Standards based grading entered my little corner of the world on the winds of a perfect storm: teachers were acquainting themselves with a new set of challenging standards, they were eager to create a culture of learning after witnessing how our historic fixation on performance was influencing their kids, they recognized inconsistencies in their assessment and grading practices, and their report cards did not align well with their curricula. In short, their grades were meaningless at best and…
I’ve spent part of this week with a group of elementary teachers who are neck-deep in curriculum design. Prior to our first session, I asked them to talk with their students about the types of learning experiences they value most. These data were captured via survey, which enabled us to organize and share the findings, so that they could influence our next steps. As it turned out, they were very important data to consider. Learners…
Students’ ability to read complex text does not always develop in a linear fashion. Although the progression of Reading standard 10 (see below) defines required grade-by-grade growth in students’ ability to read complex text, the development of this ability in individual students is unlikely to occur at an unbroken pace. Students need opportunities to stretch their reading abilities but also to experience the satisfaction and pleasure of easy, fluent reading within them, both of which…
Overheard: “I’m noticing that a substantial number of kids are struggling to distinguish the topic of a passage from the claim that is being made. They seem to know what the reading is mostly about, but they are confusing that general topic with the more specific claim that the author is making it. I wonder why this is happening.” “Why don’t we ask the kids why they think it’s happening?” “Do you really think…
I’ve learned that data aren’t necessarily the engine of a powerful inquiry team. The team is, and teams are often comprised of very diverse members, particularly if every teacher serves on a team (and in my experience, this must be the case if we’re aiming for systemic improvement). When I leverage the diversity of the group and promote it as a strength, our work becomes very productive. When I allow my personal beliefs and passions to…
“The simple answer is that, in most cases, schools have made mistakes. In fact, this statement isn’t terribly helpful; after all, every school makes at least some mistakes. When it comes to data-driven instruction, however, the type of mistake that a school makes goes a long way toward determining whether or not it will succeed.” Paul-Bambrick Santoyo, Driven by Data: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction. According to Bambrick-Santoyo, these are the eight mistakes that…
I’ll admit it: I struggle with the notion of data teams, and I struggle with those who use the terms “data team” and “inquiry team” interchangeably. I think words matter here. This is how: First, using the term “data team” could conjure the vision of a group that dedicates itself solely to the analysis of quantitative or qualitative performance data. It might also imply that such teams are formed and function separately from other…
On Sunday, I offered up this quick post about what I’ve learned from facilitating data dialogue in different schools over the years. Starr Sackstein caught wind of it on Twitter and connected my reflections to an earlier conversation that she began on her blog about the testing dilemma. As I chatted with her in the comments below her post, this thought emerged: “I tend to see trend data from standardized assessments like markers in a…
Over the last decade, I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate an awful lot of data dialogue inside of many different schools with many different kinds of teachers and leaders. These are some worthwhile reflections that are giving me pause as I continue moving the teams I’ve established forward: Some educators distinguish themselves as data-driven and others distinguish themselves as data-informed. Others don’t distinguish themselves in any particular way. Distinctions are critical. So is language. So…