Monitoring School Performance: Strategies For Success

Monitoring school performance is essential for understanding the effectiveness of teaching methods and identifying areas for improvement. While grades and report cards were once the primary indicators of student performance, modern educational institutions now employ a range of strategies and technologies to track and enhance learning outcomes. From curriculum-based monitoring and frequent evaluations to interactive software and social media engagement, educators, administrators, and parents now have a wealth of tools at their disposal to support student success. By selecting and implementing the right key performance indicators (KPIs), schools can make data-driven decisions to optimise their students' educational journey.

Curriculum-based monitoring

Each student's scores are recorded on a graph and compared to the expected performance for that year. This allows teachers, parents, and administrators to quickly visualise how the student's performance aligns with expectations. Based on the scores, teachers can decide whether to continue instruction in the same way or make changes. Changes might include increasing instructional time, altering teaching techniques or presentation methods, or switching from small-group to individual instruction. The impact of these changes can then be tracked through weekly measurements.

Frequent learning

One way to implement frequent learning is through curriculum-based monitoring. This involves presenting the material over the course of the year to evaluate the teaching methods and student progress. If student progress is low, teachers can immediately change their teaching methods to improve understanding. Curriculum-based monitoring is most effective when teaching methods are adjusted based on student performance.

Another technique to facilitate frequent learning is through observation and interaction with students. Giving students "alone teacher time" helps instructors understand their students' challenges and allows students to communicate their concerns effectively. This individual interaction also enables students to evaluate their progress and determine if they need additional support.

Additionally, formative assessments are a valuable tool for frequent learning. They are specifically designed to monitor student progress and provide ongoing feedback to both students and teachers. Formative assessments help instructors improve their teaching strategies and student performance.

By implementing frequent learning through various methods, such as curriculum-based monitoring, observation, interaction, and formative assessments, teachers can effectively monitor student progress, provide valuable feedback, and enhance the overall learning experience.

Observation and interaction

One of the most effective ways to monitor student progress is through observation and interaction. This involves giving students "alone teacher time", which helps instructors understand where their students are struggling and assists students in communicating effectively with their teachers.

Teachers can also use eye contact and proximity to monitor student progress. By surveying the room and taking note of students' expressions, postures, and behaviour, instructors can generally tell when a student is confused or distracted. Simply making eye contact and standing close to students who aren't paying attention can be effective. For confused students, pausing and checking in with them can help determine their level of understanding. Many students will not take the initiative to speak up when they are lost, so this proactive approach is beneficial.

Another method is to ask brief review questions at the beginning of a lesson. Teachers can give students a sentence with a missing keyword and challenge the class to provide the missing word. Alternatively, they can ask true or false questions and have students stand if the answer is true. If most students haven't grasped the lesson, the instructor can spend extra time reviewing and re-teaching the concept. If only a few students are struggling, the teacher can focus on them during the lesson and any independent work time.

Formative assessments

Formative assessment is a tool used to monitor students' learning processes and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by teachers to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. It is an effective way to help shape learning and bolster students' abilities to take ownership of their learning. When students understand that the goal is to improve, rather than receive final marks, they can be empowered to take ownership of their learning.

• Entry and exit slips: Asking students a quick question at the beginning and end of class can provide insights into their understanding and retention.
• Low-stakes quizzes and polls: Tools like Socrative, Quizlet, Quizalize, Kahoot, and FlipQuiz can be used to create quick, low-stakes quizzes and polls to assess student understanding.
• Dipsticks: Alternative formative assessments, such as asking students to write a letter explaining a key idea to a friend or drawing a sketch to visually represent new knowledge, can provide a quick check on student learning.
• Interview assessments: Discussion-based assessment methods, such as casual chats or five-minute interviews, can help teachers understand students' understanding of content.
• Methods that incorporate art: Using visual art, photography, or videography as an assessment tool can help students synthesize their learning and provide an alternative way to demonstrate their understanding.
• Misconception checks: Asking students to identify and correct common misconceptions or errors can help teachers identify gaps in student understanding.
• Self-assessment: Providing students with a rubric and asking them to spot their strengths and weaknesses can give teachers valuable information about their learning.

Automated progress detection

There are various software platforms that schools can use to automate progress monitoring, such as Progress Learning, BookWidgets, and SRMIS. These platforms offer a range of features, including automated data collection, customizable reports, and analytics. By integrating with other learning management systems, such as Google Classroom, they provide a comprehensive view of student progress.

For example, Progress Learning enables educators to monitor student progress in real time, across different subjects and standards. It provides various reports, such as Session Activity Reports, which track student engagement by analyzing activity time, date, and questions answered. The platform also offers Liftoff Intervention Reports, which show how students perform on diagnostic assessments, and Assessment Comparison Reports, which allow for a side-by-side comparison of student progress.

BookWidgets, on the other hand, offers evaluation widgets that gather grades for each student and provide insights such as average scores per question, median and maximum/minimum scores per class, and grade evolution per student.

Additionally, SRMIS (Student Results Management Information System) is a system designed to automate the manual processes of compiling student examination results. It computes grade point averages, generates result reporting sheets, and keeps track of student status information, including payment status and admission records.

These automated systems improve efficiency, reduce manual work, and provide data-driven insights to support decision-making. They enable teachers to identify students who need intervention and tailor instruction accordingly. Ultimately, they help schools monitor and improve their performance by providing actionable information about student learning trends.

Frequently asked questions