A steadily flowing stream of information gives teachers much-needed data

摘要

Teachers at Woodlawn Middle School in Long Grove, Ill., are no different than most. They were discouraged by the amount of testing taking place in their classrooms, frustrated with not having the kind of data they needed, and feeling overwhelmed by the data they did have. The teachers routinely analyzed results of standardized achievement tests, disaggregating the data. Based on the data, they tried to change pacing, instructional strategies, and even to add new units of study to improve student learning, but they eventually realized that the standardized annual exams were not providing the critical information they needed. Annual exams did not offer timely information and weren't linked to the local curriculum.