1) the Obsessor: this person loves to look at numbers and trends, looks forward to receiving the most current data, and probably makes very detailed (and color-coded) trackers and spreadsheets if ones aren't readily made available through software (and if that's the case, this person will load up on paper and ink to make sure those graphs and charts are printed off and handy) and makes binders with sheet protectors and tabs to effectively organize the collection and storing of such data!
2) the Tracker: this person will be on-point, following along with the data being presented or covered, keep prepared data in a handy location to pull when needed, and will occasionally meet to discuss improvements and changes that could be made using observations and data sheets.
3) the Nominalist: this person will accept the data papers that have been printed and made readily available because it is required of them, will stick them in a file somewhere only to go scrounging around for "those sheets" when a necessary time comes (and by necessary I mean "admin requires it"), and will often dismiss the sheets as "one more thing" in the crazy busy world of being a teacher.
Now understand this, I am not dogging on any of these types of folks. And I have NO DOUBT there are combinations of these types. For instance, if you were to provide me with data about electrical usage of our school over a set amount of dates and then compare that to other schools across the district, yeah I could dissect that data with you, come up with a summary of the results, and maybe even aid in a plan to lower our usage (only if this step was REQUIRED by admin), but then you better know that I'm going to slip that "data sheet" into some Professional File of mine and never pull it again unless ab-so-lute-ly necessary!!
When it comes to student achievement data... well, then I'm a crazy OBSESSOR!!! I love it! I need it! Now I sound a bit over the top. But, for me, it's the driving force of what I do instructionally. As a classroom teacher, data (which included observational data) drove my teaching, my flexible small groups, and my intervention/remediation. Without it, I was just doing "busy teaching": looking and sounding good but not really making academic gains.
Now as an Instructional Coach, I love data even more! I can now look at whole-grade and school trends in particular subject areas, I can see how one teacher's style better supports one standard over another, and where students might be really struggling or achieving. Then I can take that information and better SUPPORT my teachers!
I already have a Data Binder prepped and ready for this year. I have the tabs in it, the cover printed and inserted (even though my ink was running out - add that re-do to my "To Do" list), and now I'm ready to start collecting and adding in data sheets and graphs (in color, por favor!).
At this moment, our school is looking at creating a Data Wall. Yes, an entire wall dedicated to the collection of school-wide educational data! I'm giddy excited!! Though some educators out there might feel like this is a bad idea ("the attention would be on me and how my students are performing... ugh), I think this is a forward-thinking, progressive idea ("let's see what achievement level they are at and where they need to head, how far they have to go, and what sort of rate of improvement would benefit the kiddo"). I'm anticipating some great teacher-talk will come out of this wall o' data as we have a positive focus and value the purpose behind this strategy.
As I was perusing Pinterest, I saw some school-wide data walls along with some classroom data walls!! How exciting! I hadn't really thought of a data wall in a classroom. I'd heard of, and used, student data binders. But posting it up on the wall is a great twist! I know some teachers already do something along these lines - posting AR goals and scores, using stickers to mark who knows what sight words, etc.
So I'm curious, is this something you do at your school or even in your classroom? I'd love to hear from you!
Now, I'm off to continue my search for more motivating and stimulating data wall layouts!!
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