How to Use

0. Create a Template

The first step of using SkillGrouper is to create a template for inputting your scores.

1. Click the SkillGrouper Icon in the right side panel of Google Sheets

2. Authorize permissions (if it's your first time)

3. Type your "New Assessment Title"

4. Click "Create"

After a few seconds, a new tab will be created in your current spreadsheet for the new assessment. You may create as many SkillGrouper tabs in a single file as you like.

Pro Tip: If you've already used SkillGrouper for a class, you can copy an existing sheet to avoid having to re-input the rosters.

From your existing SkillGrouper template, you can either "Duplicate" the template to create another tab in the same file, or "Copy to" a different file.

1. Student Data Collection

Although SkillGrouper was designed specifically for Common Formative Assessments, it can hold data for any assessment so long as:

• The assessment gives students the opportunity to demonstrate one or more skills

• The team has collaboratively determined what the threshold is for demonstrating proficiency (via a rubric, a checklist, or collectively grading a few sample assessments)

1a. Input Rosters

Start by inputting the team's rosters in the "Step 1" section. For each student, type the teacher, hour, and name. Students can be entered in any order. You will only need to do this once for the year (see the Pro Tip above)

1b. Configure the Assessment Format

SkillGrouper works for any number of skills and can handle scores of any type, whether they be points, a proficiency scale, or even check/minus.

1. Open the SkillGrouper Add-on in the right side panel of Google Sheets and click "Change Assessment Categories"

2. Input the number of grading categories your assessment has and the format of those grades, then click "Change"

After a few seconds, the sheet will update to have space for your assessment's scores.

Does your school use a custom scale like 4-3-2-1 or Advanced-Proficient-Developing-Beginning for grades? Select the grade format "Proficiency Levels". After clicking "Change", a new section will appear on the left side of the sheet. You can replace the grade levels with your own and the scoresheet area will automatically update to match.

If your assessment uses points or percentages, an additional space will show up for each skill for you to indicate the cutoff for proficiency. This cutoff can be different for each skill, depending on the topic or the number of points that were available in each skill.

In the following example, the teacher selected "Points Earned". The assessment happened to have more Solving questions than Factoring or Graphing questions, so they indicated that it only takes 5 points on factoring questions to be proficient in Factoring, but it takes 10 points on solving questions to be proficient in Solving.

1c. Input Scores

1. Replace the category title placeholders with your real category names

2. Record student scores on the sheet

• • If you're using proficiency levels, dropdowns will appear

  • If you're using points or percents, type the numerical score in each box

  • If you're using pass/fail, click the checkboxes

3. Tier 2 Intervention

SkillGrouper automatically generates small groups of students with the same skill deficit for small group intervention. 

1. Open the SkillGrouper Add-on in the right side panel of Google Sheets and click "Create Intervention Groups"

• If you're delivering Tier 2 intervention during a separate "flex time", where students can be shared across teachers and hours, go to section 3a.

• If you're delivering Tier 2 intervention during class, so students can be shared across teachers, but only during the same hour, go to section 3b.

• If you're delivering Tier 2 intervention independently, working with small groups during a "flex day" within each individual class, go to section 3c.

Pro Tip: If you're not sure of the best settings for your Tier 2 groups and want to compare multiple options, you can right click the sheet name on the bottom of the editor and select "Duplicate". Each duplicate copy of the sheet can create and store intervention groups independently.

3a. Flex Time Intervention

1. In the SkillGrouper Add-on, select "Share all students for flex time intervention", then click "Next"

2. As a team, determine the total number of Tier 2 small groups that can be met with. Determine the maximum number of students per group
   (you'll be able to refine the group sizes later)

3. If you want a group to be created for unassessed students to take the assessment, check "Create a 'missing' group"
   (the missing group counts towards the maximum number of groups)

4. Click "Confirm". This will overwrite any existing groups on the sheet. 

5. As a team, use the overall class scores in Step 2 to determine who should lead each Tier 2 group, then type their name in the [teacher name] space

6. Refine the groups if necessary (see section 3d)

7. Request the students for flex time and deliver your interventions!

3b. Sharing Students within each Hour for Intervention

1. In the SkillGrouper Add-on, select "Share students within hour for intervening during class", then click "Next"

2. As a team, determine logistically where proficient students will go while small group intervention occurs. "Omit from Groups" will only put students who are below proficient in groups. "Disperse across groups" or "Put in 'enrichment' group(s)" will attempt to put every student in a group.

3. As a team, determine the maximum number of students per Tier 2 group
   (you'll be able to refine the group sizes later)

4. If you want groups to be created for unassessed students to take the assessment, check "Create a 'missing' group"
   (the missing group counts towards the maximum number of groups)

5. For each hour, determine the number of Tier 2 small groups that can be delivered during that hour

6. Click "Confirm". This will overwrite any existing groups on the sheet. 

7. As a team, use the overall class scores in Step 2 to determine who should lead each Tier 2 group, then type their name in the [teacher name] space

8. Refine the groups if necessary (see section 3d)

9. Plan with your team how to communicate these groups to students, then deliver your interventions during class!

3c. Keep Each Class Separate

1. In the SkillGrouper Add-on, select "Keep each class separate", then click "Next"

2. Read the disclaimer, then click "Confirm". This will overwrite any existing groups on the sheet. 

3. Each individual class will have its own group for each skill. These groups are not balanced for size, so it'll be up to the teacher to ensure that each student receives intervention for their target skill(s). Consider splitting a group into multiple groups, or turning a large group into a whole class activity.

4. Refine the groups if necessary (see section 3d)

5. Deliver your interventions!

Pro Tip: If you're intervening with your students during class time by pulling aside small groups one at a time, consider using the "In multiple groups; one for each skill" setting in the first step. This way, instead of pulling each student once for the skill they need the most help on, they get pulled for every skill they need help with.