Using assessment data for improving

teaching practice
Abstract practice in ways that benefitted
students. Many of us reflected on the
Fundamental to teachers becoming difference between the hope and the
responsive to student learning needs is reality. This situation has now changed.
the availability of detailed information We have now identified a number
about what students know and can of conditions required for the use of
do. High-quality assessment data can assessment data to have the impact we
provide that information, but much hoped for:
more is needed to improve teaching
practice in ways that have a substantive The data needs to provide teachers
Helen Timperley impact on student learning. A set of with curriculum-relevant information
University of Auckland, conditions are identified that result in That information needs to be
New Zealand such an impact, based on a synthesis seen by teachers as something
of the international literature on that informs teaching and learning,
Helen Timperley is Professor of Education at professional development that has
The University of Auckland in New Zealand.
rather than as a reflection of the
Her early career involved teaching in early
demonstrated a positive impact on capability of individual students and
childhood, primary and secondary education student outcomes and a professional to be used for sorting, labelling and
sectors which included special education. This development program in over 300 credentialing
experience formed the basis of a research New Zealand primary schools. This
career focused on making a difference to the
professional development program is Teachers need sufficient knowledge
students this system serves. A particular research of the meaning of the assessment
emphasis has been on promoting leadership, focused on the interpretation and use
organizational and professional learning in of assessment information, building data to make appropriate
ways that improve the educational experience relevant pedagogical content knowledge adjustments to practice
of students currently under-achieving in our
education systems. She has recently completed a
in literacy and developing leadership School leaders need to be able
best evidence synthesis iteration on professional for the change management process. to have the conversations with
learning and development that has received major These developments occurred within teachers to unpack this meaning
international attention. She has published widely systematic inquiry and knowledge-
in international academic journals such as Review
building cycles based on assessment Teachers need improved
of Educational Research, Journal of Educational pedagogical content knowledge
Change, Leadership and Policy in Schools and data for both teachers and leaders.
the Journal of Curriculum studies. She has written Student achievement gains in reading to make relevant adjustments to
four books focusing on the professional practice and writing have accelerated at a classroom practice in response to
implications of her research in her specialty areas.
rate averaging more than twice that the assessment information
expected, with even greater gains School leaders need to know
for the lowest-performing students. how to lead the kinds of change
Both the projects have led to the in thinking and practice that are
identification of a set of conditions required for teachers to use the
necessary for assessment data to result data
in improved teaching practice.
All within the school need to
be able to engage in systematic
Introduction evidence-informed cycles of inquiry
For a long time we have known that build the relevant knowledge
more about the potential for using and skills identified above.
assessment data to improve teaching
These tasks are not easily accomplished.
practice and student learning than how
However, examples of how they can
to do it. Ten years ago we did not have
be achieved has been identified in a
the right assessment tools, we did not
systematic review of the international
know enough about their use to make
evidence of the kinds of professional
a substantive difference to teaching
learning and development experiences
practice and we did not know what
that have resulted in improved student
else teachers and their leaders needed
outcomes (Timperley, Wilson, Barrar &
to know and do to improve teaching
Fung, 2008) and also in the outcomes

Assessment and Student Learning: Collecting, interpreting and using data to inform teaching

21
of a professional development project of Education, 2001)1 are used because practice. The interpretation and use
in New Zealand involving 300 schools, they are mapped to the New Zealand of assessment data for guiding and
which has been built around this curriculum and also provide normative directing teaching requires a mind shift
evidence (Timperley & Parr, 2007; in data about expected rates of student towards professional learning from data
press). In this professional development progress in each curriculum area. and a new set of skills.
project, student achievement gains
have occurred at a rate beyond that
expected over the two years of the What knowledge
schools’ involvement in the project, and skills do
particularly for the lowest-performing our students need?
students. The average effect size gain What knowledge
for all schools that focused on writing and skills do we
was 1.20 and for reading it was 0.92. as teachers need?
The rate of gain was greater for the
students who were in the bottom 20
per cent of the distribution at Time What has been
the impact of our
1 (2.25 in writing; 1.90 in reading).
changed actions?
Expected average annual effect size
gains, using national normative cross- Deepen professional
sectional sample data to calculate, in knowledge and
writing is 0.20 and in reading is 0.26 . refine skills.
Engage students
Teacher inquiry and in new learning
experiences.
knowledge building
cycles
Figure 1: Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote
The final bullet point above identifies valued student outcomes
the need for engagement in systematic
evidence-informed cycles of inquiry
that builds the relevant professional Previous assumptions were that once For this reason, the second part of the
knowledge, skills and dispositions. The teachers had this kind of information, cycle in Figure 1 requires teachers to
process for this inquiry is illustrated in they would be able to act on it in ask, with the help of relevant experts,
Figure 1. The cycle begins by identifying ways that enhanced student learning. what knowledge and skills they need
the knowledge and skills students need Many teachers’ previous training and in order to address students’ identified
to close the gaps between what they approaches to teaching practice did needs. More detailed questions ask:
already know and can do and what not require them to interpret and
How have we contributed to existing
they need to know and do to satisfy use these kinds of data, because
student outcomes?
the requirements of the curriculum assessment information was about
or other outcomes valued by the labelling and categorising students, and What do we already know that we can
relevant community. Curriculum-related not for guiding and directing teaching use to promote improved outcomes
assessment information is required for students?
for a detailed analysis of students’ What do we need to learn to do to
learning needs. These kinds of data 1 These tools are part of Project asTTle promote these outcomes?
are more useful for the purposes of (Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning),
diagnosing students’ learning needs which provides detailed assessment against What sources of evidence or
than assessments focused more on curriculum objectives in reading, writing knowledge can we utilise?
and mathematics for Years 4 to 12. (A full
identifying normative achievement, but description of this project, along with technical In this way, teachers begin a formative
not related to the curriculum. Within reports and publications is available at assessment cycle that should mirror
the Literacy Professional Development http://www.tki.org.nz/r/asttle/.) It is an that of students, which has long been
Project, for which the outcomes above electronic assessment suite that gives teachers
choice in the design and timing of assessments
recognised as effective in promoting
are described, the assessment Tools for and access to a range of reporting formats, student learning (Black & Wilam,
Teaching and learning (asTTle, Ministry including comparisons to norms.

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22
1998). It is also effective in promoting is judged on improvement in student professional development project
the learning of teachers. Answering outcomes. described above, substantive gains were
the questions above requires further made in one year, but it took two
The second principle is that the
use of assessment data. Considering years for the change to become an
knowledge and skills developed are
teachers’ contribution to existing embedded part of practice.
integrated into coherent practice.
student outcomes, for example,
Knowledge of the curriculum and how Part of the reason for the length of
requires teachers to unpack student
to teach it effectively must accompany time for change is that using assessment
profiles within the data and relate them
greater knowledge of the interpretation data for the purposes of improving
to emphases and approaches in their
and use of assessment information. teaching and learning requires changing
teaching practices. Student profiles of
Identifying students’ learning needs prior assumptions about the purposes
reading comprehension on different
through assessment information is of assessment information. If teachers’
assessment tasks can help teachers to
unlikely to lead to changes in teaching prior theories are not engaged, it is
identify what they teach well and what
practice unless teachers have the quite possible they will dismiss the new
requires a different or new emphasis.
discipline, curriculum and pedagogical uses as unrealistic and inappropriate
Most important is that co-constructing
knowledge to make the relevant for their particular practice context or
the evidence to answer the questions,
changes to practice. Understanding reject the new information as irrelevant
with relevant experts, assists teachers
theories underpinning assessment (Coburn, 2001). Engaging teachers’
to identify what it is they need to
information, theories underpinning the existing ideas means discussing how
know and do to improve outcomes for
curriculum and those underpinning those ideas differ from the ideas being
students.
effective teaching allow teachers to use promoted and assessing the impact
these understandings as the basis for that the new approaches might have
Deepening professional making ongoing, principled decisions on their students. If they cannot be
knowledge and refining about practice. A skills-only focus does persuaded that a new approach is
skills not develop the deep understandings valuable and be certain of support if
teachers need if they are to change they implement it, teachers are unlikely
The next part of the cycle in Figure
teaching practice in ways that flexibly to adopt it – at least, not without
1 requires teachers to deepen their
meet the complex demands of strong accountability pressures to
professional knowledge and refine their
everyday teaching and to link the do so.
skills. In the synthesis of the evidence
assessment data to requirements for
of the kinds of teacher learning that
are associated with changes in teaching
new teaching approaches. In fact, Assessing impact of
practice that impact on student
without a thorough understanding of changed actions
the theory, teachers are apt to believe
outcomes, three principles were The final part of the cycle in Figure 1 also
they are teaching in ways consistent
identified in terms of the content of involves knowledge about and use of
with the assessment information or
the professional learning in addition assessment information. Given the varied
they have promoted change in practice
to using assessment information for context in which teachers work, there
when those relationships are typically
professional inquiry (Timperley, 2008). can be no guarantee that any specific
superficial (Hammerness et al., 2005).
The first was a requirement to focus activity will have the anticipated result,
on the links between particular teaching The third principle is providing multiple because impact depends on the context
activities, how different groups of opportunities to learn and apply in which those changes occur. The
students respond to those activities, new information and to understand Best Evidence Synthesis of Professional
and what their students actually learn. its implications of teaching practices. Learning and Development (Timperley et
Without such a focus, changes in Interpreting assessment information, al., 2008) identified that the effectiveness
teaching practice are not necessarily understanding the implications for of particular changes depends on the
related to positive impacts on student practice and learning how to teach knowledge and skills of the students,
learning (e.g. Stallings & Krasavage, in different ways in response to that their teachers and their leaders. Judging
1986; Van der Sijde, 1989). It should be information is a complex undertaking. impact requires the use of assessment
clear to participating teachers that the It typically takes one to two years, information on a daily, term-by-term
reason for their engaging in professional depending on the starting point, for and annual basis. Thus, to be effective,
learning experiences is to improve the professional learning to deepen teachers need a range of ways to assess
student outcomes. Similarly, success sufficiently to make a difference to their students informally and formally.
student outcomes. In the literacy

Assessment and Student Learning: Collecting, interpreting and using data to inform teaching

23
Leading change are telling them about changes needed develop’. In L. Darling-Hammond (Ed.),
to their practice. To undertake this Preparing teachers for a changing world:
Recent research analyses demonstrating change teachers need opportunities to What teachers should learn and be able
that it is teachers who have the greatest develop this knowledge as they delve to do (pp. 358–389). San Francisco:
system influence on student outcomes into the assessment information, to John Wiley & Sons.
(Bransford, Darling-Hammond & find out what it means for their own
LePage, 2005; Nye, Konstantanopoulos Ministry of Education (2001). asTTle:
learning and to engage in multiple
& Hedges. 2004; Scheerens, Assessment Tools for Teaching and
opportunities to acquire the new
Vermeulen & Pelgrum, 1989) have Learning: He Pūnaha Aromatawai mō te
knowledge and skills. Changing teaching
led to an increasing focus on what Whakaako me te Ako. Auckland, New
practice in ways that benefits students
happens in classrooms and how to Zealand: University of Auckland School
means constant checking that such
promote teacher professional learning. of Education. See www.tki.org.nz/r/
changes are having the desired impact.
Teachers, however, cannot achieve asttle/
Effectiveness is context-dependent,
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meta-analysis by Robinson, Lloyd and and interpret assessment data in order
Rowe (2008) has identified that the Robinson, V., Lloyd, C., & Rowe, K.
to become more responsive to their
greatest influence of school leaders (2008). ‘The impact of leadership on
students’ learning needs, the impact
on improving student outcomes is student outcomes: An analysis of the
is substantive. Teachers, however,
their promotion of and participation in differential effects of leadership types’.
cannot do this alone, but require
teacher professional learning. Creating Educational Administration Quarterly,
system conditions that provide and
the kinds of conditions in schools in 44(5).
support these learning opportunities
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