HOW CAN TEACHERS WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO ANALYZE DATA AND TARGET THE STANDARDS?
1 - With diversity in classroom nowadays, teachers have to try to meet the unique need of every student. Some students are English Language Learners (ELLs), some are receiving special education service, and some students have learning disabilities including dyslexia. Teachers have to be flexible to alter the lesson plans as needed.
2 - Teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, guardians, community members works as a team to ensure our students succeed socially and academically. Teachers only cannot make students succeed, neither can parents. That's how we can make sure no child is left behind.
3 - Parental involvement is important on top of good instructions at school. Parents and family members are the big motivating factor. Parents/guardians can provide experiences which students might not get at home. Schools offer field trips occasionally, but a home is a base where learning starts. Reading aloud books, trip to the library, visiting relatives out of tow, taking a walk or any life experience will enrich any students' life.
The professional learning community, in which teachers work together, should focus on the core mission of education - student learning; 'what did students learn?' (DeFour, 2004).
Three Critical Questions
1 - What do we want each student to learn?
2 - How will we know when each student has learned it?
3 - How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?
Series of discussions among teachers to look for answers to these questions will help design powerful curriculum units and authentic assessments.
No Child Left Behind Legislation
Everyone should work together as a community of learners, not just as a group of individuals or islands, to ensure that no child is left behind. All students in the school community need to do well both on classroom assessments and on state or national assessments.
Teachers need to work collectively what they generally do alone, and look at student work and think about students' performance. (Little, Gearhart, Curry & Kafka, 2003).
People in collaborative environments feel appreciated, valued, and respected. There is a hard sense of mission and goals. (Conzemius & O'Neill, 2001).
When teachers regularly and collaboratively review assessment date for the purpose of improving practice to reach measurable achievement goals, something magical happens. (Schmoker, 2001).
Parents should also be included in the community of learners because they are the key motivating dynamic in a child's life. (Guastello, 2004).
Parent involvement and home factors are more important for student achievement than are student characteristics, instructional strategies, environmental factors, and increased time in academic learning. (Walberg, 1984).
