Eileen Depka - The Data Guidebook for Teachers and Leaders: Tools for Continuous Improvement

Copyright 2006 by Corwin Publishing

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2016.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Rose Storey

Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-776-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-787-5

Printed in the United States of America

Special thanks to the following people for
their friendship, encouragement, and support:

Jeffrey Depka

Kay Burke

Heidi Laabs

The dedicated staff of the School District of Waukesha

Mom

T he intent of The Data Guidebook for Teachers and Leaders: Tools for Continuous Improvement is to accentuate the importance of data collection and analysis within any educational setting. The data guidebook connects data collection to a continuous improvement cycle. This process identifies the purpose for data collection and analysis and places it into a system to improve student achievement.

This book outlines data collection and analysis. Tips on which data to collect, the identification of essential data, and the creation of a data balance are highlighted. The data delve, a gathering of individuals to analyze data, is explained in detail, and organizational and reflective tools are included to assist in this process. Text regarding the organization of the delve provides step-by-step directions for planning and implementing a successful data experience. Techniques for building an atmosphere of trust and openness are included.

Information about collecting, reporting, and analyzing a variety of assessments is also included. Standardized tests, district assessments, and classroom evaluations are highlighted. Detailed information regarding a variety of reporting techniques is provided, along with references to tools to help others make sense of the data. Holistic and analytical rubrics are described, and examples of valuable rubric data are covered. A variety of classroom data uses are also discussed.

Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on working together while maintaining a focus on improved student achievement. Involving all of the key stakeholders in a data analysis and improvement process is recommended. Data analysis and reflection go hand in hand. There are examples of a variety of analysis and reflective activities that will aid in the process.

The book is full of examples and tools to enhance the use of data within classrooms, schools, and school districts. Data is promoted as an essential decision-making tooldata is knowledge. Analysis is not the end of the process but the beginning of a continuous improvement cycle.

This book is intended for use by individuals and groups who work within an educational setting, who have a connection to schools and districts, or who would like to know more about data and its connection to continuous school improvement.

Skyhorse Publishing wishes to acknowledge the following reviewers for their contributions:

Joannie Kalina

Director of Curriculum

Kewaskum Elementary School

1415 Bilgo Lane

Kewaskum, WI 53040

Sharon Sweet

Administrator of Instructional Services

LAUSD District #6

5800 S. Eastern Avenue

5th Floor

Commerce, CA 90040

Jane Gaver

Curriculum Specialist

Davidson Elementary School

3915 E. Ft. Lowell Road

Tucson, AZ 85712

Deborah Beldock

Executive Director

San Diego City Schools

Eugene Brucker Education Center

4100 Normal Street

Room 2116 Educational Center

San Diego CA, 92103

Christelle Estrada

Director

Utah Staff Development Council

Professional Development Services

Salt Lake City District

440 East 100 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Marlene Felix

Administrator of Instructional Services

LAUSD Local District #3

3000 South Robertson Blvd.

Suite 100

Los Angeles, CA 90034

Linda Thalacker

Educational Consultant: Standards, Assessment, and Data

6320 Charles Street

Racine, WI 53402

Rita J. Corbett

Teacher and Corwin Author

683 Bent Ridge Lane

Elgin, IL 60120

Eileen Depka is a veteran educator and currently works as the supervisor of standards and assessment for the Waukesha School District in Wisconsin. While focusing on assessment, she works with teachers and administrators to organize and use data as part of the decision-making and goal-setting processes in an effort to increase student achievement. With the No Child Left Behind legislation as a constant focus, she helps administrators and teachers share data and implement practices to meet improvement goals.

A regular presenter at both local and national conferences, she is the author of Designing Rubrics for Mathematics and the Applying Mathematical Concepts manual, as well as articles on mathematics, assessment, and data analysis. Eileen has served as a content adviser for educational videos, a writer of online courses, and an instructor of graduate-level courses in education.

Driving all of her work is her passionate belief that all students can achieve high levels of proficiency and her dedication to educators in their quest to help all students experience academic success.

Its all about continuous school improvement. Everything centers on student achievement. Article after article provide tips about improving student performance. Book after book include a variety of strategies outlined to increase student understanding. Excellent resources are plentiful. Without a focus, the use of these resources may have no impact on achievement. So what role do data play in the improvement process? Data supply the focus and identify the target. Through the collection and analysis of data, needs are recognized. Data-based goals are created. When incorporated into an improvement plan, impact on achievement is not only possible but likely.

According to Jones and Mulvenon (2003), an increasing amount of evidence supports the impact data have on student achievement. Jones and Mulvenon state that when teachers and principals track student achievement systematically, they can make adjustments in the educational system that result in real improvements in student achievement (p. 13).