Using Data-Driven Decision Making to Increase Student Achievement:
The Impact on Student Programs and Services
With the new SAGE testing occurring in the state of Utah, the grading of schools and the Prosperity 2020 initiative, schools are using data-driven decision making to help increase student achievement and improve student programs and services more than ever. Piute School District is no exception. I teach at Piute High School and we take an active approach in using available data to guide continuous improvement and provide a complete picture of student learning. In this paper, I will provide details of how data-driven decision-making is shaping student support services, grading and evaluation practices, curricular considerations and instructional processes. I will look at how actions and interventions at Piute High School is improving student learning. Piute High School is a small, rural junior senior school that serves approximately 160 students grades 7-12. It is the only high school in the second smallest district in the state of Utah. Piute County is the poorest county in Utah. Over 90 percent of our students are bussed in to the school located in Junction. It is important to know this demographic information because it plays a huge role when looking at data and making decisions for our small school. Support services for Piute High School students include those services that provide prevention, intervention and transition. …show more content…
The district feels that student support services are a vital part of comprehensive school program success. Piute High School provides academic tutoring, academic and personal counseling services, and support services. Every student at Piute High School is provided one-to-one devices for technology. Each student has an I-pad provided by the school as they enter seventh grade. Several organizational support systems have been added with the implementation of a district safety team and regular safe school drills. PLC teams have been added and the revision and adoption of many policies such as bullying and suicide prevention plans are now in place. Grading and evaluation practices have been updated and implemented. With the new required SAGE (Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence) testing, practice sessions are held twice a year and formative assessments are occurring weekly in classrooms. Teachers are receiving professional development on SAGE testing and have reviewed the first year results. Starting with the present school year, a junior high, grades 7-8, graduation requirement policy was adopted. After reviewing grades, ineligibility lists and absenteeism, our junior high population had over 60 percent of the students suffering from poor grades and high absenteeism. This resulted in these students being placed on the quarterly ineligible list. Students on this list have two grades below a C- or one F. With such a high percentage of junior high students falling into this category, the new graduation policy was implemented. After two quarters of the school year, both the number of absences and students with ineligible grades has improved. The percentage of ineligible grades dropped from over 60 percent to 27 percent. Along with the junior high graduation policy, all students are offered tutoring after school three nights a week and early morning tutoring two days a week. Students who fall below the eligibility grade policy are required to attend, while it is offered to anyone wishing for extra help and study time. Being a very small school, curricular considerations and instructional processes are taken into serious consideration. Most teachers are the only instructor for their department so creativity plays a big role in courses offered and the flexibility of teachers willing to offer more variety by rotating classes taught each year. Teachers at Piute High School normally have 4-6 different preps to allow students the opportunity for more choice. Courses have been added to the curriculum to enhance what is offered. In addition, a new FFA program has been implemented. Piute High School offers on the average of 12 to 15 concurrent enrollment classes per semester for our junior and senior grades. Currently, we have over 70 percent of our juniors and seniors enrolled in these classes, and have had for the past three years. Three of our on staff teachers currently offer concurrent enrollment courses in mathematics, business and technology. Actions and interventions that the school and district
The Impact on Student Programs and Services
With the new SAGE testing occurring in the state of Utah, the grading of schools and the Prosperity 2020 initiative, schools are using data-driven decision making to help increase student achievement and improve student programs and services more than ever. Piute School District is no exception. I teach at Piute High School and we take an active approach in using available data to guide continuous improvement and provide a complete picture of student learning. In this paper, I will provide details of how data-driven decision-making is shaping student support services, grading and evaluation practices, curricular considerations and instructional processes. I will look at how actions and interventions at Piute High School is improving student learning. Piute High School is a small, rural junior senior school that serves approximately 160 students grades 7-12. It is the only high school in the second smallest district in the state of Utah. Piute County is the poorest county in Utah. Over 90 percent of our students are bussed in to the school located in Junction. It is important to know this demographic information because it plays a huge role when looking at data and making decisions for our small school. Support services for Piute High School students include those services that provide prevention, intervention and transition. …show more content…
The district feels that student support services are a vital part of comprehensive school program success. Piute High School provides academic tutoring, academic and personal counseling services, and support services. Every student at Piute High School is provided one-to-one devices for technology. Each student has an I-pad provided by the school as they enter seventh grade. Several organizational support systems have been added with the implementation of a district safety team and regular safe school drills. PLC teams have been added and the revision and adoption of many policies such as bullying and suicide prevention plans are now in place. Grading and evaluation practices have been updated and implemented. With the new required SAGE (Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence) testing, practice sessions are held twice a year and formative assessments are occurring weekly in classrooms. Teachers are receiving professional development on SAGE testing and have reviewed the first year results. Starting with the present school year, a junior high, grades 7-8, graduation requirement policy was adopted. After reviewing grades, ineligibility lists and absenteeism, our junior high population had over 60 percent of the students suffering from poor grades and high absenteeism. This resulted in these students being placed on the quarterly ineligible list. Students on this list have two grades below a C- or one F. With such a high percentage of junior high students falling into this category, the new graduation policy was implemented. After two quarters of the school year, both the number of absences and students with ineligible grades has improved. The percentage of ineligible grades dropped from over 60 percent to 27 percent. Along with the junior high graduation policy, all students are offered tutoring after school three nights a week and early morning tutoring two days a week. Students who fall below the eligibility grade policy are required to attend, while it is offered to anyone wishing for extra help and study time. Being a very small school, curricular considerations and instructional processes are taken into serious consideration. Most teachers are the only instructor for their department so creativity plays a big role in courses offered and the flexibility of teachers willing to offer more variety by rotating classes taught each year. Teachers at Piute High School normally have 4-6 different preps to allow students the opportunity for more choice. Courses have been added to the curriculum to enhance what is offered. In addition, a new FFA program has been implemented. Piute High School offers on the average of 12 to 15 concurrent enrollment classes per semester for our junior and senior grades. Currently, we have over 70 percent of our juniors and seniors enrolled in these classes, and have had for the past three years. Three of our on staff teachers currently offer concurrent enrollment courses in mathematics, business and technology. Actions and interventions that the school and district