Improving Student Achievement

UP TCAP

Beth Kuykendall, Ph.D.February 18, 2011

Keys to Improving Student Achievement

• Use the data– TVAAS– Star– Orchard– Odyssey– ThinkLink

TVAAS• Improve student scores & improve effect

data – Use TVAAS proficiency projections

https://tvaas.sas.com/evaas/signin.jsf

Use Orchard, Star, & Odyssey• Star

• Reports areas of concern, grade equivalence• Orchard

• Reports objectives/standards answered correctly

• Odyssey• Reports objectives answered correctly

Keys to Student Achievement• Parental Involvement

– Happy notes/calls– Document everything– Send home newsletters about your

class/emails– Yourhomework.com and schoolnotes.com

Keys to Student Achievement• Teach the standards

– At different levels– As important as it is to reach your low

students, it is also important to challenge your higher achieving students.

Keys to Student Achievement• Captivate your Students/Engagement

• Easy tips– Call on students by name– Ask “how”, “why”, “describe” questions– Make learning relevant/use real world examples– If you are doing most of the talking, try to incorporate

some type of “activity” for your participants every 3-5 minutes.

– Use visual and auditory aids

More ideas for student engagement

• Think-pair-share• Brainstorming• Games• Debates• Technology• Turn to your Partner• Card System

Key to Student Achievement• All Students Do Not Learn the Same Way

• Know your students– Their abilities– Their learning styles– Their likes and dislikes

– ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Keys to Student Achievement• Presence of the teacher

– “The teacher’s influence on student achievement scores is twenty times greater than any other variable, including class size and student poverty.”

» Education Trust, 2003

In Conclusion• Use the data• Parental Involvement• Teach the Standards• Captivate your Students• ALL Students Do not Learn the Same

Way• Presence of the Teacher