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Challenge
Initial Thoughts
Perspectives & Resources

Ms. Flores and Mr. Ericson are reviewing the large-scale assessment data across all grade levels and want to improve the scores of students with disabilities. What problems do you think they might discover? (Opinion Question: No Resources)

How can Ms. Flores and Mr. Ericson use the school summary data to guide their efforts to help improve the scores of students with disabilities?

  • Page 1: A Quick Review
  • Page 2: Understand the Data
  • Page 3: A First Glance at the Data
  • Page 4: Compare Data
  • Page 5: Understand Challenges When Comparing Data
  • Page 6: Make Improvements

What questions should Ms. Flores and Mr. Ericson ask the general and special education teachers?

  • Page 7: What Is Being Taught?
  • Page 8: Legal Standards
  • Page 9: Using the Curriculum
  • Page 10: Legal Requirements
  • Page 11: Accommodations
  • Page 12: Modifications
  • Page 13: Alternate Assessments
  • Page 14: Summary

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  • Page 15: References & Additional Resources
  • Page 16: Credits
Wrap Up
Assessment
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How can Ms. Flores and Mr. Ericson use the school summary data to guide their efforts to help improve the scores of students with disabilities?

Page 4: Compare Data

An important part of interpreting data is to determine the relative effectiveness of school improvement efforts by comparing scores. A school attempting to raise math scores among its students with disabilities will find that there are several methods of comparing those scores at the basic level of performance.

Several Grades in a Single Year

A school principal may wish to gauge what percentage of students with disabilities at each grade level is performing to the corresponding benchmark. In the graph to the right, 30% of fifth graders, 36% of sixth graders, and 42% of seventh graders are meeting the benchmark.

performance data graph


Single Grade Across Several Years

A school principal may want to determine whether a newly adopted sixth-grade curriculum is effective. In the graph to the left, 30% of the sixth-grade students met the benchmark for Year 1, 43% for Year 2, and 52% for Year 3.

performance data graph


Multiple Groups in Multiple Years

A school principal may want to compare students who have exited from special education within the past school year to those students with disabilities who continue to receive special education services. The graph to the right illustrates that, across three years, students who exited special education have higher scores than those who have remained in special education.

performance data graph

Activity

Find data from a recent assessment in a district other than your own. (This should be available on the Internet.)

  1. Look at the reporting of scores for students with disabilities. What data are reported? What percentage of the students with disabilities in the district is performing at an acceptable level?
  2. Now look at data for the same assessment for your district. Regarding students with disabilities, what data are reported? What percentage of the students with disabilities in the district is performing at an acceptable level?
  3. Now compare the two districts. Is the method for reporting data for students with disabilities different? Does one method seem better to you? If so, why?

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