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Assessment

Making sense of the enormous amount of student data in any classroom or school is probably the biggest challenge we face individually and in our school communities. Authentic assessment of learning helps us plan quality instruction. Here you'll find everything from one-page templates of formative assessments created by literacy coaches to videos of staff teams poring over large summative data sets.

Latest Content
Humanizing Data

Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart share a way to open data conversations that humanizes the process and encourages everyone to dig deeper to examine each student’s whole story.

Reshaping Data Stories

Ruth Ayres encourages us to take a second look at the data stories we are telling about students. She shares four areas to help us see a more complete picture of a student.

Visual Data for Literacy

When data was flying and difficult to corral, David Pittman sought to create a tool for teachers to use that would encompass all pieces of data as well as align with shifts in instruction. David shares the process of developing a useful tool that honors student learning and provides clarity for next steps for growth.

A Richer Picture: Assessing Our Students as Readers (And Not Just in Reading)

Matt Renwick shares a powerful story of a student growing leaps and bounds as a reader. He insists that we must always look beyond isolated data points, and gives several resources to richly assess students as readers.

Using a Filtering Process to Make Data-Driven Intervention Decisions

Gwen Blumberg describes a five-step filtering process of student assessment data designed to help make true data-driven decisions in an efficient amount of time. Download a visual guide of the data-filtering process.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Screening Team

Gwen Blumberg provides a step-by-step guide to creating an assessment screening team that quickly and collaboratively administers one-to-one screening-style assessments to a classroom of children.

A Sense of Accomplishment: Four Strategies for Making Students’ Literacy Learning Visible

Matt Renwick makes the connection that learners are engaged when there is a meaningful goal. He outlines ways to make the process visible to lead to a sense of accomplishment. Download a copy of the Reading-Writing Portfolio Table of Contents.

No More Learning Target Drudgery

Tammy Mulligan transforms learning targets into meaningful learning conversations in her first-grade classroom. This is a must-read for all literacy leaders who want learning targets to have a positive influence on students.

How Teacher Evaluation Can Support School-Wide Change

Matt Renwick explains how teacher evaluation can be integrated into school-wide plans for literacy improvement by attuning to “promising practices.”

Student Moves

Students move from our school districts to ones next door all the time. How can school leaders ensure the moves are as seamless as possible, especially in the realm of literacy? Jen Schwanke shares a case study of how a meeting and transfer of files made all the difference for one struggling learner.

Home Language Is Love Language

Our names are such a big part of who we are. Jen Schwanke reassures a teacher who struggles with student names, and at the same time gives her practical tips for making sure her pronunciations are correct.

How Am I Doing? One Principal’s Experience with Feedback

Matt Renwick is like any of us—he is nervous about what he will learn when he asks teachers to assess his performance as a principal. He shares findings from a survey he gives to teachers.

From Observations to Questions

The starting point for assisting any teacher with a struggling learner is to observe and question. Stella Villalba shares her process, including what she focuses on in observations and how she uses what she sees as a springboard to conversations.

Beyond a Checklist for Teaching and Leading

Jen Schwanke explains why judging a teacher solely on whether they follow literacy workshop tenets may cause us to miss some essential (and elusive) qualities of great teaching . . . and leadership.

Student Files

To read or not read the student file? Some teachers are strong believers in “fresh starts” for all the children in their class, and never look at cumulative records. Jen Schwanke explains how these best of intentions can sometimes do damage.

Portfolios for the Coachee

This is an idea you’ll want to try if you’re a literacy coach. David Pittman creates simple and elegant portfolios with the teachers he coaches of their work together, documenting plans, milestones, and final reflections.

Environmental Walks: A Snapshot of a Literacy Culture

If you want to get a quick snapshot of literacy instruction at your school, do an environmental walk. Matt Renwick shares his process and notes from one of these walks, as well as the issues they raise.

I Still Am

Stephanie Affinito presents a simple and smart activity to help literacy coaches reflect on what they do well and develop plans for growing stronger. Included is a guided reflection download.

Reframing Data Discussions

David Pittman humorously conveys the dread he experiences when he is assigned to lead an inservice session focused on data. He then finds creative ways to reframe the discussion.

Analyzing Student Work: Beginning with Strengths

David Pittman coaches a fifth-grade teacher to look beyond the sea of grammar and spelling errors in student work, and instead start with strengths to analyze where to go next in instruction.

Showcasing the Vision

Heather Fisher finds it is much easier to remember a shared vision when it is displayed in classrooms.

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