Assessment System

Recommended Initiative 2.2

Design or strengthen a coherent assessment system and a prioritized suite of assessments that supports instructional planning and improvement (e.g., diagnostic, benchmark, and curriculum-embedded assessments).

Deliverables & Design Considerations

Click each deliverable below to expand its key design considerations.

TIMING: SPRING 2021

Administer diagnostics to inform planning for SY21-22

What assessment(s) will we administer to assess student learning at the end of SY20-21?
When will we administer them? Who will analyze the data, and for what purpose(s)?

Conduct an audit of assessments in use and identify highest priority content(s)/grade band(s) for improvement of the assessment system (“Group 1”)

Which stakeholders should be at the table to determine the assessment suite?
Have we concretely named the purpose(s) and audience(s) for each assessment?
Can we evaluate all assessments against their potential contribution to teaching and learning and sunset assessments that do not directly serve teachers and students or no longer function as drivers of our program (e.g., reading levels) and/or produce redundant information?
Can we eliminate time-intensive assessments intended to assign students to a performance level (such as a reading level)? See this case study for inspiration.
Have we positioned curriculum-embedded assessments as the primary drivers of instruction?

Publish the purpose and audience for each assessment and calendar in revised suite for Group 1 contents/grade bands

In both math and ELA, have we planned to administer a broad-gauge assessment of reading comprehension, such as NWEA , STAR, or iReady, to develop a high-level understanding of progress and gaps across the school system (e.g., for purposes of resource allocation) and to support identification of students for additional evaluation?
In ELA, have we planned to periodically administer a robust foundational skills assessment, such as DIBELS to assess skills mastered versus those in need of remediation?
Have we planned for interim assessments in math to gauge learning from a specific time period as well as cumulative learning from earlier in the year? (Achievement Network has them built for many curriculums and they also do training on data analysis).
As needed, how will time be protected in the master calendar to administer each assessment, analyze data and plan instruction in response to data?

Procure materials for assessments in Groups 1

Have we sourced materials and/or licenses for everyone who needs to administer and/or access data from the assessments?

Identify training partner(s) and plan(s), goals, and progress monitoring plan for Group 1

What training will educators need in order to use the assessments as intended? Do we need a training partner, or do we have internal capacity to provide?
How, when, and by whom will success be measured?

timing: SCHOOL YEAR 2021-22

Execute assessment training for Group 1 leaders and teachers

To what extent have our teachers and leaders been deeply trained in the assessment suite?
What will our teachers need to know in order to administer assessments?
When will our teachers and leaders be trained on using assessments? What needs to be prioritized over summer training, and what can be trained during the year (ensuring alignment with assessment calendar)?

Execute progress monitoring plan for Group 1

Are our assessments being administered as intended (e.g. timing, format, conditions)?
Is the data being used for the intended purpose(s) and shared with the intended audience(s) in a timely manner?

Conduct stepback and codify lessons learned

What, if any, further adjustments can we make next year to the assessment suite in order to maximize time for teaching and learning while gathering the data necessary to meet student needs?
What lessons learned from this year can inform our assessment work in SY22-23?

Procure materials for Group 2 to use in SY22-23

Have we sourced materials and/or licenses for everyone who needs to administer and/or access data from the assessments?

Identify training plan(s) and partner(s), goals, and progress monitoring plan for Group 2

What training will educators need in order to use the assessments as intended? Do we need a training partner, or do we have internal capacity to provide?
How, when, and by whom will success be measured?

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