Data-Driven Instruction Best Practices

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) developed this collection of resources with the goal of empowering educators to use data to drive instruction and support early learners. The online modules, training sessions, and materials provide best practices for working with state-approved reading instrument data.

By making these targeted resources available, TEA aims to increase assessment literacy and data utilization among prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers across Texas. The resources assist educators in understanding assessment requirements, implementing reading instruments properly, analyzing results, and using data to inform teaching.

Data-Driven Instructional Best Practices (DDBIP) Modules

The following asynchronous modules developed by the Early Childhood Assessment Support (ECAS) Initiative are based on the Commissioner-approved kindergarten reading instruments.

Purpose

This library of free resources helps local education agencies and Texas stakeholders understand the purpose and usefulness of the approved reading instruments. The modules provide best practices for using the tools and data obtained from them.

Key Features

The DDIBP modules are on-demand, easily accessible, research-based, and available free of charge. The video-based modules are organized by topic to support the ongoing implementation of the Commissioner-approved kindergarten reading instruments.

• Purpose of Reading Instruments - The goals for this module are to understand the purpose of reading instruments, look at the characteristics of reading instruments, and understand the collection of data with the reading instruments.
• Administering Kindergarten Reading Instruments with Fidelity - The goals for this module are to review reading instrument norms, recommend training for the reading instruments, and share how to complete fidelity checks at the district and/or campus levels. The following resources can be found within the module:
  • Fidelity Checklist for Campus Test Administrators
  • Sample Fidelity Checklist QuickSheet (Campus Assessment Observation)
  • Fidelity Checklist for Campus Leaders
• Using Kindergarten Reading Instruments to Progress Monitor - The goals for this module are to understand progress monitoring and to determine how to progress monitor using reading instruments in kindergarten.
• Using Reading Instruments as Dyslexia Screeners- The goals for this module are to understand how reading instruments can be used as dyslexia screeners and next steps on determining a systems-level process for dyslexia screening using the Commissioner-approved Reading Instruments.

• Using the Assessment-Instructional Cycle with Kindergarten Reading Instruments - The goal for this topic is to understand how to use data from the Kindergarten Reading Instruments with the Assessment-Instructional Cycle.