How to be an “A” school:
Time to measure growth, identify learning gaps
by Jan Barrick, Alpha Plus CEO
Happy Winter Holidays! From meeting with educators in schools all around the state, we know you are doing the best you can to cover all the content the state requires and prepare your students for the next grade level. That’s why you are our heroes!
Considering fall challenges old and new, the results you have achieved are impressive. As of Dec. 9, among the 111 schools now in Alpha Plus Online, the average number of formative assessments completed is 9 objectives with a Running Proficiency rate at 62% of students. We haven’t reached our goal of 70% proficient yet but we are on track for it by spring!
Time to evaluate growth, identify learning gaps and plan for the spring semester based on midyear (B) summative data! At Grades 3-8 for reading and math, if you have not administered the midyear benchmark yet, see our October newsletter on preparing to do so.
CLASSROOM TAB: Scores for each class are in the Master Report, Item Response Report, Classroom Summative, and Standards at Risk reports. All can be accessed in the summative test list or using the drop-down within the Master Report.
- The Standards at Risk report offers a list of students NOT proficient on each OAS Objective. This helps schools coordinate small-group remediation and tutoring on priority objectives.
- The Classroom Summative Report shows student performance by OAS objective while highlighting objectives taught (formative assessment taken) before the summative was administered and provides a benchmark score for each student.
- NOTE: All Alpha Plus Online reports - except Item Response Reports – are based on LAST assessment taken.
MANAGEMENT TAB: The Summative Test Log button downloads an updated spreadsheet of student scores for comparison to the baseline and later the spring assessment. Columns are included so teachers can input students’ last state-test scores for comparison and goal setting.
- Administrators can download a school’s Summative Objective Analysis(SOA), which color codes at-risk OAS objectives by grade level for all classes. The SOA identifies priority OAS objectives from any benchmark.
- All students and all standards are important, but some need more help from your team than others over the next few months. From summative B data, determine both the students and the OAS objectives that need to be the primary concern in the spring semester.
Based on the data, adjust your Pacing Calendar to ensure all“power standards”(those with the highest percentages on the state-test blueprint) are taught and remediated before Spring Break, if possible.
- Schools have different (and now more difficult) academic calendars, but it is more important than ever to protect as much instruction time as possible.
- We recommend planning the next summative (A2) benchmark in Grades 3-8 for March. This allows time to analyze the data to coordinate remediation before the state test window opens April 20.
Early-childhood teachers usually give the A2 benchmark closer to the end of the school year to provide the best performance and growth data on early learners. The second summative test window for 1st and 2nd grade students opens Feb. 1, 2023, but that date can be changed if a growth measure is wanted at midyear. However, the scores will be overwritten if the test is administered again in the spring.
Click here to see links for FREE digital resources for intervention and extension activities.
Let us know how we can help you more!
– CEO Jan Barrick and the Alpha Plus Team
ALPHA PLUS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
3315 N.W. 63rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Call (405) 842-8408 or email
FREE digital resources for intervention, extension activities
- Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) Digital Library, Pre-K–12: https://www.ossba.org/services/okldr/
- National Council of Teachers of English – Read, Write, Think, K-12: https://www.readwritethink.org/
- Florida Center for Reading Research, K–5: https://fcrr.org/student-center-activities
- Mathematics games and videos from Khan Academy (PK-12): https://www.khanacademy.org/math/k-8-grades
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