Good NWEA News at MSAD # 36
Darren J. Akerman, District Supervisor of Instruction
The results are in at MSAD # 36—the NWEA results, that is. The Northwest Evaluation Association, a recognized leader in authentic student assessments was piloted this year in our three schools, and the NWEA news is good.But let’s save the best news for last.
It is important to recognize that accurate assessment of any child’s performance is a complex procedure, and requires an individual approach. Ideally, assessment data should help the student identify his or her areas of strength and deficit. Moreover, teachers seek ways to ‘inform instruction’ through the use of assessment data—in other words, they can help students fill any gaps in their learning. For example, a student who ‘Does Not Meet Expectations’ in the Maine Learning Standards in the area of Mathematical Computation for his/her grade level, needs reinforcement for that concept, instead of moving them on to the next Mathematical concept. Much of learning is sequential, and requires the use of prior knowledge to grasp new concepts. This is as true for Mathematics as it is for English/Language Arts.
NWEA, which is considered one of the most authentic educational assessments for students, has become a critical tool to determine student performance and inform instruction. It raises the standards of validity and reliability far beyond standardized paper and pencil tests. For one thing, NWEA is given on-line, a feature that allows for an important distinction—namely, it adjusts to the student’s individual ability and gradually increases in difficulty. If you have ever faced an assessment that was too difficult, or contained unfamiliar contents, you can readily understand how some students may become anxious or perform poorly. Now imagine that the assessment you are taking instantly adjusted itself so that the difficulty and unfamiliar content were no longer a factor. You would probably be ready for the challenge, and more inclined to do your best.
That’s exactly what happened at MSAD # 36 during the academic school year, 2007-8, and the NWEA results are solid proof that student achievement and performance is improving—in many cases dramatically.
It is worth noting that NWEA is cited in the influential report: A Look to the Future: Maine Education Reform (Michael Fullan and Nancy Watson, 2006). The authors “believe that for the State, it is vital to shift from having many unwieldy non-comparable systems to developing a user-friendly state-wide assessment approach, using MEA (and perhaps NWEA) data to track progress toward targets and to identify SAUs and schools needing additional support or capacity building. Such a system, supported by local assessment for learning, provides both accountability and capacity building.”
Aside from the importance of personal achievement, you are no doubt aware of the need for improved academic performance in public schools under state and federal law. No Child Left Behind is particularly prescriptive in regard to student achievement. Happily, there is NWEA evidence to support that positive changes are taking place in our district.
Here are the results of this implementation year of NWEA at MSAD # 36 in comparison to the national norms. The numbers are called R.I.T. for Rasch Indicator Traits, a unit of measurement in research that is highly reliable and valid.
Special Note to Parents
It is very important to understand that these results must be viewed as an implementation year, that is, without the benefit of having previous scores and student growth benchmarks. Remember, this was our first time using NWEA, and we have discovered many new details to improve testing conditions—from schedules to technical considerations. Students, too, had to learn to use an on-line assessment that increases in difficulty.
There are a number of variables that affect student performance, and the general standard deviation allows for approximately 2 points to be considered within range of meeting the target (norm group average.) Moreover, this report does not make significant reference to student growth at this time; that data will be reported to you next school year to ensure a higher degree of validity.
A Closer Look at the Scores: What Does It All Mean?
MSAD # 36 has focused much of its instructional leadership in the area of literacy. Research indicates that students who develop proficiency in literacy perform better in other subject areas as well. Implementation takes time, but we are well on the way to ensuring that the literacy strategies that have proven so successful at the elementary school level are being replicated in the middle and high schools. Local assessments provide supporting evidence that reading scores are on the rise, and preliminary NWEA student growth reports also confirm that positive changes are underway in multiple subject areas across the K-12 continuum.
With respect to literacy, it is important to point out that we have stayed ahead of the curve, and have established our revised K-5 local literacy curriculum to reflect not only the new Maine Learning Results, but our own district vision. The addition of curriculum maps provides teachers with a high level of specificity, as well as a timetable for teaching skills. Over the summer, the 6-8 literacy curricula will be developed using the K-5 as a model, which will coincide with the start of the accreditation process at LFMS. The 9-12 Literacy curricula will be addressed during the next school year to ensure continuity and quality of practice.
MSAD # 36 is also turning its attention to mathematics in new and inventive ways. The implementation of Mimioboards at LFHS will provide students with an interactive venue. Our Instructional Design Team will be investigating a new Mathematics series that is developmentally appropriate, and provides a high degree of continuity. Advanced mathematics offerings will again be offered at the LFMS and LFHS. The Mathematics/Science lab at LES is allowing students access to technology and hands-on materials to enhance their understanding of Mathematics. A successful grade 3-5 mathematics intervention class this year may be re-offered next year.
The graphs you have seen represent only one part of NWEA. Many detailed reports for teachers indicate specific areas of need and strength. For example, it can be generally concluded that mathematic computation is an area of need; since mathematics essentially builds upon the acquisition of processes, it is difficult for students to progress without first mastering computation. Thus, teachers can now readily identify those students who require intervention in this area.
Similarly, a focus for adolescent literacy is on informational text, which becomes an essential part of the growing complexity of subject matter. Parents will also have the opportunity to look beyond student scores and see areas of strength and need with respect to their own child on the NWEA reports.
The best news?
NWEA provides projection reports for student performance on the MEAs, which, as you know, are vital to federal and state achievement. Based on past performance on local assessments, we are making substantial gains in targeted areas of instruction. Student performance is improving.
NWEA gives us a navigational tool to guide instruction at MSAD # 36 and chart a course for high student achievement. We’re up for the challenge.
For more information about NWEA, please click on the link below:
http://www.nwea.org/
