How do we measure student success, effectively?

As educators, we are curious –

• How do we measure student success, effectively?
• Do we know each student is on the right track?

We can agree. the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath has caused significant disruptions to, and sometimes halted, education. Educators have answered the challenge of providing meaningful educational experiences at a distance and now back in-person. To move ahead, critical actions must be taken to ensure student learning is happening and must be measured to identify focus areas for moving forward strategically.

Tracking student progress is critical to inform the impact of instruction on student learning. However, many educators feel concerned that the interruptions to learning combined with new testing circumstances and other factors, like behaviors and social emotional, will produce an inaccurate depiction of student learning.

So, how do we measure student success, effectively? And do we know if each student is on the right track?

Data is valuable, and data that informs the impact of our instruction and progress of each students’ learning = improved focus on and action for effective instructional design and how this turns into learning, engagement and assessment for all students.

Data also supports and informs each student and their agency = student engaged assessment (Leaders of Their Own Learning, J. Hattie).

Data is a powerful tool to:

• Inform instructional impact and progress of each student.
• Design instruction and learning – that connects and reaches all students.
• Conference with students and set actionable, student-centered goals with each of them.

Questions that can drive inquiry-

• Why do we track data over time?
• How can we effectively track data? Do we know how to do this?
• How do we measure student success, effectively?
• What are the multiple methods we can use to measure? What types of data can be collected and tracked? (What are our data sources? Are these all the same or differentiated? What have we not considered?)
• What can the data we collect inform?

As a result, when we apply these questions (and many others not listed), this informs and supports us to take action:

• Progress >>> Growth (of every student).
• Impact of instruction (on every student).
• Learning (as demonstrated by every student = evidence of their learning and agency).
• Impact of individualized practice (by each student).
• Instructional planning (impact of its design (UDL) plus next steps = coherent and viable curriculum).
• MTSS – tiered supports/framework/program, interventions, enrichments/extensions.
• Curriculum = is it viable and leading our students to the outcomes we have planned and expect?

Ask yourself – Do we have what we need to really know each student?

PLC Associates, Inc. provides a range of high-quality and tools and resources to help our clients perform better and get them where they want to be. If you would like to get started with one of our metric tools and work with our consultants, reach out to us today.

Authored by: Emory Roethel, Associate.

Accomplish Great Things in Your District

We work with you to close gaps, replicate best practices, and build high-impact, sustainable systems.

Let’s Chat About How We Can Help

Reach out to PLC Associates for a 15-minute solutions conversation.
Directly with Penny Ciaburri at 585-703-7521 and would look forward to talking with you.