Personalized pathways to success for students Continued from page 14
data dashboards to measure and monitor student progress and refine student sup- port systems are the Shasta County Office of Education and the Corona-Norco Unified School District. Shasta COE has engaged the more than 20 district superintendents, Shasta College, Chico State University and University of California at Davis to create metrics of early grades readiness, secondary school preparedness and college readiness to create common practices and systems of student support. This process has provided a structure in which all stakeholders can define both what attributes a college and career ready student needs to demonstrate, and how to monitor student progress toward becoming college and career ready. The expansion of current school ac-
countability measurements that drive in- structional programs toward metrics that more clearly demonstrate student prepared- ness has afforded schools the autonomy to work within their individual cultures to adjust instructional programs in support of the learning needs of their own student populations. Both Shasta County Office of Education and the Corona-Norco Unified School District are now poised to refine their systems of student support, and in so doing redefine RtI to focus on the attributes of col- lege and career readiness.
Data-driven instructional cycles Districts and schools with highly effec-
tive data-driven instructional cycles have in common a clearly defined collaboration cycle, a common language of instruction and frequent use of formative assessments that drive collaboration and instruction. The extent to which collaboration fo-
cuses on instructional planning, monitoring student progress and clarifying best first in- structional practices varies between schools and districts. Similarly, the use of a common instructional language based upon the grad- ual release of student responsibility empha- sizing clear and rigorous learning tasks, stu- dent use of academic language, structured student interactions and frequent, student-
May/June 2012 35
centered checking for understanding also greatly varies. And although formative assessments are
administered, the degree to which they drive the focus of collaboration and design of in- struction not only differs between schools but also within them. ACT research has clarified why this is so
important. ACT findings indicate that high quality, rigorous instruction is the most im- portant factor in ensuring that students be- come college and career ready. The key then is to embrace a data-driven instructional cycle that empowers and engages teachers to reduce the variances in collaboration, instruction and formative assessment prac-
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