Data Wise A process for working with data to improve teaching and learning

All good processes are focused, malleable, and manageable.

Victory is in the classroom Continuous improvement in teaching, leadership and accountability Focus

Malleable Tailored to fit the specific needs of the staff, students, and school community

Manageable Building capacity by working collaboratively toward a common goal

Information + Process = Better Better instructional leadership Better teaching Better student performance

The Data Wise Improvement Process

What is Data Wise? Group Assignment Skim the assigned article. Read the assigned section. Individually capture the quote you feel best describes the step of Data Wise you are reading. As a team, create a poster with two quotes you feel best describe your step. Present in order by steps.

Prepare Organize for Collaborative Work Build Assessment Literacy

Inquire Create Data Overview Dig Into Student Data Examine Instruction

Act Develop Action Plan Plan to Assess Progress Act and Assess

Think, Write, Pair, Share Reflect on the Data Wise process. How does this compare to what exists in your school now? How would it impact student learning at your school if this became the way you used data?

How do we develop a new way to see data, talk about data, understand what the data says, and plan instruction based on evidence from the data artifacts?

Data Wise Section I: Prepare Step One: Organizing for Collaborative Work Step Two: Building Assessment Literacy

Step One: Organize for Collaborative Work Compass Points Protocol

Compass Points North- “Just get it done.” West- “Pay attention to details.” East- “Look at the big picture.” South- “Take into account everyone’s feelings.”

Compass Points 1.What are the strengths of your style? 2.What are the limitations of your style? 3.What style do you find most difficult to work with and why? 4.What do people from other styles need to know about you so that you can work effectively? 5.What do you value about the other three styles?

Reflection List the teams present in your school. What is the purpose of each team? What is the focus of each team? How do those teams communicate with each other and the school as a whole? Share with the class ideas for making current practice more efficient.

System of Teams Leadership Team Data Teams Professional Learning Communities

Roles and Responsibilities Leadership Team Honors collaborative work by creating time to meet, listening to input, and providing support. Data Team Identifies data to analyze, creates data overview for staff, listens to input, and provides support. PLC Analyzes data, identifies learner-centered problem, problem of practice, and strategies to improve instruction.

System of Teams Leadership Team Data Teams Professional Learning Communities Interactive Communication

Data Inventory List the data sources available to your staff that would help you get a picture of the learning happening in your school.

Inventory of Instructional Initiatives List the initiatives implemented at your school, their purpose, and the data sources that could show their implementation.

Setting the stage for success

Step Two: Build Assessment Literacy

Assessment Literacy Build the foundation for meaningful discussions –Include every stakeholder –Simplify the muddle of data overload –Speak in terms that are easily understood –Make abstract concepts visible

Is it summative or formative?

Assessment Literacy Develop a working knowledge of the key concepts of data reporting to assess data appropriately. Understand the limitations of the data you have. Know the appropriate application of the information assessments provide. Identify sources of data other than state/LEA reported scores. Triangulate data sources for a more complete picture of what is really happening in the school.

Self-Evaluation Form Used in CMS as part of the School Improvement Plan process Every school, every year Created as the first step in the School Quality Review process developed in England Classroom observations focus on student engagement Provides vital data about all aspects of the school to facilitate data-driven decisions Most important question: How do you know?

Homework Complete the analysis of the Self Evaluation Form (SEF) Complete the Reading Guide for Ch. 3-5

Session Two Review SEF analysis –Benefits –Issues

Data Wise Section II: Inquire Step Three Creating a Data Overview Step Four: Digging Into Data Step Five: Examining Instruction

Step Three Create a Data Overview (data team) Decide on an educational question. Issues

Step Three Create a Data Overview Decide on how to present the data framing the question. Issues Determine the purpose of the data display based on the conversation you want your audience to have about the data.

Data Overview What do you want to emphasize? Celebrate what you do well. What else can we work on to improve our school?

Graphics Keep focus on specific issue Condense information in a small space Stimulate conversation Tailored to audience Trends easily identified Defines importance of data Provides rationale and purpose

Drawing Comparisons Make logical comparisons Base comparisons on student achievement Moment in time snapshot Focus attention to emerging questions Keep evaluation out of the conversations. Talk about data, not people Raise questions, don’t make judgments

Good Displays Clear coding and labels Uncluttered, clear data Stimulate questions for deeper inquiry

Analysis Questions What do you see? What do you make of it?

Protocols/Strategies Pair/Share Continuum Question Formulation

Look at the Data Use Pair/Share to “see” the data and begin developing questions you want to ask about the data. Share with another pair. Choose the question you think will get you the most valuable information if it were answered.

Elementary Schools Fifth Grade First Quarter Scores

Data Overview Create graphic displays to make underlying educational stories and themes transparent. Use the graphic displays to stimulate conversation.

The Data Overview helps the staff ask the “What” questions. What does the data say about student achievement? What areas can we celebrate? What areas can we strengthen? What should we focus on? What are we missing?

Step Four: Digging Into Data Just looking at quantitative data gives an incomplete picture of what is happening in the classroom. Remember, don’t make assumptions based on the data overview! Find rich, targeted data sources that can give you more detailed information to identify a learner centered problem.

Find a way to examine student thinking processes. If you want to know why the students perform poorly on the writing test, what data source could give you rich, targeted, detailed information about student writing?

Identifying the Learner-Centered Problem Do students have any skills and knowledge to build on, or do they need a total re-teaching of the information? Are students lacking skills and content knowledge, or is the design of the assessment itself giving them difficulty?

Challenge Assumptions Don’t confuse assumptions for evidence. Do we mean it when we say all students can learn? Are we willing to change our practice to facilitate student achievement? Are we willing to embrace unexpected trends and leads?

Triangulate Data The purpose of triangulating various pieces of data is to explore new information, not to find validation for an assumption!

Step Five: Examining Instruction “Before deciding on a plan of action, you must understand what you’re doing now, and do so in a way that enables teachers to take responsibility for solving the problem, rather than feeling that it’s not their problem or that they can’t do anything about it anyway, or that they’re being blamed for it.” (98)

Linking Learning to Teaching What instructional data can we look at to give us more detail about the teaching in this school? What practices do we currently use? Which effective practices would address the learner centered problem?

Why? Why? Why? Let’s look at the chart on page 102

Peer Observation Completely voluntary Teachers work as partners Utilize pre and post observation conferences to set purpose and educational question Give meaningful, thoughtful feedback of what happened in class, not judgments Research best practices together

Homework Complete Reading Guide Ch. 6-8

Data Wise Section III: Act Step Six: Developing an Action Plan Step Seven: Planning to Assess Progress Step Eight: Acting and Assessing

Step Six Developing an Action Plan

Step Seven: Planning to Assess Progress

Step Eight: Acting and Assessing

Points to Remember The process of using data to improve learning and teaching should be focused, malleable, and manageable. Every stakeholder should have an informed voice in the discussion. Higher scores will come when we improve teaching and learning experiences. Effective change needs time and active engagement with the change process.

Evaluation