What Does Your School Data Team Sound Like?: A Framework to Improve the Conversation Around Data

Get your data team working effectively!  Data is a valuable resource for improving education. Unfortunately, many school teams struggle to make sense of new and often overwhelming data. What Does Your Data Team Sound Like? provides an approach that supports teams as they review a range of data sets, and improves their conversation about effectively applying data to instructional decision-making. Written to help teams navigate the world of data analysis for on-going school improvement, this book offers an easy to follow framework that dives deep into data-driven instruction. Readers will find:  Easy, step-by-step analysis techniques   Case studies that demonstrate different approaches  Checklists and flowcharts to help visual the process  Developed by expert authors who have worked with data teams across a wide variety of settings and scenarios, this book will help educators take action to create better learning environments for students. 

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Changing the Lens With the Data Analysis Team (DAT) Is Data the New Four-Letter Word? Changing the Lens for How We View Data Where Did All This Data Come From? Okay, Let’s Change the Lens! Summary 2. What Should Your Data Team Look Like? Mixed Versus Nonmixed Data Teams Goals of the Data Team What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of Each Team Member? How Will Meetings Be Facilitated? Preparation, the Key to Success Activities Summary 3. Getting Over the Fear of Data Fear of Data What Is a Data Set? What Is a Database? Archival Data Setting Up a Database Entering Data Correctly in a Cell Levels of Data Assessment Data Levels of Accountability Activities Summary 4. How to Know What Works What Works, Anyway? What Are Improvement Cycles? How Do Researchers Determine What Works? Pre-Post One Group Design Summary 5. Following the Steps in the Exploratory and Confirmatory Cycles Exploratory Cycle Confirmatory Cycle Summary 6. More Ways to Examine Data Using Different Variables to Sort Data Graphing Data Types of Graphs Activity Summary 7. Collecting Formative Data The Role of Formative Data in the Confirmatory Cycle Using Classroom Observations as Formative Data Reliability of Observational Data Tips for Conducting Observations Using Surveys as Formative Data Piloting the Survey Collecting Survey Data in School Settings Activity Summary 8. Adding Parents to Your DAT Include Parents, Rather Than Exclude Them Parent Validity Activities Summary 9. Continuing the Conversation Surrounding Student Data Looking at Individual Items Adding Other Variables to the Conversation Looking at District Level Data Summary 10. Scaling Up Data When to Expand to Other Locations A Model for Scaling Up: Patterns in the Data Using Capacity to Scale Up Summary Epilogue References Index