2. About SE2
• Communications firm that works on issues within the
public arena
• Expertise and significant experience in education
• Numerous DPS projects
• Hired by Accountability, Research and Evaluation office
to lead communications about the value of assessments
3. Communication Objectives
• Communicate that assessments provide meaningful results in a timely
manner and explain their value
• Show how teaching can be adjusted to meet the needs of the individual
students based on assessments
• Demonstrate that the district has listened to teacher concerns and
criticizes and is selecting assessments that are easier and faster to
administer
• Reinforce the importance of evaluating teacher effectiveness in accurate
and useful ways
• Remind teachers and parents of the tools (e.g. portals) available to
improve access to information about individual students
4. Today's Objectives
• Articulate the importance of assessments and the critical role you
play in communicating this message
• Gather background information about the research the district has
conducted over the past few months, understanding teachers and
parents' perceptions of assessments
• Convey the main vision and goals to promote the value of
assessments
• Understand how and where to talk about these goals, and tools to
help you do so effectively
5. Today's Objectives
• Understanding the importance of assessments and the
critical role you play in communicating this
• Background information about the research the district
Research – Summary
has conducted over the past few months looking at
teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments
• The main messages behind assessments
• How and where to deliver these messages
6. Types of Research Conducted
• Teacher focus groups
• Parent focus groups
• Teacher survey
• Secondary research
7. Today's Objectives
• Understanding the importance of assessments and the
critical role you play in communicating this
• Background information about the research the district
Communications Strategy
has conducted over the past few months looking at
teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments
• The main messages behind assessments
• How and where to deliver these messages
10. What Teachers Care About
• The district is developing and implementing helpful
assessments that are easier and faster to use
• The district has listened to their input regarding
assessments and responded with assessments that are
based on standards and align with classroom instruction
• Assessments benefit the growth and overall
achievement of individual students through progress
monitoring and personalized information
11. What Parents Care About
• The growth and achievement of their individual child
• How they can help their child achieve
• That their child is prepared for tests
• What they hear from teachers
12.
13. Assessment Communications Strategy
• Focus on teachers
• Parents depend on teachers for communications and
understanding regarding academic performance
• Teachers' understanding is key for parent understanding
– teachers are the messengers
• This strategy lays the groundwork for LEAP
• Additional resources and tools (e.g. new Parent Portal)
for parents are not available yet
14. Today's Objectives
• Understanding the importance of assessments and the
critical role you play in communicating this
• Background information about the research the district
The Vision and Goals
has conducted over the past few months looking at
teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments
• The main messages behind assessments
• How and where to deliver these messages
15. Context
• DPS assessments are:
o Developed through an intentional and purposeful process
o Driven by teacher feedback
o Focused on the ultimate goal of student achievement
o In accordance with guidelines set by SB 10-191
o Part of 2011-2012 roll out of assessments in response to
feedback
o Part of a continuous process of updates and enhancements
19. How and Why
DPS’ Improved Assessments Will Promote Student Achievement By Being More:
How Why
Personalized
Efficient Promoting Individual
Student Achievement
Meaningful
Connected
20. Personalized
• More frequent assessments
measure individual student
growth and progress, allowing
teachers to evaluate and address
students’ needs more precisely
21. Efficient
• Administering assessments through
an online platform takes less time
and is easier, giving teachers more
time with students and less time
grading papers and entering data.
22. Meaningful
• Assessments have improved
reporting capabilities, producing
faster results with clear graphs, so
teachers can use the information in a
timely and impactful way
23. Connected
• Assessments align with standards
and curriculum, providing an
accurate and more complete picture
of what a student should know each
day
24. Parent Message Framework
DPS’ Improved Tests Will Promote Student Achievement By Being More:
How Why This Helps Why This Helps
Teachers Parents
Efficient and
Meaningful
Promoting Individual
Connected and
Personalized Student Achievement
26. Connected and Personalized
• Connected and personalized tests
reflect curriculum and get
integrated into classroom
instruction
27.
28. Today's Objectives
• Understanding the importance of assessments and the
critical role you play in communicating this
• Background information about the research the district
Tools for Communicating
has conducted over the past few months looking at
teachers and parents’ perceptions of assessments
• The main messages behind assessments
• How and where to deliver these messages
29. The Role of Stories
• Messages need stories
• For audiences to fully appreciate the value of district assessments,
it is critical that you provide them with examples
• The general structure of effective message delivery is:
o The claim is the compelling, high-level message
o The fact is the specific action and method through which the
message comes to fruition
o The illustrative examples are actual stories and quotes that
demonstrate the reality of the message being delivered
30. Example
CLAIM: Assessments take less time and are easier to administer
through an online platform.
FACT: In order to better focus the time spent
teaching, the district introduced K-5 computer-based
,adaptive reading assessments, which will be easier to
administer, will take less time, and will be integrated into
classroom instruction.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 1: “Love it! It is about
time we get a tool like this –
quick, informative, manageable and data
driven.” (Teacher)
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE 2: “School was really fun today
because we got to go to the computer lab and take a
test.” (Elementary Student)
34. Recommended Vocabulary
Try This
• DPS tests
• State and district tests
• “Help individual students”
• “Help you help your child”
• Growth
• Progress
• Achievement
• Connected to classroom curriculum
• More accurate
35. Recommended Vocabulary
Try This
• Personalized
• Tied to what students are taught in the classroom
• Teachers can help parents with the results and what to do with
them
• Test scores and grades go hand-in-hand
• Faster results
• Clear reports
• Quick pulse checks to diagnose and adjust
36. Recommended Vocabulary
Instead of That
• Assessment (especially with parents)
• Acronyms and jargon
• Specific tests’ name (especially with parents)
• CSAP (now TCAP)
• Frequent testing, more testing
37. Keep In Mind
• Think about what you say and how you say it
• Put on your “instructional hat” (i.e. be a teacher) when
you are speaking
• Remember that assessments are a work in progress;
continue to talk to teachers, ISs, ARE, etc.
• WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK
Teacher Focus GroupsTwo Teacher Groups – Primary teachers and secondary teachersFormal recruitment process and facilitationRepresentative cross-section and high participation rateKey FindingsTeachers understand the value of assessments but do not rely on them exclusively to evaluate student achievementMany identified areas of potential improvement (administration, alignment, results, etc.) Key Findings (continued)Largest criticism was the time they take away from classroom instructionDifferences in perceptions across grade levels, and tested versus non-tested subjectsInitiative fatigueParent Focus GroupsTwo Parent Groups – English speaking and Spanish speakingFormal recruitment process and facilitationRepresentative cross-section and high participation rateKey FindingsParents lack awareness of any assessments beyond CSAP, and they do not understand the results Spanish-speaking parents do not conceptualize a distinction between assessments and other testsChanging parent perceptions requires changing teachers’ communicationsTeacher SurveySent to all DPS teachers (except charter schools) via email and the Teacher Portal1,338 overall respondents:794 elementary school, 311 middle school, 304 high school541 tested, 263 non-tested, 549 bothKey FindingsAssessments take too much time and the district does not listen to teachers’ opinionsPerceived usefulness of assessments varies by grade levels and subject taughtTop priority is meeting the needs of an individual studentSecondary ResearchHeld interviews with numerous district leadersGained understanding of what the district has communicated about assessments to dateConducted academic analysis of perceptions and opinions around assessment
People care about ECE in different ways, for different reasons.What information do you have/need about audience perceptions (e.g. public opinion polling)?What information do you have or need that will help support your messages (e.g. prevalence data, economic impact)?
PersonalizedHow DPS is Improving AssessmentsProgress monitoringChange instruction and drive student growthInsight into current gaps in a student’s learning before those gaps become compounded and more difficult to addressComprehensive, in-depth, and complete picture of an individual studentTesting of specific skills and concepts throughout the yearAccurate trajectory of where a student is headedPersonalizedWhy These Improvements Help TeachersAccount for the wide diversity of studentsAllow them to help students in a timely mannerBetter inform and adjust classroom instructionProvide a clearer and more precise portrayal of an individual student’s strengths and weaknessesEfficientHow DPS is Improving AssessmentsImmediate results to inform teaching More time for classroom instructionMore integrated into the flow of the lessonImproved internal communicationsEfficientWhy These Improvements Help TeachersProvide more information to better inform the time spent teaching
MeaningfulHow DPS is Improving AssessmentsMore useful and meaningful results Timely and accurate sense of where a class and individual students standSingle to go in order to find information about and results for individual studentsCommunicate the needs of a student in a timely mannerWhy These Improvements Help TeachersAllowing for immediate and direct action, increasing the relevance and applicability of assessmentsEnable adjustment of instruction and teaching to fit the needs of the classroom Customize instruction for different studentsGive the ability to help a student while that student is still in the teacher’s classroomConnect teachers with resources that can help them meet the needs of individual students ConnectedHow DPS is Improving AssessmentsConsistent standards across that serve as the foundation for all district assessmentsMake the results more relevant and meaningfulConsistent expectations for what all students should be taught to ensure quality education Insight into a student’s specific learning gaps Why These Improvements Help TeachersProvide better information to inform teaching and make that time more impactful Use as a teaching tool to meet the needs of individual studentsAllows for actionable responses within the classroomHelp teachers better identify what students do and do not know and aid in the creation of teacher-led assessments
Activity 1: Come up with examples of stories and how you would use the messages.
Your messages should serve as the foundation of all of your communications and be reflected in materials, presentations, interviews and advertising.
Activity 1: Come up with examples of stories and how you would use the messages.