KPREP test results were released for schools to view around October 15th. Since then, I have spent a substantial amount of time attending district meetings, school level meetings, and individual meetings with teachers discussing and analyzing data. It has been my responsibility to review data with school staff and review the new accountability system with teachers. At the elementary level, accountability scores come from achievement, gap, and growth scores. It is a complicated system and I have had to review the process several times myself before discussing it with teachers. We are having another data analysis meeting at one of my schools this coming week where we will dig a little deeper into the data and hopefully come up with ideas and strategies for school improvement.
Conducting data analysis with teachers is one of the major roles for school counselors in my school system. I am focused on students at my schools in a different way during this time. I am hopeful that my school can refine instruction in several different areas to help students' achievement improve. I feel like I have grown in this area since becoming a school counselor. I am thankful for Dr. Owen's classes at M.S.U. on measurement principles and techniques.
I agree that the measurement principles and techniques class comes in handy when analyzing test data. At the high school level, we are also analyzing data from KREP, End of Course Assessments, ACT, PLAN, MAP and various other assessment instruments. As teachers, we must keep student data folders where students record their scores on various assessments and then measure themselves against the benchmarks for that assessment instrument. This is a time when I feel sorry for children who are not good test takers -- kids who will never meet the benchmark. I always try to remain upbeat and tell them that those benchmarks are high and, although they may have a tough time reaching them, that each step toward that benchmark is worthy of praise.
ReplyDeleteMeasurement and validity just came up in a meeting I attended last week and a co-worker was trying to convince me that our accuplacer placement test was more valid and reliable than the ACT and that I should require all students to take the accuplacer test and use it to place students regardless of their ACT scores. I listened to her go on about how there were tons of studies and it was an industry standard and that students could "study" for the ACT. It reminded me why I became a counselor, people like this are still out there, not knowing what they are doing, and putting up more barriers for students. I said if they can study and get a 26 on the ACT then I think they can study for English 101 and college Algebra. I have been doing a little research myself, Just in case this topic comes up again. Tests and measures and the understanding of the principles and techniques are paramount in education at all levels.
ReplyDelete