A Data Room in the Making

Next week, my principal and I are going to see a middle school's data room.  This is part of our plan to set up our own data room, for which we have made great head-way.  Even though our district provides opportunities for teachers to look at data, the group who feels ownership of that data is very small.  Currently, through the county's Continuous School Improvement (CSI) plan, a group of teachers meets during the summer to look at data and to develop goals for the school based on student performance on standardized assessments.  When those goals are set, I create a "cheat sheet" for the teachers that I call "CIP [Continuous Improvement Plan] At a Glance."  This at least gives the rest of the faculty a chance to see what the goals are and to align their instruction with those goals.  While this process creates awareness for our teachers, it doesn't create ownership because the majority of the faculty has had little to no involvement in looking at the data or setting the goals.

Our data room will change that focus.  We are going to put every single student's data up for all teachers to see.  Every time teachers give a benchmark test, they will add that data to the student's data profile.  This should allow us to easily look at student progress or lack thereof.  

The important thing to remember is the reason for looking at data.  It's not to shake our fingers at those who aren't doing well.  It's to know immediately who's not doing well, to look at why they're not doing well, and to redirect instruction before it's too late.  Additionally, we must understand that the role of the teachers is to question each other.  In other words, if they notice a trend that everyone in Ms. Smith's room is doing well on fractions, they need to see what techniques Ms. Smith is using to ensure student success and to take those "best practices" back to their own classrooms.  This is the true purpose of data-driven instruction.  It's to see who's doing what well and to improve our own practice by learning from our colleagues.

In this video, educators from one school district talk about how they became more data driven and what it's done for their school system.

The 5 Elements of Data Integration

Oftentimes the way teachers gauge student success is through a method that has been termed the "cardiac approach:"

I feel like my students really understand concept x, y, or z.

So what brought about the change from the "cardiac approach" to a more data-driven approach?  Though in many ways, the responsible change agent is a four-letter word, it can be attributed with having teachers look more closely at data.  You guessed it:  the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).


Consider this quote from an article published in Educational Leadership:

The marriage between the data-driven movement and No Child Left Behind instigated many positive actions, especially on behalf of low-performing subgroups. As Tom Peters (1987) wrote two decades ago, "What gets measured gets done." 

You will find a link to the full article below.

But how do we help teachers make a healthy and, hopefully, painless transition from the cardiac approach to a data-driven approach?  In Larry Berger's article "4 Ways to Build Data-Driven Classrooms," he gives us some helpful suggestions for making the process easier for teachers.  He suggests, in short, that we must 1) build a culture that is data-driven, 2) keep the data simple, 3) make sure the data is in a usable form for teachers, so they have time to use it and don't spend all their time simply culling it, and 4) that we set short-term goals, so that teachers see more immediate results between data and performance.  Here is a link to the full article:

4 Ways to Build Data-Driven Instruction

I can honestly say that I didn't do much with data until I became a high school reading specialist.  When I took that position, I believed it was essential to monitor the reading growth of the students I served.  Because they were already behind academically, we did not have time to waste on what didn't work.  I would like to think that some of our success was because I followed the steps that Berger mentions in his article.  I worked very hard with the other reading teachers and with the faculty as a whole to build a data-driven culture--at least in the area of reading.  I made a simple Excel spreadsheet on which I tracked all student progress data, so teachers could see, at a glance, what was happening.  Each student had a nine-weeks goal, so we could see progress.  If we did not see progress, we changed direction with that student.  I also ran one test program alongside our primary program to see if we could find anything that out-performed what we were already doing.  (As an aside, nothing ever outperformed our primary program.)

I think my work as a reading specialist gave me a jump start in looking at and being guided by data.  This makes me think there may be a fifth element that Berger left out of his article--passion.  When we are passionate about what we do, it makes all the difference in how we approach it.


Educational Leadership article

Data meets Common Core meets Technology. Wow!

A recent article in T.H.E Journal highlighted a school district that was using technology to address two important concepts:  the new common core and data-driven instruction.  Obviously, I was taken with the article because helping teachers effectively use data is important to me.  This technology tool is offered by Texas Instruments (TI) and is called MathForward.  The program allows teachers to use whatever teaching tools they wish.  Instead of focusing on a particular textbook, it focuses on using graphing calculators and a navigator system, so that teachers have instant access to student data at all times and can more easily differentiate instruction. 

One common complaint of new technology initiatives is lack of adequate professional development.  This is not the case with MathForward.  The program provides teachers with five face-to-face training days, four days per month of coaching and assisting teachers with data collection and analysis, and four to five collaborative sessions with teachers working together in professional learning communities. 

What seems significant to me is that, according to this article, teachers spend less time grading and more time using instant data to differentiate instruction.  Though I certainly am not trying to promote this, or any commercial program, I do, by all means, champion what it is attempting to do.  Anything that helps us, as educators, spend more time looking at individual student data to tailor instruction seems worthy of consideration.  Below are two links to more information about the program.  One links to the TI website and one to T.H.E. Journal in case you would like to read the entire article.  I have also included a YouTube video about the program.

Texas Instrument's MathForward

T.H.E Journal

I think MathForward has great promise in helping teachers use data to meet students' individual needs.  Whether you are drawn to this program or not, I would strongly encourage you to subscribe to T.H.E. Journal.  The subscription is free, and you might be surprised about how much useful information you can get for free!

Social Bookmarking: Global Data Sharing?

Part of being a good leader is leading by example. If I tell teachers they should be using data to improve what they do, I should also be using data, right?  This concept applies to technology integration as well.  If we, as a school, need to do a better job of using technology, then we may need to consult with experts in the field to determine what the best practices are.  To that end, I offer a link to a social bookmarking list I have created:

List of Technology Resources

The wealth of information about using technology is incredible, and I learned a great deal from searching for it.  Many schools are already doing wonderful things that we can emulate and refine to fit our own schools.  You Tube allows teachers to gain a plethora of knowledge--without having to pay a single dime in registration fees.  See my list for how-to videos on using tools such as SketchUp, Glogster, and Kid Blog.  Another thing I learned is how many Open Source options there are that may help schools utilize great technology solutions without overspending.

Because technology changes so rapidly, it only makes sense that this list would need to be revisited periodically and updated to reflect changing practices.  Social bookmarking is also a great way for faculty to share ideas with one another.  Two years ago, I worked with one of our county technology people to create a social bookmarking site for our teachers.  We bookmarked sites that pertained to meeting the needs of a diverse student population.  Teachers could use this site to easily access information instead of having to cull through literally thousands of sites brought up by a Web search.

Two of my favorite resources on this list are the Jose Picardo links ("Box of Tricks" [a blog of his]and "Top Ten Tips . . ." [a You Tube video]).  Another concept I really like is presented in the article "New School Technology:  Introducing Tech STARS."   

I hope you enjoy these resources and find them useful.  In addition to the information you get from looking at the sites themselves, you may well find links to other sites that are specific to your needs and interests.

If you have sites you find particularly helpful, please comment below with a link--maybe I can add them to my list!

The Data Room: Education Warfare

See if you can relate to this scenario:

Parent:  I guess you really like having your summers off.

Me:  Well, actually, I work during the summer.  I have about 2 1/2 weeks off.

Parent:  Really???  (Look of confusion.)  What do you do in the summer?

If you're an educator, you can appreciate the humor in this exchange.  From late February until early August, what I do is prepare for the next school year.   This year my preparation involves establishing a data room.  My principal and I are busy looking at the research and at articles to decide how we want our data room to look.  We're also looking to find other middle schools in the state who have data rooms, so we can take some teacher leaders and go visit a data room.  We know that a huge part of success is getting teacher buy-in. 

There are a couple of things we have to keep in mind about data and data rooms.  As Scott Mohon, one of Shelby County's test coordinators recently said, "It's not about the numbers but the stories those numbers tell."  We don't look at data because data is fun.  We look at data because data can tell us why students aren't successful, so we can begin to figure out what to do about it.  Another great reminder comes from the article "Using Data Rooms to Map Your Way to Success" (linked below):  "In creating data rooms, administrators need to stress to faculty members that the rooms are not designed to add to their workloads or criticize their teaching. . . . [W]e're not asking them to do more.  We're asking them to throw away some stuff and do it differently . . . pare away things that are not as important." 

Using Data Rooms to Map Your Way to Success

In another article about data, one of the school's math teacher's said, "We've always had the data, but my goal in doing this [establishing a data room] is it's very visual.  Teachers can come in and see it.  It's not just paper sitting there." 

But, warns Principal Gasparello, "It can look nice, but if this doesn't change the way we do our instruction, then it doesn't mean anything."

Data Room Keeps Teachers, Students Focused on Goals

In some schools, data rooms are known as "war rooms" after military strategy rooms.  And to a great degree that's an accurate depiction.  As schools come under greater and greater scrutiny, there is less room for mistakes.  That means we have to pay closer attention to every decision we make and have a strong rationale for why we make it--not because we need to be accountable to politicians who make laws about things they have never experienced but because we help guide the lives of children who are looking to us to help propel them forward.  They deserve the best we can give them.

Education Today: Blending the Old and the New

I had the great fortune of spending last week--my spring break--in Europe.  Three days in Paris and three days in Rome.  I saw some interesting things that seemed to relate to my quandary about getting teachers to use data.  We must encourage them to blend the old and the new.  I was on the tower climb at Notre Dame Cathedral, "oohhing" and "aahhing" over the workmanship of the building and the gargoyles (and the view of Paris).  As I was coming out of the staircase at the end of the tower climb--of a building constructed over the period of the twelfth century--an electronic door swung open to let me out.  I am convinced that the electronic door was not part of the original construction.  But it did serve an important purpose.  No one has to "man" the door, and no one has to worry about the door being left open.  This is a great blend of using existing knowledge to create a contemporary solution to a problem.

Isn't this what we want teachers to do with technology and data?  We don't want or need them to throw out what they do well.  There will always be a place for "best practices."  However, we need them to understand that new technologies can help them gather information that can help redirect their teaching efforts productively, and it can help them engage students, who are growing up using technology on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour basis.

Oftentimes, teachers focus either on the technology or on the curriculum, not really understanding that they need to blend the two.  Though there is a "typo" in this animated demonstration chart, I still think it's quite an interesting model:  A Model of Technology Adoption

There is no doubt in my mind that technology can never and will never replace a teacher.  However, we need to encourage teachers to become comfortable with the technology that--if they only realized it--would make their jobs easier.


Consider the following quote from an article in T.H.E. Journal: 

"While technology has changed what is possible and how students can be supported and resourced in their learning, the principles of effective instruction never really change. The technology is not what drives learning but simply what mediates and supports the process; therefore, it is vital that professors, instructors and teachers remain focused on the overall process of learning and their own teaching strategies and methods throughout. What has significantly changed is the way in which these effective teaching strategies can be achieved at a higher level using new technology."

This kind of thinking represents what I'm talking about.  It's not about teachers doing more--it's about doing, more effectively what they already do.  If you'd like to read the entire article, here is the link:

Technology's Impact on Effective Teaching Strategies

One last point--and this one is just for a bit of fun--we all need to remember that the technology that seems so hard to us today will be what we fondly laugh about tomorrow.  Watch below.

Data rich but information poor?

What does it take to lead teachers toward using technology?  One might think that serving as an example would be a step in the right direction.  And it might be, but if it is, my steps are definitely slow ones.  This is my third year as an assistant principal.  The faculty at my school was used to an administrator who distributed paper calendars to everyone with the month's upcoming events.  That seemed like a waste of energy to me because I put everything on my Outlook calendar.  So I would "invite" them as "attendees" when something was going on, which would put the event on their Outlook calendars.  It didn't work or I caved too easily.  After a year of having teachers tell me they were frustrated because they never knew what was going on (REALLY?), I started year two with double the work--creating a paper calendar for them and putting everything in my Outlook calendar, so I could get those handy pop-up reminders.

To me, this phenomenon of having information readily available but not being able to use it is much like how teachers engage with student data.  They have a lot of information--standardized testing, common formative assessments, classroom assessments, etc., but they, oftentimes, don't know what to do with it.  Thomas and Huffman (2009) state, "It is imperative that principals . . . employ processes to help teachers examine various types of data and think about how data can be used to inform instructional decisions that lead to increased student achievement" (p. 94).  The process that they describe in their article employs use of teacher collaboration.  See below to read the full article. 

 Thomas & Huffman's Article

To me, nothing offers a greater model of collaboration than the DuFour's model of Professional Learning Communities (PLC).   From the beginning, we have to get teachers engaged with what it means to be a PLC.  We know it's not about discussing field trips and who's been creating classrooms disruptions lately, but teachers are more engaged when they are part of the process.  Here's a good place to start.  Send your teachers to All Things PLC, a great resource of the DuFour's organization, Solution Tree.  (By the way, I've added them to the Twitter list from my last post.)

All Things PLC

 If your teachers are more visual or if you need something to use as an introduction, consider this short You Tube video (also from Solution Tree):