What is Learning Links

1. Learning Links

2. What is Learning Links • Formative Assessment • A power test: utilizes a concise number of increasingly more complex questions to assess reasoning, thinking, and strengths. • Follows strict time and administration guidelines to insure fidelity and reliability of results • Note: Studying for such assessments negate their validity, as well as their reliability, ineffectively identifying an individual’s current skills and abilities Learning Links

3. Why Learning Links • Provides both Quantile® and Lexile® • Identifies a student's current skill structure in reading and math • The Common Core work and PARCC assessments are utilizing Lexile®and Quantile® as part of their work • Provides an alignment of information on student’s skill structure, standards skill level, and instructional resources utilized • Provides insight to performance on state assessments Learning Links

4. Why Learning Links • Lexile® • Based on more than 20 years of research funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Lexile® Framework is designed to measure both reading ability and text complexity on the same developmental scale. Lexile®serve as a powerful tool for connecting learners with materials at the right level of challenge and monitoring their progress toward goals and standards. Learning Links

5. Why Learning Links • Quantile® • The Quantile® Framework for Mathematics describes a student’s ability to solve mathematical problems and the demand of mathematical skills and concepts. It identifies which mathematical skills and concepts the student has learned and is ready to learn. Quantile® measures offer valuable insight into a student’s readiness to learn more advanced mathematical skills and concepts—and how well that student is likely to solve more complex problems with targeted instruction. Quantile® place the curriculum, the instructional materials and the students on the same scale. Learning Links

6. Why Learning Links • Provides teachers with the ability to identify the standard and skills students are READY TO LEARN. • Provide the ability to measure growth throughout an academic year, as well as identify whether a student possesses the skills to experience success on standardized assessments. Learning Links

7. Why Learning Links Statistical Data • CMCSS research • 4019 3rd and 7th grade students • Pearson R Correlational analysis of CMCSS students Quantile® scores and % proficient on TCAP for 7th grade was .88 (r ≥ 0.8 = very strong reliability) • Pearson R Correlational analysis of CMCSS students Lexile®scores and % proficient on TCAP for 3rd grade was .92 (r ≥ 0.8 = very strong reliability) • Essentially all schools' percent proficient/advanced for the TCAP Math and ELA was within 2 –3 % of the number of students identified as scoring at and above the grade level Quantile® or Lexile®. • 2012-13 Learning Link data in May noted 54% of 3rd graders had lexiles > 665L, 53.7% were proficient on the TCAP ELA; and 40% of 7th graders had quantiles >890Q, 40.5% were proficient on the TCAP math. • Meta Metric’s research • Sample >100,000 students • Construct Validity Correlation Coefficient is .90 (r ≥ 0.9 = very strong reliability) • Chronbach'sAlpha (a test of reliability for psychometric tests) = .89 • (α ≥ 0.9 = very strong, 0.8 ≤ α < 0.9 = strong) Learning Links

8. How to use Learning Links 2nd – 8th The District loads the students’ names and demographics into the appropriate assessment for each administration utilizing a download from Power School. HS Schools provide the students’ names and demographics to be loaded into the assessment. Learning Links

9. How to use Learning Links • Preparing for the Assessment • There are no grade levels in the LL assessments, the students are assigned at an entry point to facilitate the process. • Informational Power Points have been created for students and are housed on the sharing server explaining the what, how, and why of Learning Links. • There are no accommodations for Learning Links since it is assessing a students current skill level. Learning Links

10. How to use Learning Links Taking the assessment: 1. Each school has an assigned website link, this information is located on a sheet posted on the sharing server in the Benchmark Folder (Learning Links materials). www.testingforschools.com/do/login/insertyourschoolinfohere 2. Popups will need to be allowed to access the assessment. 3. Students will need to know their CMCSS 4 number pin, passwords are their initials and CMCSS4 number pin. 4. Students will need to know the assessment REGISTRATION ID, this information is located on a sheet posted on the sharing server in the Benchmark Folder (Learning Links materials). Learning Links

11. How to use Learning Links 5. Log into the website, click on the STUDENT icon Learning Links

12. How to use Learning Links 6. Type in the registration number for the assessment. Learning Links

13. How to use Learning Links 7. Student finds their name on the list, and double clicks on their name. 8. The student then enters their initials and CMCSS 4 pin number and clicks okay. Learning Links

14. How to use Learning Links 9. The student selects the test they need to complete, then clicks on the TAKE TEST button. 10. The Reading Assessment has three components to complete. • NOTE: Progress in English : Exercises 1 and 2 evaluate spelling, grammar, mechanics. Progress in English: Exercise 3 evaluates Reading Comprehension (narratives) Exercise 4 evaluates Reading Comprehension (nonnarrative) Learning Links

15. How to use Learning Links 11. The Math Assessment has one component to complete. Learning Links

16. How to use Learning Links Running Reports • Log into Learning Links and select the ADMINISTRATOR button. Learning Links

17. How to use Learning Links 2. Select the assessment subscription from the menu on the left that you are working with. The subscriptions information is located on a sheet posted on the sharing server in the Benchmark Folder (Learning Links materials). Learning Links

18. How to use Learning Links 3. Place a checkmark next to each student’s name to be included in the report or click on the Select all button (upper left of student list). Learning Links

19. How to use Learning Links • 4. Click on the Report tab (top of right panel). The students that cannot be included in the report (typically because of missing data in their record) appear in the Non-reportable students list (upper right panel). • Students that are eligible for the report appear in the Reportable students list (lower right panel). Learning Links

20. How to use Learning Links 5. Click on the Report button (lower right of right panel). Learning Links

21. How to use Learning Links 6. The Reporting dialog open with your options. Select the report you need, then click NEXT. Learning Links

22. How to use Learning Links 7. Name the report, select the standard set (you have TN and Common Core Options) and then click Generate report. Learning Links

23. How to use Learning Links 8. You will be returned to the main screen where you will see your report listed with the option to view or save. Click save and save the file to the desktop. Learning Links

24. How to use Results • Learning Links identifies what a student is READY TO LEARN • Utilizing the Lexile®and Quantile® information, teachers cohesivelyBRIDGEthe gap from the current identified skill level to the expected skill, or, teachers ENRICH students learning with opportunities for deeper understanding and application of standards to new and different situations. • A simple analogy would be, you come to a hole in the road, is it more strategic to stop and fill it in to drive on over and hope that pieces do not come out or that the hole grows larger……or…. do you find a more an effective and efficient process for moving on such as Bridging the gap with a solid plate of metal that connects all sides in a cohesive manner. Learning Links

25. How to use Results • Data Chat Protocol • The Data Chat documents are located in a folder posted on the sharing server in the Benchmark Folder (Learning Links materials). Learning Links

26. Resources The Resource documents are located in a folder posted on the sharing server in the Benchmark Folder (Learning Links materials). • http://qta.quantiles.com/ • http://www.readinga-z.com/more/reading_strat.html • http://www.readworks.org/ • https://www.teachingchannel.org/ Learning Links