5. & 7. Assessments and collaboration are your friends

5. & 7. Assessments and collaboration are your friends

This we believe (NMSA, 2010)

*Varied and ongoing assessments advance learning as well as measure it.
Varied Assessments
*Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practice. Committed Leaders.

I have worked in school systems where the weeks leading up to state exams include daily drill, drill, and drill. One year I was given a workbook and told to work in it every day.  I have worked in systems where students were given benchmark exams so often that we, as teachers, calculated over a week of instruction time lost every quarter. I have worked in systems where the state exams were given as early as March. When I have watched students and teachers in these settings, I often see fatigue, followed by a lack of focus.

One year, a team of teachers and students increased math scores significantly. (Student scores increased from forty-nine percent to sixty-three percent.) I had the opportunity to interview the principal, and observe and interview each of the six teachers individually, and as a team. I was also able to interview the math coach. The math coach was part of the school administrative team.

First and foremost, the team of teachers was committed to working together to improve the students' scores. Second, the math coach and two of the teachers collaborated individually and with the team to design the structures which included: teachers meeting weekly with the math coach, assessing students every day with exit slips to determine what was to be done the following day, every week collective brainstorming, and deciding, as a team, what to focus on next. The formats were the same in each class. Students began their day with thirty minutes of whole class drill where teachers intentionally focused on strategies. Second, students worked in centers including: investigations, technology, games, independent work, and small group instruction. When students and classes met goals, there was celebration and cheers and chants.

I was struck by the esprit de corps that permeated this group. They spoke a common language and believed their students would succeed. They inspired their students to do their best; they cheered them on, and behind all of this was a math coach who worked with the teachers to brainstorm ideas and help lead the charge. When I met the team of teachers, they were tired (It was at the end of the year.), but they were also positive, energetic, happy teachers. Team work and collaboration moved students forward.

Advice

1. Work with a team mate to design authentic assessment. Assessment is a tool. Without a focus and a structure for using assessment, it can become busy work. The teachers above used assessment every day. They used common assessments. They used the data to drive instruction.

2. Share data (Progress Monitoring: NCRTI studentprogress.org , 2010). Share data with one another to look for trends and information to guide instruction. Share data with students so they too can set goals.
3. Share strategies (Mastery Learning: Bloom, 1987) with one another. When things work embrace them. When you arrive at a school, know that there are colleagues who have lots of ideas.

4. Share advice (Teamwork: Gunn & King, 2003; Sumner, 2006; Langer, Colton, Goff, 2003). The teachers on that team told me they talked about students and strategies every day, before school, during lunch, and after school.

5. Gather and organize resources in a variety of formats.