The best part of using data in this way is that you don’t need a Professional Learning Community structure. In fact, a PLC format might get in the way of the work by making things take longer. Instead, the most important task is to measure what matters, communicate data to your team, and take action that serves students and teachers effectively.
Tag Archives: data based decision making
Before you create a DEI task force, make a spreadsheet.
All organizations should have a DEI task force. And, the task force deserves to know what problem they are trying to solve. Without precision and clarity, an organization that begins the work of addressing systemic racism without first looking at their data is probably wasting time.
New resource: Individual Behavior Support Plan Template
Worksheet (45 minutes, maybe 90 minutes if there’s a lot to read) or a complete Functional Behavioral Analysis (weeks). Schools can use this template as part of their Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), Response to Intervention (RTI), or Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) protocols to develop a behavioral support plan for youth.
New resource: Individual Student Drill Down Worksheet
This worksheet is modeled after Tier 1, 2, and 3 systems and practices common in schools implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). However, any school or youth-serving organization can use this template to frame issues needing support more effectively.
Why data literacy matters.
-by Pamela Dean, M.Ed. According to a review of Data Literacy of Educators: Making it Count in Teacher Preparation and Practice in the Harvard Educational Review, data literacy in education is the ability to create actionable instruction based on the collection and examination of student data such as attendance, grades, test scores, behavior, and motivation. Sounds easy enough:Continue reading “Why data literacy matters.”
Be prepared: Three practices to make your data meetings effective and efficient
-by Annmarie Granstrand James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, shares that we don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems. As a literacy coach, I was always on the hunt for routines that could bear the weight of big data. Here are some strategies to build intoContinue reading “Be prepared: Three practices to make your data meetings effective and efficient”
Three true objections to data that you can’t ignore.
-by Timothy (Tim) Grivois, Ed.D. While most school leaders view reviewing student data in professional learning communities (PLCs) to be essential, most teachers view these meetings as a waste of time. (Gates Foundation, 2014). Here are three objections to data that I hear frequently from teachers that I encourage all leaders like you to validateContinue reading “Three true objections to data that you can’t ignore.“
Two reasons why your team resists data.
-by Timothy (Tim) Grivois, Ed.D. Right now, I’m working on a presentation on data for Youth On Their Own a nonprofit in Southern Arizona that supports youth without permanent homes to graduate high school. Like many of the schools, nonprofits, and government agencies I work with, data is at the heart of what Youth onContinue reading “Two reasons why your team resists data.”
No more triangles. No more tiers.
One of my clients is building a system for supporting students’ social, emotional, and academic achievement for the first time. Another is revising their approach to ensure that they are aware of their students’ social, emotional, and academic needs and has already created a system for supporting anything that might prevent student learning. Often, people call this “response to intervention” or “RTI.” Both are accomplishing this work with no triangles, and no tiers.
Visibly dismantle racism. Do it now.
Yes, form a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Of course, lead book studies and share articles. Develop surveys and such. These are all long-term strategies that might possibly support antiracism work in your workspace. Just know that they are insufficient.