I'm guessing that most readers of this blog have taken part in traditional "item analysis" activities using MCAS item reports and a packet of released test items. The Standards for Mathematical Practice (page 15 in the new Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Mathematics document) provide an opportunity make connections with these process standards (such as, "Attend to precision" or "Look for and make use of structure") to this traditional type of data analysis.
Our regional Math Specialist, Madeline Roy, and I have documented some ideas for an activity (piloted this summer) to engage staff in exploring MCAS test item data while making connections to the Standards for Mathematical Practice. More information can be found in Facilitator's Notes and Recording Sheet documents which we have put together for your use. As always, we look forward to your feedback!
In addition, I'm sharing a link back to a post from fall 2010 entitled "Engaging Staff in MCAS Data Exploration" with additional ideas for sharing MCAS data with staff.
Best wishes to you all for a smooth start to the school year!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Insights on EDW v.3.0
Well, it's been a week since the new EDW v.3.0 was released, and since then I've had the opportunity to investigate it extensively, and even to teach a few EDW refresher workshops to bring folks up to speed. I have to say that I am very pleased with the improvements and performance (and this was echoed by most if not all of the workshop attendees this week.)
A few observations to share, for those who haven't had a chance to utilize the EDW recently.
The new system is fast. Most reports I've run have completed in less than 20 seconds or so...even the student-level ones. I actually didn't teach the topic of scheduling reports to "run in the background" at any of the courses this week. The reports actually run in less time than it takes to set up the report to run in the background! (Note that these speed improvements are seen in both the "new" EDW (3.0) and the "legacy" EDW (2.6).)
The reports are organized in a way that's easy to find what you need. Instead of a long list of reports, there are tabs for District, School, and Student Reports. Reports have numbers with prefixes that reflect the type of report - Item, Curriculum, Achievement, or Growth. I've updated the Report Summary document to include the mapping of the new report names.
A few things to know:
A few observations to share, for those who haven't had a chance to utilize the EDW recently.
The new system is fast. Most reports I've run have completed in less than 20 seconds or so...even the student-level ones. I actually didn't teach the topic of scheduling reports to "run in the background" at any of the courses this week. The reports actually run in less time than it takes to set up the report to run in the background! (Note that these speed improvements are seen in both the "new" EDW (3.0) and the "legacy" EDW (2.6).)
The reports are organized in a way that's easy to find what you need. Instead of a long list of reports, there are tabs for District, School, and Student Reports. Reports have numbers with prefixes that reflect the type of report - Item, Curriculum, Achievement, or Growth. I've updated the Report Summary document to include the mapping of the new report names.
A few things to know:
- If you want to move from the new 3.0 system to the legacy 2.6 system (or vice versa), you need to log out of the Security Portal and log back in. Both systems will be accessible for the forseeable future.
- If you're using Internet Explorer, you may need to change some browser settings in order to save reports to My Folders in the EDW. Firefox doesn't seem to have the same issues. Be sure to read the "Configure your browser" section of the Getting Started document.
- There are some reports that are still under development for EDW 3.0, including some "history" reports (that include multiple years) and the R-616 report (of which I am a big fan, because of the ability to customize the roster for any group of students). So, if you need these reports, you can go back to the legacy 2.6 system for now. Both are available from the Security Portal.
- Reports open in a new tab or window (depending on your browser). It's a little bit of an adjustment to get used to clicking to another tab to get back to the menu, but it's nice to be able to have multiple reports (tabs/windows) open at once.
- There will be a second phase of the release in September with additional years of data and additional reports and other features.
These are my observations a week in to using EDW 3.0. I encourage you to check it out!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Welcome EDW Version 3.0
The following email regarding the newest release of the EDW was distributed today to the EDW Contacts lists. Users will likely also receive this information through their district's contact, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to re-post the information here as well.
I haven't had much of an opportunity to investigate the new system in detail, but as I learn more I'll be sure to share hints and tips for making the most of this new resource. One thing I do know is that reports will now run much faster!
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Dear Data Warehouse Contacts,
Please be aware that there are now two versions of the Education Data Warehouse available for your use. These are
- Version 2.6 -- the EDW you are familiar with, and
- Version 3.0 -- improved performance and containing MCAS data only in redesigned reports.
As you begin to use version 3.0, it is very important that you are aware of the differences between 3.0 and 2.6, and that you share this information with your users. Data Warehouse Contacts are the liaisons to the Data Warehouse team and should be the first resource for users in your district. Thank you for helping to get the word out!
Attached for additional reference and distribution are 3 documents that are also linked from the welcome pages of version 3.0. (FAQ, Getting Started Guide, and Mapping document)
For support in using version 3.0, please email edwsupport@doe.mass.edu.
I haven't had much of an opportunity to investigate the new system in detail, but as I learn more I'll be sure to share hints and tips for making the most of this new resource. One thing I do know is that reports will now run much faster!
---------------------
Dear Data Warehouse Contacts,
Please be aware that there are now two versions of the Education Data Warehouse available for your use. These are
- Version 2.6 -- the EDW you are familiar with, and
- Version 3.0 -- improved performance and containing MCAS data only in redesigned reports.
As you begin to use version 3.0, it is very important that you are aware of the differences between 3.0 and 2.6, and that you share this information with your users. Data Warehouse Contacts are the liaisons to the Data Warehouse team and should be the first resource for users in your district. Thank you for helping to get the word out!
Attached for additional reference and distribution are 3 documents that are also linked from the welcome pages of version 3.0. (FAQ, Getting Started Guide, and Mapping document)
For support in using version 3.0, please email edwsupport@doe.mass.edu.
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