ERIC Number: EJ883192
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-956X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Learning to Learn from Benchmark Assessment Data: How Teachers Analyze Results
Nabrs Olah, Leslie; Lawrence, Nancy R.; Riggan, Matthew
Peabody Journal of Education, v85 n2 p226-245 2010
Although interim assessments are currently promoted as a mechanism for improving teaching and student learning, we know little about how teachers use this data to modify instruction. This article presents findings from a larger study on teachers' use of interim assessment information in elementary mathematics. We address the following questions: (a) How do the Philadelphia teachers in our sample analyze benchmark assessment results, (b) how do they plan instruction based on these results, and (c) what are their reported instructional responses to such results? To answer these questions, we interviewed all 3rd- and 5th-grade teachers in five average- and above-average-performing elementary schools three times during the 2006-07 school year. We found that although the teachers in our study used interim assessment results to gain information about students' learning in mathematics, teachers did not use interim assessments to make sense of students' conceptual understanding. Furthermore, teachers' tendency to interpret student errors as procedural missteps was paralleled by a trend toward procedural instructional responses. (Contains 1 figure and 2 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Educational Assessment, Benchmarking, Evaluation Utilization, Formative Evaluation, Student Evaluation, Elementary School Mathematics, Mathematics Achievement, Mathematics Instruction, Elementary School Teachers, Grade 3, Grade 5, Urban Schools, Interviews, Data Analysis, Data Interpretation, Teaching Methods
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
IES Cited: ED506645
Author Affiliations: N/A