Proficiency Tables - What the heck are they used for?

Over the course of this year, you have all been working so hard and dedicating many hours to deep discussions on reported standards and proficiency tables.  So as you begin to draft your tables, or even finish the initial draft of a table you may be wondering what a table is used for in practice.  Here are a few uses for proficiency tables, we are sure there are many more.  Each example of use is linked to the Danielson domains found in the framework for teaching.

1.  A table can be used for planning (domain 1).  A teacher may want to make sure the focus of their lessons or group discussions is focused on the reported standards.  Throughout the year each student should have multiple exposures to the reported standards, and therefore a teacher will want to use the table as a planning guide to make sure that over the course of the exposures, all indicators of proficiency are focused on. 
2.  A table can be used to have inter-rater reliability in giving feedback to students
(domain 3 and 4).  Once tables are completed with their first draft, teachers will be asked to come together and bring student work samples that are linked to the report standard.  Groups of teachers will then take part in a norming session and vet the student work sample with the table and share the level and feedback they may give a student based on their work.  This process allows for inter-rater reliability to be established among all the staff that teach the same content. 
3.  A table can be used during a student reflection conference (domain 3).  The table can be a third point in a conference.  Every conference has a student perspective, a teacher perspective, and the table is the third perspective.  During a conference staff can ask share with students the indicators of proficiency and have them self-reflect on their progress. 
4.  A table can be used to share ideas in practice (domain 4).  Any staff member may want to partner with a colleague or an Instructional Coach to observe each other's practice and give ideas and feedback to each other.  The table lends itself to this opportunity by providing what you hope to see students able to do in a classroom during a certain content standard learning experience.
5.  A table may be used to create an assessment evaluation tool or rubric (domain 1 and 3).  When developing a specific assessment that is linked to a project or learning experience, a teacher may start with the table to develop a leveled, quantifiable assessment rubric or checklist. 
6.  A table can be used to assess continue learning progress over time (domain 2 and 4).  As a department or grade level you can tally and keep track of how many students are showing proficiency at any given time on the reported standards.  Then professional conversations with job alikes can take place to see the progress of each class. 

As you can see there are many uses for proficiency tables.  While they are also great tools for defining learning and building a foundation for standard based grading, they are also so much more than that.  The creation of the tables has lead to in-depth curricular conversations among staff.   We are excited to see that continue in their use as well.