States and school districts across the country are instituting standards-based instructional programs. Many states have developed high school graduation standards, and others are in the process of developing them.
One district that has made a revolutionary transformation and implemented a completely standards-based instructional program is the Chugach School district in Alaska. Student performance has improved dramatically. In March, 2002, Chugach received the Malcolm Baldrige Award for Excellence in a Washington D.C. ceremony attended by President Bush and Secretary of Education Paige.
Education Data Systems, in collaboration with HAB Marketing, developed eSETS© (Electronic Standards-based Educational Tracking System) to provide teachers and students with a powerful tool to manage a standards-based program. It allows them to track student progress in up to ten Standard Areas and to automatically generate numerous report documents.
Although we originally developed this system for Chugach, it is highly configurable. Districts may define their own standard areas, levels, standards for each area and level, and required assessments for each area and level. Other components are equally configurable.
Main Grading Screen
eSETS© automatically generates any of several student reports at the click of a button. The teacher’s job is to enter raw data -- assessment scores, etc. The system does the rest.
The Student Snapshot provides parents and students with a graphical representation of a student’s current levels.
Student Snapshot
The Permanent Record displays a cumulative record of student progress and attendance.
Permanent Record
The Quarterly Report prints in either of two versions: a short version and a long version. The long version also displays the standards for the student’s current level in each standard area with grades and completion dates.
Quarterly Report short version
Teachers can create thematic units tied to standards, select the group of students to whom it will be taught, select which standards will be taught to the entire group, and add or delete specific standards for individual students. Standards can be batch scored, or teachers can select individual students to score.
Create Thematic Unit, Modify Thematic Unit
Teachers and/or students can create ILP’s containing either specific standards or goals and objectives unrelated to standards. Scores entered for a standard created in an ILP automatically post to the main grading area.
ILP screen
This optional module enables a district to first define a set of tests it typically administers to students. Teachers then enter subtest scores, which are graphically depicted on the screen shown below, along with suggested teaching strategies based on the student’s age and subtest score. Teachers and administrators can view and print an Average Subtest Score report for selected students or groups.
Student Learning Profile screen
This optional module enables secondary students to create and print an archive of activities, experiences, awards, etc. for potential employers or educational institutions. Students also create a resume by proceeding through a guided process.
Main Life Skills Portfolio Screen
Near the top of the screen are buttons displaying the various activities, achievements, etc. students may enter. In the center are buttons to navigate to various help sections of this module.
Entry Screen
This optional module enables teachers to archive and share their instructional units with others. They start by describing the unit in general terms. Then they add activities for the unit. Teachers can search for a unit by standard area(s) addressed or by specific standards.
Instructional Unit Overview screen, Activity entry screen
Students may access the system to enter responses to assessments, to create and modify their ILP’s, and to manage their Life Skills Portfolio. They may also view their Student Learning Profile, but without the numerical data.
Parents may also access the system to view various reports for their children.
Student Main Menu screen
Utilizing a synchronization technology for FileMaker published by A.E. Wood and Erickson called SyncDeK©, teachers, parents, and students may access eSETS© from any computer with an active internet connection and the remote modules installed.
