Data for Differentiation

     I recently ran EVAAS Data reports for some of my teachers. EVAAS is North Carolina's customized program that provides all kinds of data for teachers, schools and school systems. Data is a great conversation starter and this information helps teachers with planning, decision making and  forecasting areas of high need. I wanted to highlight a couple of areas we will be focusing on:

• Data is validation that one size does not fit all! - The first report I ran predicts the probability of students passing NC EOG/EOC's based on previous performance data. This is sortable from highest probability of passing to the lowest or vice-versa.  When examining the list, the question we have to keep in front of us is what are we doing to serve/help kids with different levels of need? Most of us understand that students with a 95% probability of passing an EOG need less support than a student with a 5% probability  of passing - but what are we doing to make this a reality.

• It starts with a plan. In order for this to be evidenced in delivery impactful planning must take place. With this data in front of us at the beginning, we can forecast potential hurdles and really prepare for student needs. If we are truly committed to growth and/or passing scores on our end of grades tests, looking at this data and planning for different needs should be a non-negotiable.

     This does mean more work for us - but we didn't get into teaching for us, we chose to become supermen/superwomen to make a difference in their lives.