Student Performance and Teachers

¶ … driven) instruction?

DDI is a systematic and precise method designed to enhance learning by students. The cycle of inquiry for data driven instruction entails assessment, analysis of the student performance and action. It is a central causal factor for the realization of student success. The student tasks indicate to us what our learners are capable of doing and what they know. They also indicate points of weakness in their learning activities. The central question is how to make use of such data to close the gaps in the learning process. Experts in the education sector cite the use of data driven instruction and inquiry as an important tool in improving student performance (Data Driven Instruction, 2016).

What did you learn in the program you are now completing, including in student teaching, about the use of data-supported instruction?

The data that shows student achievement is highly valuable in helping education managers to make good decisions about instruction. The program of the course has provided five recommended strategies that would help school heads to maximize on the benefits of student achievement data (Bongiorno, 2011):

i. Data should be a central consideration in the continuous instructional improvement

ii. Students to examine their data and set own goals iii. Encourage a school-wide data usage

iv. Support for data driven culture

v. Establish a data system for the whole district

3. Which courses were most helpful in this regard?

Mathematics related subjects with data interpretation and analysis elements were the most helpful.

Data interpretation enables teachers to establish both strengths and weak aspects of their learners. Teachers can develop strategies for helping students improve in their weak areas; based on what they learn from the data provided. Teachers also need to slow down and question the trends in the interpretation and analysis phase (Bongiorno, 2011).

4. What are the specific uses you have made of data-supported instruction in your practicum?

Teachers need to apply explicit learning instruction to both elementary and secondary learners to consistently use achievement data to track their own performance and identify the learning goals. Teachers may also discover the factors that motivate the performance of their learners. That way, they can adjust their approaches to meet their learners' needs better (Bongiorno, 2011).

It is easier for learners to interpret and set their own learning goals if they understand the expectations of performance and the criteria for assessment. Teachers need to clarify the knowledge, content and the skills that they expect their learners to master in the whole school year. They should clarify such specifics as the goals for lessons, performance tests, assignments and the criteria for assessing performance in these tasks.

ii. Feedback from teachers will help learners to figure out their strengths and weak points. It also helps them identify the areas that need improvement. Peer reviews and student-developed instructions are effective tools.

5. What are some of the ways knowledge of and skill in using data-supported instruction have made a difference in your instructional practices?

The team developing a written plan that ties data to the goals of the school should also make sure that such goals are achievable, relevant and measurable. The plan must be driven by action aspects including specific activities for data use, roles of staff, responsibilities and timelines for action. This aspect should be included in the strategic plan of the school and other plans including plans for funding (Bongiorno, 2011).

As a leading outfit, the team facilitates an environment that encourages staff to participate in data use. Subject level meetings can be used to foster collaboration among staff members. Monthly meetings to monitor progress on data use can also be an effective follow up strategy.

By providing data facilitators and similar instructional professionals; including a continuous development of staff skills, the whole school team benefit by gaining a deep understanding of the roles they play in the use of data. The support aspects provided by the leadership teen help to build a culture of data use to inspire decision-making in school [programs (Bongiorno, 2011).

6. Critically discuss and evaluate the principle that methods of instruction and intervention should be data-supported. Should all instruction be data-supported? If so, why? If not, why not?

Achievement data can be analyzed to develop improvement strategies and instructional changes for learners. The participants focus on specific topics and are often prepared to implement an action plan that is based on data (Bongiorno, 2011).

However, some of the instructions and interactions among the education stakeholders are focused on data. Yet teachers need to utilize the student data programs to provide parents with feedback on the performance of their children. The systems will also assist them to monitor the status of their learners, with regard to accountability aspects and refine instruction as they deem fit. The use of data systems to individualize instruction strategies appears to be uncommon but using these systems to provide parents with feedback or just tracking accountability measures is in common practice. The way teachers make use of these data systems is influenced by the type of data systems and data query available (Barbara Means, Lawrence Gallagher, & Christine Padilla, 2007).

7. Discuss the difference in meaning between the terms data-supported instruction and evidence-based methods of instruction. Are these principles of equal importance regarding their application to instruction? If so, why? If not, why not?

Evidence based instruction method is supported by previous success records. It means that if teachers apply these methods, they are likely to obtain similar success with their learners (Jerry L. Johns, 2002).

Effective instruction programs are a combination of numerous studies and study designs. There is no single study that has presented a single design of instruction as ultimate and scientifically convincing. In the evaluation of studies, education experts should only focus on whether such a study meets the requisite scientific research standards (Jerry L. Johns, 2002). In the end, it is quality data that leads to quality decisions. The data collection methods influence how such data supports instructional decisions (Data Driven Instruction, 2016).

8. Also in ONLY one page please answer the following question: "As a content teacher how can I include the literacy components (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) into my instruction?

There is evidence that literacy components assist learners across all learning spectrum when incorporated into the learning programs. Listening, reading, writing and speaking are pivotal in facilitating retention of content by learners.

Literacy aspects such as content area ones focus on con content area similarities including strategies such as summarizing, inferring, and questioning to help the learner with understanding. These can be applied across all content areas. Most education experts have gone a notch higher. They focus on helping learners access and understand texts that are focused on specific disciplines. It is commonly referred to as disciplinary literacy.