Learning to Learn From Benchmark Assessment Data: How Teachers Analyze Results

Abstract

Although interim assessments are currently promoted as a mechanism for improving teaching and student learning, we know little about how teachers use this data to modify instruction. This article presents findings from a larger study on teachers’ use of interim assessment information in elementary mathematics. We address the following questions: (a) How do the Philadelphia teachers in our sample analyze benchmark assessment results, (b) how do they plan instruction based on these results, and (c) what are their reported instructional responses to such results? To answer these questions, we interviewed all 3rd- and 5th-grade teachers in five average- and above-average-performing elementary schools three times during the 2006–07 school year. We found that although the teachers in our study used interim assessment results to gain information about students’ learning in mathematics, teachers did not use interim assessments to make sense of students’ conceptual understanding. Furthermore, teachers’ tendency to interpret student errors as procedural missteps was paralleled by a trend toward procedural instructional responses.

Research for this article was supported by a National Science Foundation Grant (#REC-0529485) to the Consortium for Policy Research in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. This research was made possible, in part, by the support of the School District of Philadelphia. Opinions contained in this article reflect those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the School District of Philadelphia. An earlier version of this article was presented at the annual meeting of the 2008 American Educational Research Association in New York City, New York. We thank the participating district and schools for their cooperation.

Notes

These included three K–8, one K–6, and one K–5 school.

It is worth noting that the term “threshold” was introduced by the research team; it was not native to the teacher lexicon. We used the term in questions included in the data scenario: Are there any students who appear to have mastered the material? … What would you consider the “threshold” for mastery … ? Probe: Are there any students who appear to having trouble with this material? … What would you consider the “threshold” for recognizing a child as having difficulty?