Diagnostic Services
Test Results and Error Analysis -- Getting Beneath the Scores
EdFOCUS works with schools to help staff analyze test data, prioritize strengths and weaknesses and identify patterns or trends in results. The key is to modify the curriculum as well as instructional and testing practices based on the results. By training principals and teachers to accurately interpret test results, EdFOCUS consultants help districts bring their data to life and help it to actually drive classroom instruction.
We help school staffs build on their areas of strength. In addition, we assist them in looking for error patterns in their data to determine which concepts have proven the most problematic -- and for which particular students. By drilling down beneath the test items that measure each concept, school staffs can identify strengths and the types of errors made by students.
From there, EdFOCUS helps each grade level team prioritize their students' needs and strengths. That is, they identify the 5-10 concepts that need to be addressed (say, marked in “red”) as well as 5-10 concepts that have been mastered (marked in “green”). As the teams discuss these two extremes, it is important that they distinguish the kinds of instruction used for the “green” concepts from that used with the “red.” More importantly, we help staff see the connections between the teaching strategies and student responses to determine the impact of teacher-effects on their students’ test performance.
Once the types of errors and any patterns are identified, the school staff turn to the curriculum and ask themselves several driving questions:
- Where do the concepts tested appear in the Curriculum Map or Pacing Guide? Are the concepts repeated across the school year, or are they taught one time only?
- What does the test item ask students to do? Many of the high stakes test questions are contextualized with real-world scenarios and events. It is important that students are taught at the same level of difficulty and conceptual understanding as used in the test.
- What are the predominant mistakes made by students and which student made these mistakes? Did the best-performing students miss the same questions as the poor-performing students? Knowing who is making the errors and the type of errors made inform the team what interventions are needed going forward. In addition, how did Students with Special Needs perform on these items?
- How the concept is taught in comparison to what is being asked of students on high stakes tests. Are students expected to master the concept at the depth required in the standards? Do the teaching methods and classroom tests match the standard in terms of cognitive demand?