1. The Evolution of Standards-Based Data Driven Instruction
Summer DATAG
July 2019

2. Bill Haltermann
Pam Roberge

3. Agenda
The importance of state tests as sources of standards-based diagnostic data
What have we seen as the impact of (ELA) Data Driven Instruction over the past 5 years

4. Essential Question
Why is it so important to analyze state test information/data to measure students’ critical thinking skills?

5. Some Ingredients For DDI Success
Standards based
Focus on foundational skills
Diagnostic testing
Use appropriate benchmark analysis
Must reflect appropriate level of instructional rigor
Deep understanding of state assessments
Combine analysis and teacher professional development

6. DDI is Complicated

7. Common Core Misalignments Affecting DDI
Changing standards and assessments put a focus on remedial teaching and scaffolding that elementary teachers were unprepared for
Disconnect in many classrooms between instructional rigor and the level of rigor students find on state tests
Skills versus scores data (are state tests accountability measures or instructional aids?)

8. NY State ELA Assessments Mapping is critical for DDI

9. Notice the design differences in the 2018 tests versus the 2017 tests
Foundational skills are embedded in standards 1-3 (Power Indicators)
Notice the change in standards distribution from year to year

10. The understanding of foundational skills is critical when it comes to DDI

11. ELA Standards Mapping Is Not Enough – BAP Annotations Identify Sub-Skills

12. Focuses on sub-skills and testing formats
These details will become more important with the Next Gen Standards
Notice that many questions require multiple skills

13. Do the standards define the level of instructional rigor?

14. No It’s the NYS Assessments that define the level of rigor

15. Without the state assessments to define rigor, skills instruction could vary widely from district to district, building to building or classroom to classroom

16. Is there diagnostic state assessment data we can use to target skill gaps?
Skills versus Scores Data

17. Scores Data

18. Measuring skills performance is done using benchmark analysis
Why is benchmarking so important for data analysis?

19. BAP released questions annotations
Performance benchmark gap analysis
Notice the S2 skills deficits:
Grades 3-6: summarization
Grade 6: theme/theme development

20. How can state assessments helps us instructionally?

21. What State Assessments Provide
What skills are being tested, how the skills are being tested and the grade-to-grade progression of skills
Diagnostic data – District, building, grade and individual students
P-Values to determine question difficulty
Benchmarks
Targeted Skill Deficits

22. Why we like the state assessments
The BAP Blog page at

23. we can use state tests to help measure critical thinking skills
THE GOOD NEWS
we can use state tests to help measure
critical thinking skills
THE BAD NEWS
we can only measure
grade level skills

24. BAP SANSI (Strengths And Needs Skills Inventory) Assessments
How do we know what key skills students need to backfill?

25. BAP SANSI Assessments Mirrors the rigor of the state tests
Customized standards-based assessments
Focus on below-grade level skills

26. SANSI + DataMate: A complete standards-based DDI system

27. DataMate lists all the SANSI reports under one menu item
DataMate SANSI Reporting
DataMate lists all the SANSI reports under one menu item

28. (sorted by total score)
SANSI Score Report
(sorted by total score)
Overview of student reading/writing performance
Notice 61% of students scored over 60

29. SANSI Targeted Skills Gap Report
The largest skill deficit: inferencing character traits
Skills sorted by standard and performance gap

30. List of students grouped by skill missed

31. What have we learned over the past 5 years?

32. Common Instructional Issues
Understanding and using benchmarked state test skills data
Rigor Gap between state tests and instruction
Writing (both Short and Extended CR)
Creative versus academic writing

33. Outcomes Understanding and consistent use of key definitions
Topic versus main idea versus central idea
Message versus theme
Improved whole group instruction
Using graphic organizers to model thinking skills processes
Better short response instruction
Use of graphic organizers/mnemonic devices

34. Evolving DDI Trends Extended response writing Interaction of standards
Short response writing seems to have improved
Better understanding of scoring
Interaction of standards
Multi-step/multi-skill questions
Incorporating standards 4 and 5
Small group (differentiated) instruction
Use of DDI in RTI
Transition to Next Generation standards

35. Best Practices DDI Connects Data Analysis To Classroom Instruction

36. Integrated DDI
Level of rigor on assessments need to align to classroom instruction
Professional development needs to be targeted based on data analysis
Professional development should include strategies and scaffolding to address specific instructional needs
Analysis and professional development need to happen right after testing to get feedback to teachers as soon as possible

37. DDI Outcomes Increased Student Achievement Teacher Engagement
Deep analysis of released questions
Having student state test data for teachers’ current students
Ability to target below grade level skills
Whole class instruction, Small groupings, Individual AIS and special education students
Standards-based strategies and scaffolding
Increased Student Achievement

38. DDI in the NextGen Environment
Impact of new ELA standards is small
Understanding sub-skills and the progression of skills will remain important
It’s an opportune time to review curriculum to align to standards
Appropriate focus of time and resources on foundational critical thinking skills
Assessments will continue to have multi-step, multi-skill questions
Align RTI to standards-based DDI

39. DDI Research

40. University Collaborators
Dr. Katherine Schiller – SUNY School of Education
Dr. Francesca Durand – The Sage Colleges School of Education

41. Research Objectives
Based on DDI - why and how do successful teachers change their classroom instruction
Using psychometrics to determine the efficacy of an intervention or educational practice (“effect size” of DDI)

42. Designing a Diagnostic Assessment of Accumulated ELA Skill Deficits to Inform Instruction: A Pilot Project
AERA San Antonio
Francesca Durand, The Sage Colleges, Albany, NY
Kathryn Schiller, University at Albany, SUNY
Pam Roberge, Capital Area School Development Association, Albany, NY
Bill Haltermann, CASDA, Albany, NY

43. Some districts are looking for quick fix approaches to boosting student scores
“We’ve found by applying just the tiniest bit of electric shock, test scores have soared”

44. There Are No Quick Fixes For School Improvement Only Standards-Based Data Driven Instruction

45. QUESTIONS

46. For More Information Contact:
Bill Haltermann Pam Roberge