Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Data-Driven Decision Making Presented by the Center for Performance Assessment (800)

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Essential Questions How is your school or district doing as a learning institution? Are all students learning? In what ways do your community, district office administrators, principals, and classroom teachers collect and use data to make decisions?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Essential Questions What do you expect students to know and be able to do by the end of each year? Do you know why you are getting the results you currently have? What is the best way to assess student knowledge and application of skills?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Products You will leave the seminar with an action plan including: identified urgent need area(s) SMART goals instructional strategies results indicators accountability factors

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Objectives You will learn a proven process for understanding specific strengths and areas of urgent need related to student achievement. You will learn how to apply simple practices to transform data into effective teaching and learning.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Objectives You will learn how to implement practical strategies to improve student achievement based on real assessment data directly linked to your district or school. You will learn to recognize early warning indicators to help teachers and students focus on achievement goals throughout the year.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Objectives You will learn how to determine and monitor instructional strategies linked to the assessments used in your school and/or district. You will learn how to establish and support collaboration skills with school teams, based on data-driven decision making.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Before We Begin Is there anyone who does not have real test data from your school or district on your students?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Administrative Notes Schedule for the day Handouts Format Interactive seminar Questions and answers Reflections, success stories, challenges

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Why? “Until you have data as a backup, you’re just another person with an opinion.” Dr. Perry Gluckman

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 But Don’t We Already Know This? How many of you have had a formal university course in how to examine data? Of the assessment training you had in college, did it help you analyze test scores to improve student achievement?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 The Reality All of us — regardless of experience or advanced degrees — are lifelong learners of data-driven decision making!

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Roadblocks It’s too complicated! You can do it with consistent and clear processes.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Roadblocks The information is too old! Several years of data with different students prove the power of teaching.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Roadblocks The test is awful! You can still gain valuable insight. Just because some people misuse a test should not prevent us from learning from it.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Roadblocks The test doesn’t reflect our curriculum! Of course not — any test is just a reflection of part of the curriculum.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Roadblocks This will just lead to mindless test prep! The best kind of test preparation is one where students must think, reason, write, apply, and communicate their understanding.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Action Plan Steps 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators See supporting documents #S1-S4: Action Plan Steps and Schedule

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 What story do the numbers tell us?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks →1. Find the data: “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Task 1 – Find The Data: “Treasure Hunt” Look at this year’s test data Look at last year’s test data Look at the same group of students two years in a row Look at the same grade level performance with different student groups two years in a row See supporting documents #S5-S9: Task 1 - Treasure Hunt

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” →2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Task 2 – Data Analysis and Strength Finder What did you find out from your “Treasure Hunt?” What can you learn from what’s working? Identify strengths/successes to celebrate Identify challenges to be met Identify trends across subjects and grades See supporting documents #S10-S11: Task 2 – Analyze the Data

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data →3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Task 3 – Prioritize Needs Analysis Prioritize need(s) indicating subject areas and student groups. Examples: Fifth grade boys need to improve in reading. Skills for “analysis of text” need the most improvement. Eighth grade FRL students need help on mathematics problem solving and reasoning. See supporting documents #S12: Task 3 – Prioritize Needs Analysis

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Establishing, reviewing, or revising goals (what students will do) and creating measurable, achievable objectives is the next step. Where do we need to go now?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis →4. Set, review, or revise goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Task 4 – Set, Review, or Revise Goals Set, review or revise current goals so they are S-M-A-R-T: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely See supporting documents #S13-S14: Task 4 – Set, Review, or Revise Goals

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Goals Be selective! Only one to three goals based on needs analysis. Goals statements should include: Targeted subject area, grade level, and student population Criteria to be achieved Expected change Measurement instrument to be used

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Goals Samples of data-determined goals Record each goal on the top of a sheet of chart paper and post Be prepared to explain how your goal fits the S-M-A-R-T criteria

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 How Will We Get There? Developing specific, instructional strategies and activities to achieve goals

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals →5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Task 5 – Identify Specific Strategies to Achieve Goals Can emphasis in one area produce a positive impact in another area? If providing “more time” isn’t a sufficient answer for meeting an important goal, what specifically should your school or team do to meet the goals you identified in Task 4? See supporting documents #S15-S16: Task 5 – Identify Strategies to Achieve Goal

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Identifying Strategies Strategies are classroom actions that lead to the attainment of the goal Strategies need to be: Action-Oriented Measurable/Accountable Specific What the teacher, principal, parents will do Effective strategies will positively impact school and classroom practice!

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 What’s Already Working? What Else Can We Do? To determine effective strategies, complete a fishbone diagram: 1) Area(s) of greatest success 2) Prioritized challenges or needs See supporting documents #S17-S20: Fishbone Example and worksheets

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Sample “Fishbone” Diagram Look for the causes and their resulting effects

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 How to Use “Fishbone” Write your success or need in rectangle On each “bone,” list possible causes or contributing factors to that particular success or need For successes, circle the causes that have had the greatest impact For needs, circle the causes you can actually impact Disregard those you can’t influence

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Examples of Specific Strategies “Teachers will use specific math software programs in classroom and lab to help identified students at risk in math” “Increase number of math problem- solving activities with accompanying scoring guide that requires students to explain their solutions in writing.”

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Determining Effective Strategies For each prioritized goal, brainstorm several potential strategies Identify the one or two strategies from brainstormed list that appear most effective and most likely to achieve the goal

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Strategies for Success Timely, specific feedback Student achievement results AND “Antecedents to Excellence” – the causes behind the results

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 “Antecedents to Excellence” Writing as lever External scoring Frequent use of performance assessments Consistent use of scoring guides Consistent expectations Multiple opportunities for student success

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 How Will We Know If It’s Working? Results indicators measure effectiveness and accountability!

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 “Good faith efforts to establish goals and then to collectively and regularly monitor and adjust actions toward them produce results.” Dr. Mike Schmoker, Author of Results: The Key To Continuous Improvement How Will We Know We Are Getting There?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Strategies for Success Focused staff development Data-driven decision making Continuous search for replicable reforms Systematic data gathering Consistent, ongoing monitoring of student progress

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Gathering Data Through Student Questioning Principals can walk through teachers’ classrooms and ask students the following four questions: “What are you learning?” “Why is it important to know this information?” “Is your work good?” “How do you know your work is good?” Lauren Resnick, The Pittsburgh Walkthrough Process

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals →6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Task 6: Determine Results Indicators How will you know if a particular strategy is effective? Results indicators determine: If strategy is being implemented If strategy is having intended effect on student learning and improved performance See supporting documents #S21: Task 6 - Determining Results Indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Example Goal (related to Tier 1) ___% students proficient or higher on our state’s standards-based reading assessment Strategy Increase literacy instruction through three additional 45-minute blocks of non-fiction reading followed by a written summary

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Example Indicator 80% of students score proficient or higher on monthly reading comprehension assessment and a monthly written assessment

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Examples of Results Indicators Reading intervention class now offered and required for identified students working below grade level in reading comprehension Measurable increase in percentage of students who score proficient or higher in math problem-solving activities requiring students to explain their solutions in writing

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Seminar Tasks – Review 1. Find the data — “Treasure Hunt” 2. Analyze the data 3. Prioritize needs analysis 4. Set, review, or revise annual goals 5. Identify specific strategies to meet goals 6. Determine results indicators

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Example of Classroom Action Plan to Achieve Math Goal 1.Inform students of problem-solving goal 2.Show examples of proficient math problem- solving using writing 3.Guide students through practice 4.Write scoring guide with students 5.Use scoring guide with students to assess written problem-solving 6.Use feedback from scoring guide to revise and improve student work 7.Track percent of students proficient or higher

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 School Action Plan with Accountability What needs to be done? Who will do it? Who will oversee it? What resources are needed? What targeted professional development do teachers need? What’s the timeframe throughout the year? When will the actions be completed? See supporting documents #S22-S23: Action Plan and Monitoring Action Plan

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 A Possible Future The image of the future would be a group of teachers sitting around a table talking about their students’ work, learning and asking, ‘What do we need to do differently to get the work we would like from the kids?’ Dennis Sparks 1998, Executive Director of NSDC

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Collaboration Please share with colleagues: Revised goals, strategies, results indicators, and action plan to improve student achievement this year Your discoveries, aha’s, or surprises as you worked through this process

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Reflection What would your district and school- level instructional practices and administrative processes look like if your district and/or school were achieving its purpose, goals, and expectations for student achievement?

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Evaluations Please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation. Your feedback is very important to us and to your district office as it provides specific information and thoughts to consider for future professional development.

Center for Performance Assessment © 2005 Center for Performance Assessment (800)