Towson University’s Outreach Blog

Lindsey

When I was in grade school, I took part in standardized tests that, at the time, I didn’t fully get the point of. I distantly remember planting a lima bean and watching it grow as a part of one test. To this day, I can’t say that I have utilized the lima bean planting experience to my advantage.

In exploring TU in the Community, however, it is inspiring to see an effective method of measuring and improving student achievement exists in four initials: CFIP. The CFIP (Classroom-Focused Improvement Process) is a six-step process which enhances student achievement. The steps are implemented by a group of teachers who meet as teams as a part of their lesson planning cycle. According to the project page, the model was designed to respond to the question, “What do we know from available data about current levels of student performance and how will we respond to these data?” It is through the model that teachers can identify:  class-wide strengths and weaknesses in the state content standards, students in need of intervention and the focus of these interventions, students ready for enrichment and the ways to keep them engaged and motivated, and instructional improvements that will make the next unit more effective than the last one.

The six steps are:

Step 1: Relevant assessments and the terms used in the assessment reports

Step 2: Questions to answer in the data dialogue

Step 3: Major patterns of students’ strengths and needs at the class level (if possible, by using more than one data source)

Step 4: Instructional factors that might have contributed to the patterns of student weaknesses and the steps that team members will take to address these patterns

Step 5: Students who excelled and those who still need assistance and the in-class enrichments and interventions that will be put in place for these students

Step 6: One or two improvements in future instruction that they will implement

View a presentation

For more information on CFIP, contact Ronald Thomas at rathomas@towson.edu or 410-704-5770 or visit http://www.mdk12.org/process/cfip/.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Education, Training, TU Faculty & Staff, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.