Personal Data Beliefs
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Effective Data Statements
"Schools can get a better picture of how to improve learning for all students by gathering, intersecting, and organizing different categories of data more effectively"
(Bernhardt, 2003, p. 26).
(Bernhardt, 2003, p. 26).
Data is a powerful tool that can be used in the classroom to guide instruction, provide evidence of teacher effectiveness, and proof of student achievement. Teachers must not only collect data, but know how to use it to answer the key questions for a desired outcome. When used appropriately, the analysis of data can lead to strong and effective instructional practices and higher levels of student success. Through data, both student and teacher success results.
Data can be used to indicate the success or need for improvement of a lesson, activity, or method of teaching. As an educator, data can be informally observed (qualitative) or expressed through formal, concrete numbers (quantitative) to display the level of student achievement and to guide the following instruction. Students can express opinions regarding their perceptions of the learning environment, and schools can implement and enhance educational programs based on the analysis of data collected.
It is highly important as a teacher to focus on meeting the needs of students within the classroom and, through data, identifying and striving towards making the learning environment (classroom and school) suitable for all learners. My classroom will be data-driven, with the purpose of meeting students' needs.
Data can be used to indicate the success or need for improvement of a lesson, activity, or method of teaching. As an educator, data can be informally observed (qualitative) or expressed through formal, concrete numbers (quantitative) to display the level of student achievement and to guide the following instruction. Students can express opinions regarding their perceptions of the learning environment, and schools can implement and enhance educational programs based on the analysis of data collected.
It is highly important as a teacher to focus on meeting the needs of students within the classroom and, through data, identifying and striving towards making the learning environment (classroom and school) suitable for all learners. My classroom will be data-driven, with the purpose of meeting students' needs.
In my classroom, I will...
- I will organize the data I collect. By organizing the data that I collect from students achievement scores, perceptions of involved stakeholders, demographic factors, and school process influences, I will be better able to answer purposeful questions that lead to student success. "Gathering data for its own sake is counterproductive...The goal of using data to improve learning for all students should always be paramount" (Bernhardt, 2003, p. 30).
- I will use data to direct my instruction. The data that I collect will indicate the effective or ineffective practices of my instructional procedures and/or classroom policies. By using the multiple measures of data, I will identify possible weaknesses in my teaching and refine these practices to best meet the needs of my students.
- I will use data to identify struggling and/or accelerated students. Part of collecting data means involving and identifying school processes that would be appropriate to meet the needs of students. When suggesting a student for special education services, including 504 plans, I will use data to provide probable cause for this need and justify my reasons for suggesting a student for these school wide services. If a student does require services such as an IEP, I will record and explain student difficulties and challenges, assess the power of instructional interventions, and monitor student progress which will be accomplished by compiling student data as well as key steps in the IEP process (Smith, 2007). A data-driven classroom will result in this important collection of evidence that would get these students the services they must have to fulfill their needs.
- I will meet students' learning needs through a cycle of data use.
Teachers can improve their ability to meet students' learning needs through a cycle of
instructional improvement that revolves around data collection and use. The cycle includes:
o Gathering relevant date
o Interpreting the data and developing hypotheses about what is needed to help students improve
o Testing hypotheses through changes in instructional practice
o Assessing the impact of those practices
- I will utilize all four measures of data. Demographics, perceptions, school processes, and student learning will guide my data collection and analysis within my classroom. As Bernhardt suggests (1998), I will use key questions to direct my efforts to improve student success and the learning environment. By giving context to evidence of student achievement and effectiveness of my teaching strategies, such as demographics and perception, I will be able to portray a more accurate picture of the truth behind the data (Bernhardt, 1998).
- I will involve stakeholders to communicate and collect data. Students, parents, administrators, and parents will all be involved in the communication and collection of data in my classroom. These stakeholders will be a valuable component in collecting pertinent information such as demographics, school processes, and perceptions. Student learning will be measured by student academic achievement. By communicating with other teachers, I will collaborate to share and glean new "effective practices, adopt common expectations for student performance, and develop understanding of the needs of individual students" (Barton, 2011, p. 20).
In my classroom, I will NOT...
- I will not utilize only one type of data. While each component of data collection (quantitative, qualitative, demographic, student learning, school processes, and perception) are all valuable and important pieces of data to collect, they are only that - pieces. Data analysis is much more effective when more than one measure work together to construct meaning and provide possible action steps to take to enhance the learning environment and student achievement. I will use both qualitative and quantitative data as well as a combination of the four measures of data collection to inform my instruction and classroom atmosphere.
- I will not misuse or misrepresent data. With the purpose to inform, it is imperative that communicated data represents precisely what it is meant to represent. I will stay true to the data, and analysis of this data, that I collect in my classroom and conduct my instruction accordingly. I will not skew the data that I collect in any way to make myself look better at the risk of student learning and achievement. Data will be used to promote student learning and better the school-wide community and learning environment.
11 Steps for Promoting a Data-Driven Culture Within a School
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1. Understanding and Knowledge - All district and school staff need a thorough understanding of how data are used to support instructional decision making. This understanding must then be combined with adequate knowledge and skills to use that data appropriately.
2. Essential Elements - Schools can provide such supports as data facilitator or coach, structured time for collaboration, and professional development. These supports can help schools build capacity among all staff for data use.
3. Facilitation - In order to encourage staff to use data effectively, schools can provide a facilitator or coach with expertise in using data and the ability to train and encourage other staff. Data facilitators can be district staff members who support multiple schools, full-time teachers who provide coaching to other staff, or a dedicated site-level staff person who supports all teachers in that school.
4. Facilitation duties—Data facilitators’ duties include:
• Modeling data use and interpretation using examples that relate to the school’s learning goals
• Demonstrating how a data-driven diagnosis of student learning issues applies to daily classroom practices
• Assisting staff with data interpretation by preparing data reports and related materials
• Training staff on how to use data to improve their instructional practices and, by extension, student achievement
5. Staff collaboration—Encouraging teachers to work collaboratively with data can highlight achievement patterns across grade levels, departments, or schools. A school culture that encourages collaboration in this way can promote consistency in instructional and assessment practices and expectations.
6. Structured time—Structured time can be set aside for staff to collaboratively analyze and interpret their students’ achievement data and to talk about instructional changes. This time also can be used for professional development on data use.
7. Targeted professional development—In order for staff to learn to use data in a way that is consistent with school goals, schools and districts need to provide ongoing opportunities for professional development
8. Professional development opportunities—Staff will need to develop new skill sets, ranging from data entry to data analysis to team leadership.
9. Easing into a new culture—Creating staff confidence in, and comfort with, a new data system can increase the chance that data will be used regularly and effectively to raise student achievement. Training should be implemented in small doses and occur close to the time that the data system is implemented, or before any system enhancements go into effect.
10. Specific training needs—It can sometimes be difficult to find professional development opportunities that are aligned with the specific needs of the school. With the assistance of the data team, schools can examine their needs and discuss them with their professional development provider.
11. Securing resources for success—Principals and district-level administrators can work to secure the fiscal and human resources necessary to ensure that staff understands how to interpret and interact with data.
(Barton, 2011, p. 22-23)