Using++the+Data

=Using the Data=

__Reflective questions to consider during the testing cycle__
1. In the fall
 * What are our strengths and weaknesses?
 * What are our growth targets?
 * What strategies will we use to accelerate growth for those most at risk?
 * What strategies will we use to create appreciable growth for all others?

2. Mid-year
 * Are our students progressing?
 * Are our strategies effective? How do we know?
 * What adjustments need to be made for next year?

3. In the spring
 * Did students meet growth targets? Why or why not?
 * Where are our strategies effective? How do we know?
 * What adjustments need to be made for next year?

__MAP testing data and state assessments__
Check to see if NWEA has completed an alignment study of the RIT scale and your state's assessment system. NWEA completed such a study in March 2007 for Washington math and reading assessments. Using an equipercentile method, NWEA provided detailed tables of recommended same-season and prior-season cut scores (RIT scores) for the various Washington performance levels. While this information is not predictive, it is useful in identifying students who are "on the bubble" and __might__ not pass our state assessments.

__Ways to use MAP data in the classroom__
(from //10 Ways to Use the Class Breakdown Reports in the Classroom//. Revised 8/2005. Northwest Education Association.)

Use the //Class Breakdown by Overall RIT Score// report to see a visual picture of general performance. At one glance this will show you the range of performance within one class. The more RIT bands in which students are listed, the greater the academic diversity of the group.
 * 1. View performance range within a class**.

By clicking on //Mathematics//, //Reading//, or //Language Usage// on the //Class Breakdown by Overall RIT Score// report, you can see a visible picture of how the class scored in each of the Goal Areas for that subject area. Use this information to **c**reate flexible groups for specific skill instruction and to identify student groupings for differentiating instruction. Students who are clustered within the same RIT band or adjacent RIT bands may have similar academic needs in that specific goal area.
 * 2. Create student groupings**.

Use the //Class Breakdown by Goal// report to obtain program-specific information. This report makes the potential needs of certain students more visible. Some students on the outer ends of the scale may need to be considered for special programs. NWEA has created placement guidelines that include grade level medians and considerations for gifted, at-risk/special-needs, and programs for each grade level. See //2005 Placement Guidelines: Screening Students for Instructional Programs// for the latest version.
 * 3. Obtain program-specific information.**

Use the //Class Breakdown by Goal// report to identify academic strengths and areas of concern for individuals. Tip: Look at the goal area RIT bands in which the student is placed relative to the student’s overall RIT score in the subject. For example, Word Recognition should be considered an area of concern for a student who is listed in the 201-210 RIT band in Word Recognition, yet has an overall Reading RIT score of 217.
 * 4. Identify academic strengths and areas of concern for individuals.**


 * 5. Set goals.**
 * Use information from the //Class Breakdown by Overall RIT Score// to set classroom goals.
 * Students can also set personal goals for themselves using both their overall score and their individual goal scores. The Class Rosters tab on the far left of the NWEA Reports page will pull up comparison data that allows students to view growth over time.
 * The //Dynamic Reporting Suite// offers students a form to use that compares their performance from one testing period to another. Goals can then be generated for the next testing cycle or for the following year.

Transition into DesCartes for instructional planning. DesCartes is a starting place to focus instruction for an individual student or a group of students in a particular goal area. The //Class Breakdown by Goal// report is linked to DesCartes. A .pdf file containing a cover sheet and the associated goal area and RIT band in DesCartes can be accessed by clicking on the student name or on the “all students in range” link to select all students within that band. The DesCartes page will show three columns. The “Skills and Concepts to Develop” (middle) column is the one that is aligned to the student’s current instructional level. The column on the left indicates “Skills and Concepts to Enhance”—skills in which a student would be expected to have a solid understanding. The column on the right indicates “Skills and Concepts to Introduce”—the road map for the direction of student instruction.
 * 6. Use DesCartes for instructional planning.**