Proficiency is the minimum level of performance! We will strive to ensure our students achieve at the highest levels of rigor.
published January 20, 2012
On Wednesday, January 11th, we held a retreat with the administrative team where we spent a considerable amount of time discussing the meaning of proficiency (A draft of the agenda is attached in this email). It quickly became evident that proficiency has a different meaning depending on the context in which you are determining proficiency. We discussed proficiency as it related to the level of rigor on a standard, skill, or disposition. We had a discussion on proficiency as it relates to a student’s performance on an assessment. Finally, we had a discussion on proficiency as it related to a student’s level of master associated with a standard, skill, or disposition. It was an intense and rewarding day as we continued our journey to become more knowledgeable about our work with standards. It was apparent that we are becoming more knowledgeable about standards. It was also apparent that we have more to learn about standards as we consider effective assessment practice, meaningful feedback to students, and rigorous opportunities for all students.
Bob Eaker, is one of the “the nation’s foremost authorities on applying PLC principles in the real world of schools,” and he frequently uses an expression when he describes our work to improve student achievement. I believe Bob’s quote, “RELENTLESS PRESSURE, GRACIOUSLY APPLIED.” is appropriate as we consider OUR next step with standards and with assessing how our students perform on each standard. The relentless piece is connected to our continued emphasis on FOCUS – FOCUS – FOCUS and on our efforts to become more knowledgeable about standards. The gracious part of our work is connected to sharing what we have learned with our peers and to considering how we use information gleaned through our work with standards to guide teaching and learning.
“Relentless pressure, graciously applied.” During the first semester we devoted much of our time focused on standards. This work helped us answer the first guiding question of a PLC…”What do we expect our students to know and be able to do?” Now it is time to take our next step and go deeper with the question, “how do we know our students are learning what we expect them to know and be able to do?” Please reflect on the following questions and consider critical information around each question –
1) What does the standard ask students to do?
2) What does emerging work look like as it relates to a standard, skill, or disposition?
3) What does proficient work look like as it relates to a standard, skill, or disposition?
4) What does advanced work look like as it relates to a standard, skill, or disposition?
5) Do our students know what emerging, proficient, or advanced work looks like as it relates to a standard, skill, or disposition?
6) How do we use data collected through our work with standards to provide meaningful and specific information to students?
7) How do students use that information to monitor their own learning?
These questions will serve as prompts to guide our discussions on standards and the meaning of proficiency. We are working really hard to ensure students learn. Our discussions on standards have helped us work smarter. Now we take that next step to become experts on standards.
There is evidence to suggest that we have already started the discussion around proficiency. Last week I had the privilege of visiting with teachers about their work with standards. The conversations were filled with rich, descriptive information about their work with standards and teachers shared what they have learned as a result of their work with standards. It was fun to watch teachers smiling as they shared what they have learned and it was fun to witness their expressions as they enthusiastically claimed they knew more about their students. It is quite obvious that we have been working diligently with standards and that we are becoming more familiar with assessing the standards students must know and show evidence of knowing.
Bob Eaker’s quote came from (Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work: New Insights for Improving Schools)
