Data-Driven+Instruction

Data-Driven Instruction to Improve Student Learning
**Goal: To collaboratively target a vertical (6-12) math and science goal and create an action plan to address it.**

”Abundant research and school evidence suggest that [teams of practitioners] setting [common, targeted, long-range] goals may be the most significant act in the entire school improvement process, greatly increasing the odds of success (Little, 1987; McGonagill, 1992; Rosenholtz, 1991; Schmoker, 1999, 2001)"

“A legion of researchers from education and industry have demonstrated that instructional improvement depends on just such simple, data-driven formats—teams identifying and addressing areas of difficulty and then developing, critiquing, testing, and upgrading efforts in light of ongoing results. (Collins, 2001; Darling-Hammond, 1997; DuFour, 2002; Fullan, 2000; Reeves, 2000; schaffer, 1988; Denge, 1990; Wiggins, 1994).” From Educational Leadership “First Things First: Demystifying Data Analysis” by Mike Schmoker Feb 2003 vol 60 no 5 Using Data to Improve Student Achievement pp 22-24





NJ State Assessments:
 * HSPA standard 4.4 Data Analysis: http://www.state.nj.us/education/njpep/assessment/hspa/hspa_math/module_4/module4_main_menu.htm


 * HSPA prep and GEPA science and math: http://www.state.nj.us/education/njpep/assessment/index.html

Standards and Benchmarks
Template for Benchmarks Template for Criteria for each benchmark

Here is the list of **troublespots** regarding data anlaysis and graphing that the group generated:
 * Plotting points
 * Choosing the appropriate graph
 * Mean median mode (central tendencies)
 * Making a scale
 * Slope (+/-)
 * Y intercept
 * Idea of %
 * Order of operations (to do the math calculations)
 * Dependent vs. independent variables

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/online/review_testing.php http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=2502,2497,1796,615,200,135,107,81,1,Documents&MediaID=5797&Filename=Math+2009+Pre+Assessment+Resource.pdf
 * Possible sources for pre-assessments:**

Template for identifying learning steps: Example of this template filled out for an elementary math unit on currency: Template for planning instructional strategies to target moving to the next step:
 * Learning Steps**

Supporting Students with Graphing: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx Here is a chart and worksheet to use with students to review basic types of graphs:

Opportunities for "wrestling with data" NSTA (National Science Teachers Association): http://www.nsta.org/ The entire March issue of their Intermediate science magazine "Science Scope" is devoted to data collection, display, and analysis: http://www.nsta.org/middleschool/?lid=pub (free if you are a member, one free article if you aren't, or you can buy individual articles)

Assessment and Tracking Student Progress:
“Is there evidence that improving formative assessment raises standards? The answer was an unequivocal yes, a conclusion based on a review of evidence published in over 250 articles by researchers from several countries.” (from “Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom” by Paul Black, Christine Harrison, Clare Lee, Bethan Marshall, and Dylan Willian Phi Delta Kappan September 2004)

Assessment for Learning is “any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting students’ learning. It thus differs from assessment designed primarily to serve the purposes of accountability, or of ranking, or of certifying competence. An assessment activity can help learning if it provided information that teachers and their students can use as feedback in assessing themselves and one another and in modifying the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged. Such assessment becomes “formative assessment” when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching work to meet learning needs. (pg 10)

Rubrics: Here is a book with excellent rubric samples for K-12 science but which also work very well for data analysis and graphing in math as well. If a copy is purchased for the school site you are allowed to make photocopies of the templates. Rubrics for Assessing Student Achievement in Science Grades K-12__ by Hays B. Lantz, jr On-line Rubric creation tool (with Spanish option): http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

Example of a student form for tracking individual progress:

Blank class chart for tallying evidence of meeting learning steps:

Possibility of taking this to the next recommendation level: http://actionresearch.altec.org/ http://snapgrades.net/

Some resources for identifying Misconceptions in science: http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:-nXQpANylSAJ:dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/science/SciMisconc11.05.pdf+common+misconeptions+in+learning+science&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNHSJ70EN3nU6dYNZgXUvGCusj5Jjg http://www.newyorkscienceteacher.com/sci/pages/miscon/index.php http://www.indiana.edu/~w505a/studwork/deborah/