Step 2: Conducting CFIP

Every data analysis session should be designed to answer one or more essential questions. This will avoid the tedious and time-wasting exercise of trolling through spreadsheets and databases without any direction. It is best to post the questions identified for discussion to keep everyone on track.

It is likely that the questions addressed by teams using CFIP will change as the year progresses. Here are some examples of overarching questions that teacher teams could address at different points during the year:

This step is also intended to ensure that there is a commonly-shared understanding of assessment terms and concepts among team members, as opposed to individual understandings, which may vary widely or be incorrect.

At the beginning of the school year

1. What essential knowledge and skills do our students already have as we begin our new school year or unit?
2. What is the variation in students' knowledge and skills within each of our classes or course sections?

During the school year

1. How well did our students perform in the recent benchmark assessment?
2. What instructional changes will we need to make now to increase student achievement on the MSA/HSA/PARCC assessment scheduled in six (three) months?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of our students as shown by a variety of assessments?
4. What can we learn about our students to help us in our instructional planning?
5. What do we know now about the strengths and weaknesses of our students that we did not know the last time we analyzed data?

Near the end of the school year

1. What students' strengths and weaknesses of this year's students can we pass on to next year's teachers to help them get off to a good start?