How can I use my report to start my improvement journey?

Lowest learning condition: Many educators have the instinct to start by trying to improve on the lowest scoring learning condition, which can be an effective entry point for improvement. You can easily find your lowest learning condition in the Student Experience Overview table at the top of your report. To better understand the meaning of the learning condition, click on the learning condition to go to the Detailed Results section. In Detailed Results, you can review the individual items that collectively make up the learning condition. Because the composite score for the learning condition is the average of the scores on the individual items, this will also give insight into the areas that are most in need of improvement. In this section, you can also access strategies that can be used to improve each learning condition.

Learning condition with large equity gaps: The Student Experience Overview table can disaggregate data by gender, race, Focal Group (if selected), and basic needs security (Ascend only). Equity gaps of 10 or more percentage points are flagged with a caution icon ⚠. The same icon ⚠ appears next to the disaggregation menu to draw your attention when gaps exist. It is worth looking closely at this table even if gaps are not flagged because there still may be differences in student groups’ experiences that are worth reviewing. If you notice that there is a large difference in how one group is experiencing the class as compared to another group, this might be an effective place to start your improvement journey.

Lowest or low score on an individual measure: Scores on the individual items are averaged together to determine the percentage of students who rated each learning condition positively. Looking closely at how students responded to each question in the Detailed Results section of your report is another effective way to identify an entry point for improvement. As you review the detailed results for each learning condition, note specific items that have especially low scores. You may have a few items that stand out within a learning condition that is not your lowest. As you select an individual item, interrogate what it means to students and use this to derive strategies for improvement. The strategies in the learning condition’s practice guide may also support you to identify practices and activities to try out to improve.

Align your scores with other personal, department, or school priorities: As you review your report, look for learning conditions or measures that align to an area that you are personally invested in improving. For example, is your school committed to elevating student voice and you want all of your students to feel that they have agency and that their voices are heard? Is there room for improvement on a related learning condition? If so, this might be a great entry point for improvement even if there are no noticeable equity gaps and/or it is not your lowest scoring learning condition. Ascend/Elevate is designed to be used for improvement, so any of the learning conditions that matter to you can be entry points for improvement. 

Lean in on your strengths or existing efforts: You may notice that a few learning conditions stand out as more positively rated than others. Consider what you’ve done that may have contributed to those high scores and make a commitment to continue to implement those strategies across the school year. For example, if you notice that your scores on Meaningful Work are particularly high right after a unit that incorporates project-based learning, think about how you might integrate project-based learning into upcoming units that past students have found to be less meaningful or engaging.