DATA
For display purposes “agree” and
“strongly agree” are combined as are “disagree”
and “strongly disagree”.
IDEAS WORTH EXPLORING – STRONG SUPPORT for:
| |
|
|
Agree |
NA |
Disagree |
| 1) |
Invest in training additional match teachers who can teach
struggling students (Q25) |
|
93 |
1 |
6 |
| 2) |
Define what is most important to know and be able to do in
mathematics in WA and set fair/equitable benchmarks (Q23) |
|
85 |
4 |
11 |
| 3a) |
(TIE) Strengthen student support systems by putting our
best teachers with the neediest students (Q26) |
|
80 |
7 |
13 |
| 3b) |
(TIE) Accelerate learning for struggling students by preteaching
difficult content (Q20) |
|
80 |
7 |
13 |
|
4)
|
Use segmented math courses and assessments based on WASL math strands
(Q10)
Score assessments at state level (Q11)
Score assessments locally (Q12)
|
|
75
35
54
|
5
|
20
|
| 5) |
Require all students to take "high school" math (Q21) |
|
74 |
5 |
21 |
ITEMS SUPPORTED BY MORE THAN HALF OF RESPONDENTS:
| |
|
Agree |
NA |
Disagree |
| 6) |
Creative incentives for students in need (Q28) |
57 |
12 |
31 |
| 7a) |
(TIE) Schedule struggling students to stretch two years of math over
four years (Q22) |
56 |
7 |
37 |
|
7b)
|
(TIE) Create end of course assessments as a substitute for the
WASL (Q8)
Score locally (Q9)
|
56
42
|
5
|
39
|
| 7c) |
(TIE) Develop district achievement audit based on best practices
research (Q14)
Audit for fee (Q16)
Audit done for free (Q15)
Required if "in improvement" (Q17)
Use as part of improvement program
|
55
79
20
58
55
|
7
|
38
|
ITEMS OPPOSED BY MEMBERS:
| |
|
Agree |
NA |
Disagree |
| 1) |
Lower cut scores for reading and writing (Q4) |
18 |
3 |
79 |
| 2) |
Create variable cut scores based on success rates for each sub group
(Q19) |
22 |
6 |
72 |
| 3) |
Substitute reading and writing course work for WASL Proficiency
(Q6) |
32 |
3 |
65 |
| 4) |
Discontinue WASL as graduation requirement (Q13) |
35 |
3 |
62 |
WASA Members were divided … but somewhat opposed to:
| |
|
Agree |
NA |
Disagree |
| 1) |
Rethink what graduates really need and design a new minimum
competency test |
44 |
8 |
48 |
| 2) |
Stop the nonsense - turn down federal dollars (Q24) |
42 |
7 |
51 |
| 3) |
Create 5th year assessment centers, inventories and
alternatives for students |
40 |
9 |
51 |
| 4) |
Lower the cut scores for Math (Q5) |
41 |
5 |
54 |
Open-ended Responses to WASL and Beyond Survey
526 comments were received in response to four open-ended questions:
What has worked in your district or others?
What is our best short-term solution that will have the greatest
positive effect on struggling students, schools, districts?
What long-term strategies would be best bets/investments?
Other comments, suggestions, proposals.
Each comment was coded into one of 40 categories. Comments
that touched on more than one category were either copied into both
categories or divided into appropriate categores.
THREE BIG IDEAS
A. Professional Development - more PD specifically to
improve:
Instructional practice - 48
comments
Collaboration/PLC's - 34
comments
Instructional leadership - 27
comments
B. Alignment - more alignment of our work through:
Intentional targeted interventions
- 39 comments
Alignment of PD, curriculum, data,
interventions - 32 comments
Use of diagnostic assessments - 25
comments
C. High Stakes Graduation:
Drop the WASL as a grad requirement
- 34 comments
Develop two-tiered system - 28
comments
Stay the course...keep WASL - 18
comments
THREE SEPARATE IDEAS
D. More time (and funding) for interventions - 37
comments
E. Better pre-service teacher preparation - 29
comments
F. More identification and sharing of what works - 26
comments
ONE STRONG UNDERCURRENT
G. A sense of being overwhelmed by the speed and
complexity and confusion of change - 24 comments
Tabulation of Open-ended Responses to WASL and Beyond
526 comments were received in response to four open
ended questions:
What has worked in your district or others?
What is our best short-term solution that will have the
greatest positive effect on struggling students, schools,
districts?
What long term strategies would be bst bts/investments?
Other comments, suggestions, proposals.
Each comments was coded into one of 40 categories. Comments
that touch on more than one category were either copied into both
categories or divided into appropriate categories.
(W=What Works, ST=Short Term, LT=Long Term,
O=Other, T=Total)
| Increase Student Motivation (53
responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Build strong relationships |
7 |
8 |
5 |
- |
20 |
| Get to know student needs |
9 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
19 |
| Increase student confidence |
6 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
| Create incentives |
2 |
- |
- |
1 |
3 |
| Improve Teacher Quality through PD (241
responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Time for collaboration/PLC's |
22 |
4 |
8 |
- |
34 |
| Improve instructional practice |
26 |
9 |
8 |
5 |
48 |
| Intentional focused PD |
8 |
3 |
3 |
- |
14 |
| Instructional Leadership |
6 |
2 |
6 |
13 |
27 |
| More time for PD |
8 |
4 |
13 |
- |
25 |
| Put best teachers with neediest students |
4 |
7 |
1 |
- |
12 |
| More legal flexibility |
5 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
15 |
| Better pre-service |
3 |
9 |
14 |
3 |
29 |
| Imporve salary/morale |
- |
3 |
11 |
1 |
15 |
| More math teachers |
- |
- |
6 |
- |
6 |
| |
21 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
32 |
| Assessment (52 responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Use data to improve |
9 |
2 |
- |
- |
11 |
| Common assessments |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
4 |
| Teach to the WASL |
3 |
4 |
- |
- |
7 |
| Use diagnostic assessments |
3 |
12 |
4 |
6 |
25 |
| Rethink assessment system |
- |
- |
5 |
- |
5 |
| Interventions (139 responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Acceleration programs |
7 |
3 |
3 |
- |
13 |
| More time/tutoring |
22 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
37 |
| State in early grades |
5 |
2 |
10 |
2 |
19 |
| Alternative programs |
3 |
1 |
1 |
- |
5 |
| Student Learning Plans |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
| Intentional instruction |
17 |
12 |
10 |
- |
39 |
| More funding for interventions |
- |
8 |
8 |
5 |
17 |
| High Stakes Testing
(121 responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Stay the course |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
18 |
| Modify ELL and Special Ed |
- |
5 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
| Two-tiered system |
- |
13 |
6 |
9 |
28 |
| Drop WASL |
4 |
11 |
6 |
13 |
34 |
| Fight NCLB |
- |
6 |
7 |
5 |
18 |
| Other Alternatives |
- |
- |
5 |
9 |
14 |
| National Standards |
- |
- |
(4) |
- |
(4) |
| |
5 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
| Parent Involvement (11
responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Parent Involvement |
5 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
| Curriculum (40 responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Math curriculum |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
5 |
| Common/Alignment |
4 |
2 |
9 |
1 |
16 |
| Relevant |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
| Research-based |
3 |
4 |
- |
- |
7 |
| Technology |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
| Use What Works Research (26
responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Use What Works Research |
5 |
8 |
9 |
4 |
26 |
| Standards (24 responses) |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Standards |
9 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
24 |
| Other |
W |
ST |
LT |
O |
T |
| Lower class size |
3 |
6 |
10 |
- |
19 |
| More time/support |
- |
- |
6 |
15 |
21 |
| Support |
- |
- |
- |
9 |
9 |
|
