Inquiry-based, Data-driven Decision Making

Ric Seager - Bronson Community Schools

“Being data driven is an admirable goal. Just because a school collects data, does not mean the data are being used to improve student achievement.”

Robert Marzano

“Authentic PLC’s are exceedingly rare in schools; unsupervised isolation is the norm.”

Mike Schmoker

“Most of us in education are mediocre at what we do” (Wagner)

“Every study of classroom practice reveals that most teaching is mediocre – or worse.” (Goddard, Sizer, et. al.)

“Direct involvement in instruction is among the least frequent activities performed by administrators of any kind, at any level” (Elmore)

“Excellent teachers modify their curriculum based on data collected from student learning.”

“Excellent teachers take responsibility for failed student performance.”

Platt, Trip, Ogden, Fraser

“The best explanation for why our schools aren’t far more successful, intellectually engaging places is fairly simple: the most important people within and outside schools know very little about what actually goes on inside them.”

Mike Schmoker

Do you agree or disagree with this premise? Take a stand….

1. Know your school

2. Know your students

3. Know each other

4. Collect and analyze data

5. Set goals for improvement based on the data

6. Adjust instructional processes

7. Check your progress regularly

1. Uncover, needs, priorities and resources2. Build a school profile to better understand

strengths and weaknesses3. Develop intrinsic motivation through

consensus4. Create a focused direction for change,

accompanied by realistic goals5. Establish baseline measures to measure

progress and evaluate programs/practices

Aldersebaes, Inge, Potter, Hamilton, 2000

The purpose of a TBD is not to debate but to gain new ideas and deepen understanding

Refer to text whenever possible, citing page and location

Speak to each other, not the facilitator

Monitor your own ‘air time’

The most promising context for continuous professional learning

A Professional Learning Community, or

PLC is an extended learning opportunity to foster collaborative learning among colleagues within a particular work environment or field.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Learning_Community

Professional Learning Communities seek to

promote life long learning for its members through a safe and supportive working and learning environment which encourages collaboration, innovation, sharing and the development of partnerships.

http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=13525

I. What do students need to know and be able to do?

II. How will we know when they have learned it?

III. What will we do for those who haven’t learned it?

IV. What will we do for those who already know it?

Teachers As Sole Proprietors

Teachers As Teammates

Teachers As Collaborative Workers

Educators as Learners

Educators as Learning Professionals

Shared beliefs, values and vision

Shared and supportive leadership

Supportive conditions – structural and relational

Collective, intentional & applied learning

Shared personal practices

1) Filling the Time

What are we supposed to be doing?

2) Sharing Personal Practices

What is everyone doing in their classrooms?

3) Planning, Planning, Planning

What should we be teaching?

4. Developing Common Assessments

What does mastery look like?

5. Analyzing Student Learning

Are students learning what they’re supposed to learn?

6. Differentiating Follow-up

What are you doing differently for different learners?

7. Reflecting on Instructional Practices

Which practices are most effective?

Step One: Establish Student Achievement GoalsKnow how things are – then compare to how things ought to be

Step Two: Identify Important QuestionsBEFORE seeking solutions or posing theories, develop a list of deep questions regarding why the current reality exists.

Step Three: Collect Data To Answer QuestionsResist jumping to conclusions; let the data speak for itself; stay focused on the questions

Step Four: Purpose Data AnalysisSort the data in multiple ways – compare & contrast – look for ‘threads’

Step Five: Generate Theories and Create a PlanDraw inferences and formulate explanations; deal with reality – not assumptions

Step Six: Purposeful Action PlanningKeep the plan SMART and simple; assign internal accountability; know how you will measure the plan

Step Seven: Collect data on the planNot and end unto itself, but rather, an ongoing process

ENC - 2001

Easily disaggregated

Skill-based; objective-based

Routine, embedded, accessible assessments

BMAP Assesment 05

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

RIT

Scor

es

Fall Average 215 Spring Average 219

Standard/ClusterTeacher C - Fall -

21 StudentsTeacher C - Winter -

20 StudentsAdequate Progress

(>50% ?)Teacher D - Fall -

21 StudentsTeacher D - Winter -

23 StudentsAdequate Progress

(>50% ?)A.FO.06.03 62% 90% 100% 90% 83% 100%A.FO.06.04 33% 75% 100% 57% 74% 100%A.FO.06.06 36% 25% -33% 31% 37% 16%A.FO.06.07 24% 50% 57% 29% 43% 35%A.FO.06.11 43% 70% 100% 60% 65% 54%A.FO.06.12 24% 55% 68% 29% 48% 47%A.FO.06.13 17% 35% 34% 19% 20% 2%A.PA.06.01 38% 95% 100% 86% 78% 100%A.RP.06.02 29% 85% 100% 57% 65% 65%A.RP.06.10 52% 85% 100% 95% 87% 100%D.PR.06.01 43% 75% 100% 62% 48% -191%D.PR.06.02 48% 75% 100% 62% 78% 100%G.GS.06.01 10% 20% 17% 38% 30% -26%G.GS.06.02 43% 50% 27% 33% 57% 66%G.TR.06.03 43% 80% 100% 52% 65% 75%G.TR.06.04 38% 90% 100% 86% 91% 100%M.TE.06.03 43% 30% -49% 43% 26% -65%M.UN.06.01 10% 20% 17% 5% 26% 33%N.FL.06.02 38% 58% 64% 48% 54% 28%N.FL.06.04 24% 78% 100% 40% 50% 34%N.FL.06.09 38% 75% 100% 57% 78% 100%N.FL.06.10 19% 43% 48% 45% 26% -78%N.FL.06.12 38% 55% 54% 60% 54% -64%N.FL.06.14 31% 65% 89% 50% 57% 36%N.FL.06.15 33% 25% -22% 24% 24% 0%N.ME.06.06 29% 65% 89% 52% 43% -52%N.ME.06.11 10% 80% 100% 43% 52% 34%N.ME.06.16 38% 60% 70% 22% 54% 68%N.MR.06.01 38% 80% 100% 71% 57% -840%Class Average 33% 59% 72% 46% 51% 21%

ELA Teacher

GradePeriod

Fall Text Level

Spring Text Level

Adequate Progress

?

Fall Oral Reading

Rate

Spring Oral

Reading Rate

Fall Fluency Score

Spring Fluency Score

Fall Comprehens

ion

Spring Comprehensio

n

Keller 5 2 40 50 YES 101 109 9 12 13 15

Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 147 135 13 14 16 19

Keller 5 2 60 70 YES 128 146 13 13 16 16

Keller 5 2 60 70 YES 132 136 13 14 17 18

Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 127 130 14 14 20 19

Keller 5 2 24 30 NO 90 84 11 13 14 17

Keller 5 2 30 38 NO 78 114 11 12 15 20

Keller 5 2 34 40 NO 118 105 11 12 12 16

Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 138 144 10 13 15 18

Keller 5 2 10 14 NO   55     19 24

Keller 5 2 34 40 NO 118 130 11 14 12 18

Keller 5 2   14 NA   54       19

Keller 5 2 20 30 YES 60 81 11 13 12 17

Keller 5 2 38 50 YES 95 124 12 14 21 17

Keller 5 2 34 40 NO 113 117 13 13 17 15

Keller 5 2 38 50 YES 93 117 11 13 14 17

Keller 5 2 50 70 YES 115 131 12 13 13 15

Keller 5 2 40 70 YES 144 137 13 14 16 18

  5TH Start   Mid  

Lexile DRA DRA Change DRA Change

        1/16  

  58 60 7 68 13

830-980 50 80 30 80  

856-1006 50 50 0 70 20

1009-1159 70 80 10 80  

748-898 34 40 6 50 10

865-1015 50 60 10 60 0

714-864 40 40 0 50 10

454-604 50 40 -10 60 20

844-994 38 50 12 50 0

563-713 60 80 20 80  

533-683 30 40 10 50 10

884-1034 60 80 20 80  

872-1022 50 70 20 70  

617-767 50 70 20 70  

933-1083 80 60 -20 80 20

844-994 70 80 10 80  

661-811 60 40 -20 60 20

598-748 70 60 -10 80 20

  60 80 20 80  

  50 60 10 70 10

      0 70 70

Align the curriculum

Improve Teaching Strategies

Provide Special Instruction for Those Who Need It

Involve Students in the Process

Teachers must know the learning targets their students are supposed to master (Stiggins, 2001)

Teachers must be ‘assessment literate’ (Stiggins, 2001)

Teachers need embedded time to conduct PLC work

What do you want to know?

1. What don’t I know that I should be looking for?

2. How do my teachers know about the kids they have now, the kids they had, and the kids they’re going to have?

3. How much am I missing?

Ric Seager - seagerr@bronson.k12.mi.us