Working with Data

Series Overview

In today's data-rich environment, individuals and organizations are likely finding it impossible to prove a point or take action without the use of data. This series, "Working with Data," focuses on the importance of being data literate.

Music for this series is provided by Cary High School's Logan Foster.

Do you have what it takes to be Data Lit?

11/2/21

You got the data! Now what? In this first episode, we explain what it means to be data literate and explore some critical skills data-literate individuals/educators should have.

Research from the episode:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (n.d.). EL Takeaways: 8 Data points to ponder. ASCD. https://files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el201511_takeaways.pdf
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2015). How to share data with families. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-to-share-data-with-families
Mandinach, E. (2013, September 13). Data literacy vs assessment literacy. Micheal and Susan Dell Foundation. https://www.dell.org/insight/ellen-mandinach-data-literacy-vs-assessment-literacy/#
Precisely Editor. (2019, March 29). What is data literacy & why is it important? https://www.precisely.com/blog/data-integrity/data-literacy-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters

Resources for WCPSS staff:

Smith, M. (2019). Data literacy. Data, Research and Accountability. https://wcpss.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/course/viewCourseSearch?courseId=13130

Exploring Multiple Measures in Your Data Story

11/16/21

In order to make decisions about how well a school is doing, we need to look at multiple measures in order to uncover the full story. In this episode, your hosts will explore the four main data types (Student Learning, Demographic, Perceptions, & School Processes) by sharing where these types show up in our buildings and how they work together to impact school improvement.

Research from the episode:

Bernhardt, V. (2004). Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement (2nd ed.). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education Inc.
McDonal, J.P., Isacoff, N.M., and Karin, D. (2018). Data and Teaching: Moving Beyond Magical Thinking to Effective Practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Morrison, J. (2008, December 8). Why Teachers Must be Data Experts. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/why-teachers-must-be-data-experts

Resources for WCPSS staff:

Data-Based Problem Solving for Continuous School Improvement

How to Talk About Data

11/30/21

It’s not enough to be able to interpret data, to truly initiate change, you have to be able to effectively communicate data. In this episode, we review five practical tips for how to talk about data with staff, students, and families.

Research from the episode:

Adaptive Schools. (n.d.). Seven Norms of Collaborative Work. Retrieved November 1, 2021 from http://theadaptiveschool.weebly.com/7-norms-of-collaborative-work.html
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2015, November 1). 8 Data Points to Ponder. Educational Leadership. https://files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el201511_takeaways.pdf
Datnow, A., & Park, V. (2015, November). Five (Good) Ways to Talk About Data. Educational Leadership, 73(3), 10-15. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/five-(good)-ways-to-talk-about-data
DuFour, R. (2015, November). How PLCs do Data Right. Educational Leadership, 73(3), 22-26. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-plcs-do-data-right
Finnigan, K., Daly, A. J., & Che, J. (2012). Mind the gap: Learning, trust, and relationships in an underperforming urban system. American Journal of Education, 119(1), 41–71.
Goodwin, B. (2015, November). Mindsets Are Key to Effective Data Use. Educational Leadership, 73(3), 78-79. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/mindsets-are-key-to-effective-data-use
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux
McWilliams, L., & Patton, C. (2015, November). How to Share Data with Families. Educational Leadership, 73(3), 46-49. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-to-share-data-with-families

Resources for WCPSS staff:

Overcoming Data Obstacles

12/14/21

In this episode, we tackle three obstacles that sometimes prevent staff from engaging with educational data: Separating the signal from the noise, lack of time, and determining next steps. For each we provide listeners with practical tips for how to overcome those barriers so they can more easily implement data literacy skills in their positions.

Research from the episode:

Bernhardt, V. (2004). Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement (2nd ed.). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education Inc.
Data-based Decision Making in Education: Kim Schildkamp, Mei Kuin Lai, Lorna Earl
Data Quality Campaign. (2014, February 1). Teacher Data Literacy: It’s About Time. https://dataqualitycampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DQC-Data-Literacy-Brief.pdf
DuFour, R. (2015, November). How PLCs do Data Right. Educational Leadership, 73(3), 22-26. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-plcs-do-data-right
Goodwin, B. (2015, November 1). Mindsets are key to effective data use. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/mindsets-are-key-to-effective-data-use

Sorrells, A. (2019, December 18). Here’s what 800+ NC teachers think about education data. Education NC. https://www.ednc.org/nc-teacher-education-data-survey/

Resources for WCPSS staff:

What Baseball Statistics Can Teach Us About Education

1/11/22

In this episode, we explore the parallels between educational data and baseball data. We look at the past, present, and future of each, discussing how advancements in one industry can inform the other. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to learn something from this home run of an episode!

Research & Resources from the episode:

Is there a topic you'd like us to cover this season? Let us know on our Messages page!