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"Assessment will drive decision-making. We will know how well we are teaching a particular student, subject, or curricular area."
-- Ms. Martha Roberts, Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction
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JPS believes that data-driven decision-making is at the core of quality teaching and learning. That means educators need very current information -- only hours or days old-- about how well a student is doing. To accomplish this, JPS has installed an on-line testing system. In the 1999-2000 school year, test creation, test-taking, test-scoring and score analysis will all occur on-line.
The assessment software will be hosted from the district's assessment server. Using computers in the teacher work areas, teachers can construct tests by pulling test items from an item bank that is correlated to the curriculum. Students with keyboarding skills (third grade and above) can take tests on-line. The district's computer will perform test scoring. Results analysis and reporting will go to Dr. Willie Johnson, the Executive Director of Planning and Evaluation, and Ms. Roberts, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Johnson can customize reports so the district can pinpoint -- by student, by objective, by classroom, by teacher, by grade level, and by subject area -- what is and isn't being learned. Armed with that knowledge, Dr. Johnson, Ms. Roberts, and the rest of the administrative team can use the data to plan for instructional changes that will bring about student success.
Gaps in a student's learning or comprehension can be identified and remediated. If needed, some curricular areas can be accelerated and in other areas remedial courses can be offered. Instructional specialists will coach teachers to offer different teaching strategies and techniques. Students who need extra help can be identified early, before they fall behind. Together, the administrators and teachers can adjust the curriculum, teaching materials, and teaching techniques to steadily improve the quality of instruction throughout the district.
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"Access to information is the foundation of effective teaching and good learning."
-- Ms. Martha Roberts, Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction, Jackson Public Schools |
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