Using Data

The Use of Data

As I think about the use of data in kindergarten -- I feel it is more informal than formal. I 'test' my students using a self-made test that covers areas each quarter that I feel my students need to be successful in the following grade. Being a special education teacher, I can not 'test' my students like other students so I do a lot of observation and collaboration with my special education aid about where we think a student is and what that student needs to continue to work on. The only formal test my kindergarten students take is the MAP reading and math test at the end of the school year. I use what I've learned and what the test results state to place my students for first grade.

Some of my students (depending on their disability) may be tested formally so they get even more help when they progress to the first grade. I, however, make only the recommendation for further testing depending on what I see in the classroom and the formal tests are given by school psychologists, etc. to see if a student qualifies for more assistance.