3 Ways to Use Student Assessment Data

By this time in the school year, you’ve administered your first set of benchmark tests and a variety of other formative assessments with your students. Now that you’ve gotten a good amount of student data back, how can you use this information to your full advantage? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to use data in a way that not only benefits you, but most importantly, your students. Here are three ways to use your assessment data to full potential:

1. Forecast Intervention Needs

While it may seem like the school year just started, it’s never too early to begin planning for next semester’s intervention or credit recovery programs. Plan ahead to support your students before they fall behind. Use assessment data to identify your students who are struggling now and those who may need intervention or to retake a course next semester. Looking to jumpstart your planning? Check out these six tips for effective intervention programs!

2. Optimize Lesson Plans

Using data to drive instruction is a solid educational practice for teachers and administrators alike. Look at your data and ask yourself: Where did your students fall short in your curriculum? Is there a particular concept or lesson that didn’t show much retention? Remember to stay impartial when you look at your data. It is perfectly acceptable to see that a lesson didn’t go as well as you had hoped—it’s all a part of the learning process. Wondering how to save time while lesson planning? Read these top 5 time-saving lesson-planning tips for teachers.

3. Discover Grant Opportunities

Provide assessment data to make your case when applying for educational grants! We all know classroom funds are limited, but there are some great grant opportunities out there that fund creative teacher ideas designed to help content resonate with students and/or provide students with opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. Use student data to help elevate your proposed ideas in applications. Begin your search by taking a look at our list of teacher grants and free resources for professional development. 

Looking for more information about how to effectively assess your students? Check out our ultimate guide for preparing for high-stakes testing!

This post was originally published October 2018 by Brita Hammer and has been updated.