***Using Data-Based Instruction to Improve the Learning Outcomes of Students Who are Difficult to Teach***
Description	Assignments	Grades	Progress	Roadmap	Lecture Hall	DBI Examples

Topic 7: Measuring and Monitoring Academic Progress

Focus Questions for Topic 7

2. How will you measure/monitor the learner's progress?

We are committed to creating classroom-based assessment procedures that help teachers make valid, reliable instructional decisions by answering these two questions:

How can student performance be improved?
What specific teaching behaviors are responsible for improved student performance outcomes?

Data-based instruction relies on teachers who explicitly link the academic behaviors they are teaching with classroom-based assessment systems to measure student progress. The Focus Questions for Topic 7 are therefore of primary importance for success in implementing Data-Based Instruction.

This is not a trivial task, by the way. To accomplish an effective classroom-based assessment systems requires a major shift in paradigms from a traditional "child-centered" focus to a "situation-centered" focus. As discussed in Topic 4, the traditional norm-referenced assessment systems like the IQ tests and standardized achievement tests do not provide explicit information that guide instructional decisions. Moreover, as shown in Table 7.1 below, the emerging paradigm changes the teacher's focus to what results actually accrue.

Traditional Assessment Paradigm	Emerging Assessment Paradigm
Focus on child's inferred ability to learn	Focus on actual achievement, skills, performance in basic curriculum areas
Use one measure (typically IQ scores) as the basis for assigning children to instructional groups	Use daily achievement and classroom tests to assign children to instructional groups
Make groups relatively permanent	Change groups often based on changes in children's achievement
Effect of grouping is to reduce opportunity, resources, or assistance	Grouping results in greater opportunities, resources, and quality instructional interactions
View instructional problem as rooted in child's inferred ability to learn	View instructional problem as related to poor instructional experiences in the tasks required for school success
Rely on others (e.g., psychometrists) for information	Rely on direct observation in classroom situations for information

When you answer the Focus Questions, you will be reflecting on your responses to Parts III and IV of your Data-Based Instruction Project. Refer to what you have already written and feel free to revise as you make sure that your report meets the criteria described for each section.

DBI Report Section III. Descriptions of the Learners and Academic Behaviors

In this section of your report, please be sure to include the following information:

key characteristics of learners with gifts and talents, mental retardation, learning disabilities, and/or emotional handicaps [for further details see Topic 3 ]
pseudonym or some other way to protect anonymity/confidentiality
"person first, disability second" language (e.g., "student with LD" rather than LD student) (see Using Respectful Language for details )
link the academic objective to the learner's Individual Education Plan if appropriate
link the academic objective to the California Standards. (Remember your Navigation tools if you go out onto the Web--Bookmark this page for easy return!)

DBI Report Section IV. Monitoring for Learners' Academic Behaviors

In this section, please be sure your monitoring procedure:

meets Lovitt's 3 basic features (direct, important, frequent) [see Topic 2]
provides adequate information to make "data-based" decisions
shows evidence of regular collection of data (e.g., graphic display, work samples, checklist)

The underlying thought process that helps achieve success in changing the paradigm for assessement is the following key thought.

Key Thought

Motivation can get you on the path.

Persistance keeps you on the path.

The motivation to make a difference in the lives of students who are difficulty to teach may have brought you this far. That motivation provides a guide, a goal, for you to learn new strategies and effective taching practices. However, high motivation is not enought; you must also have the quality of persistence in order to follow-through and complete the process.

What Are Your Answers to the Focus Questions for Topic 7-- Part III of your Data-Based Instruction Project and Part IV of your Data-Based Instruction Project

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