Baselines typically take one of two approaches:
“Forward-facing” baseline assessments measure students’ performance on the standards for the upcoming year, and provide a starting point from which to measure growth in these standards across the year.
For example, the “Beginning of Year Test” provided with Go Math (Houghton Mifflin) takes this approach.
“Backwards-facing” baseline assessments measure students’ performance on standards that students should have mastered in the prior year(s), and provide a window into the extent to which students have mastered the prerequisite standards/skills needed to excel on the upcoming year’s standards.
For example, the NYC CCLS-aligned math baseline assessment described in the Periodic Assessment Guide (2013-2014) is this type of baseline, as is the “Prerequisite Skills Inventory” provided with Go Math (Houghton Mifflin).
Teachers may also choose to analyze the prior year’s state test data to gather information about student performance on the prior year’s standards.
In addition to the start-of-year baseline assessment, some curricula also provide opportunities to pre-assess students at the start of units of instruction (for example, see the “Show what you know” assessments provided with Go Math (Houghton Mifflin), as well as the “Unit Readiness” assessments provided with CMP3 (Pearson). These assessments offer a window into students’ knowledge and skill prior to the upcoming instruction.
Whether baseline assessments are forward-facing, backward-facing, administered at the start of the year, or at the start of each unit, it is important for them to be common across content teachers at each grade level. Not only do common assessments provide a means for teams to collaboratively problem-solve and plan for how to move students forward, but they also provide a uniform standard across teachers by which to assess student learning.
Analyzing Baseline Assessment Data: Data Day
In order to provide enough time to thoroughly analyze baseline assessment data and its implications for upcoming instruction, an effective strategy is to schedule a “Data Day” (or two half-days). The following is a possible agenda for a Data Day to analyze baseline/state test data, that can be modified to accommodate shorter time periods.
Data Day 1 Agenda for analysis of baseline/state test data