Literacy Update: Finishing the Year

Eight days left of school, 23 students left to assess. We should be able to get most of them done. As we think about next year, we may want to brainstorm ways to be more efficient with our time. Assessments can take a very long time if:

• A student reads very slowly and/or takes a lot of time to answer questions
• The texts (especially at the higher levels) are longer and more complex.

For students with disabilities reading a Y text, this could take an entire 40 minutes.

That said, we have left:

• 5 sixth graders
• 5 seventh graders
• 8 eighth graders (two of whom are in process)
• 5 963 students

Some notes about how growth can currently be seen. This is another area we should discuss for next year:

• The "Spring Chart" tab shows students where they currently fall. The number in parenthesis next to their name indicates how many TC levels higher this is than in the spring. A tilde means the student is at the same level. The word "new" means that this student's first assessment took place in the spring.
• The "Growth Chart" tab shows students' TC grade level equivalents and the grade level growth they have made since the fall. Note that a student could move up 3 TC levels but only one grade level, depending on where along the TC spectrum they are. (e.g. moving from a Q to a T is 3 TC levels, but only one grade level (4th to 5th))

Some notes about how we might interpret this data:

• Clearly, "growth" in TC levels appears more impressive than when converted to grade level, but it is not exactly truthful in terms of showing growth.
• How should we feel about students making one grade-level in growth? Moving one grade level from year beginning to year end means the student is making pace. Is this the goal? Or should we be striving for more than one grade level of growth?
• Should the Spring Chart have the colors shifted to reflect the fact that these will be the incoming levels of these students in their new grade?
• Students who score a Z+ cannot show growth. This is problematic for our data system as some of our top learners will not be in "the pool of growth data" from these assessments.

As you examine these tabs and as we think about next year I'm curious what else you notice and what revisions you might suggest.

Enjoy!