Working Systemically To Increase Student Achievement Collecting, Interpreting, and Using Data

—Breakout Session B— Engaging in Collective Inquiry about Data

SEDL’s WSM

Data Competency Breakout Sessions: A.Collecting and Selecting Data for All the Right Reasons B.Engaging in Collective Inquiry About Data

Breakout Session B Intended Outcomes: –Participants will understand the need to guide purposeful and collective inquiry about data. –Participants will engage in a collective inquiry process using actual campus data reports. Essential Learning: District teams have a responsibility to ensure that schools have the capacity to use data for decision making.

If you torture data sufficiently, it will confess to almost anything. —Fred Menger

Data to Be Reviewed Campus AYP Information URL: Campus Accountability and Demographic Data URL: Campus NCLB HQ Report URL:

Campus Information Public middle school; grades 7–8 738 students 98% Hispanic; 2% White 20% LEP; 11% Special Education; 9% GT 82% eligible for free or reduced lunch program 14% mobility rate Number of teachers in core academic subject areas: 35 Regular; 2 Special Education

Step 1—Engaging Writing Predictions Without looking at the data, write a prediction about it on an index card. Definition of Prediction –Reasoning about the future –In a scientific context, a rigorous statement forecasting what will happen under special conditions (If A is true, then B will also be true).

Step 1—Engaging (Continued) Give your predictions to the table facilitator, who will shuffle them. The table facilitator will read the predictions, one at a time. After the prediction is read, table group members will suggest assumptions that could be made about the prediction. Please limit discussion to 2 minutes per prediction.

Definition Assumption –Something taken for granted or accepted as true without proof

Reflection What did you learn about yourselves and others when making predictions and assumptions about data you have not yet seen? What are the benefits and challenges of this step in the collective inquiry process? Share your reflections with the table facilitator, who will record two or three ideas from the group on a 11x17 sheet. Post sheets on the wall.

Step 2—Reviewing Please follow your table facilitator’s instructions. 1.Take out the review guide and follow those instructions as the table facilitator calls for a piece of data to be reviewed by everyone at the table, as a group. Repeat for other data sheets. 2.Stay on task and allow everyone to contribute to the discussion about the specific piece of data being reviewed. Highlight the data as indicated by the review guide. 3.While the data are important, the main focus of this step is the collective nature of everyone being on the same page. You have 12 minutes for this review.

Step 3—Interpreting the Data In your table group, record the group’s conclusions and suggest at least two or three possible explanations. You have 12 minutes. Our Conclusions and Possible Explanations Our Conclusions Possible Explanations Information Needed Next Steps

Closing Data review, analysis, and interpretation is a timely but needed process. You have been engaged in a mini-version of a collective inquiry process: engaging, reviewing, and explaining. The process has been adapted from Love, N. (2000). Using data—Getting results. Cambridge, MA: Regional Alliance at TERC. Wellman, B. & Lipton, L. (2004). Data-driven dialogue: A facilitator’s guide to collaborative inquiry. Sherman, CT: MiraVia, LLC.

Reflection How does the 3-step process reinforce learning theory? Of what value would the 3-step process be in your working systemically efforts?

District Team Meetings After a 15 minute break, please rejoin your district team in the large meeting room. When you join your team, you will be provided with focus questions for a report on this breakout session. You will have about five minutes to report. Also please complete the Working Systemically rubric individually. Your information will be needed at the synthesis session this afternoon. Thank you.

District Team Member Report Create a report on the breakout session you attended, keeping in mind the objective for this session: District teams will raise their awareness about knowledge and skills needed in collecting, interpreting, and using data. In your report, please include responses to the following questions: –What knowledge and skills were demonstrated, modeled, and/or explained in the breakout session? –How useful would these be in your working systematically efforts?