"I Got Grouped"

As we continue to search for the best data possible to make decisions for students, I would like for us to consider the following:

First, there was a (short) article that I read through my coursework that was actually very enjoyable (many aren't) and was pertinent to this situation. Please take a minute to skim over the article:

"I Got Grouped"

Also, for our students, I have compiled the following MAP data for grades 1-5 to assess the following:

What is our greatest area of need in reading ACCORDING TO TESTS? 

What do you notice that seems "off" or "lacking" in the data and what other data can we gather to fill in the gaps?



BROKEN DOWN:

GRADE 1


GRADE 2



GRADE 3



GRADE 4



GRADE 5

A new, workable Student Profile

So, as I am sitting here thinking about student information that might ACTUALLY help us decide where to go with our future instruction for students, I am realizing that we probably need to collaborate on a workable document to think through what is important for us to know about children and what is not. 

This is what I have done:

I created a Google Doc which can be edited by you. I want you to think about what information you think is needed on a student to help guide future instruction. When you edit the document, please put your editing in a different color than what is already on there. This way we can see how many people have contributed to the document to see how much input we actually have before using the document the way you leave it. 

This is what the "bare bones" of the document I created looks like:

STUDENT NAME:_________________________

Grade Level: __________

Quantitative Data (Numbers)

Qualitative Data (What we SEE about the child)

You can access the document here

A different kind of data

Again, thank you SOO much for the participation so far! I really appreciate it and I am proud to be affiliated with all of you educators after reading your comments. I knew this already, but all of you really do have one thing in common - a love for children and how they learn. That's all that's needed, right? :)

Here is new data to ponder based on what you requested. I'm working now on how to piece together a student profile with qualitative and quantitative data.

This is a snippet from first grade. It shows what accommodations are being given to the student, how often, if they have been moved to a "SIT" meeting, what they were "supposed" to score on MAP, what they did score on MAP, how many points they grew, and how many points they were above or below projection. 

**This part updated 5/24/14**
Where the scores are:
Red= Below 25th percentile
Yellow = 25-49th percentile
Green = At or Above 50th percentile

Also highlighted in red are how many points away the students were from reaching their goal

I notice that no one declined. There are no negative numbers in the growth (YAY!). What else do you notice?

DATA HERE

Also, just for fun...

We were watching "Bad Teacher" on TV this past weekend and as I was laughing at how horrible this teacher was, her attitude toward the children reminded me of how I felt and what we looked like the week before PASS testing. Some of my laughing was because I have felt like her! While I would never belittle a kid or throw a dodgeball at them, the concept is still the same - We throw our frustrations at them for not knowing something. It was a little eye opening...

WARNING: THIS ONE SHE SAYS A BAD WORD. DON'T TURN YOUR VOLUME UP UNLESS YOU DON'T MIND THOSE AROUND YOU HEARING IT! :)

In this one, notice what the principal says: "Her class had the highest scores, so whatever she did worked". Reminded me of what our state department sees. Any thoughts?

Your thoughts? "Normal" Testing Data

Some ponderings on Standardized Testing:

Although not all standardized testing deals with PASS testing - some of us give MAP and DRA assessments, even common assessments instead - PASS is the most analyzed because of its accountability feature. The information below showcases test scores from different districts in the state. I only used districts in which one or more of our participants reside. 

Please place any comments you have about the testing data below - anything that comes to your mind. 

What data do you think needs to be added to get a more clear picture of the children we serve?
What problems do you see in the data itself?
How does this data correlate to what you see happening in your personal classroom?

And just for fun - which one do you think is your district?

TESTING INFORMATION HERE

What are our goals?

Thank you all for participating in "Fireside Chats" - online collaboration through PLC's.

Since we have several different Districts and grade levels participating, I would love for everyone to give their grade (you do not have to give your name) and what you hope to accomplish for your classroom by collaborating through this forum.

THERE IS ONE RULE: STAY POSITIVE! No venting or bashing on the forum. We want to stay professional and make sure that we are making decisions to help our practice.

For example:
I teach third grade and I hope to gain new insights into my teaching practice by collaborating with others.

Hit "comment" to reply

Like this:

Welcome!

                                             
My name is Suzanne Larsen. I am a third grade teacher at Woodfields Elementary and I am also a student completing my internship for my EdD in Reading and Literacy. Part of this internship is creating an online forum for teachers in GWD 50 - and friends from other districts - to have a new kind of PLC called "Fireside Chats".

The project I am completing is creating a REAL, online, job-embedded Professional Learning Community. PLCs are designed to be a collaboration among colleagues to share best practices and discuss how to best meet the needs of our students. However, real world demands and time constraints can interfere with this process. We have a district that is willing to provide us with some of the best professional development from some of the most noted experts in the field.   We need to have a continuing dialogue among our peers to insure that what we have learned is being implemented to the highest standard.    

Thus, "fireside chats" is born. 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!