The gains are cumulative across the grades. In fact, Shallowford Falls fifth graders are consistently the highest in the district. Each spring, a cross-grade team analyzes the new ITBS scores to draft the School Improvement Plan and associated professional development plan for the year ahead. Those plans are shared with the whole staff, reviewed by the principal, and reviewed again by the staff. In the end, it's mandatory, but we're all focusing on the same thing.
Nothing comes out of left field somewhere.
The principal sees her role in helping teachers use their test data as crucial to the process. Each grade level identifies its strengths and weaknesses. For example, one year the student gains for the whole fourth grade were low in listening skills, so improving the teaching of listening skills became a focus for that team. Grade-level teams are given release time three times a year to analyze their students' strengths and weaknesses. They also meet after school one Thursday a month, and they get together informally at lunch or whenever they need help or want to share a success.