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 Individualized EducationAt Aspen Academy, we believe every adult has a stake in the success of every student - and we strive to provide an individualized educational experience for each student. Academic success means a student can demonstrate proficiency on the Minnesota State Standards at each grade. We use the Core Knowledge curriculum and Singapore Math as the vehicles to achieve that proficiency. Students are tested periodically throughout the year on the standards. Teachers then look at the data to determine:
- Which standards does the student know and not need to spend time on?
- Which standards does the student not know and still needs to work on?
- What kind of mistakes is the student making that the teacher needs to address so the student can move forward?
Measuring this proficiency, and analyzing the data is part of a larger process all Friends of Education schools have been trained in and implemented called Data Driven Instruction or DDI. (See our Power Point presentation below that explains it in more detail.)
Looking at this kind of data allows teachers to create Individualized Curriculum Plans (ICPs) for each student. This does not mean that a teacher has 20 students working on 20 different things but rather, that the teacher knows exactly what the strengths and needs of each student are. She can appropriately group students according to learning needs depending on the skill or standard being taught in that particular lesson and then regroup as needed later on. In discussing ICPs, the teacher and parent will decide who will be responsible for what parts of the learning plan to help the student move forward. It is through this strong parent-teacher partnership that we see the high academic success rate of our students.
Starting in first grade, students group for both Math and Reading. However, these groups are truly fluid, meaning students re-group frequently. It's important for parents to understand that we group according to what skills or standards each teacher will be working on and groups are constantly re-forming. Grade level teachers get to know all students and take responsibility for the success of all students.
Data Driven Instruction Power Point
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