Develop and Use Evidence of Student Learning to Inform Instructional Decisions

Essential Coaching Action 9 is to develop and use evidence of student learning to inform instructional decisions. Coaches support teachers and teams to develop specific skills during instruction which use evidence of student learning to plan next steps during instruction. Skills include the strategic use of formative assessments, differentiation and classroom management structures.

Respond to mistakes and misconceptions during instruction
Implement formative strategies
Plan for differentiated instruction
Develop strong classroom management

This is an example of a student self reflection protocol used for student learning.

Figure 4.13 Grade 8 Student Reflection Example (2020)

This tool is a data analysis protocol to examine trends in student reasoning after a short formative assessment which then asks a teacher to plan for re-engagement using differentiated plans.

Figure 4.6 Data Analysis Protocol for a Classroom Formative Assessment (2020)

This tool can be used with a teacher to reflect on instructional practices with a focus on using evidence of learning to adjust instruction during a lesson.

Figure 4.3 Instructional Process Reflection

Listen to Melissa Gotard, Carroll County Public Schools, share how one school improved computational fluency at the lower elementary grades through analyzing mistakes and focusing on the intentional use of classroom routines, and mini-lessons to help students strengthen their attention to precision and checking for accuracy.

IT WORKED! Meaningful Math Mistakes

This book describes a model of formative assessment for teaching and learning that shares components of formative assessment to include student self assessment and responsibility as important components that can be implemented in classrooms to promote improved student achievement.

Informative Assessment: Formative Assessment Practices to Improve Mathematics Achievement K-6 (2011)

This book shares how to teach and assess during instruction in order to provide actionable feedback and plan next instructional steps. Formative assessment strategies are shared to include student self assessment at the middle and high school levels.

Informative Assessment: Formative Assessment Practices to Improve Mathematics Achievement, Middle and High School (2016)

This book shares ten strategies to include in daily lesson design to improve student learning. The small shifts in practice focus on questioning, representations, and discourse which allow for formative assessment during a lesson and opportunities to differentiate learning.

Accessible Mathematics: Ten Instructional Shifts that Raise Student Achievement (2009)

This book shares six elements of lesson design with tools for implementation that are focused on the formative assessment process during instruction.

Mathematics Instruction & Tasks in a PLC at Work (2018)