Analyzing Individual Student Performance with CommonLit

Analyzing individual student data is easy with CommonLit’s data tracking tools!

Diving into an individual student’s data is a great way for teachers to develop a deep understanding of their strengths and areas for growth. By analyzing different aspects of a student’s performance, teachers can plan targeted instruction to give them exactly what they need to improve.

In this blog post, I’ll share how teachers can use CommonLit’s data dashboard to analyze student progress and drive their instruction.

Submitted Assignments

Let’s look at data from Angela Moore, a sample 9th grade English student. I can view all of her data from CommonLit by going to her Student Performance page.

Close to the top of the page, there is a table that shows me all of Angela’s completed assignments. This table shows me her overall score for each assignment, as well as her multiple choice and short answer scores.

I can also see all of Angela’s short answer responses and the feedback I have given her by clicking “View Responses” under each short answer score in this table.

When I am analyzing Angela’s work on the assignments she has submitted so far, there are several patterns I should notice and questions I can ask to get a fuller picture of her performance.

First, I want to notice trends in Angela’s multiple choice and short answer responses and consider what they tell me about her comprehension. I could also track the writing feedback I have given Angela measure her growth over time.

By diving into Angela’s assignment-level data, I can start to think more broadly about building on her strengths and providing her with the targeted support she needs to be successful.

Incomplete Assignments

When I scroll down the page, I’ll see a list of assignments that Angela hasn’t completed yet. The due dates in red indicate which of her assignments are late.

When I look at Angela’s incomplete assignments, I want to think about how I can help her turn in her work on time. I can ask myself a few questions here:

• Does Angela frequently turn her work in late?
• What support does Angela need to complete these assignments?

Examining Angela’s incomplete assignments can help me think through why they are missing and develop a plan to help her catch up. This way, Angela feels supported instead of overwhelmed as she starts to finish her work.

Performance by Standard

When I scroll down to the bottom of the Student Performance page, I’ll reach the “Performance by Standard” section. I can choose any standard from the dropdown menu to view a table that shows how Angela performed on the standard each time it was assigned in a lesson.

This tool is a great way for me to understand Angela’s progress in terms of grade-level mastery. I can check Angela’s scores on all standards and zoom in on the standards to see where she needs more support. Here are some questions I can use to guide my analysis:

• For which standards is Angela’s performance on grade level, approaching grade level, or below grade level?
• What does the data tell me about the skills Angela needs to practice?
• How can I build on Angela’s strengths to support her growth?

When I explore Angela’s standard performance with this tool, I get a fuller picture of her strengths and areas for growth. This data helps me better understand how I can support her progress toward grade-level mastery.

Assessment Series and School Essentials PRO

Schools and districts that purchase School Essentials PRO have access to our Assessment Series, which includes a Pre, Mid and Post Assessment. The Assessment Series is a great option for schools that are looking to closely track students’ reading progress throughout the school year. Each benchmark assessment includes three grade-level reading passages with 25–35 multiple choice questions. They are easy to use and give teachers and administrators immediate access to actionable data.

If I am a teacher in a school or district with School Essentials PRO, I will also see Angela’s Pre-, Mid-, and Post-Assessment scores at the top of her Student Performance page. Looking at Angela’s assessment and assignment scores together can help me better understand how I can support her growth.

With School Essentials PRO, administrators are able to closely monitor student usage and achievement. CommonLit’s school- and district-wide data reports make it easy for administrators to track how students are performing on all lessons and assessments and analyze student growth.

Next Steps

If you would like to learn more about CommonLit’s full digital literacy program and data tracking tools, sign up for one of our webinars! Click here to register for the CommonLit for Elementary Educators webinar, and click here to register for the CommonLit for Secondary Educators webinar.

If you’re interested in tracking student growth throughout the year, learn more about CommonLit’s Assessment Series for schools and districts here.