The power of data to take smart decisions for school improvement
The power of data to take smart decisions for school improvement
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The value of data-driven school improvement
The value of data-driven school improvement
Studies show that although educators have a lot of knowledge and expertise, their gut feeling is not always correct. If educators are to make high quality decisions they should, therefore, base these decisions also on data (Schildkamp & Poortman, 2016). Secondly, by using data educators can determine the learning needs of their students and can adapt their instruction accordingly. Thirdly, studies show that if data are used effectively it can lead to school improvement in terms of increased student achievement (Carlson, Borman, & Robinson, 2011; McNaughton, Lai, & Hsiao, 2012; Poortman & Schildkamp, 2016; Van Geel, Keuning, Visscher, & Fox, 2016).
Building this data use culture (Hoogland et al., 2016; Datnow & Hubbard, 2015, 2016; Schenke & Meijer, 2018), entails making sure that there is a collective responsibility with regard to the use of data to increase student learning, that educators collaborate around the use of data, that there is room for asking reflective questions, there is respect for teacher autonomy and professionalism, that there is trust between educators, and that data are not used for blaming and shaming people. This also means that vision, norms, and goals have to be developed with a focus on continuous improvement.
Data-driven school improvement can bring your school or education system from good to great and it has a tremendous impact on student performance and it brings impactful long-term changes in the school system.
The structure of the platform and how to use the materials?
The structure of the platform and how to use the materials?
This platform has been designed with the intention to provide a sound overview of the landscape of data-driven decision making.
Please note that the training materials on the platform will not teach you hands-on skills. It will provide you with the DATADRIVE framework that allows you to understand each step required for a successful decision making that leads towards school improvement.
We have purposefully designed the platform to build your knowledge by first presenting the information in videos and then providing tasks and additional reading materials. Please make sure you feel comfortable with the material in each step of the cycle before you continue to the next one. The materials are designed for both experienced and novice teachers.
Ten sections
Ten sections
The platform consists of ten sections where you can find information about the data-driven school improvement process and how you can use the DATADRIVE cycle for your school improvement project.
Instructional videos
Instructional videos
The main sections on the DATADRIVE cycle include instructional videos describing the implementation process of each DATADRIVE step and an in-depth description of the actions you have to take in order to complete the steps.
We recommend watching the videos sequentially in order to understand each step of the cycle better.
Worksheets
Worksheets
Additionally, in each section you can find downloadable and print-friendly training worksheets and other materials that you can use for your school's data team training and further exploration of the DATADRIVE cycle.
Advanced materials
Advanced materials
The sub-sections include the advanced materials in case you wish to pursue the training on the DATADRIVE in more detail.
Training participants
Training participants
The DATADRIVE training participants have shared their experiences about the DATADRIVE cycle and the training in short review videos that you can find in the section on 'Training participants'.
Training materials
Training materials
All the DATADRIVE training worksheets and materials are stocked in the section 'Training materials'.
Recommended readings
Recommended readings
We invite you to take look at the recommended readings. The readings will provide you with a more detailed and in-depth view of school quality improvement. If you are a beginner, we recommend watching the videos first, then do the tasks and additionally work with the readings.
Feedback
Feedback
To further improve and develop the platform we kindly ask you to fill in and submit the feedback surveys under each section. This will help us better understand your needs and experiences when acquiring and implementing the DATADRIVE cycle in your work.
Step 1: Set Goals
Follow a structure to set a clear goal for your engagement with data, think about potential stakeholders and roadblocks, and start thinking about a plan.
Step 2: Gather data
Choose the most appropriate data sources to identify the root cause of your problems and start thinking about how to collect the data.
Step 3: Explore data and draw conclusions
Go through the process of data analysis and begin to think about the meaning of it all and how it can drive your decisions.
Step 4: Take Action
Translate your learnings into school improvement and devise a data-driven action plan.
Step 5: Review and Continue
Think about systems and structures for revisiting the data-driven school improvement processes regularly and incorporate into everyday work.
We wish you to have a pleasant learning experience by using the platform.
We wish you to have a pleasant learning experience by using the platform.
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