Ongoing analysis of student test data enables District to continually improve instructional program

The Richland School District is using the latest testing and score analyzing software to help students achieve at higher levels. These sophisticated tools, such as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Leader's Edge, Inform and DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)

"With these tools, we're able to more effectively and efficiently analyze student test results and focus our instruction to meet the needs of students," says Dr. Jean Lane, Deputy Superintendent. "For example, the real-time data provided by MAP may assist school leaders in recognizing a need to create another section of honors math at a particular school to better serve their students' needs. Or, it may help identify three or four students in a specific class who need extra help in reading comprehension or additional instruction in geometric concepts. Our overarching goal is to help low performing students reach standards while continuing to challenge our high performing students. We want to boost achievement for all students and these tools help us do that."

According to Micheal Hansen, principal of White Bluffs Elementary School, MAP is useful when teachers and principals take the data, study it, and use it to impact student learning. He says teachers are using MAP testing data to guide instruction.

"By analyzing data, our teachers are able to pinpoint specific strengths and weaknesses in both individual students and groups of students. They can then focus their instruction accordingly. The MAP data may tell a teacher that four of her students are weak in number sense while the other 20 students are fairly strong. The teacher then knows that he or she must use a different teaching strategy for those four students. Its hard work for teachers to go in-depth with data, but they're seeing the value of using data to guide and plan instruction to meet the needs of a broad range of learners."