Key recommendations
1. Create a cross-functional strategic planning team:
- Make becoming assessment ready a priority for the district
- Create a cross-functional team, including curriculum, instruction, assessment, finance, professional development and technology to create a strategic plan
- Build an 18-month roadmap
- Create a cross-functional response team to respond quickly to issues during the assessment period
- Proactively collect data from 2014 practice assessments on training, infrastructure, device and preparation
- Work with individual schools on assessment scheduling
2. Secure funding sources for modern learning environments
- Create a strategic plan that shifts funding from paper-based practices, resources, staffing and content toward digital-based functions
- Prioritize operational, categorical, grant and capital funds toward the strategic digital plan
- Review and consolidate digital resources and assets
- Adopt OER to help defray costs
3. Embed technology in instructional practice
- Embed the use of technology throughout lesson delivery
- Ensure all students are comfortable using computers and applications such as online calculators
- Ensure early grades have adequate access to technology tools
- Make assessment a natural part of the teaching and learning environment—not a special event
- Participate in field tests and pilots and take every opportunity to become familiar with new online assessments
4. Invest in robust professional development for teachers, administrators and technical staff
- Assure support staff receive adequate training specific to support the classroom test environment
- Help teachers and students become familiar with the new question format and tools, as the CCSS assessment question format is different than traditional “high stakes” assessments
- Support teachers and administrators in proactive use of technology to personalize teaching and learning, as this will help them be better prepared for online assessments
- Create a technology skills roadmap, such as ISTE Standards for Students (formerly NETS), for each grade level; roadmap should address not only technology, but also assessment format
- Participate in field tests and pilots and take every opportunity to practice with new testing environments
(Next page: Recommendations 5-8)
The former Editorial Director for both eSchool News and eCampus News, and was formerly the Managing Editor of eCampus News. Before working at eSchool Media, Meris worked as an assistant editor for The World and I, an online curriculum publication. She graduated from Kenyon College in 2006 with a BA in English, and enjoys spending way too much time either reading or cooking.
Latest posts by Meris Stansbury (see all)
- #4: 25 education trends for 2018 - December 26, 2018
- Video of the Week: Dealing with digital distraction in the classroom - February 23, 2018
- Secrets from the library lines: 5 ways schools can boost digital engagement - January 2, 2018