How I use Data Folders in my Classroom!

Good afternoon!  Last night I set about creating student data folders that I am going to use this year. Of course, as soon as I asked my husband for help he disappeared until I was done, but somehow I got them all done up pretty quickly.  And it will be well worth the time in the end!

Last year I had my students glue graphs in their interactive notebooks and many times it would fall out, the notebook would get lost, etc.  This year each student will have a data folder that I keep in a crate so they don't get lost!

I got some of the pages that I use in my data folders as a FREEBIE on TpT from Christina Bainbridge's store.  I heart freebies!  I also created two pages for my students to graph their math and science unit test scores on.

Up first is the page that my students will decorate and tape onto the front of their data folder.  It will be fun for them and will keep me from making labels for them!

The first two pages inside the data folder are for my student's Math and Science Unit Test Scores. We take multiple unit tests during the year and they graph their scores here.  Before they color their scores in, I have a conference with each student.  I ask the students what they thought of the test, how they feel about their score, and what they could do better next time.  We go over the problems they got right and the ones they got wrong. Then they color in the column using either green, yellow, or red- based on whether they got mastery, near mastery, or remediation on the test.  (P.S.- Using Mastery Connect makes these testing conferences with my students an absolute breeze...if you haven't heard of it, check it out HERE!)

Last year I really felt like having students graph their own scores made them take ownership over showing what they've learned.  They knew the scores they got on their tests actually meant something, that they weren't just another grade in a grade book.  They got to analyze their answers and see what they did wrong so they could correct it in the future.  Sidenote:: I absolutely do not believe that a test defines a student, but we rely heavily on these tests for many things so my students have to know that they are important.

Next up in the folders is a place for my students to graph their reading level and reading fluency through out the year.  Graphing this gives students a visual on their improvement, and being a visual person myself, I know I would've appreciated this in school!  These graphs also take their levels from being just a letter or a number to something more meaningful to them when they can see it on paper.

Lastly is a Personal Goals sheet.  I plan on doing this with my students every 9 weeks.  I did not do this last year so I'm excited to add it in this year!