Cycle of Inquiry at Aspire Port City Academy / Stockton, CA

t Aspire Port City Academy (PCA), Principal: Shelby Scheideman data analysis is a dynamic weekly School schedule: 8:00am3:20pm process that results in Early release: 8:00am12:40pm (Wed.) immediate action Additional time compared to triggering interventions or re-teaching of specific surrounding district: 60 min/day standardsand the and 3 days/year expanded school day has Student Population afforded teachers the time to carry out this process. Grades served: K5 Data is an integral part Number of students: 405 of this school, states Qualify for free/reduced lunch: 82% Shelby Scheideman, PCAs principal. We work to Students Scoring At or Above Proficient ensure that our teachers on the California State Test in 2010 have the resources with (difference compared to surrounding which to gather, analyze, district) and use data to drive our ELA: 67% (+33%) decisions around student needs. Says Sokheap Math: 84% (+40%) Heng, a fifth-grade teacher at PCA, Each Friday, all students take weekly tests we create during our common planning time. We call them our Cycle of Inquiry, or COI, assessments. Once each week, grade-level teachers hold an hour-long meeting to create COIs and

Aspire Port City Academy

analyze data from the previous weeks test. In preparation for these meetings, teachers complete a Cycle of Inquiry Post-Test Data Reflection, which contains information including: the number of students who scored 80 percent or above on each standard covered on the COI; student scores along five different performance bands, or quintiles comparing each student to his/her classmates; challenges students faced; and concepts to focus on and students to target. Through these meetings, teachers identify students for supports both within and outside the school day. Additionally, PCA teachers rely on Edusoft, an outside assessment management tool, for further data analysis. Using the data generated by Edusoft, alongside insights generated by the Post Test Data Reflection and conversations with colleagues, teachers create small groups within the classroom to target individual student needs. Small group instruction can take many forms, including: learning centers (students rotating to different work stations), student-led problem solving (students teaching the class to solve problems), and reading/writing workshops (teacher-led, small-group instruction and independent practice). Students who require additional help are assigned to after-school tutoring, where time is structured much like a typical classroom lesson. Cultivating a culture that emphasizes and values the power of data to drive instruction is just as important as the tools and protocols that facilitate data analysis. At PCA, that culture begins at the top and extends all the way to students. Our leadership team has always been very open with data, says Principal Scheideman. Its not just the good data that we share. We want to show we all have areas we can improve on. Students at PCA are also encouraged to become invested in their performance and growth on COIs as well as other assessments, including benchmarks and the California State Test (CST). Twice a year, students lead parent-teacher conferences, setting measurable goals for personal growth. Students track their performance and revisit these goals throughout the year and their success is celebrated both in the classroom and throughout the school.

1. Write Cycle of Inquiry (COI) to assess student learning When this happens: Weekly grade meetings

6. Plan weeks lesson, with areas to reteach When this happens: Daily prep period 5. Complete data reflection sheet When this happens: Daily prep period

2. Administer COI to students in class When this happens: Each Friday 3. Analyze class and student data through Edusoft

Teacher Roles in Weekly Data Analysis: Aspire Port City

4 4. Identify Students for in-school and afterschool support When this happens: Daily prep and weekly grade meetings

When this happens: Daily prep period

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