Minding the Gaps: Integrating Evaluation and the TAP System to Bridge Achievement Gaps

• In Event: Addressing Critical Perspectives and Equity in Data Use Research and Practice

Abstract

For a federal grant, the evaluation is providing a data-driven approach to monitoring achievement gaps that keeps educators mindful of (1) the gaps and (2) the students whose performance can be nudged to reduce the gaps. The TAP System’s professional learning and accountability processes provide the delivery system that informs educators about progress toward closing achievement gaps. The process analyzes past performance on achievement gaps to (1) establish trends and baselines, (2) estimate the effort required to reduce the gaps, (3) project trends forward to estimate reasonable goals, and (4) monitor progress to continually inform educators. This study describes activities during the first year (2019-20) for steps (1) to (3) and establishes protocols for step (4).

Authors

• Trevor Leutscher, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

• Jessica E. Hall, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

• Tanee Hudgens, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

• Handrea A Logis, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

• Joshua H. Barnett, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching