Spring is on the horizon, bringing with it promises of April showers, May flowers, and of course, testing season. Here’s how you can get the most out of your test prep efforts.
As you prepare for those end-of-year assessments, eSpark makes it simple to identify what your students need and provide targeted support in the areas where they need to grow. Here are the top ways other teachers have shared that they use eSpark for test prep.
Identifying Student Needs
Identifying Student NeedsStandards Progress Reports
Looking to understand where your class is on a specific skill or standard? The Standards Progress Report in eSpark’s teacher dashboard provides a detailed look into the standards your students have worked on and how they performed, so you can spend more of your time reviewing the concepts that need the most support.
“My principal and I have been over the moon with the standards reports. This year we have been focusing on increasing student achievement within different levels, and this is perfect for identifying those who need just a little push to master the standards. Thank you!!!!”
– Teacher in Oklahoma
Sort the report by subject, domain, and grade level to dive deeper into your data – colored icons indicate at a glance whether each student mastered that skill, is approaching mastery, or still needs help. Learn more about how to use the Standards Progress Reports here.
Tip: Click on the standard code at the top of your report to sort students by mastery level for that standard! This is a great way to pull small groups for extra support.
Individual Student Mastery Reports
When it comes time to help one particular student grow their test scores, eSpark’s Individual Student Reports are your one-stop-shop for the insights you need.
Access these reports by clicking on a student’s name in your teacher dashboard. Sort by date to see your student’s work in chronological order and identify patterns in their learning, or sort by quiz score to identify areas for remediation. You can also print these reports for easy sharing during IEP meetings or parent-teacher conferences! Learn more about how to use the Individual Student Reports here.
Tip: When looking at quiz scores in the Individual Student Reports, click “View Quiz” to see exactly which questions your student got right or wrong.
Reinforcing Instruction on New and Missed Concepts
Small Group Skills
Small Group Skills are differentiated lessons you can assign to your students to reinforce or teach specific concepts. Each lesson includes an instructional video, an interactive practice activity, and a short quiz to demonstrate learning. SGS lessons are a great way to provide targeted support when you have learning gaps that need to be narrowed before testing.
“I was looking for something to help my students who are higher students continue to increase their scores and so far it is definitely helping! It has also helped my lower students relearn about some standards we have covered and refresh their memories on them. I love how they know right away that they have passed or need to try again. It is student friendly and my kids are loving it!”
– Teacher in Illinois
Just search for the lesson you want to assign for test prep – you can filter by grade level and subject too. Preview the lesson as it will appear to your students, then assign the lesson to any students of your choosing. Once they complete it, you’ll have immediate access to data on how your students performed, your class’s average score, and missed quiz questions. Learn more about how to assign SGS lessons here.
Tip: You can schedule an SGS lesson for any day in the future, or assign the lesson immediately!
Monitoring Growth and Celebrating Wins
Email alerts
In addition to the reports available any time in eSpark’s teacher dashboard, eSpark also provides email alerts that send key data points from your classroom straight to your inbox.
“I love that I get weekly emails that provide me with assessment information on my students. I also love that students are grouped based on standards and performance which makes it easy for me to pull small groups for re-teaching.”
– Teacher in California
Each week, teachers receive an email alert that celebrates students who earned a High Five by mastering a new concept or skill in eSpark. You’ll also receive an email highlighting a group of students who all struggled on a shared skill, along with sample questions they missed. These emails take the guesswork out of planning small groups and ensure that time is spent re-teaching the concepts that are most in need of support. Learn more about how teachers use these small group suggestion emails here.
Tip: Tracking High Fives with your students is a great way to keep kids motivated and eager to learn. Try using a tracking poster like this one to celebrate when your students master a new skill!
Everything teachers need to help students achieve more in math and reading – all in one tool.
With detailed data reports, a full library of assignable lessons, and more, eSpark takes the guesswork out of test prep. Teachers can feel confident knowing exactly where their students are and what they need to work on prior to assessment time. Sign up free using the blue button at the top of this page and get started in minutes!
eSpark partners with schools in all 50 states to help students achieve more in reading and math.
Check out our district stories to see the impact for yourself.