Examining Monitoring Examining Monitoring Data Data

Lani SeikalyLani Seikaly

mdk12.org/data/coursemdk12.org/data/course

Examining Your Monitoring Examining Your Monitoring DataData

Plan for data dialoguesPlan for data dialogues Find time for data dialoguesFind time for data dialogues Lead data dialoguesLead data dialogues Communicate expectations for Communicate expectations for

data dialoguesdata dialogues

Plan for data dialoguesPlan for data dialogues

According to Rick DuFour, principals mustAccording to Rick DuFour, principals must

provide a school context that fosters job-provide a school context that fosters job-embedded professional development and embedded professional development and with creating in their schools the with creating in their schools the collaborative culture of a professional collaborative culture of a professional learning community learning community

provide the focus, parameters, and support provide the focus, parameters, and support to help teams function effectively. to help teams function effectively.

From a JSDFrom a JSD article entitled, article entitled, In the Right In the Right ContextContext

More specifically, principals who are More specifically, principals who are staff development leaders must: staff development leaders must:

1) Provide time for collaboration in 1) Provide time for collaboration in the school day and school year.the school day and school year. Providing time for teachers to work Providing time for teachers to work together does not require keeping together does not require keeping students at home and/or an infusion of students at home and/or an infusion of new resources. Principals as staff new resources. Principals as staff development leaders work with staff to development leaders work with staff to identify no-cost strategies that enable identify no-cost strategies that enable teachers to work together on a regular teachers to work together on a regular basis while students are on campus.basis while students are on campus.

2) Identify critical questions to 2) Identify critical questions to guide the work of collaborative guide the work of collaborative teams.teams. The impact of providing The impact of providing time for teachers to engage in time for teachers to engage in collective inquiry will be collective inquiry will be determined to a great extent by determined to a great extent by the nature of the questions the nature of the questions teachers are considering. teachers are considering. Principals must help teams frame Principals must help teams frame questions that focus on critical questions that focus on critical issues of teaching and learning. issues of teaching and learning.

3) Ask teams to create products as a 3) Ask teams to create products as a result of their collaboration.result of their collaboration. The best way The best way to help teachers use their collaborative time to help teachers use their collaborative time productively is to ask them to produce and productively is to ask them to produce and present artifacts in response to the critical present artifacts in response to the critical questions they are considering. Examples questions they are considering. Examples might include statements of student outcomes might include statements of student outcomes by units of instruction, development of new by units of instruction, development of new units to address gaps between state units to address gaps between state standards and local curriculum, creation of standards and local curriculum, creation of common assessments and rubrics, common assessments and rubrics, articulation of team protocols or norms to articulation of team protocols or norms to guide the interactions of team members, or guide the interactions of team members, or formulation of improvement plans based on formulation of improvement plans based on

analysis of student achievement data.analysis of student achievement data.

4) Insist that teams identify and 4) Insist that teams identify and pursue specific student pursue specific student achievement goals.achievement goals. The driving The driving force behind the effort to create a force behind the effort to create a collaborative culture must be collaborative culture must be improved results. Principals foster improved results. Principals foster improved results when they ask improved results when they ask teaching teams to identify and teaching teams to identify and pursue specific, measurable pursue specific, measurable student achievement goals. student achievement goals.

5) Provide teams with relevant 5) Provide teams with relevant data and information.data and information. When When every teacher has access to every teacher has access to information on his or her students information on his or her students performance in meeting agreed performance in meeting agreed upon standards, on valid upon standards, on valid assessments, in comparison to assessments, in comparison to other students trying to achieve other students trying to achieve the same standards, both the same standards, both individual teachers and teams individual teachers and teams improve their effectiveness. improve their effectiveness.

The Principal’s ChallengeThe Principal’s Challenge

What expectations can you give your What expectations can you give your instructional teams that will ensure instructional teams that will ensure they use student data to make the they use student data to make the kinds of instructional decisions that kinds of instructional decisions that would result in improved student would result in improved student achievement? achievement?

How do you expect these teams of How do you expect these teams of teachers to collaborate in this effort? teachers to collaborate in this effort? What do you want the end product(s) What do you want the end product(s) to look like? to look like?

How can teachers demonstrate that How can teachers demonstrate that they have used this information to they have used this information to inform instruction? inform instruction?

Find time for data dialoguesFind time for data dialogues

An ASCD article in An ASCD article in Educational Educational LeadershipLeadership, entitled, “, entitled, “Finding Time for CollaborationFinding Time for Collaboration” ” by Mary Anne Raywid offers 15 by Mary Anne Raywid offers 15 examples of how schools are examples of how schools are experimenting with creative experimenting with creative ways to make or find time for ways to make or find time for shared reflection. shared reflection.

Find time for data dialoguesFind time for data dialogues

In the March 2000 issue of In the March 2000 issue of Education Update, Dan Galloway, Education Update, Dan Galloway, principal of Stevensville High School, principal of Stevensville High School, is quoted as saying, “Teachers didn’t is quoted as saying, “Teachers didn’t want collaborative time in addition to want collaborative time in addition to the school day — they wanted it as the school day — they wanted it as part of their school day.” Teachers part of their school day.” Teachers found time by deciding to arrive at found time by deciding to arrive at school 15 minutes early on the first school 15 minutes early on the first day of the week and delay students day of the week and delay students starting classes by 30 minutes so starting classes by 30 minutes so that teams could collaborate..that teams could collaborate..

Find time for data dialoguesFind time for data dialogues

““To keep teachers from using To keep teachers from using planning time for routine activities planning time for routine activities like grading papers, Galloway like grading papers, Galloway requires his teachers to produce requires his teachers to produce common assessments, rubrics, data common assessments, rubrics, data analysis on assessment, and analysis on assessment, and strategies for improving.” They were strategies for improving.” They were not asked to submit agendas or not asked to submit agendas or minutes of meetings, but rather the minutes of meetings, but rather the products they producedproducts they produced

Leading Data DialoguesLeading Data Dialogues requires a focus, data, guiding requires a focus, data, guiding

questions, and an understanding of questions, and an understanding of the collaborative inquiry process. the collaborative inquiry process.

assists teams in making shared assists teams in making shared meaning of data, in surfacing meaning of data, in surfacing multiple perspectives, in separating multiple perspectives, in separating data from inference, and in making data from inference, and in making data-driven decisions. data-driven decisions.

Though the data is key to the dialogue, Though the data is key to the dialogue, the process of collaborative inquiry the process of collaborative inquiry drives the results. drives the results.

Leading Data DialoguesLeading Data Dialogues

It is important that group leaders It is important that group leaders develop skills in develop skills in

managing, managing, modeling, modeling, mediating, and mediating, and monitoring monitoring

effective group process and that effective group process and that groups develop strong groups develop strong collaborative norms. collaborative norms.

Seven Norms of Seven Norms of Collaborative WorkCollaborative Work PausingPausing ParaphrasingParaphrasing ProbingProbing Putting ideas on the tablePutting ideas on the table Paying attention to self and Paying attention to self and

othersothers Presuming positive Presuming positive

presuppositionspresuppositions Pursuing a balance between Pursuing a balance between

advocacy and inquiryadvocacy and inquiry

developed by Laura Lipton and Bruce Welmandeveloped by Laura Lipton and Bruce Welman

Paying attention to self and Paying attention to self and others:others: Meaningful dialogue is facilitated Meaningful dialogue is facilitated

when each group member is when each group member is conscious of self and others and is conscious of self and others and is aware of not only aware of not only whatwhat s/he is s/he is saying, but saying, but howhow it is said and how it is said and how others are responding. This includes others are responding. This includes paying attention to learning styles paying attention to learning styles when planning for, facilitating, and when planning for, facilitating, and participating in group meetings. participating in group meetings. Responding to others in their own Responding to others in their own language forms is one manifestation language forms is one manifestation of this norm. of this norm.

Presuming positive Presuming positive presuppositions:presuppositions:

Assuming that others’ intentions Assuming that others’ intentions are positive promotes and are positive promotes and facilitates meaningful dialogue facilitates meaningful dialogue and eliminates unintentional put-and eliminates unintentional put-downs. Using positive downs. Using positive presuppositions in your speech presuppositions in your speech is one manifestation of this is one manifestation of this norm. norm.

Pursuing a balance between Pursuing a balance between advocacy and inquiry:advocacy and inquiry:

Pursuing and maintaining a Pursuing and maintaining a balance between advocating a balance between advocating a position and inquiring about position and inquiring about one’s own and others’ positions one’s own and others’ positions assists the group to become a assists the group to become a learning organization. learning organization.

Good data-driven dialogue leads Good data-driven dialogue leads to data-driven decisions. If you to data-driven decisions. If you have organized ongoing data have organized ongoing data dialogues among stakeholders, it dialogues among stakeholders, it is much more likely that they will is much more likely that they will feel ownership for the data-feel ownership for the data-decisions you collectively make. decisions you collectively make.

Guidelines for Leading Data DialoguesGuidelines for Leading Data Dialogues

Choose a focus for the discussion.Choose a focus for the discussion. For example For example What does the data tell us about our student’s What does the data tell us about our student’s performance on drawing inferences? performance on drawing inferences?

Choose a format for the data that is Choose a format for the data that is easy to read.easy to read.   If teachers are bringing their own If teachers are bringing their own classroom data, decide on a common format. classroom data, decide on a common format.

Set ground rules for the discussion and Set ground rules for the discussion and enforce them.enforce them.

Model collaborative group norms.Model collaborative group norms. Provide adequate time for dialogue.Provide adequate time for dialogue.  

Otherwise, you will have difficulty reaching common Otherwise, you will have difficulty reaching common understanding. understanding.

Keep the focus on improvement, not on Keep the focus on improvement, not on blame.blame.

Guard against early conclusions of why Guard against early conclusions of why the data look like they do.the data look like they do. Instead, focus your Instead, focus your discussion on identifying the questions the data raise.discussion on identifying the questions the data raise.

Communicate expectations Communicate expectations for data dialoguesfor data dialogues

Write a memo to your staff that Write a memo to your staff that describes your expectations that describes your expectations that teams or departments teams or departments participate in ongoing data participate in ongoing data dialogues that will promote their dialogues that will promote their ongoing use of data to inform ongoing use of data to inform instruction. Be sure to identify instruction. Be sure to identify the reason, focus, and end the reason, focus, and end products for these dialogues. products for these dialogues.

Staff members should be able to Staff members should be able to answer the following questions:answer the following questions:

Why does my principal expect me to Why does my principal expect me to participate in data dialogues? participate in data dialogues?

How will it benefit students? How will it benefit students? Who’s in charge of ensuring this happens? Who’s in charge of ensuring this happens? How often does my principal expect me to How often does my principal expect me to

participate in data dialogues? When? participate in data dialogues? When? How will my principal know that I am doing How will my principal know that I am doing

it? it? What am I expected to produce as end What am I expected to produce as end

products to these dialogues? products to these dialogues? What am I expected to do with these end What am I expected to do with these end

products?products?