Efficient use of assessment data is critical to decision making regarding instructional practices, curriculum additions and revisions, and program selections. Intensive staff development will accompany the writing of curriculum and development of curriculum guides. The staff development offerings will include a range of topics from interpreting and utilizing standardized test data to using various assessment techniques in the classroom to determine student progress. As content curriculum guides are distributed, teachers will receive training in assessment strategies specific to the content. Teachers will receive professional development on the strategies most likely to help students assess their learning.

The staff development framework will be two-pronged: teacher-focused and student-focused.

Staff Development

A model framework supports teachers with asking questions about the academic performance of their students. Likewise, a model framework supports teachers with gathering data to help them pinpoint specific problems that specific students are having (assessment).  Furthermore, a model framework supports teachers with using data to modify their classroom practices and evaluate the results (evaluation) and to share the data appropriately with recipients (reporting). At each step, teachers decide what staff development they will need to ensure that they make sound modifications that will result in improved student achievement. Ultimately, improved student performance determines whether new practices and the staff development that support them are worthwhile.