CCA - Use of Data and Ongoing Assessment

Monitoring student progress is an ongoing activity in our classrooms. A variety of tools are used to monitor student progress, some formal and others more informal. Informal measures include daily classroom observations by teachers, and classroom observations by school leaders. Data is used to guide teachers as they make instructional decisions and school leaders as they plan for interventions for groups and individual children each day.

Effective and meaningful monitoring involves:
•   Identifying the starting point
•   Tracking growth throughout the quarter
•   Assessing end-of-quarter growth
•   Using data to motivate staff and students

Formal assessment tools:

• Dibels: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills – used as one measure of early literacy developmental skills
• NWEA Measurement of Academic Performance – utilized three times during the year to chart academic progress in literacy, language arts, and mathematics
• CSAP Colorado State Assessment Program – the state program administered once a year to measure proficiency levels in reading, writing, and math for grades 3 – 8. Students are also tested in science in grades 5 and 8.

Informal assessment tools:

• Student portfolios – created by students as part of the quarterly parent / student / teacher conference; students are guided by their teachers as they select work that outlines current learning goals and demonstrates progress made in all subject areas.
• Teacher created assessments for all content areas