Leaders often tell us that they collect a plethora of data but do not always find the time to look at it, much less talk about it with staff and use it to take actionable next steps. That’s unfortunate, because conversations around data can help lead to shared understanding and a deeper impact on student learning. When used correctly, data, say on student learning, can help teachers define what students need, like stronger tier one instruction. That will then require teachers to develop a shared understanding about what tier one instruction looks like and how it can best help with the issues on student learning they are seeing in their classrooms.
Additionally, collecting and using school-processes data, such as on professional learning communities, can help leaders and teachers understand whether PLCs are working or not and how to improve on them.
In our work, we focus on three areas with leaders and teachers that will help foster collective leader efficacy (CLE): developing a shared language, engaging in joint work, and collecting and using evidence of impact (data).
Over the years, “data” has definitely become a four-letter word in the minds of teachers and leaders because it’s been used as a hammer and not a flashlight (check out our video about that here). The central focus for these three areas are typically around a priority, or goal, for a school improvement plan.
When we engage the leaders, teachers, and their teams we work with, we find that they don’t always differentiate between data and evidence in the third part of the definition. This is where we dive into building a shared understanding of what both words mean.
Data refer to raw facts, figures, or information collected from observations, measurements, surveys, tests, or other sources. In an educational setting, data can include test scores, attendance records, survey responses, or classroom-observation notes. Evidence refers to data that have been analyzed, interpreted, or used to support a claim, conclusion, or decision. Evidence goes beyond the raw numbers to show meaningful patterns, trends, or findings that can inform action.
This distinction is important, because we find data can be static; educators collect it but don’t take action. Evidence is about taking the data and actually using the information to make impactful moves.
Questions Please!
Educators tell us they do not always know what questions to ask when exploring data and evidence. We find Victoria Bernhardt’s work to be a great catalyst for conversations about data and evidence.
To quell some of the anxiety that comes with talking about data and foster a learner’s mindset to see strengths, gaps, and blind spots in our leadership or teaching, we offer seven areas of questions to help guide your practice.
Q1 - Perception Questions
What insights have we gained from our perception data (e.g., school culture, climate, values) that challenge our assumptions about how we “do business” as a school? How can we use these data to guide improvement?
Q2 - Processes Questions
Which school processes (instructional, organizational, administrative) have the greatest impact on student learning in your school? What data support this, and how could these processes be improved?
Q3 - Patterns to Guide Performance
What patterns do you see in your student learning data (e.g., assessments FOR, AS, and OF learning)? According to Bernhardt,
- Assessment FOR learning – Assessment helps teachers gain insight into what students understand in order to plan and guide instruction and provides helpful feedback to students.
- Assessment AS learning – Students develop an awareness of how they learn and use that awareness to adjust and advance their learning, taking increased responsibility for their learning.
- Assessment OF learning – Assessment informs students, teachers, and parents, as well as the broader educational community.
How are these data informing your next steps in improving instructional strategies?
Q4 - Professional Development
What types of data (e.g., surveys, observations, student performance) are most helpful in identifying professional development needs for your staff? How can you align your leadership efforts to support these needs?
Q5 - Impactful Programs
How effectively are your school programs (e.g., Accelerated Reader, AVID, 9th Grade Transition) supporting student learning and growth? What data can you collect to evaluate their impact?
Q6 - Action Over Inertia
How do you ensure that data discussions during staff meetings inspire action rather than overwhelm?
Q7 - Reflective
If you knew then what you know now, how might you have taught that lesson/or facilitated that faculty meeting differently?
In the End
These seven areas of questioning can help teachers and leaders engage in deeper and ongoing conversations about using evidence from their data to improve their teaching and learning practices and ultimately better support student learning. Making this practice a staple of staff meetings and workshops creates a culture of fostering collective efficacy between the leader and teachers.
Interested in engaging in deeper conversations about data, evidence, and grading? Then click here to listen to an interview with Tom Guskey on our Leader’s Coaching Leaders podcast to further consolidate the information from this blog post.
