Surviving Data Overload

I love the questions presented in the article, How to Survive Data Overload (Ronald S. Thomas, 2006). The questions enable the analysis and interpretation of data to be focused and productive. The Team Dialogue Guide: Moving From Data to Classroom Instructional Improvement can be a key element in keeping team discussion and planning on track. At the state CSCOPE conference this past summer, I attended a session related to creating a notebook for data. The notebooks were called CIA notebooks (Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment) and were designed to be used to guide discussion in the use of data to affect student improvement. The Team Dialogue Guide would be a great tool to be added to the CIA notebook. This page could be a summarizing tool to give a clear overall picture of what the data showed. I would introduce this tool to my staff as professional development. As they have to use data to drive their decision-making, the process will become easier and they will see how much more effective their decisions are.

I agree with my classmates in that the Reflection Guide is a good tool, but wordy. Most teachers would not read it through. The information is important though and needs to be included in planning and preparation of lessons. Our campus teams and is departmentalized. I would first use this form in staff development to explain how it can aid in better addressing student need. I would then break up each of the sections so that the teacher was only looking at that particular section by itself. The team or department could address those questions more clearly before moving to the next section. This tool would be a great connection as teachers looked at benchmark performance for a six week period. I would also make sure I had provided staff development related to instructional strategies so ideas and answers would come more readily and not bog down the meeting time. I think as teachers used this tool regularly, the process will become easier.