Building Capacity for Using Data on Student Experience as Formative Assessment (SEFA) to Promote Equitable Instruction

The SEFA Project is aimed at supporting the work of a research-practice partnership to provide more equitable opportunities for students to engage in meaningful science instruction. It is focused on helping teachers gather and make use of data on student perceptions of the personal relevance and coherence of instruction and on their perceptions of the value of their contributions to knowledge building.As part of the project, we are undertaking three sets of activities to build knowledge and advance our partnership’s mission. First, we are conducting research studies to develop validity evidence related to the use of student experience measures related to coherence that can guide the improvement of teaching. Second, we are enhancing our technological infrastructure for capturing and managing student experience measures, as well as enhancing our feedback displays to individual teachers and design teams, who analyze improvements in the quality of student experience over time. Third, we are taking action to build capacity through coordination across departments within Denver Public Schools in the approach to developing and using practical measures for instructional improvement. ,