Like all of us at the moment, I’m in the middle of a process of assessing students and preparing reporting documents for them and their parents.

This has left me thinking for a while now about the massive amount of data we gather on students. Just some of the information we collect about their schooling includes:

• Work samples and their assessment for portfolios
• Term 1 standardised testing
• DIBELS testing results
• Basic Skills Test results (Years 3 and 5)
• Semester report grades
• Special education-related assessment
• Participation and performance in tests conducted by Educational Assessment Australia (UNSW Competitions)
• Behaviour records
• Referral to student services (counselling, special education, literacy support, etc.)

Our feeder high schools often report back to us with information regarding our former Year 6 students’ performance in the SNAP and ELLA tests. Next year we add to our list the Diocesan-wide assessment in literacy for Kindergarten and Year 1.

So what do we do with all this data? And how well do we use it? We all believe that assessment is integral to the teaching and learning cycle, and we all believe in using assessment data to inform future learning. But how effectively can we access and use the data when it’s spread across several different locations, and some of it is locked away in filing cabinets?

One challenge I’d like to pursue is harnessing the computer-based technologies at our disposal to collate and analyse this data more effectively through a single access point. Hopefully we can draw some support from the CEO for this idea, and make a lot of this data far more useful; rather than us looking at it once in the yearly cycle, then putting it away.

Photo credit: file cabinets

As promised, here is a list of a few more resources to follow the Ann D. Clark lecture given by Michael Fullan.  I must admit, however, that they have tended to come to me (as opposed to me having to go look for them).

There are two resources currently on Staffnet.  The first is this mp3 recording (right-click to download) of the lecture.  I’ve put the link here as it’s now well and truly buried in the system news announcements.  The second is a pdf document on Turnaround schools, Turnaround systems which you will find in a very recent post made on the LC blog.

If you’re after visuals to go with your audio though, I also have something for you.  Fullan gave a presentation on the six secrets of change at the 2007 Scottish Learning Festival.  This presentation is given as an mpeg4 file (perfect for those with video iPods, but you can still play it in iTunes or QuickTime on your computer).

• On this page you’ll find high and low-resolution files to download, as well as a transcript.

My thanks to Judy O’Connell for bringing the Scottish Learning Festival resources to my attention.  I also enjoy listening to Stephen Heppell’s thoughts, so it was great all round!

It was great to see so many staff from St. Michael’s turn out to listen to this year’s Ann D. Clark lecture, given by Michael Fullan.

One of the lighter moments of Fullan’s presentation was a short video that, in a sense, shows the challenges we face today in encouraging people to accept new technologies.  I was alterted to this video earlier this year, but haven’t shared it for fear too many people would feel I was suggesting that they were a modern-day “Brother Ansgar”.

The simple premise is this: if you have an IT problem, you call the IT helpdesk.  But what about when books were first introduced and you got stuck?  Well, you called the book helpdesk…

For anyone who’s involved in schools in technical support, or as a technology coordinator, it’s a movie you sit and nod along to… and get a good laugh at the same time.

I promise I will post some serious material in relation to Michael Fullan’s presentation soon.