Thoughts on the session by Tista Lythe and Jayne-Ann Young at the 2nd International Visible Learning Conference in Carlsbad, CA.
Contributed by Kimberly Huesing, Director of Elementary Education, Carlsbad Unified School District
This was a “Hands On” session that provided a glimpse into the type of data, data organization, and data cleaning that must take place prior to the use of data for substantial influence upon systems. The team of Tista Lythe and Jayne-Ann Young described the process of data collection from common assessments, assessments that were consistent over time, and assessments implemented similarly across segments of students.
Part lecture/part application, the presenters provided a beginners’ guide to developing the effect teachers have on their students. The effect size was described as a method to compare progress over time on the same test, to compare results measured on different tests, and to compare different grades or classes completing the same tests for tracking over time. Valid assessments are both replicable and measureable, consistency being an important factor. When evaluating the data, the effect on achievement over time desired is .40, a number heard many times during the VL conference and understood due to this presentation. The session allowed time for practical application. The presenters passed around a memory stick that contained data from a sample assessment. Each participant practiced cleaning the data and applying the algorithm.
