Data Walls and Efficacy

Pierce Lamberson

This is my second year at West Jefferson

I teach Algebra I in the 9th grade academy

I’m not an education school professor!

I did have success with data tracking last year

Objectives

Teachers will set a quantitative end-of-year test goal.

Teachers will understand how to track progress towards that goal.

Teachers will have an idea of how they will display their data in their classroom.

The Bad News

We need to make dramatic, seemingly impossible growth in order to make West Jefferson a school that adequately serves our students.

It’s a daunting task!

The Good News

All of you are great instructors.

I’ve witnessed it in classrooms across the school.

You know how to work with kids and I have a lot to learn from you.

Data tracking is REALLY easy!

Data Walls: Just the Tip of the Iceberg

We need to set up a system that will translate all of the instructional talent in this room into student growth.

How are we going to make dramatic growth happen?

1) Set an ambitious goal.

2) Tracking: Monitor our progress toward that goal.

3) Reflect and be persistent.

1) Setting a Quantitative Goal

Like it or not, we are going to be measured by our test scores.

On Tuesday you set a qualitative vision for your classroom.

Now let’s attach that to a number.

Intersection of Ambition and Feasibility

You want to set a score goal for your students that defies expectations.

Examine the data on your respective EOC or GEE test and decide where you would like to see your students score.

An Example: My Goal

My students will pass the Algebra I EOC with an average score of 725

739- 800700-738668-699600-667

Geometry

# % # % # % # % #

WJ 12 4 43 14 86 28 162 53 303

PFT 24 92 2 8 0 0 0 0 26

TJ 52 48 46 42 10 9 1 1 109

FairGoodExcellentNeeds Improvement

Total

English II

# % # % # % # % #

FairGoodExcellentNeeds Improvement

Total

WJ 7 3 70 26 84 31 109 40 270

PFT 19 68 8 29 1 4 0 0 28

TJ 54 50 51 48 2 2 0 0 107

GEE ELA

WJ 0 4 36 31 29PFT 4 60 36 0 0TJ 10 33 53 4 0

A M B AB U

GEE Math

WJ 0 4 36 31 29PFT 4 60 36 0 0TJ 10 33 53 4 0

A M B AB U

Set a Goal

Jot down the average that you would like your students to achieve this year on their end-of-year test.

Remember to set it at the intersection of ambition and feasibility!

DON’T FORGET THIS NUMBER!!!

Easy Right?

Now we just have to hold ourselves accountable to it.

We do this through data tracking and reflection.

2) Tracking: Monitor Progress

We have to know our status

Create rigorous assessments that align to your GLEs and end-of-year tests

Track tests by GLE

Display results

Be Honest with Yourself: Your Data has to be Good Data

Pull your assessment items from sources that are at least as rigorous as your end of course test.

Eagle and The Learning Institute are great. Other states’ items: Massachusetts

Like it or not, this is the level your students will be tested at.

Track Tests by GLE!

Find a way to break your assessments into GLEs.

You need to know how many questions a student correctly answered on each GLE.

Then simply enter this information into a spreadsheet or gradebook.

Get mastery down to a Percent

De’Vante answered 3 out of 5 questions right on GLE 8. He mastered GLE 8 at 60%, needs some improvement.

Jerry correctly answered 9 out of 10 questions on GLE 10. He mastered GLE 10 at 90%, he’s on track on that skill.

Example

I do this by simply creating an answer sheet that is broken into GLEs. Students transfer their answers and when I grade I can instantly see their mastery.

I then enter it into an Excel sheet.

word doc - test excel sheet

Display Your Results as a Constant Reminder

Or better yet, have students display the results!

You want something that has a presence in your classroom and will be a constant reminder of your task and of your progress.

This is where the data walls come in, finally.

At any given point in the year, you should know exactly where your students stand on the GLEs you’ve covered.

Data Walls

Keep it simple!

Don’t be afraid to be creative!

Post your goal and other indicators with your chart

3) Reflect and Be Persistent Data allows reflection and pushes progress. It puts you

face to face with your challenges.

“…cognitive psychologists Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia set out to identify what differentiated the “experts” in a wide variety of fields from those who were widely regarded as merely strong performers. They anticipated that they would discover the experts were more motivated, or perhaps more intelligent, or perhaps more dedicated to their craft. Yet across a wide variety of sectors—from silver-smithing to law, surgery to architecture—they discovered that one trait differentiated experts from the rest. The experts were more likely to be self-critically focused on improving their skills.”

Reflect and Be Persistent

Once you know the mastery levels of your students, you can start problem solving weaknesses and you can celebrate strengths.

Try out different groupings! Differentiate!

Reflect, re-teach, and re-test

Work hard towards that quantitative goal.

Reflect and Be Persistent- 3 Keys to Problem Solving

Rely on good data Make logical connections

between where your students are, why it’s happening, and what you’re going to do about it.

Prioritize the most important things

Reflect and Be Persistent

This is the hard part.

But as exceptional instructional leaders, this is the part that is most natural to you.

You know how to work with students!

Bottom Line

Tracking is incredibly easy and there is no reason why you can’t track the progress of your students.

Doing so will clarify your challenges and put your instructional skills to work.

Exit Slip

1) What is your quantitative end-of-course goal?

2) Where are you going to get rigorous, test-aligned assessment items from?

3) How are you going to display your data? (what type of data wall? Chart, illustration, mural, ect.)

4) Name two ways in which tracking data will improve your instruction.

Have an awesome school year!

Feel free to come to me with any questions.

Pierce.Lamberson…(540) 273 9028Room 222