AARRGGHH!! Data Analysis! Just Do It For Me & Tell Me What It Says! Laura Boudreaux Pitre Merry Jane Bourgeois WORKING DRAFT 5/24/06

Why is Data Analysis Important? Successful changes cannot occur until you know what you are changing!

How to Build Unsuccessful Schools Large Grade Segregated High Mobility Large Classes Low % of Highly Qualified Teachers High Poverty High Minority POOR LEADERSHIP

How to Build Unsuccessful Schools Large Grade Segregated High Mobility Large Classes Low % of Highly Qualified Teachers High Poverty High Minority POOR LEADERSHIP FAILED SCHOOL

Your School’s Data What You Need to Know & How to Find the Answers

Statistics You Should Know About Your School  Enrollment Trends  Class Sizes  Dropout Rates  Retention Rates  Attendance Rates  Suspension Rates  Expulsion Rates  LEAP/GEE Test Scores  The Iowa Tests Scores  School Accountability Status

Enrollment Trends  Is your school getting larger? Smaller?  Are there trends by grade? Do you have a large class coming through? Resources may have to be reallocated accordingly.  These issues affect:  Class Sizes  Number of Teachers  School Resources ($$$ and Space)

Class Sizes  Smaller class sizes are effective in improving student achievement because teachers can spend more quality time with individual students.  Did you know that larger class sizes are associated with more discipline problems in a school?

Dropout Rates  What grade has the highest dropout rate at your school?  At the State level, it’s grade 12!  Followed by grades 9, 10, & 11, respectively  How does your dropout rate compare to other schools? The District? The State?  Who are your dropouts?  At the State level, black males drop out the most, followed by black females, white males, & white females.  Students with Disabilities dropout rates are increasing at a higher rate than any other student group.

Retention Rates  What grade has the highest retention rates?  At the State level,  4 th  9 th  8 th  1 st  10 th  Kindergarten  What are the reasons?

Attendance Rates  The State’s attendance rate is 93.7%.  This means that on any given day, 6.2% or approx. 45,000 students, are absent.  What does your attendance rate indicate about your school?  Class sizes average around 25 students per class? Does your school have a whole class of students absent on any given day?

Suspension & Expulsion  Did you know that there are strong correlations between academic achievement in a SCHOOL and discipline rates?  Higher suspension/expulsion rates tend to go hand-in-hand with lower student achievement, school-wide!  How do your suspension/expulsion rates compare to other schools?

Test Scores  What percent of your students are passing the LEAP?  How has this changed over the past five years?  How do your students compare nationally on The Iowa Tests?  How does your school compare to other schools? Districts? The State?

School Accountability Status  How did your school perform?  How does your school compare to other schools in your district?  How does your school compare to similar schools?  How can you calculate your own School Performance Score before it is released?

Accessing the Data You Need

The Louisiana Department of Education Website A Wealth of Information

Data & Reports Webpage

State Education Progress Reports Available on LDE website through

District Composite Reports (DCR) Available on LDE website from through One report per district that contains up to 6 years of data

Accountability School Report Card

Similar Schools Link

Annual Financial and Statistical Report (AFSR) Available on LDE website from through will be available in August

LEA and School-Level: Public Student Counts and Percentages (AKA: the Multiple Statistics File) Available on the LDE website for school and district levels from through Includes several files related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for the school year.

List Data Elements on Multiple Statistic File  Total Student Enrollment  Students by Gender  Students by Race/Ethnicity by Gender  At-Risk Students by Race and Gender  Special Education Students (Disabled & Gifted/Talented)  English Proficiency  Grade Placement  At-Risk by Grade Placement

Showing Off Your Data

Displays That Make an Impact  When it comes to data, most people are visual learners.  The way you display your data will determine whether your audience gets your message or not.  Choosing the simplest method of display is key to communicating data results.

Bar Charts

Longitudinal Line Graphs

LOUISIANA NAEP SCALE SCORES BY RACE GRADE 8 MATH

Lunch Status for All Students

Lunch Status for Black and White Students Black StudentsWhite Students

Creative Ways To Display Data

How many days during a calendar year are spent on instruction?

The Full Year Calendar

Less Summer Vacation

Less Weekends, Holidays, & Summer Vacation

Less Professional Development Days & Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences

Less Class Picnic, Class Trip, Thanksgiving Feast, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukkah, Awards, Assembles, & Concerts

Less State and District Testing

Bottom Line: Roughly hr Days of Instruction Per Subject Per Year

Summary  If You:  Know Your Data Sources and Resources  Are Analyzing Your Data  Are Making Data-Driven Decisions  Then You:  Can Enhance Instruction Through Informed Decisions  Can Improve the Outcomes for Students!

How to Build Successful Schools Medium Sized Small Classes Dropout Prevention Focus on Achievement For ALL Students Highly Qualified Teachers Good Attendance Data-Driven Decision-Making GREAT LEADERSHIP

How to Build Successful Schools Medium Sized Small Classes Dropout Prevention Focus on Achievement For ALL Students Highly Qualified Teachers Good Attendance Data-Driven Decision-Making GREAT LEADERSHIP Improved Outcomes For Students