Professional Development part of the Education Reform Network

Data-Driven

Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement.

Rationale:

Data from various sources can serve a number of important staff development purposes. The links below support this standard:

• Intersections
  You don’t need an advanced degree in statistics and a roomful of computers to start asking data-based questions about your school, and using what you learn to guide reform. This article presents a model that lets a school quickly begin posing and answering data-based questions about teaching and learning.
• Action Research
  Overview of the concept of action research, how to get started and links to other resources, such as a chapter from an ASCD book on action research.
• Pathways: Action Research
  Defines action research and provides suggested reading.
• Action Research Network, Ireland
  Provides action researchers with links to international resources. (Note: Last update 3/1/99).
• Emphasize student learning
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Good for use with study groups.
• Ideas that Work
  Professional development strategies for teachers of math and science.
• Learning from Student Work
  Highlights from "Focus on Student Work: A Conference on Continuous School Improvement," Conference. Links to concurrent session materials and information.
• Teacher Research
  Focuses on an action research model, Instructional Improvement through Inquiry and Collaboration (IITIC). Provides model research questions and rationale for teacher research.
• Teacher-Researcher Network
  Demonstrates how one school system supports action research. The system supports action researchers, produces a newsletter and organizes an annual conference for presentation of teacher research.
• Action Research/Teacher as Researcher
  Resource links to articles on action research.
• Teacher Change
  Focused on the TIMSS, this set of resources provides leaders with tools to help teachers understand the purpose for school change.
• Up and Away
  Turn around low-performing schools is not that complex. Teachers evaluate areas of weakness, then set goals to improve them one at a time.
• Analyze student data
  Provides articles with discussion/reflection tools. Good for use with study groups.
• Looking at Student Work
  Coalition of Essential Schools model for examining student work. Gives specific directions for use of tools, such as tuning protocol.
• Classroom Action Research
  Describes the action research process used in the Madison Metropolitan School District.
• Action Research Resources
  Action Research International Journal provides resources, links, and articles on action research.
• ISLLC Standards Self-Assessment Inventory
  A practice leadership assessment tool that provides individuals with a practice activity in preparation for the national ISLLC examination offered by ETS.
• Listening to Student Voices
  A self-study tool kit to use student input for school planning.
• School Improvement: Focusing on Student Performance
  Describes the school improvement model advocated by the Regional School Accreditation Commissions .
• League of Professional Schools
  Provides an overview of the League of Professional Schools. Action research is a primary component of this school reform model.
• Design Staff Development with Student Needs in Mind
  Staff development planning must begin with the basic knowledge of standards and curriculum. Then staff developers need to plan backwards by disaggregating student data to determine student needs and then identify the teacher needs based on student data.
• Ask ERIC
  Good resource for action researchers to find research on specific topics.
• The Numbers Game: Measure Progress by Analyzing Data
  Data can be used as a powerful tool for a district/school to measure the progress being made toward achieving its vision. This article outlines the steps to use with data beginning with a data plan, analyzing and summarizing data and then identifying a goal.
• The Ontario Action Researcher
  Electronic journal for teachers at all levels.
• National Awards Program For Model Professional Development
  Description of award program and criteria for selection.
• Educational Research
  Resources for teachers involved in action research. Provides information for math and science education.
• Cycle of Inquiry
  Coalition of Essential Schools' model to analyze the design of school structures and practices.
• Looking Collaboratively at Student Work: An Essential Toolkit
  Article (1996) on activities related to looking at student work.