The School Principal – Reviewing New Student Performance Before Meeting Them in September

I have written about the power of EdVistas’ DataMate system in the past. However, I am compelled to remind users that the redistribution of students into their new classes each September provides an initial review of their previous year’s performance. It is remarkable to learn about your students’ performance from their testing results as they enter your class in September. It creates a pre-testing situation in formulating a teaching plan for the coming year to identify, address, and correct key areas and skills.

All of the pre-analysis is found in DataMate with its multitude of reports from students’ individual item performance to status in acquiring learning standards. There is no need to lose a critical portion of a school year to acquire such valuable insight. Such early insights are critical in setting up early student engagement to address learning gaps. When student performance is unchanged in important areas of learning, as reflected in end-of-year state testing, students continue to be unprepared to take on the next level of academic challenges.

Here is where early insight supports direct instruction of challenges which may be addressed with formative assessments to monitor improvement. Such formatives may be administered online through DataMate with immediate feedback for the student and teacher. With the use of this technology, we are working smarter with the results we expect through constant inspection.

In addition, EdVistas may also assist formative testing with its large assessment databank or develop specific assessments based on criteria provided by a school. To witness the diminution of persistent challenges is proof of goodness. Teachers in grade-level teams may all benefit not only from the information about their new students, but also from shared strategies which have immediate positive impacts. It tends to support Niccolo Machiavelli’s quip, “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

Those interested in learning more about EdVistas’ ways to harness technology to gain early access to new student performance may do so by contacting Pete Cooper at 518-925-6021 or pcooper@edvistas.com.