Stephanie Kastrup and Terri Nelson
slkastrup@mpsomaha.org
tnelson@lps.org
How can schools effectively use data teams to improve instruction and increase student achievement?
In order to improve student achievement, it is essential that educators work collaboratively to collect, analyze, and interpret data to make sound instructional decisions. According to the Nebraska Performance Framework for Principals, effective practices include the focus on continuous school improvement. The principal is to lead a continuous school improvement process that results in improved student performance and school effectiveness. One avenue to meet this goal is through the implementation of a school-wide structured and supportive data teams process.
The Data Team approach (The Leadership and Learning Center, 2010) selected for this study uses common priority standards, generation of common formative assessments, and use of common scoring guides to monitor and analyze student performance. This process occurs within the framework of the Professional Learning Community(PLC) in order to drive instruction and improve professional practice.