Using Test Data for Student Achievement: Answers to 'No Child Left Behind'

National and state assessments have produced an abundance of data regarding the strengths and weaknesses of student achievement. However, to date, little has been written to guide educators regarding the use of these data to increase student achievement. This practical guide will provide educators with a step-by-step process for gathering and using local test data to increase student achievement before students are required to take high stakes national and state assessments. This book will show readers how to: _

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Why Schools Need to Use Data Chapter 3 Building a Data-Driven Instructional System at the School or District Level Chapter 4 Aligning Curriculum and Assessments with Standards Chapter 5 Types of Assessments and Their Purpose Chapter 6 Gathering and Analyzing Meaningful Data Chapter 7 Using Assessment Data to Increase Student Achievement Chapter 8 Nurturing a Culture of Accountability and Achievement

About the Author :
Nancy W. Sindelar spent over 30 years in public education and was an assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment in a successful school district. She is a consultant to schools around the country on curriculum and assessment alignment, collection use and interpretation of student test data, teacher mentorship, and staff development. To find out more about the author, visit her website at http://NancySindelar.com.

Review :
This book provides a practical yet powerful methodology for improving student learning.... This is a tremendous resource for school leaders and teams of staff intent on continuous improvement and student success! One the best teaching tools introduced to my school was the provision of data to teachers which identified the percentage of students selecting each option in a forced choice test. Back in 1993, as a new Advanced Placement teacher, I began using that information to direct the reteaching and review efforts in my economics classroom. The result was stunning - consistently high scores on the AP test resulted year after year due to the diagnostic benefits of using item analysis. I could not have been as effective a teacher without it! Using Test Data for Student Achievement is a practical, hands-on resource to help educators understand and implement the total process of assessment to help their students achieve. Its value transcends all levels of an educator's career and is especially valuable for college and university professors and staff developers to use as a resource to train the uninitiated in how to collect data and then how to utilize that data to assure that students are achieving at their highest potential. The clarity with which the data collection and analysis is explained, coupled with the practical experience of the author, makes this text a valuable addition to the professional library of all educators and administrators from the pre-service level to the halls of higher education. Sindelar's book, Using Test Data for Student Achievement, is a lucid and useful guide to understanding the essential importance of data, standards and curriculum alignment. It will help educators at all levels to promote better instruction and hence, higher levels of learning. Consultant Sindelar helps educators to understand and implement the process of assessment to help their students achieve. At the core of her approach is the concept of using tests for instructional purposes-not just external accountability. Michael Fullan contends that a key to sustaining improvement in any organization is the development of 'system thinkers in action'—leaders who build professional learning communities by creating structures and cultures in which people engage in the daily habit of working together to deepen the learning of their craft. Nancy Sindelar is a wonderful example of Fullan's systems thinker in action. In Using Data for Student Achievement, she combines her knowledge of research and practice to offer wonderful examples of what schools can do to meet the challenge of learning for all students. This book may be useful for preservice teachers as well as veterans trying to cope with the avalanche of new testing requirements.