• I-B-2: Adjustment to Practice
    Unsatisfactory
    Needs Improvement
    Proficient
    Exemplary
    Makes few adjustments to practice based on formal and informal assessments. May organize and analyze some assessment results but only occasionally adjusts practice or modifies future instruction based on the findings Organizes and analyzes results from a variety of assessments to determine progress toward intended outcomes and uses these findings to adjust practice and identify and/or implement appropriate differentiated interventions and enhancements for students. Organizes and analyzes results from a comprehensive system of assessments to determine progress toward intended outcomes and frequently uses these findings to adjust practice and identify and/or implement appropriate differentiated interventions and enhancements for individuals and groups of students and appropriate modifications of lessons and units. Is able to model this element.
    Why Proficiency in this Element Matters
    • Groups and individual students learn best  when instruction and pre, mid and post assessment is personalized based on an analysis of student progress during lessons and units.
    • After analysis of student progress, teaching approaches must be revised, added to, rejected, and improved upon to maximize student learning during lessons and units as well as for the purposes of future planning. Enhanced learning opportunities and flexible means of access to learning are created and provide a personalized learning experience for students.
    • To effectively measure student learning, teachers must implement meaningful, cognitively demanding and grade-level appropriate formative and summative assessments.
    • Assessments must effectively measure student learning growth and progress toward intended outcomes.
    • Students gain resiliency through the adjustment of practice and frequent teacher feedback culled from analysis of student progress.
    Reflection Questions

    These questions may help to assess how effectively common obstacles to consistent/sustained proficiency in this element are addressed

    For Educators For Evaluators/Coaches

    Assessments

    • What kind of assessment tool should I use? What technique or techniques will be used to ascertain students' current status?
    • What number of assessment items will be sufficient to accurately measure student mastery of each subskill or body of knowledge being assessed?
    • How do you know that you have collected high quality data to make instructional decisions and students' placement in tiered interventions?
    • How do you know which assessments to use in order to adjust our instructional practices? Have students provided insight into their own progress through communication with you and have you shared with students the ways in which you have adjusted practice to improve learning?

    Assessments

    • Has the educator used an array of formative and summative assessment techniques to make a range of decisions from instantaneous to conclusive regarding whether to adjust instruction? Some examples could include but are not limited to:
      • Asks meaningful questions that increases students thinking instead of simple yes/no questions, probing question, or overreliance on recall questions.
      • examines completed graphic organizers, ticket to leave assignments
      • problems of the day quiz, etc. to determine students' understanding and progress towards proficiency in standard and next steps for instruction.
    • Have these decisions been sound and ultimately resulted in improved student learning outcomes?

    Organizing/Analyzing student results

    • How often—and at which points during the instructional plan—will assessment evidence be collected?
    • What tool will I use to collect and analyze student growth data?
    • Is this tool effective?

    Organizing/Analyzing student results

    • Upon review of the educator’s system of data collection, how comprehensive and effective do you believe the system to be? Why?

    Adjustments to Practice

    • What performance level will signal the need for an instructional adjustment?
    • If students' performance level indicates instructional adjustment is necessary, what adjustment will be at the ready?
    • Are students being provided with multiple means of access to content and skills based on an analysis of their interests and learning profile?
    • Was my explanation of the key content clear?
    • Do students understand what they're supposed to be working toward?
    • Does my learning progression have shortcomings?
    • Have students received adequate modeling?
    • Have students had sufficient time on task?
     

    Adjustments to Practice

    • Have students demonstrated resilience through appropriate teacher supports (ie, gradual release)
    • How effectively and often has the educator used any of the following adjustments to practice?:

    Re-explain, using

    … different metaphors or examples.

    … a different mode of instruction (e.g., visual/aural).

    Clarify the intended outcome of instruction by

    … talking about the nature of the target curricular aim.

    … focusing evaluative criteria that will be used to judge the quality of their performance.

    Review prior learning progression choices by

    … determining if any earlier key building blocks have been omitted.

    … deciding if adjustment-trigger levels for previous building blocks were too low.

    Provide additional modeling by

    … distributing and using a detailed rubric or performance model.

    … conducting a demonstration.

    … assigning heterogeneous pairwork in which a struggling student works with a buddy who has mastered the content.

    Provide additional guided or independent practice by

    … setting small-group practice activities.

    … assigning new homework problems.

    What instructional practices should be observed? What student impacts should be expected?
    For TEACHERS this may look like.
    1. Teacher does not gather student learning data using tools that capture assessment results in an organized way, or does so rarely.

    1. Teacher may gather student learning data using tools that capture assessment results, but data is not gathered in an organized way

    1. Teacher gathers student learning data using tools that capture assessment results in an organized way.

    1. Teacher gathers student learning data using tools that capture assessment results in a comprehensive system that is shared with peers.

    1. Teacher does not analyze student progress toward intended objectives.

    1. Teacher may analyze student progress toward intended objectives, but does so infrequently or in a way that does not lead to improved student learning outcomes.

    1. Teacher analyzes student progress toward intended objectives frequently during on the spot assessments as well as by using pre, mid and post assessments, leading to improved student learning outcomes.  

    1. Teacher analyzes student progress toward intended objectives frequently during on the spot assessments as well as by using pre, mid and post assessments, leading to improved student learning outcomes. Teacher models this for peers.

    1. Teacher does not revise lesson and unit approaches to instruction and assessment. Actionable feedback is rare.

    1. Teacher may analyze data, but rarely revises lesson and unit approaches to instruction and assessment. Feedback may not be actionable and demonstrable progress in student learning is inconsistent.

    1. Based on analysis of data, teacher regularly revises lesson and unit instruction and assessment to ensure that actionable feedback leads to demonstrable progress in student learning.

    1. Based on analysis of data, teacher often revises lesson and unit instruction and assessment to ensure that actionable feedback leads to demonstrable progress in student learning.

    1. Teacher does not re-teach content, or modify instructional strategies and interventions resulting in improved student learning outcomes.

    1. Teacher may re-teach content, but does not modify instructional strategies and interventions to lead to improved student learning outcomes.  

    1. Teacher regularly re-teaches content through modified instructional strategies and/or provides research based and/or evidence based student interventions resulting in improved student learning outcomes.

    1. Teacher regularly re-teaches content through modified instructional strategies using tiered levels of intervention  and/or provides research based and/or evidence based student interventions resulting in marked improvement in student learning outcomes.

    1. Teacher rarely increases student access to learning or provides flexible and personalized means to demonstrate mastery of content and skills.

    1. Based on analysis of data, and according to students’ readiness, interests and learning profile, teacher may provide some access to learning through flexible means for students to demonstrate some mastery of content and skills.  However, these supports are rarely personalized and lead to inconsistent progress in student learning.

    1. Based on analysis of data, and according to students’ readiness, interests and learning profile, teacher increases student access to learning  through use of flexible and personalized means for students to demonstrate mastery of content and skills.

    1. Based on analysis of data, and according to students’ readiness, interests and learning profile, teacher provides access to learning through the use of flexible and personalized  means for students to demonstrate mastery and agency  in learning content and skills.

    As a result, the IMPACT on STUDENTS may be...
    1. Students often do not understand  their own progress as access to assessment data is rare or not meaningful in nature.

    1. Students demonstrate limited understanding of their own progress as access to assessment data is not timely or meaningful in nature.

    1. Students understand their own progress toward mastery of standards through regular and ongoing access to assessment data and timely teacher feedback.  Student uses this information to increase his/her agency in their own learning.

    1. Students can easily articulate their own progress toward mastery of standards through regular and ongoing access to assessment data and timely teacher feedback.  Student regularly uses this information to increase his/her agency in his/her own learning.

    1. Students lack opportunities for enhanced learning based on analysis of assessment results that challenges them beyond current level of achievement and based on student’s interest and curiosity.  

    1. Students have rare opportunities for enhanced learning based on analysis of assessment results that challenges them beyond current level of achievement and based on student’s interest and curiosity.

    1. Based on analysis of assessment results,  students have access to enhanced learning opportunities that challenges them beyond current level of achievement and are based on students’ interest, curiosity, and learning needs.

    1. Students exhibit agency, by monitoring/discussing their progress towards their learning goals through consultation with teacher while engaging in opportunities for enhanced learning based on analysis of assessment results

    1. Students do not demonstrate resilience during learning, Students do not gain agency in their learning.

    1. Some students demonstrate resilience by occasionally adjusting their own approaches to learning, through teacher and peer feedback, Agency is rarely gained in their learning.

    1. Students demonstrate resilience by regularly adjusting their own approaches to learning, through regular teacher and peer feedback, thus gaining greater agency in their learning.

    1. Students demonstrate resilience by frequently  adjusting their own approaches to learning, through frequent teacher and peer feedback, thus gaining greater agency and becoming leaders in their own learning.

    1. Students do not engage in personalized learning experiences that are targeted to their needs, and levels of support are not appropriately provided by teacher.  

    1. Students infrequently engage in personalized learning experiences that are targeted to their needs. Levels of support are not typically appropriately provided by teacher.

    1. Students regularly engage in personalized learning experiences that are targeted to their needs, with appropriate levels of support provided or withdrawn by teacher.

    1. Students frequently engage in personalized learning experiences that are targeted to their needs, with appropriate levels of support provided or withdrawn by teacher.

    Coming Soon
    Coming Soon
    new! BPS Academics Foundational Skills Assessment Protocol Observation checklist for daily informal assessment to monitor students during small-group instruction. Assessment Guide
    new! Harvard Datawise Supporting schools and systems in taking an equity lens when using collaborative data inquiry so each student thrives. Organization Website
    new! ODA Data Inquiry Website Team leaders can select from a variety of protocols aligned with inquiry practices and combine, modify,  or adapt them to construct team meeting agendas! BPS Google Site
    new! Making Thinking Visible: Informing immediate adjustments to practice This toolbox highlights thinking routines developed across a number of research projects at PZ. A thinking routine is a set of questions or a brief sequence of steps used to scaffold and support student thinking. Website

    • Tomlinson, Carol Ann & Demirsky, Susan Allan (2000). Leadership for Differentiating Schools & Classrooms. United States. ASCD.

    • McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. P. (2006). Understanding by design professional development workbook. Heatherton, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow Education.

    • Saphier, J., Haley-Speca, M. A., & Gower, R. R. (2008). The skillful teacher: building your teaching skills. Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching, Inc.

    •  Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. United States: ASCD.

    •  Popham, James W. (2011). Transformative Assessment in Action. United States. ASCD.