Analyze Interim/Diagnostic Data For Formative Purposes

So, yesterday I shared a few questions on Twitter about analyzing data from Interim or Diagnostic Assessments.  This is something that I am constantly thinking about because I do believe that we need to use our student and teacher time wisely.  If we use these assessments, we must use the data.  But who ever took a class about how to analyze student responses?  I know I didn’t!  Being able to glean information for instructional purposes takes time and practice and asking a TON of QUESTIONS! 

I am truly curious and wondering how teachers either, individually or in PLC’s, actually analyze the results of interim assessments they use.

Here are a few more questions that have been bubbling up from the first question that was asked yesterday:

Question 1: How do you analyze interim or diagnostic assessment data?

There are two perspectives to look at the data from, The Whole (class) and The Individual (student).

• Analyzing the data from the Whole (class) perspective, questions one might ask could be,
  • How did they do as a whole?
  • Are there any questions that stand out as doing very well?
    • How might you capitalize on that in class?
  • Are there any items that stand out as receiving a low performance from the class as a whole?
    • What is the content of the item?
    • What standard is being addressed?
    • How is the question being asked?
    • Is it a conceptual question? Procedural?
    • What standard is being assessed?
    • What are the incorrect responses telling you?
    • Have you provided instructional and learning opportunities to students be successful with this question?

• Analyzing the data from the Individual (student) perspective, questions one might ask could be,
  • How did the student do overall?
  • Are there any questions (clusters) that stand out as doing very well?
    • How might you capitalize on that in moving the student along the learning trajectory?
  • Are there any items that stand out as receiving a low performance from the student?
    • What is the content of the item?
    • What standard is being addressed?
    • How is the question being asked?
    • Is it a conceptual question? Procedural?
    • What standard is being assessed?
    • What does the incorrect response tell you about the student’s understanding?
    • Have you provided instructional and learning opportunities for the student to be successful?

What other questions might you ask during this process? Please leave a comment on any other questions you might add or that you use when analyzing assessment data.

Next I’ll post an item we can analyze together and answer questions about what we can glean about student understanding or unfinished learning.