Silvergate Elementary: Using Data to Support All Students

On Thursday October 18, teachers and staff at Silvergate Elementary received professional development around using data to support the whole child. They engaged in rich discussion around why data is important, what areas should be monitored, and how to use the data to support and strengthen their Tier 1 instruction for academics, behavior, and socio-emotional learning. They looked at the continuum of assessments that can be utilized throughout the year: formative, benchmark and summative data. Teachers charted the assessments that they currently use at each grade level and across the school to determine students' strengths and areas of need. Some of these included observations, surveys, and subject specific tests. To strengthen Tier 1 practices, teachers began to examine things such as differentiation and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). They had opportunity to look at the differences between accommodations, modifications, and interventions as well as diving into what it means to be culturally responsive in teaching the diverse population of students that walk into our classrooms each day.