BEST PRACTICES

E L I Z A B E T H F I N L AY S O N
G R A N D C A N Y O N U N I V E R S I T Y: E L M 5 3 5
PROGRESS MONITORING
One way to monitor progress with
students is to give each student a “data
folder.” In their data folders, students
will graph their own progress on
weekly quizzes or assignments. This
will give students ownership of their
accomplishments and struggles
(California Casualty, 2017).
PROGRESS MONITORING

Another way to monitor student progress is

more informal. It can be done by asking
students questions during discussions to
check for understanding, by walking around
the classroom and engaging students
individually about their work, or by
reviewing data that is collected and recorded
to make adjustments in instruction (Cotton,
1988).
COMMUNICATING LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Objectives are the purpose of a lesson, they
should be communicated with students so
that they have a learning goal in mind.
One popular way to communicate learning
objectives is to post them on the board, and
explicitly explain them to students when
beginning a new lesson.
COMMUNICATING LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Another way to communicate a learning
objective to students is to give them
examples or demonstrations. For example,
while teaching a math lesson, the educator
could show a math problem that students are
unable to solve at the beginning of the
lesson, but will be able to by the end of the
lesson (Gredler, 2009).
MEASURING PERFORMANCE OF
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
When a learning objective is communicated clearly, the teacher knows what to teach and the
students know what they are supposed to learn. When the objective is CLEAR to the students, it
is easier to assess and measure learning. If the objective is well written, it can be easily converted
into learning activities and then test questions (Southwest Texas Junior College, n.d. ).
For example, if a first grade learning objective was “I can count by 2’s.” After communicating the
objective to students, the educator could go straight into an activity, having students practice skip
counting by having every other child say their number out loud.
WORKING WITH STUDENTS TO
ESTABLISH LEARNING GOALS
There are five steps to • Discuss the data individually with your
students
successfully teach your students • Guide them towards setting their own
how to set their own learning goals after they have seen what areas need
goals: more work
• Teach them how to make a plan
• Provide each student with a way to track
their progress
• Celebrate each student’s success!
HELPING STUDENTS ANALYZE
Example lesson:

Show the class an advertisement from a

In order to grow, students newspaper or magazine. Ask them to determine
must learn the skill of what the ad is arguing. Have them identify the
component that pushes the argument, then
analyzing their own work. determine why.
You can also add follow up questions, like why
However, the process of did the advertisers use the colors they did? Who is
how to analyze must be the ad appealing to?
The farther you push them in their justifications,
taught first. they will see how far they can go with analysis
(Blake, 2020).
TRACKING PROGRESS

One creative way to work with student in

tracking their own progress is to have them
keep a “Victory List.” This can be a list with
little things like “I got along with everybody
today” as well as “I got an A on my science
project” (Blackburn, 2017). Every time you
commend a student on something they did
well, encourage them to record it on their
Victory List.
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
• Use sticky notes. Sometimes having praise written out is more effective than simply hearing it.
• Make praise genuine. Instead of “Nice work” or “Great job,” try going above and beyond, it’s ok to
make a big deal out of student success.
• Provide students with an example. Show students what you are looking for by giving them an
example of exemplary work.
• Let students give you feedback. Let them write an anonymous note saying what they like or don’t
like about class. This will help them better understand the process.
• Give students a one-on-one. Students will enjoy having your attention all to themselves, show them
the data of their struggles and strengths. Make sure to keep the meeting positive, so they look forward
to the next time (Teach Thought Staff, 2019).
REFERENCES
Blackburn, B. (2017). Helping students track their own progress. Retrieved from MiddleWeb: https://www.middleweb.com/34219/helping-students-track-their-own-progress/

Blake, C. (2020). How to strengthen students' analytical skills outside of a writing assignment. Retrieved from Share: https://blog.sharetolearn.com/classroom-resources/build-

analysis-skills/

Bradshaw, J. (2014). Teach your students to set their own learning goals and boost learning. Retrieved from Minds in bloom: https://minds-in-bloom.com/teach-your-students-

to-set-their-own/

Brophy, J. (2004). Motivating students to learn. London: Psychology Press.

California Casualty. (2017). 5 efficient ways teachers can track student data. Retrieved from California Casualty: https://mycalcas.com/2017/04/5-efficient-ways-teachers-can-

track-student-data/

Center on response to intervention. (n.d.). Progress monitoring. Retrieved from Center in response to intervention: https://rti4success.org/essential-components-rti/progress-

monitoring

Cotton, K. (1988). Monitoring student learning in the classroom. School improvment research series close-up #4. Retrieved from Northwest regional educational lab.:

https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/monitoring-student-learning.pdf
REFERENCES
Gredler, M. E. (2009). Learning and instruction: Theory into practice (6th edition). New York: Pearson.

Manzo, R. J. (2010). The art and science of teaching/ when students track their progress. Health and Learning, 67(4), 86-87.

Mindshift. (2020). Making students partners in data-driven approaches to learning. Retrieved from KQED: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/37598/how-students-

can-be-partners-in-data-driven-approaches-to-learning

Southwest Texas Junior College. (n.d. ). Tips for writing performance-based objectives. Retrieved from Southwest Texas Junior College:

https://www.swtjc.edu/documents/oipr/writingobjectives.pdf

Stenger, M. (2014). 5 research based tips for providing students with meaningful feedback. Retrieved from Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-

students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger

Teach Thought Staff. (2019). 20 ways to provide effective feedback for learning. Retrieved from Teach Thought: https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-ways-

to-provide-effective-feedback-for-learning/
REFLECTION
In education, the information we gain from performance data tells us what students know, what they are learning, and what can be

done to help them meet their needs. When looking at student data, teachers must look beyond what is shown on spreadsheets. Data is

not merely numbers and figures, but many different kinds of information that helps teachers know what their students need

(Morrison, 2009).

When data is analyzed properly, it can help educators make informed decisions that have a positive impact on student outcomes

(Lewis, Madison-Harris, Muoneke, & Times, 2010). Schools collect data on students in a variety of ways: attendance, behavior, work

samples, as well as formative and summative assessments. However, when considering how to improve instruction, it is how that data

is used that matters. For example, while looking at a work sample from a student, a teacher may notice that a student can accurately

write the beginning sound of a given word, but does not complete the entire word correctly. This shows the teacher that the student

needs additional instruction in letter-sound correspondence (Lewis, Madison-Harris, Muoneke, & Times, 2010).
 The data collected from standardized testing gives educators a comprehensive view of their students, including any knowledge gaps.

One study found that teachers at schools who focus on closing educational gaps between higher and lower achieving students are more likely

to incorporate the use of data to inform instruction (Bay area school reform collaborative, 2003). For the data to be effective, it needs to be

collected frequently and teachers need time to reflect and collaborate on strategies to close the gap (Bay area school reform collaborative,

2003).

Best practices, such as, progress monitoring through asking questions to check for understanding, walking around the classroom and

engaging with students about their work, and reviewing student data can all be useful to informing instruction (Cotton, 1988). By monitoring

progress in these ways, the teacher is able to determine students’ current skill level, identify learning goals, and establish a plan to help

students meet those goals (Safer & Fleischman, 2005).

The climate of the classroom has a large impact on how well students learn independently and take ownership of their own learning.

For example, in an inclusive classroom, students may be more likely to volunteer answers and contribute to class discussions. However, in a

classroom where some students do not feel as valued, they will likely withdraw from the discussion (Eberly Center: Teaching excellence &

educational innovation, 2020). One way to create an open environment that will encourage independent learning is to let students know at the

beginning of the year that this class will be different than what they might be used to. Tell students there will be fewer lectures and more

opportunities to talk, think, and write about what they are learning (Wabisabi Learning, n.d.).
 When students feel free to ask questions without negative responses from their teacher or peers, they are more likely to

embrace their creativity and take risks in learning. Students should be encouraged to ask questions, and if it is not possible to

answer a question during instruction, then students should be taught how they can find the answer on their own (Cox, 2020). A

classroom that encourages students to ask questions and discuss their thinking processes, is not quiet lecture-based classroom, it is

one that is engaged.

REFERENCES
• Bay area school reform collaborative. (2003). After the test: How schools are using data to close the achievement gap. Bay area

school reform collaborative. Retrieved from https://www.issuelab.org/resources/285/285.pdf?download=true

• Cotton, K. (1988). Monitoring student learning in the classroom. School improvment research series close-up #4. Retrieved from

Northwest regional educational lab.: https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/monitoring-student-learning.pdf

• Cox, J. (2020). Teaching strategies that enhance higher-order thinking. Retrieved from Teachhub:

https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-enhance-higher-order-thinking

• Eberly Center: Teaching excellence & educational innovation. (2020). Classroom climate: Creating a supportive classroom

environment. Retrieved from Carnegie Mellon University: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/classroomclimate/

REFERENCES
• Lewis, D., Madison-Harris, R., Muoneke, A., & Times, C. (2010). Using data to guide instruction and

improve student learning. SEDL Letter, 22(2).

• Morrison, J. (2009). Why teachers must be data experts. Educational Leadership, 66(4).

• Safer, N., & Fleischman, S. (2005). Research Matters: How student progress monitoring improves

instruction. Educational Leadership, 62(5), 81-83.

• Wabisabi Learning. (n.d.). 10 effective ways to foster students' independent thinking skills. Retrieved from

Wabisabi Learning: https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/inquiry/10-ways-foster-independent-thinking-skills