““Schools need to move away from Schools need to move away from continually adopting innovations” continually adopting innovations” and instead “collectively focus on and instead “collectively focus on goals and regularly measure the goals and regularly measure the

impact of the methods.”impact of the methods.”

Mike SchmokerMike Schmoker, , author: Results The Key to Continuous author: Results The Key to Continuous Improvement (Schmoker, 1999)Improvement (Schmoker, 1999)

What is Data Driven Decision What is Data Driven Decision Making?Making?

DDDM is a comprehensive plan to DDDM is a comprehensive plan to analyze student needs and progress analyze student needs and progress school wide in a manner consistent with school wide in a manner consistent with the program focus that a school has the program focus that a school has already agreed upon.already agreed upon.

An effective plan will utilize programs An effective plan will utilize programs and efforts that already achieve positive and efforts that already achieve positive goals.goals.

What data does DDDM analyze?What data does DDDM analyze?

It analyzes Spheres of Data in the It analyzes Spheres of Data in the following areas: following areas:

DemographicsDemographics

Student LearningStudent Learning

School ProcessesSchool Processes

PerceptionsPerceptions

The Vision . . The Vision . . ..

Accountability in ActionAccountability in Action

In his “90/90/90” Doug Reeves of the In his “90/90/90” Doug Reeves of the Center for Performance Assessment Center for Performance Assessment identified 228 schools with 90% students identified 228 schools with 90% students in poverty, 90% minorities and 90% in poverty, 90% minorities and 90% high high test performance.test performance.

Schools shared at least 5 Schools shared at least 5 characteristics . . .characteristics . . .

5 Successful School Characteristics5 Successful School Characteristics

A strong focus on academic achievementA strong focus on academic achievement Clear curriculum choicesClear curriculum choices Frequent assessment of student Frequent assessment of student

progress and multiple opportunities for progress and multiple opportunities for improvementimprovement

An emphasis on nonfiction writingAn emphasis on nonfiction writing Collaborative scoring of student work Collaborative scoring of student work

with explicit guidelineswith explicit guidelines

The most DOMINANT FACTORS in The most DOMINANT FACTORS in determining student success!determining student success!

Teacher quality and effective leadership, Teacher quality and effective leadership, determined student success not determined student success not demographics. demographics.

Mr. Reeves identified 9 teaching and Mr. Reeves identified 9 teaching and leadership characteristics that leadership characteristics that distinguished schools with the greatest distinguished schools with the greatest academic gains. academic gains.

Distinguished SchoolsDistinguished Schools

Schools devoted time for teacher collaboration, Schools devoted time for teacher collaboration, focusing on student work and proficiencyfocusing on student work and proficiency

Teachers provided typically more feed back than Teachers provided typically more feed back than typical report cardtypical report card

Schools made dramatic changes to their schedules.Schools made dramatic changes to their schedules. Teachers engaged in action research and mid-course Teachers engaged in action research and mid-course

correctionscorrections Principals made decisive moves in teacher Principals made decisive moves in teacher

assignments.assignments. Schools included an intensive focus on student data Schools included an intensive focus on student data

from multiple sources, and teachers compared from multiple sources, and teachers compared students to themselves rather than to other student students to themselves rather than to other student groups. (continued)groups. (continued)

Distinguished Schools Distinguished Schools (continued)(continued)

Schools consistently used common assessments (as Schools consistently used common assessments (as opposed to tests) and quickly received feedback to opposed to tests) and quickly received feedback to help improve. Performance.help improve. Performance.

Schools employed the resources of every adult in the Schools employed the resources of every adult in the system (including bus drivers and kitchen staff) and system (including bus drivers and kitchen staff) and provided appropriate professional development, provided appropriate professional development, especially around student achievement and especially around student achievement and disciplinary issues.disciplinary issues.

Schools stressed a cross-disciplinary curriculum Schools stressed a cross-disciplinary curriculum integrating subjects currently downplayed. integrating subjects currently downplayed.

ReferencesReferences

Reeves, Douglas B., 2000 (second printing). Reeves, Douglas B., 2000 (second printing). Accountability in action: a Accountability in action: a blueprint for learning organizationsblueprint for learning organizations, Advanced Learning Press, Denver, , Advanced Learning Press, Denver, ColoradoColorado

Schmoker, 1999 Schmoker, 1999 The Key to continuous Improvement, ASCD, The Key to continuous Improvement, ASCD, Alexandria VirginiaAlexandria Virginia

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