Assessing Student Learning and Growth

Professional Development Credit – This Micro-Credential may be eligible for continuing professional development credit in your state. Contact your state affiliate association to learn more.

Overview – The Assessing Student Learning and Growth Micro-Credential requires the practitioner to demonstrate proficiency of all the essential outcomes and the research-based subskills defined in the details. These include the ability to: facilitate teacher analysis of student data appropriately within technical limitations to monitor student progress, improve the instructional process, and ensure student growth; collaboratively develop and implement a research-based, effective assessment framework aligned to curriculum and instruction to ensure learning and provide evidence of student progress; provide an understandable vision of the learning targets for assessment literacy; and provide a plan with strategies, implementation timelines, evaluation, and a monitoring process to establish best practice in assessing student achievement for organizational improvement. “Principals can employ data not only to measure student progress, but also to direct instruction and drive professional development based on the measurement of the success of particular strategies. And they can share their decision-making responsibility by empowering teachers to use data” (NAESP, 2019).

Essential Outcomes – Assessing Student Learning and Growth includes the following identified essential outcomes:

1. Facilitate teacher analysis of student data appropriately within technical limitations to monitor student progress, improve the instructional process, and ensure student growth.
2. Collaboratively develop and implement a research-based, effective assessment framework aligned to curriculum and instruction to ensure learning and provide evidence of student progress.
3. Provide an understandable vision of the learning targets for assessment literacy.
4. Provide a plan with strategies, implementation timelines, evaluation, and a monitoring process to establish best practice in assessing student achievement for organizational improvement.

Requirements

Part 1. Overview Questions

Develop a responsive narrative that answers the following questions (1,000-word minimum):

1. What resources and supports have you implemented to increases teachers’ skills in the analysis of data to monitor student progress, improve the instructional process, and ensure student growth?
2. How have you and your faculty collaborated to develop and implement a research-based assessment framework aligned to curriculum and instruction?
3. What processes have you implemented with stakeholders to develop and share a clear and understandable vision of the learning targets for assessment literacy?
4. What process have you used to develop a plan that ensures alignment of assessment with curriculum and instruction including examples of strategies, implementation timelines, evaluation and monitoring processes?

Part 2. Skill Demonstration Product with Self-Analysis

Develop an artifact portfolio that captures the essential outcomes for the Assessing Student Learning and Growth Micro-Credential and complete the evidence self-analysis.

For each EO detail you will be required to reference an uploaded artifact(s) and guide the assessor to the specific evidence (page number, video time stamp, etc.) within the uploaded artifact(s). An explanation of how the evidence demonstrates proficiency of the outcome detail is also required. The practitioner must clearly and compellingly demonstrate proficiency of every detail under each essential outcome.

Part 3. Reflection & Application

Submit, in writing, a summary of your experience of Assessing Student Learning and Growth (500-word minimum). Provide specific examples of how you applied all components of the essential outcomes. This could include topics covered and a description of the process used to facilitate teacher analysis of student data, collaboratively develop and implement a research-based, effective assessment framework, and provide an understandable vision of the learning targets for assessment literacy. This could also include testimonials from teachers on changes of practice that lead to higher levels of learning for their students. Include a reflection about the impact of this skill on your professional practice and how you will continue to apply it in the future.