Saluting Student Success - 2004 Nomination

Richland School District Two's TestView Software Innovation

Goal: Create resources for data-driven decision-making for customizing academic instruction

In the age of ever-increasing high stakes testing and accountability, standardized testing has taken center-stage as the premier barometer of student academic well-being. In Richland Two, the goal of shifting the focus of test results from an "end game" to a "starting game" became the driving force for inventing ways to leverage test scores where the "rubber meets the road" - in the classroom - in ways that authentically shape the delivery of instruction to children. With leading-edge technologies, the goal of actually using test score data for tailoring instruction became an unprecedented reality.

To do this, Richland Two designed its own web-based software for delivering student standardized test results directly into the hands of classroom teachers for viewing. With TestView, teachers have at their fingertips critical performance information of all 19,000 students and their complete standardized test score history. Tied to class rosters, teachers begin each new school year on day-one with a comprehensive online class profile of students they will teach for the year. From strengths and weaknesses to the average students in the middle, teachers graphically view the class performance profile for customizing and differentiating their instruction through varied content aimed at skill mastery for all students.

A Unique and Innovative Approach

"If we don't use the data that comes back from testing, then why test?"

This commentary is one which became a recurring theme during focus group meetings for designing the TestView application. Knowing that an "off the shelf" product was not available at the time to meet the needs, the focus group enjoyed a "thinking outside the box" approach to developing - from the ground up - a truly teacher-centric program for delivering the desired student test score information.

With groups of teachers, curriculum coordinators, administrators and district technology staff assembled for brainstorming ideas, it became evident that the test score information teachers could use - and use in very powerful ways - simply was not available anywhere, in any medium. The archaic methods of pouring over reams of computer printouts from the South Carolina Department of Education were futile at best, and still would not be effective in creating class profiles, most notably where elementary feeder schools make up the population of a middle school.

Consequently, the innovation began. And from this functional design collaborative came the specifications for the TestView product which is today marketed to school districts by VC3, Inc., of Columbia, S.C.

A sampling of TestView functions available to teachers include:

• Class roster performance profiles
• Automatic generation of Academic Plans (PlanView component)
• Individual student test score history lookup
• Direct SQL-based link to live SASI data
• Links to student transcripts for trend analysis
• Statistical calculations
• Graphical representation of data
• Export ability to external applications
• Creation of custom student groupings
• Custom reports

From Data to Information to Knowledge

At least 90 percent of Richland School District Two teachers utilize the power of TestView. With expert in-house training and leadership, the once unreachable is now the expected; teachers now demand up-to-the-minute student performance information.

Within TestView, PACT scores, SAT scores, PSAT scores, Terra-Nova scores, MAP scores, Exit exam scores, and more, are neatly overlaid on top of base student information, including transcripts, and delivered to teachers online, in web-based presentation. Student academic plans are automatically generated for those who need them by regulations. The sophistication of the information guides the process of differentiated instruction. Meeting the needs of a diversified student population is enhanced by rapid and timely delivery of vital performance statistics. Since we know that not all students learn in the same way or at the same rate, the customized instructional methods provide an opportunity to teach to the learning styles of all students. The teachers of Richland School District Two have learned the magnitude of making the transition from data, to information, and to knowledge of student performance, and its impact on classroom instruction.