How to continually and better assess students
Many high school teachers have wondered why students are not more academically prepared when they enter high school. Likewise, high school teachers wonder why their students aren’t better prepared when they start high school. To solve this problem, why don’t schools implement and use an IDP for every student for every school year? An IDP is an Individual Development Plan that can be used for each student to help plan for their academic success each school year beginning in kindergarten.
IDP has been used for teachers for a number of years as part of their evaluation process, but why not use it for students as well, so we can monitor their progress as well? For example, if a student IDP can be developed that identifies each student’s academic strengths, weaknesses, social issues, and other concerns, then teachers will already have a clear understanding of their students and their academic progress at the beginning of each school year. The same form can also be used for academic recommendations to help students make further progress and be more successful. Beginning a student IDP at the kindergarten level would give teachers, schools, and parents an ongoing history of each student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, and more importantly, what needs to happen for each student to succeed. student has more and better school success.
Too often in our school system, we have students entering high school unprepared, and no one has taken the time to work through and correct any of their shortcomings in previous years. It is both a personal and an academic tragedy. I have observed students who only read at a 3rd-5th grade level in the ninth grade, and when I researched these students, I found that they already had trouble reading in the early grades, but no one gave them the extra support what they needed at that time. . That is really a tragedy, and an IDP student will make more people aware of individual student problems and find a way to solve them.
The IDP is a practical and unique way to make both parents and educators more aware of and more accountable for the continued academic successes of all children in our schools. Of course, one of the key concerns is who will keep these records and who will fill out the forms.” The teacher is the logical person to fill out the form, but I think with all the technology available today, any extra work can be minimized. , and the IDP can be transmitted electronically The form can even be developed as a verification, if necessary On the sign are the benefits that will be offered to teachers when they learn about the strengths and weaknesses of their students at the beginning of each school year and so they can better plan their lessons for that school year.
If we are truly going to educate all of our students and educate them well, we have to stop leaving so many students behind. One way to solve that problem is to continually assess our students in the early grades and provide the necessary support both now and in the future to any student who needs extra help because they will benefit immensely.