Evidence of Learning

When determining individual student progress toward achieving the standards on the report card, a teacher will consider multiple pieces of student work/evidence. Rubrics will be utilized to assess student progress and provide feedback. The following is a list of evidence that teachers will use when determining student progress.

Reading/Language Arts:

• State Required Universal Screening:
  • TX-KEA (2 times a year in Kindergarten)
  • Istation Reading Assessment (3 times a year First - Fifth Grade)
  • Istation Reading en Espanol (Language Programs students only)
• 9 weeks Evidence of Learning:
  • Running Records
  • Anecdotal Records (guided reading observations, individual conferences with students about reading/writing)
  • Writing Samples
  • Words Their Way Inventory and progress
  • Performance Task Assessments
  • Work samples demonstrating progress on standards (TEKS)

Integrated Social Studies:

• 9 weeks Evidence of Learning:
  • Student responses to classroom discussions
  • Student journals or interactive notebooks used throughout learning
  • Anecdotal Records (small group instruction observations, formative assessments)
  • Drawings, Diagrams, Maps, and Writing Samples
  • Performance Task Assessments

Math:

• Universal Screening:
  • Universal Screening Assessment (3 times a year)
• 9 weeks Evidence of Learning:
  • Intentional Problem Solving
  • Small group instruction
  • Demonstration of Mathematical Thinking (use of manipulatives, journal samples)
  • Anecdotal Records (small group observations, checklists)
  • Performance Task Assessments

Science:

• 9 weeks Evidence of Learning:
  • Observations from Investigations (ability to perform the inquiry process, proper use of tools and following of safety practice)
  • Student Notebook Samples (collection of data, questions generated, drawings, explanations)
  • Performance Task Assessments
  • Check Point Assessments
  • Anecdotal Records (checklists, small group observations, formative assessments)

Future Ready Skills:

• 9 weeks Evidence of Learning:
  • Anecdotal Records (check list, observations collected across all content areas, work in small group)
  • Student Notebooks
  • Performance Task Assessments
  • Product Creations (displays solution to problems, use of technology to access, create, and share understanding)

Second Language Proficiency: (assessed only for students learning in a second language)

• State Required Evidence of Learning:
  • Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (ESL/Bilingual)
  • Performance Level Descriptors
• 9 weeks Evidence of Learning:
  • Anecdotal Records (observations of language use, participation in small group)
  • Student Notebooks (writing samples, use of vocabulary)
  • Performance during small group collaboration 

Explanation of Required Evidence of Learning

What is a rubric?

Rubrics are the tools that provide the criteria and levels of performance to assess authentic student work products (i.e., performances, portfolios, papers, teamwork, etc.).  When used for assessment, rubrics help both student and teacher identify strengths and areas for improvement in the learning process.

Consistent use of well-designed rubrics significantly improves the facilitation of learning by providing both students and teachers with clarity and commonality of purpose.  Students can better validate their own progress, and instructors can fairly and consistently document the students' skills and growth.  Using rubrics across classrooms can also ensure consistent measurement of quality of performance by students who have different teachers.

What is Universal Screening?

Literacy

The universal screening instrument is an assessment tool administered by the classroom teacher to learn more about individual students to assist in making instructional decisions. The assessment focuses on key instructional indicators appropriate for grade proficiency that provide insight into how prepared the student is to learn grade-level reading and mathematics content. In Reading the universal screening instrument is Istation, TX-KEA, and/or Developmental Reading Assessment – 2nd Edition for English speaking students and the EDL2 for Spanish speaking students.    

Math

In math, the hiding assessment is administered. For Kindergarten, the task focuses on basic counting principles. In First Grade, students are asked to demonstrate an understanding of how numbers are made – broken apart and put back together. Second graders demonstrate what they know and understand about grouping numbers together to form tens and other important place value concepts. This assessment is administered to all students at the beginning of the year and only repeated in the middle and end of year if the student has not yet shown that they are developed with the concept(s).
 
What is Istation Reading/Istation Reading en Español?

Istation Reading is the first-grade through fifth-grade universal screening instrument used to assess students' reading development at least three times throughout the year (beginning of year, middle of year, end of year). Istation Reading is administered via computer/iPad and assesses students on their oral reading (letter knowledge, vocabulary, word analysis skills, and fluency), spelling and comprehension (ability to retell and understand the text).  Istation Spanish assesses vocabulary, word analysis skills, comprehension, spelling and writing conventions for Language Programs students.  The information gained from Istation Reading allows the teacher to determine the student’s instructional reading level and design instruction to the strengths and areas of concern for each student. Every nine weeks the teacher will continue to gather evidence of the student’s reading development through a variety of work samples and other informal assessments, such as running records, and writing samples to inform instruction around oral reading, word analysis, and comprehension.

What is TELPAS?

TELPAS stands for Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System.  The TELPAS is used to assess the progress students are making in their learning and application of English as their second language.  The assessment consists of four domains: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing. Student performance is reported in terms of four proficiency levels: beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high.  All English language learners in grades K-12 as identified by TEA criteria are required to take TELPAS in the spring semester.