9.1A: State Assessment Data Are Available in Time to Impact Instructional Practices

2016 NC TWC Survey
Individual Item Prompts
Instructional Practices and Support

9.1A: State assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.

Receiving state assessment data in a timely manner is important for teachers to be able to identify and address gaps in student learning. Ideally, results should be used to assess, and if necessary, revise instructional practices to ensure that all students meet or exceed state standards. If this data is not provided in time to impact instruction—either from the state or through schools and districts in getting it to teachers—then its benefits may be limited. In some states, assessment data may not be returned until the following school year when students are no longer with the same teachers or are even studying the same content.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1A: Reflections

9.1B: Local assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.

Benchmarks and other local assessments can prove valuable provided that they accurately measure student achievement and are reported in a timely manner. When local assessment data is not available in time, they provide little or no support to teachers in their instructional design and remediation strategy. Additionally, teachers may lose valuable instructional time for teaching content when they must stop and prepare for local assessments. If local benchmarks are to be used, care must be taken to assure that the data is returned to teachers quickly, in a format that is easy to manipulate for teachers, and adequate professional development is offered to train teachers on how to interpret and utilize the information they provide.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1B: Reflections

9.1D: Teachers believe almost every student has the potential to do well on assignments.

Part of believing students can succeed is having the disposition and pedagogical repertoire to help students meet those expectations. Teachers that are well connected with colleagues, command a battery of strategies for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of different learners, and possess a clear understanding of standards and expectations of student learning objectives.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1D: Reflections

9.1E: Teachers believe what is taught will make a difference in students’ lives.

Making connections between content and its relevance to students’ lives is a critical component of effective teaching. Students are more engaged when new learning is associated with their existing knowledge. When considering this question, teachers should reflect on their value system, the learning objectives and expectations of their district and school, and the developmental levels of their students.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1E: Reflections

9.1F: Teachers require students to work hard.

Teachers navigate a delicate line between overwhelming students with too much work and not providing enough to push their learning. In thinking about this teaching condition, consider how different teachers and different subjects impact the kinds of work students are asked to do. How do the different learning styles and developmental needs of students play into the differentiation of assignments and assessments? What are the expectations of different teachers teaching the same grade level or subject?

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1F: Reflections

9.1G: Teachers collaborate to achieve consistency on how student work is assessed.

As teachers develop collaborative work strategies for lesson planning, meeting curriculum standards and expectations, and developing assessments, consistency across teachers in how they assess student outcomes is becoming increasingly critical. Rubrics and guidelines to grade more subjective components of student work are important to maintain standardized grading outcomes. These tools take time to develop. To achieve consistent assessment, educators need time to work collaboratively, a thorough knowledge of state and district standards and expectations, and support in navigating the process.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1G: Reflections

9.1H: Teachers know what students learn in each of their classes.

It is important for teachers to have a thorough knowledge of what students are learning across their classes. Interdisciplinary connections with other subjects can be an important catalyst for student learning and motivating students about new material. For teachers to acquire a solid foundation of student learning across disciplines, they need adequate collaborative time to explore connections with colleagues, and access to state and district standards and expectations.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1H: Reflections

9.1I: Teachers have knowledge of the content covered and instructional methods used by other teachers at this school.

Effective schools are well integrated in their approach to teaching. There is effective and continuous communication among teachers in their lesson planning, assessments, methods for managing student behavior, and differentiated supports for students and their parents. Enabling teachers to have opportunities to share their practice and work collaboratively is an important part of developing this integrated school community.

Table Group Activity

Where possible, include an administrator in each group to have both perspectives represented.
Assign a recorder.
The following pages provide question prompts on the survey item discussed above. Read and discuss the prompts as a group.
Try and capture both administrator and teacher perspective on the prompts
Use the Item Analysis tools to record important points brought up in your discussion.

9.1I: Reflections