As administrators and teachers, we are all too familiar with the restless anxiety surrounding student achievement. As educators we wake up worrying about our students, our efforts, and our impact. The question we must begin to ask ourselves is, academically, behaviorally, socially, do we really know where our students are? Data tracking can be a great way to begin to answer that question openly and honestly with our school community. Collecting data is a game changer for schools that want to make informed decisions around student progress and instruction. This month’s resources are devoted to tackling the terrifying but transformative use of data in your decision making.
Assessment Data:
Check out this article from The 74 Million describing how private schools in Florida just like you are using assessment and data to make major academic gains for low income students!
Emotional & Social Data:
- Read this article from Edutopia to see how one Nevada school is using data to ensure every child is being seen.
- Watch the corresponding video to see this strategy in action!
Getting Started:
- Read this article from Schoology on Tackling Data-Driven Decision Making in Education.
- Is your school in a rural area and struggling to update technology? Check out this webinar from EdWeb on Rural Districts Taking the Digital Leap.
Creating a Data Culture:
- Sign up for this EdWeek webinar on Six Keys to Building a Data Culture.
- Check out this article from NAESP, “How to Create a Data-Driven School Culture.”