ARMT Use with Excel 2007 2011 ARMT Longitudinal Data Analysis School Improvement Team Alabama Department of Education
Purpose: Why should we use longitudinal data? One year s data cannot pinpoint trends. Many factors can cause variations in test scores if we look at only one year. When a pattern emerges from analysis of several years data---this points to curriculum and/or instruction issues which must be addressed. How many years of data should be included in a longitudinal data study? When we review data over a period of 3 to 5 years, we are looking for gaps in curriculum or instruction. This type of data analysis is valuable when identifying goals for continuous improvement. What are the benefits of longitudinal data analysis? Looking at the current year s data gives a school only a snap-shot of student performance for that one test, one assessment, or one year s data. One year s data cannot pinpoint trends, instructional gaps, or curriculum and pacing issues. Many factors could be responsible for the variation in test scores. Longitudinal data gives a school data of how students are achieving over time. I. Materials Needed Laptop or computer ARMT 3+ Year Analysis Excel File ARMT School Reports ARMT Graphing Instructions for computers using Excel 2007 or higher II. ARMT Graphing Instructions III. Utilizing the Data Charts
Longitudinal Data Analysis ARMT Graphing Instructions using Microsoft Excel 2007 Reports Needed: ARMT School Reports for the last 3 years for each grade level tested in your school. Step One: Inputting the Data From the ARMT folder: 5 th grade Math Workbook 5 th MW Open the "ARMT 3+ Year Analysis" file. It will have an an EXCEL spreadsheet. 8 RW Workbook Tabs icon indicating that it is 8 th grade Reading Workbook 8 RW Each tab in the Excel Spreadsheet Workbook contains a grade level s worksheet for putting in the mean percent correct data for grades 3-8. The Reading Workbook is RW. The Math Workbook is MW.
Using your ARMT School Report for one grade at a time; enter the percent correct from the Mean Percent Correct column for each year for Reading and Math. Step Two: Making the graphs in Microsoft Excel 2007 Highlight the EXACT area of the spreadsheet that contains any words or numbers in the document starting in the A1 column on the left. Click on the "Insert Tab on the toolbar at the top of your screen.
Click on the Column Icon A Chart Tools tab will appear at the top of your screen. Choose the type graph you like best. o A small graph will appear on your screen. Choose the Tab: Lay Out Click on "Chart Title" Choose Above Chart Type your chart name (Ex. Your School Name- 8 th Grade ARMT Math)
Choose the Tab "Legend" Decide where you best like the legend to be placed. Choose the Tab "Data Labels" (decide if you like it with or without the numbers) Choose the Tab Design Decide which color scheme You like best. Click on "Move Chart Location (top right corner of the screen) A Move Chart box will appear on your screen. Click on "New Sheet" Type the name of your chart again. Click OK
Step Three: Viewing the final Graph Workbook Tabs Look back at your Excel Workbook Tabs at the bottom of the screen. You should now see the the title of your graph that you created. Click on the title Do you see the graph that you created?
Utilizing the Data Charts What are some of the issues revealed through longitudinal data analysis? Academic progress from grade to grade. Effectiveness of school programs. Strengths and weaknesses in school programs (high performing areas and low-performing areas) Best practices that significantly impact student achievement. Effects of teacher preparation and professional development on student achievement. Curriculum or achievement gaps in the instructional program. Data is compiled and placed in Excel spread sheets by grade levels/standards. Graphs are made from the spreadsheets in order to provide teachers useful visual displays of strengths and weaknesses by standard on the ARMT. Analysis questions are completed from the graphs in order to develop specific actions to address the hole(s). This represents a sample from the ARMT 3-5 Year Longitudinal analysis using Excel. This graph represents MASTERY! Big numbers, tall bars are GOOD! This means that the students connected with the instructional program presented in the classroom and the results are evidenced by the bars on the graph. It is easy to see which course of study standards are the least mastered and which standards, over time, are showing successful implementation in the classroom.
Longitudinal Data Analysis questions: These questions can be used to help study the graphs and to draw purposeful conclusions from the information represented in the data and graphs. NEXT STEPS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE LONGITUDINAL DATA ANALYSIS AND SHOULD NOT BE LEFT OUT OF THE PROCESS. Longitudinal Data: Guiding Questions: What do you notice? What are our holes in the curriculum? What time of year are these standards normally taught? What resources do you use when teaching these standards? Are you teaching the standards how they are tested? (Are you aligning instruction and practice with the Item Specifications?) From the identified strengths and weaknesses, next steps are created to address the weaknesses. Next Steps: Talk with your grade level and/or content cohorts about the following: o Instructional strategies focused on engaging students o Resources that align with the Item Specifications o Intervention for non-mastery students Develop a grade level and/or a department plan of action to improve student learning based on your longitudinal data analysis. o Pacing of standards o Resources o Method of instruction/strategies o Alignment to Item Specifications o Intervention o Other data (student/teacher attendance, discipline referrals, grade level/departmental planning, common assessments, etc.)
Longitudinal Data Analysis Questions What do you notice? What are our "holes" in the curriculum? What time of year are these standards normally taught? What resources do you use when teaching these standards? Are you teaching the standards how they are tested? (Are you aligning instruction and practice with the Item Specifications?)