Dive into the data - Analyzing Assessment Data

Every unit I give formative assessments that drive my instruction.  I alter lessons plans, reteach and reassess as needed and seek to, through effective feedback and standards-based grading, help students succeed.

This got me to thinking.....

How do you analyze test data?  

Whether it is a quiz, a summative exam, a project?  What do you do at the end of the quarter, unit, project, etc. to wrap up and dive into the data?

Here's what I do at the end of every unit: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0Bwz1J6fj2c9rY2E1ZThlNGQtODZiMy00MDk2LWE3ZTYtZGU2ZTg0M2MyMzIy&hl=en_US&authkey=CL2rnegD

No one asks me to do it but I am able to gain valuable information about what worked and what didn't.  I know this is like performing a rather detailed autopsy of something that already happened and something I can do nothing about, but it changes my behavior for the next time I complete this unit.

What are your thoughts?  What do you do?  What data do you dive into?

Top 10 resources for 5/13/11

10. Museum of mathematics, SWEEET!

http://momath.org/

9. 5 fastest ways to improve your teaching

http://www.theteachinggameblog.com/techniques/top-five-fastest-ways-to-improve-your-teaching/

8. 4 mistakes educators make when integrating technology http://goo.gl/TEqpf

7. 40 awesome sites to improve your skills

http://goo.gl/pFTq

6. Why I flipteach!  A great post in the wall street journal

http://goo.gl/AIU2N

5. Surprise, Surprise, working in pairs, actually good!

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2011/05/13/surprise-surprise-study-says-cooperative-learning-is-more-effective-than-lectures/

4. Google Template for Student projects

http://sites.google.com/site/uteachwithtechnology/google-templates

3. 8 ways to support teachers to integrate technology

http://edtechtoolbox.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-support-teachers.html

2. Mindsets and the end of the year slump

http://blog.brainology.us/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70:carol-dweck-on-mindsets-and-the-end-of-year-slump&catid=43:news-and-tips-items&Itemid=58

1. 32 ways to use google apps in the classroom

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0AV_Pgq_ZxwvSZGR3d3FxNnRfMjJnN3Jtc2pnaw&hl=en&ndplr=1

VIDEOS of the week

Two more TED-like sites for your motivational and big thinking pleasure

http://www.gelconference.com/

http://the99percent.com/videos

education is broken

  

Search, browse, check out various tutorials on how to do stuff on your computer or iOs.

http://thinktutorial.com/

Diane Ravitch on our own education system

Star Wars and Blooms taxonomy

Radiolab presents symmetry