Dramatic Academic Growth
Academic gains are the ultimate door opener – they are the foundation of a truly transformational teacher. Students make dramatic levels of academic growth (that is measurable and rigorous). Families know the level of rigor necessary for college and career readiness in the 21st century.
INTRODUCTION
I would not be a transformational teacher if my students were not also transformed throughout their year with me. Dramatic academic growth is the key to life-long learning and the confidence to be successful in the future. This academic growth can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively, and it is necessary to analyze both in order to ensure my students are on track for transformational growth in a given school year.
In order to have a full picture of all of my 7th grade students and to plan a curriculum that meets each student’s unique needs, it is vital to evaluate quantifiable data, such as the quarterly interim assessments my students take three times each year. Each standards-based, interim assessment is taken at the end of a nine-week instructional period and measures my students’ level of mastery on literacy standards. This data allows me to adjust each quarterly plan as necessary, as well as to celebrate growth and set new goals with my students and their families at the beginning of each quarter.
Qualitatively, I am able to analyze the work my students complete on a daily basis within the classroom. As a reading teacher, writing tasks are one of the most important artifacts I use to analyze my students’ growth in writing, reading comprehension, and the ability to analyze. My students participate in writing tasks at least three times per month, which allows me several opportunities to share individual feedback with students about their writing. Additionally, this practice informs my remediation groups at school, so I can provide extra help to students as they need it, without waiting for a report card or end of quarter assessment.
In each section below, I have outlined how I am opening doors for my students by analyzing their quantitative and qualitative academic gains throughout the school year. I also identify how I incorporate this data into my curriculum to ensure I am meeting the needs of all students and setting them up to successfully reach their academic goals.
Quantitative Evidence
Qualitative Evidence
CONCLUSION
I cannot be a teacher that lays the foundation for students to open their own doors if I am not consistently tracking their growth, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and then adjusting accordingly to meet their unique, specific needs. In order to be the transformational teacher my students deserve, I analyze a multitude of data, including quarterly interim assessments and bi-monthly writing tasks, to identify where my students are academically and plan how to help them achieve dramatic academic growth that will set them up for success in 8th grade, high school, college, and beyond. My rigorous, intentional instruction is evident in the growth my students have experienced on their quarterly interim assessments, as well as the bi-monthly writing tasks, showing that my students will have dramatic growth over the course of this school year.