Providing data-driven, personalized learning experiences for students at all grade levels
Middle school science teachers Carolina, Rebecca, and Tammy searched for a solution to help them prepare their students for their end-of-year state standardized tests in the Round Rock Independent School District. In particular, they wanted tools that could help them quickly identify which students were struggling with which specific standards, so they could provide more personalized help to each student.
Before trialing Quizalize, they spent hours of administrative time every week trying to measure the data. They matched questions in their quizzes and tests to the state standards matrix for their science topics and then mapped students’ scores onto manual spreadsheets to track each their progress through the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Quizalize automates data collection and management by integrating data about standards, questions, and student performance into a single actionable feed.
Actionable formative assessments with Quizalize
Carolina used the Quizalize quiz editor to create short quizzes with four or five questions tagged to each skill in the TEKS standards. She and her colleagues then deployed these quizzes as in-classroom team games and used the Quizalize dashboards to identify which students were struggling with which specific skills.
They split their classrooms into four stations where groups of students with similar learning gaps could focus on a single topic area or skill. Performance data from Quizalize also highlighted the few students who deserved one-on-one instruction before the results of summative assessments negatively impacted their grades or their performance on end-of-year assessments. Carolina Carter remarked, “You’ve breathed new life into my teaching career... every single student that I have has benefited. I get to give them that differentiation that they need.”
Measurable improvement
Tammy Wong-Benson reports, “DCA [District Common Assessments] Science test scores have improved 8-10% from last year’s scores...and the data I need is there instantly.” The district extrapolated this improvement in comparison to same-school performance in previous years and against other schools’ performance in the same year. The teachers attributed the results entirely to their use of Quizalize.
The teachers noticed other positive results too. Students looked forward to the tests and even arrived at school early to play the classroom quiz games. Likewise, students felt more comfortable talking about their learning challenges with teachers, which positively impacted overall student-teacher communication. Some of the students who had been failing tests started to pass with a significant boost to their self confidence in the classroom. Finally, as a result of seeing the impact on student progress, the teachers were enjoying their job a lot more.
