Data based Decision Making Valerie O’Connor Aimsweb Bootcamp Aug Westlake City Schools

AIMSWEB-INTRODUCTION  A major responsibility of schools is to teach children the academic skills that they will eventually need to take their place as responsible members of society.  But schools not only teach crucial academic skills, they are also required to measure individual children's acquisition and mastery of these skills.  After all, only by carefully testing what a child has learned can the instructor then draw conclusions about whether that student is ready to advance to more difficult material.

3 Cornerstones of RTI Tiered System of Intervention Systematic Problem Solving Data Monitoring and Analysis

Why Collect Data… “If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going.” Professor Irwin Corey

What Data Are Important?  Student Achievement :  The results of teaching and learning  OAA  Conditions of Learning : defines what teachers are doing to get the results they get  Reading program  Gifted  Instructional strategies  Classroom practices

A Forewarning…. “You can use all the quantitative data you can get, but you still have to distrust it and use your own intelligence and judgment.” Alvin Toffler In other words… Just because you keep weighing the pig it doesn’t necessarily mean it will grow bigger!

Identify the Concern Define the Problem Problem Analysis Develop Interventions Monitor & Evaluate Interventions Problem Solving Process

Data Intersections Analyzing the overlapping of data type measures enables schools to predict what they must do to meet the needs of all the students they have or will have in the future. Victoria Barnhardt, Using Data to Improve Student Learning in Elementary Schools Triangulation A important decision will never rely on a single data source so you need to look at multiple sources of data.

Victoria Barnhart, Using Data to Improve Student Learning in Elementary Schools Data Intersections  Two-way  Demographics X achievement  Three-way  Demographics X achievement X learning processes  Four-way  Demographics X achievement X learning processes X perception

5 Generic Data Reflection Questions  What do the data seem to tell us?  What don’t the data tell us?  What else might we want to know?  What good news is here for us to celebrate?  What opportunities for improvement are suggested by these data? Edie Holcomb, Getting Excited About Data

Even More Specific Data Questions  What is the school score for each test and sub-domain?  How do your scores compare to the State Average? District average?  How do the scores compare with where you want to be?  In which subtests did your students perform best? Worst?  Are there any subgroups of students performing below the building average (achievement equity)?  What is the relationship between classroom/local tests and passing the state test? Wahlstrom, Using Data to Improve Student Achievement

Now that I got the Data How Do I Organize it?

Simple Spreadsheet

Simple Spreadsheet “tweaked”

Common Web-Based Databases for Language Arts and Math  AimsWeb  DIBELS  Edcheckup  Yearly Progress Pro  EasyCBM

AIMSweb V.23

AimsWeb Benchmark Measures  Oral Reading Fluency  Oral Reading Fluency Spanish*  MAZE  Early Literacy  Midé (Spanish Early Literacy)  Written Expression  Math  Early Numeracy

Aimsweb has tools to support…  District  School  Grade level  Classroom level &  Individual student …Data-based decision making

What Kind of Questions Can Data Help Answer?  Does Core Curriculum meet the need of the majority of students?  Core for each Subgroup?  Benchmarking (CBM)  Universal screening  Who may need more help  Predicts end-of-year goal  Progress Monitoring (CBM)  Used to monitor student(s) rate of improving in the curriculum and to identify students whose growth is inadequate?

What are the benefits of using the AIMSWEB monitoring system?  accelerated learning because students are receiving more appropriate instruction;  more informed instructional decisions;  documentation of student progress for accountability purposes;  more efficient communication with families and other professionals about students’ progress;  higher expectations for students by teachers; and  fewer Special Education referrals.

What are the benefits of using the AIMSWEB monitoring system?  Overall, the use of continuous monitoring results in more efficient and appropriately targeted instructional techniques and goals, which together, move all students to faster attainment of important state standards of achievement.

District Tools Data-Based Question: Is Core Instruction Meeting Students’ Needs?

So what is happening with our students at Kindergarten? Kindergarten Initial Sound Fluency CCSD #

District Fall Student Distribution %

Assessment and its Relation to the Tiers Instructional Placement Assessment BenchmarkUniversal Screening 3x a year StrategicMonthly on-grade level progress monitoring IntensiveOff-level progress monitoring 2x a month

Is the District Plan Working at the Core Level?

District Fall Student Distribution %

District Student Distribution Spring %

How’s the Program Working with Tier 2 and Tier 3?

Effectiveness of Reading Programs Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3

School/Classroom Tools A Case Study: Jordan

Grade/Class Level Distribution Chart

Grade/Class Level Distribution Chart (cont.)

Jordan Fluency and Comprehension: Fall

Progress Monitoring

Jordan Intervention Progress Monitoring

Progress Monitoring: Read Fluency

Progress Monitoring: Maze

Jordan Fluency and Comprehension: Spring

Jordan Fluency Improvement

Jordan Comprehension Improvement

“Ineffective instruction does not mean bad teaching. It simply means the treatment is not producing the desired behavior.” Ken Howell In conclusion…

So let’s look at it.... 

Box and Whiskers Graph

Student Reports

Class Reports

Student A

Student B

Student C

Norms  Aggregate Norm  According to their website, Aimsweb's norms are based upon their participating customers. This is called an "aggregate norm" and reflects current population trends among all AIMSweb users. It is updated annually to reflect what is most current, which is of added benefit to the educator, as most other norms for other standardized and norm-referenced tests are typically updated approximately every 10 years or more.  Norm Table  One year’s data.

Aggregate Norm Data Table

Classroom Reports

School/Grade Level Reports

Strategic Monitoring

IATS  Okay…so a student is in guided reading levels but still not meeting benchmarks. What do I do?  IAT- develop an intervention plan  PROGRESS MONITOR