Analyzing DDM components and when the DDM will be administered, scored, student results across all piloted DDMs analyzed, and modified. to evaluate district-wide comparability Be clear about the decision-making Will the team include partners from other process, particularly when working with districts, collaboratives, or other educators piloting a DDM across multiple organizations, including vendors? schools. Step 2. Determine Content to Measure Determining the content to measure is the and most critical, task in choosing DDMs. Clarity around the standards, content knowledge, and skills ensure that DDMs closely reflect the content taught. DDMs should reflect a meaningful sample of student learning that spans across the grade/subject or course. Technical Guide A provides multiple resources to support districts, including information about different assessment domains, curriculum maps, and an alignment tool. Many district teams are already well underway with this work. should start by considering the full range of what is taught in a particular grade/subject or course. From that full sample, teams determine what content is both representative of the most important content and measurable. Key Questions Considerations What content is most central to the Be mindful not to focus on what’s easy to curriculum and relevant to the school, measure at the expense of what’s important district, and state goals? to learn. What are the most primary standards A DDM does not need to the whole for this grade or subject/course? curriculum, but what is measured by the DDM should represent the most important What are the important lesson concepts or skills taught. objectives from the curriculum? What are the instructional shifts Consider focusing on the instructional shifts needed to effectively implement the needed to effectively implement the new new MA curriculum frameworks? MA curriculum frameworks. What skills do students need to be Districts should work with specialized college and career ready? instructional support personnel (SISPs) Of the knowledge, skills, and abilities such as school counselors, school nurses, or school psychologists to identify the taught, what can be assessed? responsibilities that are most critical to their What content knowledge, skills, or role as a foundation to selecting DDMs. For behaviors are most directly attributable to example, a district may decide that the an educator? For example, the rate of to class” rate is a critical “return appropriately sequenced course enrollment responsibility for school nurses and should be an indirect measure. may be a more appropriate measure for a high school guidance counselor than graduation rate, which is influenced by many educators.
Analyzing DDM components and student results across all piloted DDMs to evaluate district-wide comparability Will the team include partners from other districts, collaboratives, or other organizations, including vendors? when the DDM will be administered, scored, analyzed, and modified. Be clear about the decision-making process, particularly when working with educators piloting a DDM across multiple schools. Step 2. Determine Content to Measure Determining the content to measure is the and most critical, task in choosing DDMs. Clarity around the standards, content knowledge, and skills ensure that DDMs closely reflect the content taught. DDMs should reflect a meaningful sample of student learning that spans across the grade/subject or course. Technical Guide A provides multiple resources to support districts, including information about different assessment domains, curriculum maps, and an alignment tool. Many district teams are already well underway with this work. should start by considering the full range of what is taught in a particular grade/subject or course. From that full sample, teams determine what content is both representative of the most important content and measurable. Key Questions Considerations What content is most central to the curriculum and relevant to the school, district, and state goals? What are the most primary standards for this grade or subject/course? What are the important lesson objectives from the curriculum? What are the instructional shifts needed to effectively implement the new MA curriculum frameworks? What skills do students need to be college and career ready? Of the knowledge, skills, and abilities taught, what can be assessed? What content knowledge, skills, or behaviors are most directly attributable to an educator? For example, the rate of appropriately sequenced course enrollment may be a more appropriate measure for a high school guidance counselor than graduation rate, which is influenced by many educators. Be mindful not to focus on what’s easy to measure at the expense of what’s important to learn. A DDM does not need to the whole curriculum, but what is measured by the DDM should represent the most important concepts or skills taught. Consider focusing on the instructional shifts needed to effectively implement the new MA curriculum frameworks. Districts should work with specialized instructional support personnel (SISPs) such as school counselors, school nurses, or school psychologists to identify the responsibilities that are most critical to their role as a foundation to selecting DDMs. For example, a district may decide that the “return to class” rate is a critical responsibility for school nurses and should be an indirect measure.
TechnicalGuideB.docx