Using Different Types of Measurement to Chart Academic Performance for Gifted and Exceptional Students

Finding a Data-Measurement System that Works

Teachers collect copious amounts of data from academic and behavioral assessments of their students. Data collection can be as simple as an assignment completion list or behavioral expectation charts where students fill in a chart showing positive progression of behavioral trends or as complicated as a data collection chart with headings and subheadings that use various data collection techniques to formulate data input.

In order to collect student data that informs decision-making, teachers must decide the method of collection and how the data collection will be used to create individualized instruction and learning outcome for gifted and exceptional students in the classroom. Data must be meaningful and contextual in measuring student performance over a designated period of time.

Types of Measurement

Direct Measurement

Data-based systems can use direct measurement in providing exact measurement of behavioral performance or academic performance in any given subject area. For example, teachers can decide to collect data on whether students are able to comprehend reading passages during a reading class. Questions can be direct such as, “Who was the main character in the play?” to “What was the theme of the short story?” Teachers can use a recording chart with headings to chart areas of measurement in reading, math, history, writing or any subject area where consistent data can be collected on student performance and used to improve that student’s performance.

Time Measurement

When teachers want to provide a consistent measurement of data collection for ascertaining whether gifted and exceptional students need additional challenge or rigor in instruction and outcome, they can create a chart marking data over a period of time. Teachers can decide frequency of when the data will be taken and whether the data is an observation or actual times of performance engagement.Data can then be calculated as a percentage of time over number of times or the frequency in which the student completed assignments and turned them in for grading.

Whatever the types of measurement used in collecting data, teachers can use generated data to individualize the instruction that meets the learning needs for each gifted and exceptional student in his/her classroom.

References

• Author’s own teaching experience