A Prudent Question is Half of WISEdomUsing WISEdash Data Wisely to Leverage Change
Kenneth S. DonahueSchool Administration Consultant for Data Analysis
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Goals
• To facilitate the USE of WISEdash to answer questions related to reading achievement for students with IEPs
• To make the case that the use of WISEdash is an important but insufficient condition for student-level improvement.
• To reiterate the importance of asking good questions once you have “completed” any data analysis
• To propose a set of guiding questions regarding the use of student level information in WISEdash
Outline• State-Level Analyses
– Question #1: With respect to reading achievement (WSAS reading), what is the nature of being a student with an IEP in Wisconsin?
– Question #2: Which primary disability category should be least related to reading achievement, what is the performance of that category, and how does that inform our answer to question #1?
– Question #3: Which factors most contribute to the performance gap between students with and without IEPs in Wisconsin?
• Student-Level Analyses– Question #1: What data best characterize reading achievement for a student with
an IEP?– Question #2: What information is needed to help a student improve from basic to
proficient?
• Suggested Guiding Questions for WISEdash Analyses
Question #1:
• With respect to reading achievement (WSAS reading), what is the nature of being a student with an IEP in Wisconsin?
Analysis Options
• WSAS SwD vs. SwoD (point in time)• WSAS SwD vs. SwoD (trend) • WSAS by Primary Disability (point in time)• Student Growth Percentiles
Question #2: • Which primary disability category should be
least related to reading achievement, what is the performance of that category, and how does that inform our answer to question #1?
Autism Intellectual Disability (CD)
Emotional Behavioral Disability
Hearing Impairment
Orthopaedic Impairment
Other Health Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Speech or Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment
Question #3: • Which factors most contribute to the performance gap
between students with and without IEPs in Wisconsin?WISEdash Other Sources
Attendance Rate Suspension Rate
Economic Disadvantage Dropout Rate
Least Restrictive Environment
Family Engagement
Access to the General Curriculum
Effectiveness of Interventions
Effective Classroom Practices
School Climate
Other…
Question #1:
• What data best characterize reading achievement for a student with an IEP?– WSAS Proficiency– Scale Score and Test Percentile Rank– Growth
Question #2: • What information is needed to help this student improve from
basic to proficient?WISEdash Other Sources
Age/Grade Formative Assessment
Gender District-Wide Assessment
Economic Disadvantage Progress Monitoring Tools
Race Previous Interventions and Effects
ELL Status IEP Goals
Primary Disability Student’s Learning Style
Least Restrictive Environment Functional Behavioral Assessment
Migrant Status Student History (e.g. trauma)
Subscale Raw Scores Family’s Access to Resources
Other…
Suggested Guiding Questions: WISEdash Student Profiles and Reading
WISEdash Other Sources
Age/Grade Formative Assessment
Gender District-Wide Assessment
Economic Disadvantage Progress Monitoring Tools
Race Previous Interventions and Effects
ELL Status IEP Goals
Primary Disability Student’s Learning Style
Least Restrictive Environment Functional Behavioral Assessment
Migrant Status Student History (e.g. trauma)
Subscale Raw Scores Family’s Access to Resources
Other…
Economic Disadvantage
• Does a student’s economic disadvantage or access to resources relate to reading achievement?
• How does economic disadvantage effect student learning?• What is the interplay of disability and economic
disadvantage?• What resources can the school/teacher provide to fill in
access gaps related to reading achievement? • Do I have preconceptions about economic disadvantage
and academic achievement that effect my expectations or instruction?
Race
• Is race a factor in identification as a student with a disability?
• Is the curriculum taught in a culturally responsive manner?
• Is the student’s culture being engaged in instruction?• Is the student missing instruction because of
disciplinary referrals, suspension, expulsion, etc?• Do I have preconceptions about race and academic
achievement that effect my expectations or instruction?
ELL Status
• What is the interplay between ELL and IEP status?
• Is instruction culturally and linguistically responsive?
• Is ELL instruction aligned with the general curriculum?
Primary Disability
• Does the disability negatively effect reading achievement, and if so how?
• What disability specific accommodations will allow the student the same level of access to instruction in the general curriculum as students without IEPs?
• In addition to Special Education programming, what supplementary aids and services can enhance instruction in reading?
• Do I have preconceptions about disability in general, or specific categories of disability, and academic achievement? Does this effect my expectations or instruction?
Least Restrictive Environment
• If the student is not in the regular education environment full time…– To what extent are they removed?– Is removal aligned with individual students needs or
school function?– Is instruction during removal aligned with the
general curriculum?– Is instruction targeted and intensive?– Is the student making growth in his/her LRE or
falling behind?
Migrant Status
• Does mobility effect attendance?• Does mobility effect engagement, and if so
how?• How does mobility effect access to services,
educational and otherwise?• Can I access information from a student’s
previous school(s) that can help me understand student need and inform instruction?
Subscale Raw Scores
• Where are the student’s strengths and weaknesses within reading?
• Are the strengths/weaknesses disability related and if so how?
• Does special education programming, aids, and services, mitigate the extent to which the disability negatively effects specific areas within reading?
• Are interventions targeting the area(s) of weakness within reading or the disability in general?
Goals
• To facilitate the USE of WISEdash to answer questions related to reading achievement for students with IEPs
• To make the case that the use of WISEdash is an important but insufficient condition for student-level improvement.
• To reiterate the importance of asking good questions once you have “completed” any data analysis
• To propose a set of guiding questions regarding the use of student level information in WISEdash
Thank You!• If you're a scientist, and you have to have an
answer, even in the absence of data, you're not going to be a good scientist. – Neil deGrasse
Kenneth S. [email protected]
608-266-1068