The Data Retreat® Process: Empowering Teams for School Improvement OVERVIEW Judy K. Sargent, Ph.D. CESA 7 Green Bay, WI DATA RETREAT is a registered service mark of Cooperative Educational Service Agency 7, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Focusing the Journey As we bring children on a journey of learning, how do we know … Where we are now? Why we’re where we are? Where we want to go? How we will get there? How we’ll know when we get there? How we’ll sustain the effort?

Data Provides Illumination for our Pathway to School Improvement Data Retreat® Workshops … Empower Teams Model Best practice Lead to Improvement Plans Provides Clear Focus

Annual Data Retreat® Workshop When do we need illumination? Regularly Sept. Annual Data Retreat® Workshop Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. May. Apr. Periodic, systematic use of data to shape our direction. June July/Aug.

What Usually Happens? Data Collected is … Not regular/periodic Irrelevant – not useful Not used Cumbersome Not clear or Data is not collected at all.

Barriers to Using Data Meaningfully Lack of … Authentic Training Meaningful Data Perceived Lack of Time Understanding the Value Accountability Systems that Narrow the Focus

The Good News – The Data Retreat® Process Provide Authentic Training Build Capacity Result in Improvement

What is a Data Retreat® Workshop? specific days reserved for leadership team members to devote solely to the analysis and interpretation of data relevant to student learning. culminates in the development of focused, data-driven goals and strategies for improvement. [2.5 to 3 days] [School and district improvement plans]

A Must: a trained Data Retreat® Facilitator from outside of the team The Data Retreat® Team A Must: a trained Data Retreat® Facilitator from outside of the team District Data Retreat® Workshops: Superintendent Building Principals Special Education Director Curriculum Director DAC (District Assessment Coordinator) Program Representatives (Title I, G & T, Reading Specialist) Teacher Representatives School Data Retreat® Workshops : School Leadership Team with Building Principal Regular and special teachers

Team spirit through matching t-shirts that say “Show me the data!”

District Configuration High School Team Elementary School Team Attend together to investigate K-12 patterns Elementary School Team Middle School Team Elementary School Team

The Process -- 8 Steps 1. Team Readiness Before the retreat Prep Packet 1. Team Readiness 2. Collect & Organize Data 3. Observe and Analyze Patterns 4. Pose Hypotheses 5. Prioritize & Set Improvement Goals 6. Design Study & Strategies 7. Define Evaluation Criteria 8. Make the Commitment & Plan the Roll Out Before the retreat During the retreat After the retreat

To develop shared understandings STEP 1: Team Readiness (How can we prepare our leadership team?) Prep Packet Examine why—What is the driving force for the Data Retreat® Workshop? To evaluate student learning Follow effective team characteristics (professional learning communities) To develop shared understandings

STEP 2: Collect & Organize Data (What information do we need?) Prep Packet 4 Lenses of Data

Step 2 (cont.) Collect and organize data during the school year. Prep Packet Step 2 (cont.) Collect and organize data during the school year. Make Assignments Who will be the “Go to” person(s) for the data? Collecting & Organizing ... Data must be in a format where all team members can view simultaneously Paper copies of data  Data input into data management systems  Data input into Spreadsheet programs Reveals data inadequacies in human and technological systems

STEP 3: Analyze Patterns (Where are we now?) TEAMS … Analyze –Sort the data to examine patterns Study patterns together Discuss and note observations Move through the data lens by lens (student data, then programs, then professional practices, then family/community)

Stoplight Highlighting One technique to make the data “pop.” Blue = WOW! Exceeds expectations Green = RIGHT ON! Meets expectations Yellow = CAUTION! Below, but almost meets expectations Red/Pink = URGENT! Significantly below expectations – needs immediate attention

Large displays to stimulate group discussion STEP 3: Analyze Patterns (Where are we now?) Move from broad to detailed data. Display and describe patterns—what do we observe? Study patterns of data across categories (e.g. achievement data along with professional practices data) Record all observations Large displays to stimulate group discussion

STEP 4: Develop Hypotheses (Why are these patterns occurring?) Look for meaning in the patterns by formulating hypotheses … “What reasons can we give for these patterns?” Brainstorm hypotheses in group discussion Display all hypotheses Accept or reject hypotheses (as supported by data)

STEP 5: Prioritize Challenges & Develop Improvement Goals (Where do we want to go?) Which problems are most urgent? Few Clear Data-Based Measurable Attainable Reached by Consensus Make a Positive Impact for Children S.M.A.R.T. GOALS All goals are “student” goals – what we will improve for kids (NOT PROCESS GOALS)

Action Plan—what strategies will implement to achieve our goals? STEP 6: Design Plans for Study & Actions (How will we get there? ) Study Plan—how will we study best practices BEFORE we select our strategies? Action Plan—what strategies will implement to achieve our goals? Specific, research-based strategies Timelines Assignments

STEP 7: Define Evaluation Criteria How will we know when we get there Criteria for fulfilling our strategies and goals Evidence that we’ve met them Internal Accountability

STEP 8: Make the Commitment (How will we sustain the effort?) A Roll-Out Plan—to engage the rest of the staff A Commitment—a “checks & balances” system during the year to keep on track toward the goals For example ... In regular staff meetings In planned team meetings In district/school newsletters In professional development plans In supervision/evaluation systems

Organizing a 3-Day Data Retreat® Workshop Day 1: Analyzing Student Achievement and Demographic Data, Hypothesizing (Steps 3&4) Day 2: Analyzing more Student Data, Professional Practice, Program, Family & Community Data, Hypothesizing (Steps 3&4) Day 3: Formulating Hypotheses, and Developing Goals, Designing Strategies, Evaluation and Making Commitments (Steps 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8) Note: Begin with student, and analyze all other data in light of student data.

Resources Scripted Process Data Retreat® materials available from CESA 7 (one-time license fee). See order form. Develop Trained Facilitators – by attending a (CESA 7) licensed Data Retreat® Workshop Customization is available for other states

Contact Information Dr. Judy K. Sargent (author/developer) CESA 7, 595 Baeten Road, Green Bay, WI jsargent@cesa7.k12.wi.us 920-617-5631 Nancy Schlies (Program Assistant). Nschleis@cesa7.k12.wi.us 920-617-5613

Register Online at www.cesa7.k12.wi.us CESA 7 Data Retreat® Workshops 2005 March 11-12 Green Bay (SPECIAL ED) June 13-15 Egg Harbor (COMPREHENSIVE) June 14-16 Green Bay (COMPREHENSIVE) June 21-22 Mishicot (SPECIAL ED) June 28-29 Sheboygan Falls (SPECIAL ED) August 1-2 Sturgeon Bay (SPECIAL ED) August 9-11 Sheboygan Falls (COMPREHENSIVE) Register Online at www.cesa7.k12.wi.us