ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP

“Data at Your Fingertips”: A Viewpoint of an Assessment Leadership Demonstration Project

When Rick Stiggins, founder and director of the Assessment Training Institute (ATI) in Portland, Oregon, clarifies that there is assessment for learning as well as assessment of learning, he distinguishes between the nature of formative and summative assessments. Assessment is a buzz word in education today. The use of assessment for learning as well as of learning describes the cultural shift happening in schools as teachers use data in their everyday teaching to make instructional decisions. Assessment leadership is an idea whose time has come and eight districts have embarked on this professional journey supported by E2T2 monies and resources. Since each district started with different pieces in places, networking and customized training have been essential and supported by the E2T2 grant.

Each district essentially follows a problem-solving cycle to: identify the problem using data and anecdotal information, analyzing the problem, developing a plan that describes goals, research-based interventions, and assessment process, implementing the plan, and evaluating the plan’s effectiveness.

Viewpoint Solutions™ software puts NWEA, MCA, demographic, and trend data at the fingertips of teachers and administrators. It gives more than a snapshot. It provides a moving picture of student progress and achievement, and makes available Student Plans™ to help take the next step, identifying, developing, managing and evaluating intervention strategies.

Want to learn more? Contact Glenn Morris at gmorris@mnscsc.org or Assessment Facilitators/Staff Development Coordinators Susan Moore, smoore@mnscsc.org and Mary Otto, motto@mnscsc.org.