Resources
Assessment to Achievement
New Cohort Beginning Summer 2023 - Apply Now!
We are currently accepting applications from schools to participate in our next cohort of the state's Assessment to Achievement (A2A) project. Within this project, schools receive all expenses paid targeted support related to collaboration, effective data use, and evidence-based instructional practices via professional learning sessions and on-site visits. Space for participation in this upcoming cohort is limited and applications are due by December 31, 2022. For additional information, reach out to Whitney Grant at whitney.grant@schools.utah.gov or Megan Lopez at megan.lopez@schools.utah.gov.
Assessment to Achievement Application
Google Docs
What is Assessment to Achievement?
The Assessment to Achievement (A2A) project provides implementation support in using data, creating collaborative structures, and engaging in evidence-based instructional practices to increase student achievement. Using content tailored to schools’ needs, the Assessment to Achievement project leverages evidence-based strategies in combination with implementation science to improve student outcomes. School and district teams who participate in this four-year project increase their own expertise in collaboratively analyzing multiple data points and using the analysis to inform instructional and program decisions that positively influence students and schools.
In addition to A2A, Assessment to Achievement Plus (A2A+), launched during the 2021-2022 schoolyear, uses these project objectives to focus specifically on achieving growth for multilingual learners. Participants report looking forward to engaging in professional learning and coaching centering on multilingual learner needs: "A2A+ will provide a structured approach for our school to address the linguistic and academic needs of our multilingual learners at the classroom and grade-level team levels."
Who is Participating?
Since 2015, as many as 100 schools have participated in the program. Cohort 3 began the program during the 2019-2020 school year and will participate through the 2022-2023 school year. Cohort 4 began the program during the 2020-2021 school year and will participate through the 2023-2024 school year. Applications will be available and accepted in the summer of 2022.
Project Impact
Within the Assessment to Achievement and Assessment to Achievement Plus projects, student learning is at the heart of the program.
According to data collected from previous cohorts after three years of participation in A2A, these schools’ student proficiency grew to be almost four times higher than non-A2A schools in Utah.
In the current cohorts of A2A schools, we see promising feedback from teachers and administrators. 92% of teacher respondents indicate that their own instruction is more effective as a result of the A2A project, and both school leader and teacher participants report strong levels of agreement that their school now has a culture that prioritizes student growth.
According to one teacher respondent from December 2021, "I am seeing a lot of student growth in math. I am also becoming more comfortable with analyzing data and knowing how to take next steps to help student learning." Some school leaders report high levels of collaboration, data-use, and instructional growth; "Collaboration among teachers, quality classroom instruction, levels of student engagement, and student achievement results have increased as a result of our participation in Assessment to Achievement.".
What are Educators Saying about Assessment to Achievement?
Assessment to Achievement (Full Version) | Assessment to Achievement (Short Version)
YouTube
In addition, across 81 schools and 16 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) completing this 4-year partnership with the Utah State Board of Education (USBE):
- 86% of teachers reported that their school-based teams are functioning more effectively
- 92% indicated that their own instruction was more effective
- 90% of teachers and administrators affirm that they use data more effectively to identify student learning gaps
Contact
Special Education Services (SES)
Contact
Formative Assessment
What is Formative Assessment?
Formative Assessment is a planned, ongoing process used by all students and teachers during learning and teaching to elicit and use evidence of student learning to give teachers and students the opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses with specific knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined in the Utah Core Standards. It is often referred to as assessment for learning.
The formative assessment process requires students and teachers to integrate and embed the following key practices in a collaborative and respectful classroom environment:
- Clarifying learning goals and success criteria within a broader progression of learning
- Eliciting and analyzing evidence of student thinking
- Engaging in self-assessment and peer feedback
- Providing actionable feedback
- Using evidence and feedback to move learning forward by adjusting learning strategies, goals, or next instructional steps
Formative tools are provided to assist with this planned process including the RISE Benchmark modules, RISE Interims, High School Core Benchmarks, Acadience Reading Progress Monitoring, Utah Compose, and Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS).
What is a Learning Progression?
A learning progression is a carefully sequenced set of building blocks composed of the essential skills and knowledge that students must master as part of the path to achieving a learning goal. They are not standards or instructional objectives.
- Provide educators a pathway to think carefully about what is required to keep learning moving forward
- Serve as the foundation and blueprint for instruction and formative assessment
- Describe the stages or levels students move through as their understanding develops, the kinds of tasks that students can perform at each level, and what that performance looks like
- Allow educators and students to focus on deep learning
- Use multiple measures that focus attention on what students are learning
- Increase student motivation and self-regulation with individualized instruction
Creating a Learning Progression Framework
YouTube
Utah Compose
Utah Compose is a formative assessment tool that is provided free of charge to all public school teachers and students in grades 3-12. It is a web-based writing program designed to help Utah public school students in grades 3-12 improve writing through practice, immediate feedback, and guided instructional support.
Educators can assign the pre-packaged prompts that include source material that provides students with the needed textual evidence required in effective writing; or teachers can write and add their own prompts and stimulus material to assign to students.
Prompts and lesson supports are provided in four genres: opinion-argument; informative/explanatory; narrative; and constructive-response/short answer; across multiple content areas. Reports are provided with detailed results that can be used to inform writing instruction across disciplines and to assist students in setting learning goals.
Utah Compose Formative Writing Tool
Measurement Incorporated (MI)
Utah Compose Help Desk
Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS)
The Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS) is a formative assessment tool provided to all Utah K-12 educators for use in any subject area (e.g. Career and Technical Education (CTE), Social Studies, Health Education, etc.) at any grade level.
Educators can use the UTIPS tool to write their own assessment items to assign to their students in a variety of formats including multiple-choice, multi-select, hot text, matching, and short-answer questions. An equation editor is provided for teachers and students. Automated scoring is available for all item types except writing. Assessments can be shared across classrooms, schools, and across Utah. Reports have been updated and provide detailed results that can be used to inform instruction and to assist students in setting learning goals.
UTIPS was launched in 2011 in a collaborative effort between the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Education Network (UEN) and includes a Utah educator-created item bank for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The UTIPS item bank was realigned to the 2013 Utah Standards ELA and Mathematics. New items were added to the item bank in 2019 (math) and 2020 (ELA).
UTIPS Help Desk
Students must contact their teacher(s) for UTIPS assistance. No Help Desk assistance is provided to students.
Contact
Utah Compose Questions
Kim Rathke, Masters of Education (M.Ed.); Nationally Board Certified Teacher (NBCT)
Test Administration and Data Coordinator
Phone: (801) 538-7876 | E-mail
Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS) Questions
Aliese Fry
Test Administration and Formative Assessment Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7568 | E-mail
Assessment Literacy
Information coming soon.