Strategies for Data-Driven Instructional Decision Making
"Craig A. Mertler's approach would reduce your stress level as his book walks the reader through the various assessments often encountered in schools and helps the reader make better use of the information embedded in accountability reports. The book is well-organized and provides clear and thorough descriptions of the myriad terms the reader will encounter with assessments." -Lane B. Mills, THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR "This text offers a clear, insightful study of how to interpret, use, and reflect on test data in ways that help to develop better schools, highly qualified teachers, and well prepared students." -Linda Karges-Bone, Charleston Southern University As standardized testing continues to grow in importance in our society, this text will become a critical part of measurement curriculum and instruction." -Gordon Brooks, Ohio University Interpreting Standardized Test Scores: Strategies for Data-Driven Instructional Decision Making is designed to help K-12 teachers and administrators understand the nature of standardized tests and, in particular, the scores that result from them. This useful manual helps teachers develop the skills necessary to incorporate these test scores into various types of instructional decision making-a process known as "data-driven decision making"-necessitated by the needs of their students. Key Features Helps readers understand, interpret, and use standardized test scores to improve classroom instruction: Several specific examples are given for interpreting test scores and developing a plan to revise instruction based on those results. Offers activities for application and reflection: Follow-up activities and discussion points are provided for experienced and preservice teachers across K-12 grade levels. Presents successful case studies: The author includes interviews with classroom teachers, building administrators, and district-level administrators who have successfully engaged in a process of incorporating test scores into decision making. Intended Audience This is an excellent supplementary text for any course that incorporates standardized testing as a topic, including but not limited to courses in Classroom Assessment, Educational Psychology, Content Methods, Reading, Special Education, Curriculum, Literacy, Administration, The Principalship, and The Superintendency.
"Of the many RTI materials published today, this one is user-friendly and much broader in scope. Written in clear and understandable yet professional language, this excellent book is appropriate for all K-12 educators and administrators." -Carla Osberg, Program Specialist, Special Populations Nebraska Department of Education "Offers a unique organization of key concepts, and addresses current implementation issues with integrity. The strategies, suggestions, and tips contribute to the overall reader-friendliness of the book. The comparison/contrast of the problem-solving and standard treatment protocol approaches is well written and provides the reader information to determine the best approach for the students, school, or district." -Linda Palenchar, Coordinator, Office of Special Education West Virginia Department of Education Discover a resource that shows teachers how to implement RTI in the classroom! As a result of NCLB legislation and the reauthorization of IDEA 2004, Response to Intervention (RTI) is now a mandated process for documenting the existence or nonexistence of a learning disability. For educators new to the RTI approach, Response to Intervention presents an overview of key concepts with guidelines for accountability practices that benefit students in inclusive classrooms. Presenting the three tiers of RTI techniques, the authors demonstrate how general and special education teachers can use research-based interventions effectively to individualize instruction, monitor individual student progress, and implement strategies to meet the specific needs of all students. Response to Intervention assists educators with the basic and necessary steps to provide students with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), and includes: Vignettes, examples, and forms based on the problem-solving and standards-based approaches to RTI A chapter illustrating how RTI techniques benefit students who are economically underprivileged and/or culturally and linguistically diverse A chapter devoted to Frequently Asked Questions Featuring helpful charts and reproducibles, this timely resource is sure to become a valuable guide as educators implement programs to document how individual students respond to specific educational interventions.
Strategies for Data-Driven Instructional Decision Making
"Craig A. Mertler's approach would reduce your stress level as his book walks the reader through the various assessments often encountered in schools and helps the reader make better use of the information embedded in accountability reports. The book is well-organized and provides clear and thorough descriptions of the myriad terms the reader will encounter with assessments." -Lane B. Mills, THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR "This text offers a clear, insightful study of how to interpret, use, and reflect on test data in ways that help to develop better schools, highly qualified teachers, and well prepared students." -Linda Karges-Bone, Charleston Southern University As standardized testing continues to grow in importance in our society, this text will become a critical part of measurement curriculum and instruction." -Gordon Brooks, Ohio University Interpreting Standardized Test Scores: Strategies for Data-Driven Instructional Decision Making is designed to help K-12 teachers and administrators understand the nature of standardized tests and, in particular, the scores that result from them. This useful manual helps teachers develop the skills necessary to incorporate these test scores into various types of instructional decision making-a process known as "data-driven decision making"-necessitated by the needs of their students. Key Features Helps readers understand, interpret, and use standardized test scores to improve classroom instruction: Several specific examples are given for interpreting test scores and developing a plan to revise instruction based on those results. Offers activities for application and reflection: Follow-up activities and discussion points are provided for experienced and preservice teachers across K-12 grade levels. Presents successful case studies: The author includes interviews with classroom teachers, building administrators, and district-level administrators who have successfully engaged in a process of incorporating test scores into decision making. Intended Audience This is an excellent supplementary text for any course that incorporates standardized testing as a topic, including but not limited to courses in Classroom Assessment, Educational Psychology, Content Methods, Reading, Special Education, Curriculum, Literacy, Administration, The Principalship, and The Superintendency.
'Chris Athey has made a major contribution to our understanding of how young children think and how educators and parents can best support their learning. This book is, without doubt, a most important text for all who are concerned to maximise the potential of early childhood education to develop effective ways of working with young children. The book explores children's schematic development and offers ways of teaching which are closely matched to children's actions, speech and graphic representations. This second edition of Extending Thought builds on the scholarly approach of the first and provides readers with clear explanation of relevant research alongside rich observations of children. It is essential reading for all who seek to provide the very best of learning opportunities for young children by bring parents, professionals and informed pedagogy together in a thoughtful and informed partnership of learning. Extending Thought is a major building block for many of us who study young children's capacity to think and learn' - Dr Cathy Nutbrown, Reader in Education, University of Sheffield In this fully revised version of Chris Athey's classic text, the author builds on her original internationally renowned research with new illustrations of 'continuity' in children's thinking from early to primary education. Drawing on her extensive experience and research evidence, she explains how teachers of young children can advance professionally towards a greater knowledge of young children's thinking and learning. The book covers: o 'forms of thought' used by young children o assimilation of curriculum content o pedagogy o parental participation o the politics of early education This book is an essential read for students and teachers in early years education. Chris Athey M Ed, was Principal Lecturer in Education at the Roehampton Institute of Higher Education (RIHE). Funded by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, she directed the Froebel Early Education Project from 1973 to 1978. She has taught all ages of primary-school children in State and private schools. She has considerable experience of initial teacher training and INSET
A Guide to Establishing and Evaluating Performance Standards on Tests
"Standard Setting: A Guide to Establishing and Evaluating Performance Standards on Tests is a well-timed text, given the legislated requirement of performance standards in our K-12 educational system, as well as the continued need in the process of credentialing professionals. This book would be useful to individuals retained to produce or coordinate standard-setting activites." -PSYCCRITIQUES In Standard Setting: A Guide to Establishing and Evaluating Performance Standards on Tests, authors Gregory J. Cizek and Michael B. Bunch provide the only "go-to" reference on how to set standards on tests in education, licensure, and certification. This book is comprehensive in scope, practical in nature, and definitive in terms of cataloguing the essential conceptual and procedural fundamentals of setting performance standards. Key Features: Offers a detailed description of procedures: In a practical, straightforward, and virtually jargon-free style, this book begins with important foundational and conceptual information about standard setting followed by step-by-step procedures for all currently used methods, including Angoff, Item Mapping, Analystic Judgment, etc. In addition, a full chapter is devoted to future issues and research in standard setting. Enables readers to design, implement, and evaluate a standard setting study: Using this book, readers will be able to: select an appropriate standard setting method; schedule and plan implementation; identify and train qualified standard-setting participants; conduct the standard setting meeting; calculate one or more cut scores; and evaluate the success of the procedure they have implemented. Allows readers to adapt written materials to their situation: Examples are provided in widely available formats such as Excel, SPSS, .pdf and Word files so readers do not have to purchase specialized software or learn to use unfamiliar packages. The book includes downloadable forms, sample correspondence, checklists, data sets, and analytical software for performing calculations required for various standard setting procedures. Intended Audience: This is an excellent supplementary textbook for graduate courses such as Applied Measurement in Education; Psychometric Theory; Advanced Educational Measurement; Special Topics in Measurement and Evaluation; Seminar in Educational and Psychological Measurement in the departments of Educational Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation, Psychology, and others.
A Guide to Establishing and Evaluating Performance Standards on Tests
Standard Setting: A Guide to Establishing and Evaluating Performance Standards on Tests provides the only "go-to" reference on how to set standards on tests in education, licensure, and certification. It is comprehensive in scope, practical in nature, and definitive in terms of cataloguing the essential conceptual and procedural fundamentals of setting performance standards. Key Features: " Offers an overview of the importance of standard setting, current demands, legislation, formats, and licensure and certification contents " Provides a detailed look at the distinctions between oft-confused concepts such as "content standards" and "performance standards" " Gives a straightforward review of the common elements in setting performance standards " Provides detailed inclusion of the various methods (Angoff, Item Mapping, Analystic Judgment, etc.)for setting performance standards " Includes a full chapter devoted to the future issues and research in standard setting as well as a glossary of key terms and a full set of references to aid the reader's literature review
Maximizing Student Motivation, Learning, and Achievement
"I loved the connections that were made between the suggested practices to improve teaching and real-life uses of those practices!" -Brigitte Tennis, Head Teacher, Stella Schola Middle School, Redmond, WA "One of the most well-written books on educational theory. Goes to the heart of teaching-the students." -Betty Brandenburg Yundt, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Walker Intermediate School, Fort Knox, KY "Offers practical suggestions for how to create a learner-centered environment." -Judi Elman, English Teacher, Highland Park High School, IL Create a learner-centered environment that promotes individual student achievement! Using core principles of educational psychology, this research-based resource provides instructional strategies and assessment tools that emphasize learning partnerships between teachers and students as they rally support from parents, community, administrators, school staff, and other teachers. The sound psychological foundation of the learner-centered model supports student growth, development, and achievement by focusing on such key factors as cognition, metacognition, motivation, affect, and individual differences. This teacher-friendly guide also features: Interactive training exercises Self-assessments and reflection tools Real-life success stories and models Extensive reproducibles and illustrations A comprehensive glossary and research resources Appropriate for preservice and inservice use, Learner-Centered Classroom Practices and Assessments provides teachers with essential and practical tools for maximizing learning collaborations among teachers, students, and parents.
Maximizing Student Motivation, Learning, and Achievement
"I loved the connections that were made between the suggested practices to improve teaching and real-life uses of those practices!" -Brigitte Tennis, Head Teacher, Stella Schola Middle School, Redmond, WA "One of the most well-written books on educational theory. Goes to the heart of teaching-the students." -Betty Brandenburg Yundt, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Walker Intermediate School, Fort Knox, KY "Offers practical suggestions for how to create a learner-centered environment." -Judi Elman, English Teacher, Highland Park High School, IL Create a learner-centered environment that promotes individual student achievement! Using core principles of educational psychology, this research-based resource provides instructional strategies and assessment tools that emphasize learning partnerships between teachers and students as they rally support from parents, community, administrators, school staff, and other teachers. The sound psychological foundation of the learner-centered model supports student growth, development, and achievement by focusing on such key factors as cognition, metacognition, motivation, affect, and individual differences. This teacher-friendly guide also features: Interactive training exercises Self-assessments and reflection tools Real-life success stories and models Extensive reproducibles and illustrations A comprehensive glossary and research resources Appropriate for preservice and inservice use, Learner-Centered Classroom Practices and Assessments provides teachers with essential and practical tools for maximizing learning collaborations among teachers, students, and parents.
Using detailed examples, checklists and exercises, the authors show how to develop, use and grade classroom examinations. They provide a thorough, step-by-step discussion of general testing and grading issues, including: deciding on the content of an exam; assessing difficulty levels; writing different kinds of test items; scoring different test items; evaluating different subject areas; helping students revise for an exam; and developing grading methods and strategies.
