Strategies for using data to inform instruction.
We have many data sources available to us. In fact, we have so
many that thinking about using data can be overwhelming. The
challenge for teachers and administrators is to sift through the
data, pick out what's important, and - most of all - use
the data to improve what we're doing to increase student
achievement. The resources contained in this section are intended
to help you understand what data we have, what it means, and how
you can use the data to help your students. You will find tools and
techniques to guide and support you, as you become a data-driven
educator.
Why data-driven decision-making?
Whether you realize it or not, you use data every moment of
every day to make classroom decisions. Things like experiences with
students, content and pedagological knowledge, and current
expectations all shape the teacher/student interaction. However,
many of those data are highly subjective and can be
inconsistent. The object of data-driven decision-making is to
provide valid and reliable data that are explicitly aligned with
district, school, and classroom goals and objectives, and to use
those data to make well informed decisions to increase student
achievement. Experience and intuition play a role in data-driven
decision-making, to be sure, but they are part of a weighted body
of evidence, rather than the sole factors in making educational
decisions. We all want to make the best decisions for our students
- to employ the most effective and most efficient means to support
the greatest increases in student learning. Good data-driven
decision-making should result in better decisions.
Assessment
Matrix
Formative Assessment
Progress Monitoring RtI Tools
District Assessment Resources
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