Column: Bring the data

One of my favorite quotes in education is “In God we trust, all others bring data.” We talk a lot about being data-driven; but does that really mean? And what does it look like especially during a pandemic? For Team Selma, we will continue to rely on assessment data to drive our work as we ensure that we are able to personalize learning for each scholar.

Team Selma’s Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Ozella Ford shared that “One of the most significant responsibilities of an educator is providing high-quality instruction that addresses the individualized, personalized, and social-emotional needs of students.” We are unable to do this without clear and specific data that informs the current status of each scholar. This includes areas of celebration where scholars excel and also areas of need where interventions may be required.

This fall, Selma City Schools began our school year with our scholars learning remotely. Still, it was imperative that we established a time and process for assessments to take place. During this assessment window, scholars in grades PreK-12 will be evaluated to help us to determine their current pattern of performance.

The assessment criteria for Pre-K scholars will look a little different from other grade levels. However, scholars in grades K-12 will take a combination of the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) 8th Edition Assessment and the i-Ready Diagnostic.

The DIBELS 8th Edition Assessment will be administered to scholars in grades K-5 to determine their current level of early literacy skills. This data will then be used by elementary teachers determine small group instruction needs. Yes, small group instruction will still take place even during remote learning. In fact, it is more important than ever that our scholars have time for direct instruction with their teacher and three to four of their peers.

The i-Ready Diagnostic will be taken by scholars in grades K-12 to determine each scholars’ reading and mathematics skills proficiency. Many of our scholars may need intervention or extra support while others can work with grade-level materials and even additional enrichment activities.

Voyager is an added bonus to our instructional program this school term. The scientifically based curriculum is designed for differentiated intervention instruction. Parents and guardians can learn more about this from their child’s teacher.

Our Teaching and Learning Team leads this work along with the support of principals and teachers. Dr. Ford explained that “The Selma City School district has taken these measures to ensure that scholars are [proficient in reading] by grade 3 as required by the Alabama Literacy Act and to enhance the efficacy of teaching and learning in all of our schools.”

So bring the data. I look forward to reviewing these and other data points in the coming weeks and working with our school leaders to make decisions that support the learning and growth of our scholars. Virtual tutors, mentors and reading buddies would be helpful. Please reach out to your local school if you are interested in supporting Team Selma.

For more information, email me at avis.williams@selmacityschools.org.