Data Diner

Data in the classroom is like a diner- there are a lot of options for whatever you might need, it's a bit messy and can be quick. It is important to invite students into the data and make expectations clear. 

John Hattie, a researcher who does meta-analyses of other research, has determined that student-reported grades, teacher estimates of achievement, and clarity are some of the biggest influences on student achievement.  You can see the full list here. Any item above a .40 is considered to have positive effects on learning. 

To connect research to practice, we created a list of some options for collecting data and to increase student accountability. This by all means is not inclusive but can serve as a launching point. 

The menu is organized into three sections- small bites, entrees, and dessert.  

Small bites- are a great way to get a quick assessment of how students are doing at the moment. They don't need much prep and can be used with many materials. 

 This is an editable version of a pinch card- you can ask different types of questions and get quick responses. 

Entrees- these put meat on the bone. It takes more planning but can really drive student learning and accountability. 

Success criteria- to me, is the easiest and one of the most powerful ways to plan, assess, and provide feedback for students.  Teachers take a standard and then break down what needs to be done in order to achieve that standard.  Instead of a student saying "I don't get this," they can then state specifically what they don't get.  Creating success criteria allows teachers to play and assess based upon what the standards actually are asking and making their lessons more clear.  If you google "success criteria" there are many great examples online. 

An assessment grid is a quick and easy way to determine what students did and did not understand from an assessment. Using a strip of paper that corresponds with each question, teachers/students can correct and mark what is right (green) and wrong (red). Once finished, tape them on a piece of paper to easily see what students do and do not understand. It can also be done digitally in excel using "conditional formatting" for the columns.  Highlight the columns that are graded the same (1 correct, 0 no) and another highlight for the total at the end. 

A weekly word folder- provides student and parent accountability. Grade the previous week's work and send the folder home each week.  Parents review the work with students and return it back the next day.  Any unfinished work could be submitted as well.  This also helps teachers ensure that they return work in a timely matter.  

Another way to invite students in on the grading is to allow them to create checklists and rubrics. Students can use the document to self-check, peer review, and teacher feedback before the grading is done.  

Standards checklists allow teachers to keep track of what students have what standards. 

QR Codes of Google Forms can be a great tool for progress monitoring students with IEPS and anything else that needs to be documented.  Teachers can put different QR codes for students on one document, on a lanyard, or hanging on a wall to easily input information.

Another tool to increase student accountability is to have students respond to "Why I Got the Grade I Got" for an assessment or project.  This form helps to relate effort to outcomes.  On the backside, students could also add what else they know that wasn't on the test. 

Here are a few forms for student feedback- Glow and Grow, TAG feedback, and Stars and Stairs

Desserts- are the language and celebrations that occur in the classroom. It's more than a cherry on top to have students who can articulate what they agree and disagree with as well as are celebrated for their accomplishments.  

Accountable talk is the tool that moves classroom discussions forward and what our world needs more than ever.  Accountable talk is sentence stems that support dialogue and can be used in academic and non-academic settings. The attached PDF is great to laminate and have on tables, notebooks, or a location in the classroom.  Students also benefit from posters in the room with the stems.

Don't let your class get in out of alignment from not knowing what learning is occurring! There are so many awesome ways to let students know what they know and where they are headed.  Popping the unknown and making these practices central to a classroom can relieve stress and increase clarity and achievement!