CCSSO Leadership Conference
September 9, 2008 Milwaukee, WI
Margaret Heritage
Inquiry-focused Practice: Making Decisions about Learning in the Classroom
Overview
• Inquiry-focused Practice
• Data for Inquiry
• Framework for Inquiry-focused Practice
• Knowledge and Skills Teachers Need
The Question….
“Cheshire …,” Alice began rather timidly, “would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That all depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
Lewis Carroll
Inquiry-focused Practice• Where are my
students now?
• Where are my students going?
• How will they get there?
• How will I keep them on track?
• How will I know when they have arrived?
• How can I improve my teaching?
Curriculum, Instruction, and Feedback
Student Learning
Data Analysis
InterpretationDecision
Action
How can I improve my teaching?
How will I know when they have arrived?
Where are my students going?
How will I keep them on track?
How will they get there?
One Size Does Not Fit All
Assessment of Learning (AoL)
Assessment for Learning (AfL)
Purpose:
Judgment:
Action:
What students have learned at a given point
Where students are in their learning
Compare performance to an agreed standard or goal
What to do to move learning forward
Adjustments to curriculum, instruction, programs.Monitoring.Reporting. Inform PD needs
Adjustments to ongoing instruction
Focus Length
Short Cycle
Medium Cycle
Long Cycle
Within a single lesson Five seconds to one hour
Between lessons One day to two weeks
Between instructional units
Two weeks to one year or more
Type
Assessment Cycle (Wiliam, 2006)
Data Sources
Different levels of granularity for different purposes
Data Sources
Decision Model
Adapted from Cutting through the "data driven" mantra: Different conceptions of data-driven decision making. Ikemoto & Marsh, 2007
SIMPLE DATA
• Illuminate one aspect• Come from one perspective• Come from one point in time
COMPLEX DATA
• Composed of two or more interwoven parts• More multidimensional
SIMPLE TO COMPLEX DATA
• Time frame• Type of data• Level of detail
SIMPLE ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING TO COMPLEX ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING
• Type of analysis• Frequency • Reliance on knowledge• Extent of participation
Complex
Simple
Level of DataAnalysis
Types of Data
Quarterly/Monthly/End of
Unit Assessments
Achievement and Other Data
Daily, WeeklyAssessments
Annual State Tests
AggregatedDescriptive
DisaggregatedDescriptive
Distribution
Classroom-wide Patterns
AggregatedDescriptive
DisaggregatedDescriptive
Distribution
Comparative Analysis
Longitudinal Analysis
Classroom-wide Patterns/Trends
Correlation Analysis
Multiple Probes During
Instruction/Learning
Students’ Current Level of Functioning
Annual State Tests
Strengths/weaknesses incurriculum and instruction
Differences among groups
Strengths/weaknesses inindividual and groups’ learning
Quarterly/Monthly Assessments
Strengths/weaknesses incurriculum and instruction
Differences among groups
Strengths/weaknesses inindividual and groups’ learning
Progress monitoring for individuals
Achievement and Other Data
Factors contributing to results
Daily/Weekly
Reveal reasons for individual weaknesses in learning
Identify individual misconceptions
Identify the gap between current learning status and desired short-
term learning goals
Knowledge
• Validity What data can be used for what
purpose/decision
Alignment
• Reliability
• Interpretation of scores:Interpretation of single test score
Item analysis
• Triangulation
Skills
• Asking questions
• Analysis
• Interpretation
• Action to improve learning
Professional Inquiry
“The more teachers developed methods of professional inquiry, articulated ways of knowing, and determined standards for knowledge in practice, the more teachers would have interpretive power, which could contribute to improving both their own teaching and theirs and others’ learning.”
(Ball & Cohen, 1999:16)
The Answer….
“Cheshire …,” Alice began rather timidly, “would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That all depends on what your data tell you?” said the Cat.
Lewis Carroll
Margaret Heritage