Interim assessments allow teachers to:
compare students’ performance on formative, curriculum-embedded assessments with performance on more in-depth assessments that align to state tests (and often come from external sources)
calibrate their instructional expectations with a more universal set of expectations to ensure that the rigor in the classroom is appropriate
compare students’ performance with other students in the city (when citywide assessments such as the NYC Periodic Assessments are used)
identify student learning problems or gaps and potential causes for them
closely examine the performance of subgroups (such as English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities)
develop strategies and action steps for addressing the learning problems/gaps identified.
Interim assessments also allow school leaders to analyze and track student performance across teachers and classrooms.
Analyzing Interim/Benchmark Assessment Data: Data Day
Interim assessments warrant a more in-depth analysis by teams of teachers, so that they take the time to closely analyze the results, and decide upon implications for instruction that can be acted upon quickly. “Data Days” (or half-days) provide this focused time. The following is a possible agenda for Data Days to analyze interim assessments, that can be modified to accommodate shorter time periods.
Data Days 2 /3 Agendas, for analysis of interim assessment data.
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