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Contact Bruce Crist, Student Assessment Coordinator brucec@sbcglobal.net 530.533.4842 Demographics Summary At Palermo Union School District, the report card is the starting point for lesson planning and the ending point for summarizing student results each trimester. The report card identifies key standards and reports performance levels in relation to year-end expectations. Because the report cards are accessible online, data entry is easy and merged into a comprehensive database automatically. Report Card The report card summarizes a variety of assessment results, but decisions about individual students are based on a more detailed profile of results for the separate assessments. Teachers look at patterns and differences in student data to select the most accurate information to make well-founded decisions about instructional strategies and interventions that meet student needs. In 2001-2002, the district began a series of professional development workshops for teachers on data analysis for instructional decision-making. Staff identified "high-priority" content standards -- those in need of improvement -- based on a review of student data from report cards and database queries using Brio software. Staff then discussed classroom strategies and extended-day interventions for students needing extra help to learn particular standards. Full Description Report Cards Report Card At Palermo Union School District, the report card is a focal point for reporting student results and planning lessons. The content standards appearing on the report card target the key standards to ensure ample instructional time and assessment information. Teacher consistency in rating student work is strengthened by teachers' use of common assessment instruments and weekly grade- level meetings to discuss instruction, assessment, and results. These meetings foster core instructional and assessment practices as well as provide collegial support. Performance levels reference year-end expectations and year-end performance standards. This is a radical departure from the traditional grading system where a student might receive all "A's" in the first quarter or trimester, based on teachers' performance expectations each grading period. Through parent-teacher conferences and other venues, parents and/or legal guardians have become accustomed to expect that their children will begin the school year at a beginning achievement level and gradually progress to the proficient level. The conference is used to notify parents and/or legal guardians of students at risk of retention and to discuss school and home interventions. For example, for yearlong standards such as in reading, a student might start at the partial level (2) and naturally progress to full proficiency (4). For more "short-term" standards such as in mathematics where particular units are targeted for particular grading periods, a student might perform at the proficient level (4) each grading period on the specific standards taught and assessed. Report card grades reflect student performance on assessments of the academic content standards. Grades for student attitude and behavior (e.g., effort and homework completion) are reported in a separate area. Originally, Microsoft Word templates were used to produce report cards. Later, the Word templates were replaced by a FilemakerPro database. Teachers enter report card grades online. The FilemakerPro database is linked to the district's SASI student demographic database. This relational database system allows staff to analyze data in a variety of ways, such as assessment results for groups of students based on race/ethnicity, gender, program services (e.g., Title I interventions, special education). The Butte County Office of Education is working with the district to use Brio database software for producing school summary reports of local assessment results. Student Assessment Profiles Teachers are given an assessment binder that links local assessments to standards. The district believes in multiple assessments to obtain accurate information about student achievement. Individual scores from a variety of assessments can be combined into a composite index in one of two ways. Some districts create rules and a formula for combining scores (e.g., weights for different assessments) and use computer software to calculate a composite score. Palermo's approach is for teachers to examine the profile, or pattern, of individual scores for each student and make a judgment about overall achievement for pupil promotion/retention decisions and report card grades. Writing assessments yielding performance levels have been established at each grade level. Writing assessment scores (performance levels) became part of the multiple measures for language arts in 2001-2002. Professional Development Teachers discuss teaching and assessing standards in frequent grade level meetings at the school. Staff continuously converse with parents and/or legal guardians about student progress toward year-end performance standards on critical content standards. Frequent conversations with other teachers and parents/guardians has been instrumental in strengthening teachers' deep understanding of the content standards and standards-based teaching strategies. In 2001-2002, the district began a series of professional development workshops for teachers on data analysis for instructional decision-making. Staff identified "high-priority" content standards -- those in need of improvement -- based on a review of student data from report cards and database queries using Brio software. Then staff discussed classroom strategies and school extended day interventions for students needing extra help to learn the curricula aligned to the standards. |