Keeping Track of Data in the Classroom

As I have been out of the classroom now for over a year, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in the classroom.  This post will be all about assessments and data in the classroom.  First of all, I always blamed my lack of assessments and data tracking to time and lack of resources.  I know now that as long as I am prepared ahead of time (aka, summer break), I can complete the assessments and track them appropriately throughout the school year.

 I love getting students involved in assessments and making goals.  It makes it less scary and more motivating for all!

Another motivator and piece of ownership is data binders for math facts.  Students had to get a 95% or higher at the time (this was my first time trying data folders).  This upcoming year, I will ask students to get a 100% to move on.  I'm so mean, right? haha!

I am still working on which assessments I want to use in my classroom this upcoming fall, and much of that will depend on what grade I teach.  I just know, I am going make myself the goal of testing to make sure my students have a balanced literacy experience (comprehension, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and phonological awareness).  I plan on testing in these areas no matter what grade I teach, but they will be modified accordingly (i.e. I will not be testing 6th graders letter identification).  You may be wondering why I would test phonics or phonological awareness even with 4th graders.  I was working with a student over the last semester, and had an eye opening experience when the 4th grader I was working with was having issues with dipthongs, a few blends, and even some diagraphs.  I was amazed that he did not know these skills, so I knew with a basic phonics assessments throughout the school year I can make sure my students know these basic foundational skills. My goal is to test in the beginning of the year, and depending on scores test some more frequently and others may not be tested again or just 3x a year.  Hopefully I'll be able to update you all on what assessments I decide and how they work in my classroom! 

A few things I do know is that I plan on testing fluency weekly and running records once a month.  These are skills my former 2nd and 3rd graders struggled with and I did not test often enough.  I used to test running records 3x a year, and moved students up to new levels without the data to back it up! YIKES! Now, I plan on testing 1-2 students a day and by the end of the month each student will have an updated score.  This will help when they are self selecting books, deciding interventions, and guiding my differentiated instruction. 

As I sat here, hoping to publish this post soon...I thought to myself "What would make this easier for me [and my readers] and what will help me actually accomplish this goal?"  The answer was a recording sheet.  Something I can keep at the front of my data binder or my lesson plan binder.  So I stopped writing the post at the time, and went to create a recording sheet bundle for all of your ELA assessments.  Now, because I know the struggle of keeping so on top of so many things...I am setting the price of this product as F-R-E-E!  That way, you won't have any issues keeping track of who is left to give the fluency assessment or who is on my agenda for running records today?

Teacher ELA Binder

 Student ELA Binder

 Student Growth Thermometers

 Common Core Checklists: ELA & MATH (K-6)

Data Recording Sheets  {FREEBIE}

Math Fact Data Tracking

Now, my next professional goal is individual interventions. I feel like this is still something I am not very good at deciding which intervention is best.  So now that I have the data thing organized, my hopes is to do the RIGHT THING with this data.  What is the point of having the data if you don't do anything with it, right?  My first step is to look more into websites like:

• Intervention Central
• Florida Center for Reading Research

Feel free to comment with other intervention websites that are free for myself and other readers to try.  My hopes are that using some of these great online resources, I can get a good start on finding the right interventions for struggling students.  Maybe one day, I'll be posting my own interventions on my TPT Store. Until then...

Help! What do I do with Students who Finish Early with....EVERYTHING?

What to do with students who finish early on EVERY task? Well, we all know the best thing you should be doing is differentiated for that student.  You should be giving them the appropriate level of work.  But, as teachers, we know we need them to prove themselves with their current grade level material before we move onto more challenging work.  So what do you do in this battle?

We all know everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. One of my weaknesses is keeping up with my blog posts like I would like to!!

When I am unable to predict a student is going to finish a task early; I have a back up plan!  I have created these folders to hang on my wall, but if you don't have the space, you can easily put them in a binder or on a shelf.

I created mini-topic sheets that go along with the Common Core Standards (Both Math & English Language Arts).  It works for grades 1-5.  Each topic sheet is correlated with a standard subject such as, Figurative Language or Subtraction.  I normally keep them general, so many different activities can go into those folders.  I do not put out all the subject areas at one time because that tends to be overwhelming or we may have not covered that particular subject yet.  I put out four ELA and four Math folders, and the subjects include ones I am covering that quarter (but this could easily be done monthly or even weekly if you prefer).  Visit my TPT Store for activities and worksheet ideas!

Glue them on the folder or a clear sleeve. Put them in a bin or hang them...the choice is up to you!

I put the covers in a clear plastic binder sheet, and attach it to a regular pocket-folder.  Inside each pocket-folder is a variety of activities, worksheets, resources, etc. that a student could do if he/she finishes early.  I train students early in the year when you can/can't go get "extra work".  This eliminates students getting up saying they are "done" with independent reading. HA!

Now I know what you're thinking...worksheets?! Really? I select these worksheets to be a challenge or great extra practice for students with that particular skill. I am not just throwing out random worksheets as "time killers".  I want students to get better. I mean, that's my job, right?  I look through the internet or my file cabinet to find appropriate activities/worksheets and make a handful of copies. I learned early on to not copy 20+, because it will just be a waste of paper.

Along with the early finishers, I allow students to pick a few worksheets to take home for "extra homework". Before you think I'm crazy, I give students a reward if they do it to the best of their ability and bring it back so I can look it over.  In our school, we use a tally system which leads to bigger prizes, etc. I gave them a tally for each paper they brought back.  If you don't have something like this in your school, you can easily handout coupons to reward them for going Above & Beyond! You could keep track of how many "extra" sheets they do, and they get a reward ever 4-5 times they turn something in (depending on the grade you teach). It may seem little, but these extra minutes of practice are going to help them become successful students, pass those high-stakes exams, and be proud of the fact that they are working harder than they need  to!

My Gift to YOU!

Happy Holidays from 3L + 1T!  My gift to you all for being great followers, a Teachers Pay Teachers sale! On December 1st and 2nd, enjoy 20% off of ALL (yes, that is correct) ALL of my products in my store. With the gift TPT is giving you, you can save up to 28% on products.  What a great way to start the New Year!

Click the banner above to go directly to my store!

Check out my other blog posts for great ideas and direct links to products.

Literacy During the Holidays

Thanksgiving Ideas

Parent Teacher Conferences

Writing Ideas

Back to School Night

First Day of School

Centers/Stations

Student Data Tracking: Math Facts

Birthdays

Organization

Common Core Checklists

Summer Success

Genre Study

Classroom Rewards
Writing as Homework
Student Data Tracking: Reading Levels
Review Cards: ELA
Spring Activities
Multiplication Bulletin Board

Common Core Checklists

As promised, I have created Common Core Checklists for English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades K-6.

I have created individualized checklists for each of the sections of the ELA and Math Common Core.  I used these this past school year in my classroom. I won't lie, it took me a while to get in the habit of having them out as I grade and assess. Within time, I got the hang of it and had GREAT data for each of my students. The checklists allowed me to show my principal, parents, and myself which students were mastering the standards and which ones needed more assistance/reteaching.  I found the checklists especially helpful when trying to get students tested. I had the data right in front of me to show the testing team what his/her strengths and weaknesses were...it really helped me stay focused on what the problem(s) were.

Visit my TPT Store or click on the links below to take you directly to the product you want. 

As the year winds down, this is a great time to download, print, and organize this product. I printed one for each student, and put them in a binder. Each student had a tab, so I could focus just on that individual student. You could also organize your binder by Common Core section. For example, label each paper with student name from the section of writing. This would show how your class is doing in that particular section of Common Core. I just personally liked organizing them by student rather than by standard section. I could just put all my focus on that student's complete performance of the Common Core Standards.

English Language Arts Common Core Checklists (K-6)
Kindergarten Common Core Checklist
1st Grade Common Core Checklist
2nd Grade Common Core Checklist 
3rd Grade Common Core Checklist
4th Grade Common Core Checklist
5th Grade Common Core Checklist
6th Grade Common Core Checklist


Mathematics Common Core Checklists (K-6)
Kindergarten Common Core Checklist
1st Grade Common Core Checklist
2nd Grade Common Core Checklist
3rd Grade Common Core Checklist
4th Grade Common Core Checklist
5th Grade Common Core Checklist
6th Grade Common Core Checklist

Common Core Checklists

Attention All 3rd Grade Teachers:

Check out my newest product for organizing ELA Common Core Standards (CC Math Checklist link is below image below, as well). The product includes a 7 page bundle for each student in your classroom. It is a simple way to keep track of how each student is performing.

Each page includes:

• 3 boxes per standard to check off data/results
• 1 box per standard to write if student has mastered the standard
• 1 comment section per standard to write additional notes
• 1 larger comment section per CC section (i.e. Writing, Literature, etc.)

I use this product in my classroom. I got in the swing of things and would update any time I graded papers. Each student had their own ELA tab in my binder, so I could easily flip to each student to make notes/data/results.

This product is great for meetings with parents or administrators. It allows you to show them exactly how your students are performing in each area of Common Core. Data doesn't lie!

Now if you're a K,1,2,4,5, & 6 teacher, don't feel left out! I will be adding each grade level 1 by 1 to the blog, Facebook, and of course my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

I always update my TPT store first, so become a follower!

For my 3rd Common Core Math Checklist, click here!

Reviewing for ELA Tests

Although I love teaching new curriculum, having review days are something fun and fresh for everyone. I used to have students write topics on index cards or use white boards to hold up for activities (quick formative assessments). But I have found that I:

1. Couldn't read their handwriting (too small, messy, etc.)
2. The cards lasted through one activity or the boards were stained forever.
3. It wasn't as quick to read the responses given because they were written in many different "fonts".

I decided to spend some time creating little cards that I could print on heavier paper and have the option to laminate (ahh, the lamination machine!). I knew I could either collect them after the activity or have students keep them in plastic bags for a follow-up lesson. My students love getting their special little cards to use during review activities as well. Something new and exciting!

One of the topics I used them for was "Types of Sentences". Students were given a card with a type of sentence on each one. I would post a sentence on the board/overhead. They were not allowed to show a neighbor or me the card they selected until I said the magic word/sound. I would either countdown verbally, yell "Review", or blow the train whistle in my classroom. Students loved the excitement of it, and it really showed me who needed extra help. I would then go over the answer with the entire class.

 Click the picture or here to purchase the product!

And just for my favorite followers on Facebook, 3L + 1T, and TPT here is a
{FREEBIE}

for literary genre review cards. Enjoy!

As always, don't forget to follow Facebook, the blog via email, and my TPT Store.

Sneak Peek

My newest product is almost finished! Become a follower on my Teachers Pay Teachers store so you can be the first to know when it and other products are released!

Check my profile on

This 28 page resource is great for review English Language Arts topics as a whole group. If you're reviewing types of sentences, you can pass out 4 cards to every student, each with a type of sentence on it.  When you write a sentence on the board, students hold up the card with the type of sentence on it. There are more than 18 different topic areas (Grammar, Punctuation, Text Features, Genres, Phonics, etc). The product also includes blank cards to create your own!