SAC Data-Driven Decision Making & Assessment 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of assessment is designed to monitor student learning progress and inform instructional adjustments during the learning process?
- Summative assessment
- Formative assessment (Correct answer)
- Norm-referenced assessment
- High-stakes assessment
Correct answer: Formative assessment
Formative assessment is ongoing and used by teachers to monitor student progress and adjust instruction, rather than evaluating learning after instruction.
Question 2: A principal reviews MAP Growth scores and finds that third-grade students in one classroom made significantly less growth than peers. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Replace the third-grade teacher immediately
- Conduct a classroom observation and collaborate with the teacher to analyze instructional practices (Correct answer)
- Reassign all third-grade students to different classrooms
- Report the teacher to the district without further analysis
Correct answer: Conduct a classroom observation and collaborate with the teacher to analyze instructional practices
Data should prompt collaborative inquiry; the administrator should observe instruction and work with the teacher to identify and address root causes of the growth gap.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of disaggregating student performance data by subgroup?
- To rank students from highest to lowest performing
- To identify achievement gaps and ensure equitable outcomes for all groups (Correct answer)
- To determine which students should be retained
- To compare schools across the state
Correct answer: To identify achievement gaps and ensure equitable outcomes for all groups
Disaggregating data by race, income, disability, and ELL status reveals equity gaps and allows administrators to target interventions for underserved populations.
Question 4: A norm-referenced test compares a student's performance to:
- A fixed standard of proficiency
- A national or representative sample of students (Correct answer)
- The student's own prior performance
- The school's average score
Correct answer: A national or representative sample of students
Norm-referenced tests rank students relative to a norming group (a representative sample), producing scores like percentile ranks rather than measuring against a set standard.
Question 5: Which data source would be most useful for identifying chronic absenteeism trends in a school?
- Standardized test score reports
- Daily attendance records tracked over time (Correct answer)
- Classroom grade books
- Parent survey results
Correct answer: Daily attendance records tracked over time
Attendance records tracked over time allow administrators to identify students who miss 10% or more of school days, defining chronic absenteeism.
Question 6: What does a school improvement plan (SIP) typically use as its foundation for setting goals?
- Teacher anecdotal reports
- Student, staff, and community demographic profiles
- Analysis of multiple data sources including academic, behavioral, and survey data (Correct answer)
- State ranking of the school
Correct answer: Analysis of multiple data sources including academic, behavioral, and survey data
An effective SIP is grounded in a comprehensive needs assessment using multiple data sources to identify root causes and set measurable improvement goals.
SAC Data-Driven Decision Making & Assessment 1
Which type of assessment is designed to monitor student learning progress and inform instructional adjustments during the learning process?