Vanessa M. Johnson
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
Dramatic and academic growth occurs when students are provided with multiple opportunities to practice. The quantitative assessment data I have included offers dramatic levels of growth for students and their families. Renaissance 360 Assessments help identify what students know and are ready to learn next. This data is used used to support and inform the instruction for teachers. Our school district has implemented the use of this assessment program to encourage student growth and to inform instruction. Across the district, the students are required to take the Beginning of Year (BOY), Middle of Year (MOY), and the End of Year (EOY) Universal Screener assessments. These standardized assessments, alongside writing assessments, provide students with opportunities to learn and grow.
Qualitative growth is best demonstrated through student writing. Throughout the school year, the students get multiple opportunities to write in my English and Reading courses. To me, having the students write daily helps them to become critical thinkers who can show how to apply the content presented to them. In part of a portfolio, the students work through the writing process to develop Expository Essays. Providing the students with the opportunity to practice their writing allows me to gauge student progress by intertwining what we have learned in class and writing throughout the course of a given unit.
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For students in the English and Reading classroom, quantitative and qualitative data allows me to gauge student ability to read, write, and think critically, by answering a variety of questions. This data also helps me reflect on my lessons, provide intervention, and to measure student growth.
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Conclusion
My overall goal fro my students is to get them to become lifelong learners who take ownership of their work. What that means for me as a teacher is that I have to make student data meaningful, not just to improve scores, but to show the students that with continuous effort, they can be successful. To prepare the students for life beyond 9th grade, having quantitative and qualitative data gives all students the opportunity to demonstrate dramatic academic growth. To get students to that point, I as an educator have provided the students with rigorous lessons, that truly encouraged growth for them.