Step 1.1. Identify the student learning needs that the activity will address.
Identifying student learning needs begins with a review of student learning outcomes. Your review should concentrate on a variety of student data. You should begin by reviewing results from the Maryland School Assessment or the High School Assessment, depending on the grade level on which you are focusing. Next, you should conduct a more detailed analysis of student learning outcomes by reviewing results from end-of-course assessments and formative or benchmark assessments, and other student work samples. In reviewing these kinds of data, it will be important to be sure that the assessments and assignments are explicitly aligned with the learning outcomes and indicators specified in the Voluntary State Curriculum. In addition to data on learning outcomes, your review of student data may focus on attendance data disciplinary referrals, and other factors that contribute to or impede student learning. These data should be disaggregated by race or ethnicity, gender, and age or grade level, English language learner status, and special education status. Ideally, these data will cover several years of student progress. This analysis will help pinpoint the gaps between what students know and are able to do and what they are expected to know and be able to do. This analysis can also help identify the reasons for the gaps, including disconnects between teacher content knowledge and/or instructional strategies and the desired student learning outcomes.