The use of data in advancing student achievement is a new concept in the education field, whose effects have been undermined significantly by the mentioned sectors’ professionals. Collecting essential information, recording it, and using collected data to provide feedback to students, teachers, school board members, and parents is one of the best strategies learning institutions can use to enhance overall performance ( Chan, Ismail, & Sumintono, 2016, Vasileiadou, & Karadimitriou, 2021) . Additionally, analyzed data can be used to set goals, modify curriculums, change instructional strategies, and evaluate the school’s performance against other learning institutions in the country ( Sun, Przybylski, & Johnson, 2016) . Schools can collect data using information technologies, homework and classroom assignment performance assessment, outcomes of standardized tests, observing student behavior, and asking learners relevant questions ( Harris, 2018) . The extensive analysis of a conversation I had with a teacher at Kimberly Academies, a private chain of elementary schools, shows how data can be used to provide feedback, moderate, and report progress in the learning environment. In future, I intend to use the strategies discussed by the tutor at Kimberly Academies to assess my instructional practice, determine learners’ weaknesses and strengths, and participate in designing a proper curriculum for my students.
School and Classroom Contexts
Kimberly Academies is a chain of five private schools located in different parts of California in the United States. The school admits elementary students exclusively and is famous for producing top students in district examinations, administered yearly. Kimberly Academies has a three-storey building, which hosts classrooms, a library, laboratory, administration center, washrooms, and a store. From my observation, Kimberly Academies promotes diversity significantly, because the students I interacted with are from different ethnic backgrounds. Overall, Kimberly Academies has 600 students, who live within California. The school does not have any boarding facilities, and being a low-cost private learning institution, most parents pay school bus fare for their children. Kimberly Academies is a Christian institution, whose values and belief systems are based on Biblical teachings. Kimberly Academies upholds integrity, cooperative learning, student and staff teamwork, and accountability. The school’s motto is, “The fruits of roots of education are bitter but the fruits are sweet”.
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I visited one classroom at Kimberly Academies, which gave me a general idea of a student’s daily in-class learning environment. Every class has 30 students and a class teacher who oversees activities in the classroom. Learners are diverse and of the male and female genders, and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. All lessons are administered by subject professionals, who ensure students receive homework to test their understanding of materials taught ( van Geel et al., 2016) . Moreover, students are highly disciplined but when they misbehave, they are punished according to school protocols. Teachers use cooperative learning strategy to administer lessons and occasionally, students will sit in teams to discuss class materials. Finally, teachers have a robust relationship with students and are often helpful when consulted. Therefore, Kimberly Academies has a warm learning environment where students receive optimal support from tutors and peers, which explains the school’s excellent performance in district examinations for the past 5 years.
Data Collection, Recording, Analysis, and Feedback Reporting Strategies
I asked the teacher I was conversing with how Kimberly Academies collects data to enhance student performance. According to the tutor, every teacher records students’ homework and classwork assignment performance in a report book daily and then submits it to the school’s administration at the end of the week ( Jawuor, 2020) . Tutors also observe student behavior while in class and note weakness and strength areas mandating assistance or encouragement for better performance ( Schildkamp, 2019, Wu et al., 2014) . Moreover, teachers administer random assessment tests to students to determine their level of grasping taught information or they may ask relevant questions at the end of class sessions to check student mastery of subjects ( Ames, Angioloni, & Ames, 2020) . Finally, all students sit a termly examination and the teachers’ record learner performances in provided report books customized to record end-of-term test performances only.
Moderation of collected student data is done by a team of teachers selected to perform the role. Every end of week, the teachers check the submitted report books with recorded student performance in class assignments and homework during the week. Performances are recorded in a spreadsheet and then stored electronically ( Liem, 2019) . Every Monday, teachers assemble in the school’s staffroom to compare student performances in previous and just-ended weeks and then causes for failure or improvement are noted and discussed ( Prøitz, Mausethagen, & Skedsmo, 2017) . Further, every end of term, teachers meet and analyze how their students performed compared to other schools in the district and areas of weakness or improvement or weakness are noted.
Every new week, class teachers are expected to create time to discuss analyzed performance outcomes with learners ( Van Geel et al.,2016) . Results of performance analyses conducted by the team of teachers mentioned are displayed on the class board and every student provides input on why their performance declined or improved ( Kapur, 2018) . Students then suggest ways they feel the school could support them better and then set goals on their desirable performance over the next week ( Double, 2018) . According to the teacher I talked to, students also receive feedback on their termly report through a similar channel as weekly performance and discussion on areas to improve are undertaken just as done in weekly in-class performance evaluation sessions ( Sharma et al., 2016) .
The teacher I talked to also said parents receive information on student performance on a weekly and termly basis. The school emails performance reviews outcomes to parents every Friday and indicates the goals students set to improve over the coming week ( Poirier & Wilhelm, 2018) . Kimberly Academies also emails parents termly reports of student performances, comparison against other schools, and strategies to improve performance over the coming term or in future ( Steinberg & Garrett, 2016) . Student achievement is also reported to Kimberly Academies’ school board and the information is used to determine need for modifying current school curriculum, retraining teachers, hiring more professionals, reallocating resources, setting goals, and creating instructional materials ( Skedsmo & Huber, 2017, Vlachou, 2018) . Therefore, Kimberly Academies collects data, record, and uses it to report student performances.
Reflection
Data collection is an essential exercise that ensures improved student performances. In the future, I will collect student performance data from my homework I administer and then compile it in a report book. I will also ask intentional oral questions to check if learners understand the content I teach and then record performances in my report book. I will meet students every start of the week and then we will compare their daily performance over the past week with that of previous weeks. Further, I will help learners understand why their performance declined and set goals for improvement in the new week. Over the week, I will ask students frequently if they need assistance to help them meet their goals. Finally, I will ensure students ‘parents receive prompt progress information concerning their children’s class performance every Monday. I hope that in the future, I will join a school with a performance data collection, evaluation, and feedback reporting culture.
References
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