Elementary Instructional FacilitatorsCaldwell County Schools

What We’ve Learned. . .Do: Don’t:

Get buy-in from teachers and administrators.

Include horizontal and vertical teams in data discussion.

Discuss student data in terms of what students need to be successful.

Discuss student data in terms of why the student is not responding to instruction.

Use data conversations as a “gotcha” moment.

Keep data “private.” Teachers can be defensive about what is considered private.

Discuss data in terms of what a teacher is not doing.

Discuss students as having deficits. Automatically assuming that the student has deficits halts conversations.

Data WallsFormats vary

dependent on the needs of the school

Show overall school data and individual student data

Dynamic, not static

Data WallsDo: Don’tShow grade level trends

Sort students to determine student needs

Refer to data walls in discussions

Keep walls in areas away from students and parents

Single out teachersSort students to determine

which “won’t make it” at the end of the year

Create a wall and never revisit it.

Use the data walls in conversation/conference with parents or anyone that is not part of the school staff.

Data Walls

DIBELS Data Walls

Data NotebooksVary depending on

the needs of the school

School notebooksClassroom

notebooksStudent notebooks

Data NotebooksDo: Don’tDesign notebooks that

are useful for tracking student progress.

Allow students to set their own goals and track their own progress.

Keep data notebooks accessible to teachers and/or students.

Make notebooks “one more thing” that has to be done. If it’s not useful, don’t do it.

Keep student data a secret from the students.

Put notebooks in areas where they are not easily accessed or they will be forgotten.

Data MeetingsDo: Don’t:Set an agenda and use

meeting times to discuss student achievement.

Look for trends in data.Set SMART goals for

groups of students needing the same skills.

Determine if interventions/ enrichment plans are effective.

Use meeting times to gripe about students or other school issues.

Use gut feelings to determine student needs.

Leave the meeting without a plan for intervention/ enrichment.

Leave plans open.

Data MeetingsSMART Goals:

SpecificMeasurableAttainableRealisticTime-bound

Action Plans:

School AdministrationDo: Don’t:Be knowledgeable about

the types of data being collected at the school.

Set a high expectation for student achievement and instruction.

Follow through and follow up with teachers and students.

Assume that teachers will take care of data collection and know everything they need to know.

Allow expectations to drop or discussions to fade.

Forget to check on the progress of action plans and talk with teachers and students about their progress.

Instructional Facilitators:Do: Don’t:Assist teachers in data

collection.Assist teachers in looking at

ways to use data in instruction.Act as a reference for teachers

in setting SMART goals and creating an action plan.

Provide teachers with resources to carry out action plans.

Inform teachers and administrators of trends occurring across the district.

Coordinate testing.Analyze data for teachers.Write action plans or

participate in the implementation of the plan.

Write lesson plans for core instruction, enrichment or intervention.

Compare schools to each other.

Questions