective learning dynamic. MAP tests also help educators prepare for the coming year by providing them with reliable information to guide instructional planning.

Understanding RIT O Every test item on a MAP assessment corresponds to a value on the RIT Scale (for Rasch Unit), so educators gain a deep understanding of what a student knows. RIT assigns a value of difficulty to each item, and with an equal interval measurement, so the difference between scores is the same regardless of whether a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale. RIT measures understanding regardless of grade level, so the information helps to track a student’s progress from year to year.

Interpreting Scores - Simplified O The scores produced by MAP assessments allow educators to see each student’s level of understanding around specific concepts, and RIT reference charts are an essential part of that process. Divided into four subject categories, the charts show which topics and sub-topics the student has mastered, and which goals represent opportunities for growth.

Using Data Educators have quick access to their students’ scores, so the assessments become a useful guide from the moment they are completed. A student’s score is generated immediately, and full performance data – with detailed information about each child’s understanding about specific concepts – is available within 24 hours. School-wide achievement reports are presented within 72 hours of test completion.

Classroom Resources MAP users also gain access to resources that help them interpret the data and put it to use effectively with students, and as a policy guide. Resources include our Descartes: A Continuum of Learning, which organizes information by subjects and goal strands.Descartes: A Continuum of Learning

Transforming Results Into Instruction DesCartes is a learning continuum resource aligned to state standards. It is designed to help you translate the raw data from your students' assessments into actionable plans for instruction, grouping and more

How It Works DesCartes orders specific skills in reading, language usage, math and science by achievement level. Reading, language and math are further aligned to goal structures underlying the assessments. Because it is designed around achievement level, educators can use it as a way to gauge gaps between what a student is ready to learn, and what the curriculum is presenting. Armed with this knowledge, educators can develop goals and design instruction to help close the gaps.

An Indispensable Roadmap DesCartes provides a common framework that teachers, parents, students and administrators can use to move forward. With this resource, you can personalize instruction, select appropriate topics and skills to address, and maintain a strong growth trajectory for every student.

Our Gift to Our Students Enabled = Rigor Engaged = Relevant Empowered = Relationships

New Tools O Academic Language O Personal Learning Goals O Sharing ideas (Jennifer, Jen) O Innovate, share, let us learn together how we can produce the best learning for our students from this new tool.

Our Mission To provide meaningful and engaging work in the pursuit of profound learning.