Google Spreadsheets to Track Reading Achievement
For the past few years we have been using Excel spreadsheets to keep track of student reading data. Our school district prepares the spreadsheets for each primary level teacher. The spreadsheet includes cells to record various reading achievement data based on our reading assessments. These include DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) reading level, phonemic awareness assessments, spelling assessments and a phonics survey among others. Three times each year I am required to distribute and then gather up the assessments from teachers and then email them to the central office. We also utilize the data internally to make support decisions and to deploy support based on classroom need.
I know… Some type of web application would make this process a lot easier for everyone involved. Well, rather than wait for one to be built we are going to use one “off the shelf.” We are utilizing Google Spreadsheets to collect and share this information within our building staff.
It is very easy to import the existing Excel spreadsheet into Google Spreadsheet. The Google Spreadsheet interface is pretty spartan, and since it is saved to my Google account, I can not only share it with the individual teachers, I can also share the sheets with our reading support teachers. Thinking in a larger view, I could also share the data with school district specialists. Using RSS, I can keep track of student data as it is entered.
With the introduction today of Google Docs, I can see more and more schools turning to these kind of tools to collect, and share school information.
October 11th, 2006 18:35
Perhaps I should write a SIF agent for Google Spreadsheets.
October 13th, 2006 06:41
All about the Google lately aren’t you. Thanks for this…I didn’t even realize that my Writely docs are available there now. Love the use of the Spreadsheet. I’m using my Google calendar as my schedule for school. I found a program that will sync my Google calendar with my Palm Desktop right on down to my palm. Things are starting to come together!
Go Detroit!
October 18th, 2006 05:59
Hello, Tim,
We are actually in the process of building a web app (based in Drupal) that could be used for this — in general terms, the app allows an organization/school to create libraries of learning standards, and to organize those standards into rubrics. Then, individual students can be assessed against the rubric, and the resulting assessments can be exported (right now we’re keeping it simple, with onscreen print-friendly format, and as csv files).
It could work for what you describe, but it’s also generalizable enough to be used for professional development portfolios, accreditation, what have you — basically, the use of the tool will be determined by the specific library of standards, and the resulting rubrics.