The Development of an Empirically Based Conceptual Framework for Formative Interim Assessment Data Use

• In Event: Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Research on the Use of Learning Progressions, Formative Assessments, and Motivation in Mathematics and Science Assessment and Learning

Abstract

In response to federal accountability policies school districts are increasingly relying on interim assessment data to enhance instruction and improve student performance. These tests are designed to track student progress toward yearly goals, inform teaching and identify individual student needs. Despite the growing research on teachers’ data use, there are calls for increased conceptual understanding of how these practices are implemented. Using structural equation modeling, this quantitative analysis of survey data empirically examines a hypothesized conceptual model of teachers’ interim assessment data use that is linked to instructional improvements. The model incorporates elements of interim assessment, formative assessment and data-driven decision making to capture the complex interactions among organizational and environmental factors that influence the practice of data use.

Authors

• Lisa M. Abrams, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Angie Wetzel, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Divya Varier, Virginia Commonwealth University