Uncovering the Hidden Causes of Low Performance

Mid-year assessment reviews have been completed, and the principal reached out to me with concerns regarding three specific grade levels. Over the past two years, he has put significant effort into aligning the curriculum and instruction, alongside initiating data dialogues that have positively influenced teachers' attitudes towards data use. Having addressed other potential root causes, we took a closer look at the assessments themselves.

Upon reviewing the district assessments, we found that they are aligned with state assessments, possessing a predictability rate of approximately 3-5%. This alignment is crucial; ideally, it should remain below 5%. However, any misalignment exceeding 10% warrants immediate review and potential adjustments. Such discrepancies can cloud our understanding of student performance and hinder tracking progress toward established goals. If assessments do not accurately reflect state standards, educators will struggle to interpret data effectively and implement targeted interventions.

The state assessment blueprint indicated that 60% of the questions fall under Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Level 2. A common root cause for assessment-related challenges is the misalignment between classroom expectations and the standards set by the final state assessment. It’s crucial to review the types of questions included in classroom assessments, as their complexity and depth can greatly influence student learning outcomes. When assessments primarily focus on low-level questions that emphasize recall or basic comprehension, they may inadvertently constrain students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

As we met with teachers and reviewed their last 3 classroom assessments, the pattern of low-level questions was consistent. Teachers were assessing the standards taught at a lower level. In one grade level, the criteria for grading the common grade level assessment also varied by teacher. By identifying this root cause, it was much easier to determine a solution: raise the level of performance on the classroom assessment.

However, this approach revealed another underlying issue: teachers reported that students struggled with higher-level questions, which led them to reduce the difficulty of assessments to ensure student success. This challenge was not only about beliefs but also highlighted an instructional gap in helping students advance to higher levels of thinking and manage cognitive demands.

Importantly, this leader didn't stop at simply aligning assessments; he also took steps to enhance instruction, aiming to help students reach a deeper understanding. Often, when there’s a misalignment in assessments, it stems from foundational instructional problems. It’s crucial to identify the teaching practices needed to support students in mastering the more complex concepts assessed.

Assessment is an integral part of instruction as it guides the teacher’s strategy. It includes various methods teachers use to evaluate, measure and document students’ learning.

Assessments are meant to help the teacher and students understand their next step.

It is a requirement by many states that most schools must administer state-mandated tests. These assessments are summative and completed yearly. The data from these tests are the first level of evaluating your school program and its effectiveness.

Whether we like it or not, many schools are judged by their performance on state-mandated tests. This is an important data point that should not be overlooked, as it significantly influences school goals. Sometimes, classroom assessment results may be high while state assessment scores are low. This indicates a disconnect between what is being taught in classrooms and what is being tested on district and state assessments (deeper root cause in the above story).

Formative and summative assessments should be aligned to determine a deeper root cause. This will lessen or eliminate unforeseen scenarios when taking the final assessment. It should then result in better performance on the final summative assessment or state test.

Some questions identifying possible alignment issues are:

• Are classroom assessments aligned with expectations required in the state and/or district
  assessments?
•  Do the cognitive levels of questions match on both assessments?
• Do the standards and skills match both assessments?

Chapter 12 in my new book, School and Student Data Secrets: How to Analyze Your Data and Achieve
Results: Durma, Debra: 9798303810778: Amazon.com: Books, contains additional questions to analyze
assessments as a possible root cause.

To ensure continuous growth and improvement, it's essential to dive deeper into how our assessments are aligned. As you consider how this year's performance compares to previous years, it's crucial to understand how well the school does in addressing issues.

The next level for Data Steps 2.0 is to reflect on your data comparing this year’s performance to last year’s performance. If it has significantly improved, and you have successfully tackled the challenge of low-level questions and standards alignment, it's time to celebrate and then shift your focus to more nuanced and complex areas of assessment.

Consider examining what will be required by students in the next grade level or next level of schooling. Are teachers balancing question types, ensuring a mix of recall, application, and creation-based questions that align with not only classroom learning objectives but also preparation for moving forward in the following years? You may also want to explore the use of technology-enhanced items, performance tasks, or other innovative assessment approaches to provide a more comprehensive picture of student learning. By tackling these areas, you can continue to refine your assessment system, drive instructional improvement, and ultimately enhance student learning outcomes and success.

Mid-year assessments provide an invaluable opportunity to reflect on our instructional practices and student progress. Through analyzing the alignment between classroom assessments and state or district expectations, we can identify areas of improvement and ensure that we are targeting the right skills and cognitive levels.

What’s Next?

Stuck on what to do with low or flat-lined data, or unclear on why your assessments are yielding the results they are?

I'm here to help you break down the challenges and develop a clear plan to move forward. If you'd like to discuss your specific situation and identify the next steps in addressing assessment root cause issues, I invite you to schedule a FREE consultation call with me via the link below. Contact Debra