MIDAS Teacher Module #4

Participants will be able to:

• Analyze multiple types of assessment data to guide instructional decisions.
• Design instructional adjustments that meet grade-level expectations while providing appropriate support.
• Implement strategies that support students in understanding and taking ownership of their learning progress.

Classroom assessments provide insights into students' learning of the grade-level content. These insights show what parts of the content students understand and where they do not understand. They provide teachers with data for deciding when to maintain or adjust instruction to maximize learning. This is key because instructional adjustments are essential for every student, including those transitioning from the alternate to the general assessment, to meet grade-level achievement expectations.

In Module 1, we introduced the Instruction and Assessment Cycle as a framework for supporting student learning through the integration of assessment data and Universal Design principles.

In Module 2, we focused on “Where am I going?”—establishing clear learning goals and essential outcomes for each unit and lesson.

In Module 3, we explored “Where am I now?”—using multiple measures to understand student progress toward essential learning goals while ensuring assessments are accessible and reliable.

In Module 4, we will focus on “Where to next?”—using school-wide and classroom assessment data to make instructional decisions that enhance student learning while maintaining grade-level expectations.

During the year, teachers gather different assessment data, including school-wide assessments (benchmark or interim assessments) that track student progress toward achieving grade-level standards and classroom assessments (summative and formative) that offer immediate feedback on student learning of the core curriculum.

By collaboratively analyzing benchmark and classroom data, teachers can determine what students have mastered, identify which instructional strategies were most effective, and pinpoint the specific supports students need to engage with grade-level content. For students transitioning from alternate to general assessments, this intentional use of data provides critical insights to help guide instruction and support academic growth.

The essential learning framework from Module 2 provides the foundation for analyzing assessment data and making instructional decisions. When examining assessment results, teams ask:

• Are all students mastering the essential learning goals identified for the unit?
• Which students are ready to engage with the broader core content?
• Who would benefit from extension opportunities beyond the essential learning?

This tiered approach to data analysis ensures that instructional adjustments maintain grade-level expectations while providing appropriate support for students transitioning from alternate to general assessments.

Using the Data to Make Instructional Decisions

Effectively using assessment data requires a clear focus on grade-level learning goals while leveraging the data to identify and support individual learning needs. When general education teachers, special educators, and English Learner (EL) teachers—when applicable—collaborate and analyze benchmark and classroom data together, they can create inclusive learning environments that support all students in accessing and mastering grade-level content. The objective is not to teach below-grade-level material, but to strategically break down and deliver grade-level standards in ways that make the content accessible to every student.

The following video offers an overview of how data is used to make instructional adjustments, eliminate learning barriers, and track student progress, while maintaining high expectations for student achievement. An example of a 5th-grade student is shared to apply the concepts and how the team adjusted his instruction to support him in learning grade-level content.

Decisions that Enhance Student Learning Outcomes

Data analysis is an ongoing process involving collaboration between general education, special education teachers, related service providers, and, for dual-identified students, English language teachers. This section explores how schoolwide and classroom data can guide decisions to improve student learning, with opportunities for you to dive deeper into using data effectively.

Whole Class Strategies

When assessment data suggests a need for instructional adjustments, teachers have several strategies to support student learning while focusing on grade-level expectations. The key lies in determining whether a change to whole-class instruction would be beneficial, if small group instruction (like pre-teaching or re-teaching) would help reinforce concepts, or if individual instruction is needed to close skill gaps.

Start with the learning goals in mind--identify the grade-level standards and the essential outcomes for the unit or lesson. Remember, all students learn the essential learning outcomes. While most students will exceed these essential learning outcomes, the team commits that these learnings will be the minimum for all students. (Refer to Module 2: Where am I Going? for more details.)

Next, dive into the data to pinpoint specific learning needs while considering academic goals and accessibility concerns. Based on this analysis, create targeted instructional adjustments that maintain rigor while providing appropriate support. Regularly monitoring these adjustments to ensure they are working, and refine them, and refine them as needed. Teachers accomplish this by:

• Starting with grade-level standards and essential learning outcomes
• Analyzing data to identify specific learning needs
• Considering both academic and accessibility requirements
• Developing targeted instructional adjustments
• Monitoring effectiveness and adjusting as needed

For example, if half the class is struggling with a concept while the other half understands it, one solution could be to reteach the concept to the struggling group while reinforcing it for the others. This might look like a quick review for everyone, followed by pairing students—one who understands the concept with one who doesn’t—to problem-solve together. In addition, before the whole-class exercise, the special education teacher could lead a small group in the classroom to reteach the concept and model how students can work in pairs. This “extra dose” of instruction may be sufficient to support a student who transitioned from the alternate to the general assessment to be successful.

When assessment data reveal common patterns of need, teachers might adjust the lesson flow, starting with concrete examples before moving to abstract concepts. They can also use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework by having multiple representations of key ideas, using visual, verbal, and hands-on approaches to teach the same content. Interactive modeling, where the teacher thinks aloud while solving problems or analyzing text, can help make learning strategies clearer for all students. For example, a student may benefit from using manipulatives or virtual manipulatives to solve a problem. In this case, the instructional supports could also be offered to other students in the class to support their understanding of the problem.

Remove Barriers to Learning

Teachers can implement targeted instructional strategies for more specific learning needs identified through assessment data.

• Begin with the data. Ask what the data tells you about the student’s needs.
• Reframe the student’s needs to ask what barriers in the learning environment make it difficult for the student to access the content.
• Eliminate or minimize the barriers in the learning environment.

Implementing the Universal Design for Learning framework eliminates or minimizes barriers in the learning environment for all students. By having clarity in the learning targets and flexible pathways to achieve these outcomes, all students can access grade-level standards-based instruction. Consider the examples in Table 1 (TIES Center, 2020). These examples illustrate how reframing students’ needs to be learning barriers in the environment that prevent a student from accessing the content opens up avenues for teachers to take meaningful action.

Table 1. Reframing Students’ Needs to Be Learning Barriers in the Environment that Prevent Access to the Content.

*Note: The student receives reading instruction that supports reading skills development at other times of the day.

Now, take the time to explore on your own to build additional background knowledge about removing barriers in the environment. Choose 1-2 options from the list below to expand your understanding of strategies for supporting student learning.

• A Guide to Implementing Cooperative Learning (Biggs, 2022) (“How to do” article with multiple class strategies)
• Inclusive Strategies (Tool)
  • Inclusive strategies support all students to engage in robust, meaningful learning in the same setting. They support us in reducing barriers in the design of our lessons so that all students, including students with complex learning needs, can be included in a lesson from the start.

• How to Break Down Barriers to Learning with UDL (CAST) (Short Article)

Individual Student Strategies

When Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is implemented at the whole-class level, fewer individualized strategies are needed because instruction is proactively designed to address the variability of all learners. When assessment data reveals more specific learning needs, targeted supports can be added to help students access and engage with grade-level content.

For example, teachers may adjust the instructional sequence to ensure foundational skills are secure before introducing more complex tasks. Pre-teaching key vocabulary and concepts can improve access to new material. Breaking complex tasks into manageable steps—through structured guides or checklists—supports students while preserving the rigor of the final product.

Assessment data can also highlight the need for support in how students process and express their understanding. Strategies like guided note-taking help students organize information while engaging with grade-level content. Offering multiple ways to demonstrate understanding—such as verbal, visual, or written formats—ensures access without lowering expectations for depth of knowledge.

If students show stronger comprehension with visual input than with text, teachers can incorporate more visuals rather than simplifying the content. For those who struggle with independent learning, scaffolds such as explicit modeling, guided practice, and gradually fading supports—like task cards or reference tools—can help build self-sufficiency.

Students transitioning from alternate to general assessments often need help accessing grade-level texts and materials. Strategies might include paired reading, graphic organizers for analyzing key ideas, and technology supports like text-to-speech tools. These approaches maintain academic rigor while improving accessibility.

When assessment data suggest instructional adjustments are needed, teachers can choose from whole-class changes, small-group supports (like pre-teaching or re-teaching), or individualized instruction to address skill gaps. Collaborative planning is essential in making these decisions effectively.

For challenges in academic expression—particularly writing—teachers can use sentence frames to support academic language and structured revision processes to maintain high expectations while guiding student growth.

Throughout all instructional adjustments, the focus remains on maintaining access to grade-level content while providing the support necessary to ensure success. Ongoing assessment allows teachers to monitor progress and refine strategies. The ultimate goal is to enhance, not replace, engagement with grade-level learning, gradually fostering student independence while holding high expectations.

Consider a current unit where you have a student who moved from the alternate assessment to the general assessment. This student may or may not have been receiving instruction in the general education classroom before changing the type of state assessment taken.

Data Analysis – Review available assessment data and identify:

• Patterns in student learning
• High scores that indicate successful instructional strategies
• Areas where students need additional support (e.g., learning classroom routines and expectations, meeting new peers)
• Curricular and Instructional factors affecting learning
• Barriers to learning that may hinder student access to content

Planning Instructional Adjustments – Develop a plan that:

• Maintains grade-level expectations, including using the essential learnings of the unit as the minimum that students will learn
• Removes barriers to learning by applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles by Incorporating multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression to ensure access for all learners
• Provides additional appropriate support based on individual needs
• Includes methods to monitor the effectiveness of instructional adjustments

Collaboration – Work with colleagues to:

• Share insights and trends identified through data analysis
• Develop consistent support strategies aligned with UDL principles
• Plan coordinated instructional approaches that meet diverse learner needs
• Create accessible materials and resources to support all students
• Continuously monitor student progress to adjust support and remove learning barriers as needed

Consider the following questions about your use of assessment data:

• How do your instructional adjustments maintain high expectations while providing appropriate support?
• How do you ensure your instructional decisions enhance rather than limit student access to grade-level content?
• What strategies have you found most effective for collaborating with colleagues to analyze and use assessment data?
• What systems have you developed to monitor the effectiveness of your instructional adjustments?
• How have you flexibly used general and special education supports to meet the students’ needs and provide progress in learning grade-level content?

Share your reflections with a colleague, focusing on how you use assessment data to support all students in reaching grade-level standards.

Explore these resources to learn more about using assessment data and engaging students to inform instruction:

• Removing the Barriers: Planning for ALL (Moore, 2021) (Video, 7 minutes)
• Foundational Work: Eliminating Barriers (CAST, 2022). (Video, 2 minutes)
  • Historical perspective on reframing that barriers are in the environment and the curriculum, not the student

• Inclusive Big Ideas (TIES Center, 2021) (Tool)
  • Use these “Inclusive Big Ideas” for English Language Arts (Reading Informational Text and Reading Literature) to plan Grades 1-8 grade-level standards-based lessons for all students, including those with complex learning needs. Start by finding the standard that you are teaching and then browse the resource to:
    • Spark ideas for instructional strategies and activities
    • Align lesson content and instruction while removing common barriers to student learning
    • Identify essential content, concepts, and vocabulary related to standards
    • Integrate cross-curricular connections and evidence-based practices that optimize engagement
• 4 Ways to Boost Students’ Self-Efficacy (Rabin, 2025) (Edutopia, Short article)
  • Strategies that help students see what they have learned so they believe they can succeed in school