Using Data to Improve Student Learning

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Using Data to Improve Student Learning

• Workshops for Great Falls Teachers
• August, 2004

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The Purposes

• Scale up the use of effective data practices in
  GF classrooms
• Efficient use of assessment time
• Better data for instructional decisions
• More student engagement
• Improve student success and reduce student failure

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Where this data stuff comes from

• 1950s
• 1960s
• 1970s
• 1980s
• 1990s
• 2000s

Access
Results
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Druckers Observations (1994)

• an economic order in which knowledge, not labor
  or raw material or capital, is the key resource
• Knowledge workers require a good deal of
  formal education and the ability to acquire and
  to apply theoretical and analytical knowledge.
  They require a different approach to work and a
  different mind-set. Above all, they require a
  habit of continuous learning.

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Druckers Prediction (1994)

• Education will become the center of the knowledge
  society, and the school its key institution. What
  knowledge must everybody have? What is "quality"
  in learning and teaching? These will of necessity
  become central concerns of the knowledge society,
  and central political issues. In fact, the
  acquisition and distribution of formal knowledge
  may come to occupy the place in the politics of
  the knowledge society which the acquisition and
  distribution of property and income have occupied
  in our politics over the two or three centuries
  that we have come to call the Age of Capitalism.

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Practical Implications
Access

• Public interest in assessment OF learning
• Our interest in assessment FOR learning

Results
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Big Questions

• Theirs
• Are American (and Great Falls) students learning
  what they need to learn...well enough for our
  nation and city to prosper?

• Ours
• Is learning happening?
• What are we doing to cause learning to happen?

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What causes learning?
Guaranteed and viable curriculum
All students proficient
The Learning System
Dollops of feedback
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The Curriculum

• We have defined the content essential for all
  students to learn compared with the content
  considered supplemental and communicated this
  information to teachers.
• - Marzanos 1 factor affecting student learning
  (2003)

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The Feedback

• providing students with specific information
  about their standing in terms of particular
  objectives increased their achievement by 37
  percentile points.
• -Marzano (2000),
• referencing Hattie (1992)

• The most powerful single innovation that
  enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest
  prescription for improving education must be
  dollops of feedback .

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Lets Work on It
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Learning Cycle of Improvement
Where's the feedback?
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PDSA in the Classroom Means

• We can (and must) get better and better at
  learning (and teaching).
• Use data on learning as feedback to drive
  improvement.
• Work together with kids to make improvements that
  lead to more and better learning for individuals
  and the whole class.

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Standards-Based System

• Standards Whats to be learned?
• Assessment How do students prove they learned
  it?
• Curriculum How are we sure were teaching it?
• Instruction How are we sure were teaching well?

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Among yourselves

• What are your school goals?
• Do kids know them?
• Do parents know them?
• What does each of your classes do to contribute
  to your schools reaching those goals?
• How would you and your classes know you are
  contributing?

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The Age of Accountability

• From learning access to learning results
• New definition of improvement
• Ethics, values, mission
• Leadership as critical element
• Development of people
• Intention, alignment

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Take a Break!
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What I propose

• Make whats to be learned EXPLICIT
• SAMPLE frequently by the square root
• GRAPH the data (graph the data, and graph the
  data!)
• ANALYZE the patterns and trends
• ACT on what you find to change practice
• TOGETHER!

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Like These Teachers Did for Essential Knowledge

• Jeff Hoseley social studies
• Kevin Baker vocabulary
• Barbara Nelson - math
• Deb Molina-Walters science
• Hope Shawley music
• Dave Brown - Art

Secondary
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And Like These Did for Performance

• Jeff Burgard homework rubric
• Jana Vance - writing
• Deb Molina-Walters - science lab
• Kevin Baker (and entire faculty) reading speed
  and comprehension
• Dave Brown art
• David Bell - music

Secondary
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And These Did for Knowledge

• Lynne Merryfield Kindergarten
• Teachers at Mesilla Park Elementary Reading,
  Writing
• Carolyn Ayers Math facts

Elementary
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And These Did for Performance

• Mesilla Park Elementary Teachers Writing
• Ontario-Montclair (CA) coloring
• Christi Grossnickle bathroom behavior
• Cathy Cink classroom behavior

Elementary
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And in Special Education

• Ontario-Montclair (CA) Elementary sight words
• Grants High School (NM) - Vocabulary
• Marlane Parra Elementary speech therapy
• Marilyn Evans self-contained elementary class

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And in Vocational, Health, PE, Support

• Grants High School (NM) measurement connections
  between math and shop classes
• Grants (again) nutrition connections between
  health and cooking classes
• Psychologists, counselors counting and charting
  behavior
• PE whole class attainment

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The Basic Graphs

• Student Run Chart (individual progress)
• Class Scatter Diagram (every individual in the
  class on one graph)
• Class Run Chart (class total on one graph)

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A Quick Practice

• Using the first five columns of data from the
  teachers grade book, practice making the three
  basic graphs
• Student run chart (plot five scores for one
  student, your choice 14 possible correct)
• Class scatter diagram (plot five weeks scores
  for the entire class 14 possible correct)
• Class run chart (plot five weeks scores for the
  entire class 325 possible correct)

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A Challenge

• Using data well at the classroom level means both
  individual and team applications.
• Try using the 10 Questions sheet to guide your
  planning as a team and as individual teachers.
• Ask yourselves what stories will we have to
  share about our practice by the end of the year?
  How could we organize to share what we have
  learned?

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References

• Drucker, P. (1994). The age of social
  transformation. The Atlantic Monthly. November
  issue.
• Jenkins, L. (2003). Improving student learning.
  Milwaukee Quality Press.
• Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools
  translating research into practice. ASCD.
• Marzano, R. (2000). Transforming classroom
  grading. ASCD.
• www.pkrnet.com for copies of the example slides
  used in the various Great Falls presentations

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Invitation

• The methods I advocate are relatively new.
  Teachers are teaching me as often as I teach
  them. What they teach me, I use to teach others.
  
• I invite you to send me by mail or email your
  questions, experiences, and work samples so that
  this ongoing cycle of learning can continue to
  flourish.
• SusanLeddk_at_pkrnet.com
• Susan Leddick
• 552 Triple Tree Road
• Bozeman, MT 59715