Activity+2+Reflection+on+Student+Assessment+Data+for+Learning+Lab

**Reflection on Student Assessment Data** **Presented to School Site Council April 2010**
====The School Site Council was starting to meet to plan next year’s budget. The Learning Lab was new this year and they wanted to data to determine it’s effectiveness. My colleague, Kelly Vallianos, and I began to discuss how to do this. Our primary goal with the Lab, especially in the primary grades, was to improve reading fluency. We had initial assessment data and progress monitoring data we had been collecting. It was easy for me to put into an Excel spreadsheet and then import it into a PowerPoint document.==== ====But this seemed to be lacking a reference point. What we really wanted to show was not just the progress of Learning Lab students, but how their data compared to the rest of the students on the grade level. What we ended up doing was showing the percentage gain in reading fluency for both groups. We collected this data from the districts myData website (Los Angeles Unified School District). Reading fluency is measured in words correct per minute or wcpm.==== ====Even though I was a former math coach for the district, I could not remember how to calculate percentage gain. A quick trip to google and then a website with a built in calculator solved the problem. I entered the information in Excel, created a graph, and then brought it into Powerpoint.==== ====This helped me master the standard as I had to model the process to my colleagues. Once Kelly and I determined what information we were going to use, it was up to me to put it into a usable form using the computer. I showed her what I was doing and we tweaked it to make it more easily understandable. Since our principal would be the one who presented the information to the council, I went over with her how we determined the information and the justification for it. She made some suggestions on how to adjust the presentation to reflect what she thought was the most important. Right then and there, I made those changes to the presentation on the computer.====

**Self –Assessment**
====This activity allowed me to use technology to communicate information to a decision making body. I wanted to use my experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and technology facilitator to communicate the information in a way that was both efficient and understandable. I also drew upon the information I have gained through this masters program.====

**Learn as a Learner**
====I have been on similar councils, so I wanted to make sure we kept our audience in mind. I wanted to help my school side to use data to improve teaching and learning (Boudet, City, & Murname, 2006). I believe we must have been successful because the committee agreed to fund the program for the next school year. This made me feel good because we had worked hard to show improvement with the students, and we worked hard to find a way to communicate that to the council.====

**Lifelong Learning Skills**
====As a result of this experience I am much more confident in sharing and presenting information to stakeholders about the school. I want to continue to learn different programs and approaches to making complex information understandable to a wide variety of audiences.====

**Alignment with ISTE Indicators**
====TF-IV.A.1: “Model the use of technology tools to assess student learning of subject matter using a variety of assessment technique” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 234). We compared the student test data using Excel and displayed it using a PowerPoint presentation. We retrieved the data from a district database.==== ====TF-IV. A.2: “Assist teachers in using technology to improve learning and instruction through the evaluation and assessment of artifacts and data” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 234). We demonstrated to the principal and the School Site Council how we used the test data to determine who was eligible for the remediation program.====

Los Angeles Unified School District. (2010). MyData. Retrieved from http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,1047597&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_E P
====Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education====