How Teachers Can Turn Data into Action

by Daniel R. Venables

From state and Common Core tests to formative and summative assessments in the classroom, teachers are awash in data. Reviewing the data can be time-consuming, and the work of translating data into real change can seem overwhelming. Tapping more than 30 years' experience as an award-winning teacher and a trainer of PLC coaches, Daniel R. Venables, author of The Practice of Authentic A Guide to Effective Teacher Teams , soothes the trepidation of even the biggest "dataphobes" in this essential resource. Field-tested and fine-tuned with professional learning communities around the United States, the Data Action Model is a teacher-friendly, systematic process for reviewing and responding to data in cycles of two to nine weeks. This powerful tool enables you and your teacher team to
* Identify critical gaps in learning and corresponding instructional gaps;

* Collaborate on solutions and develop a goal-driven action plan; and

* Evaluate the plan's effectiveness after implementation and determine the next course of action.
With easy-to-use templates and protocols to focus and deepen data conversations, this indispensable guide delineates exactly what should be accomplished in each team meeting to translate data into practice. In the modern sea of data, this book is your life preserver!

Genres: Education, Teaching

149 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to purchase this book for a graduate course I was taking. I found Venables' methods of breaking down the work of PLCs in schools to be informative, and his process for gathering, sifting through, and analyzing micro- and macrodata in the classroom was very useful for me both in doing the work of the grad school course and for applying to my own teaching context. There are several protocols that Venables introduces which help those of us who are not used to gathering and interpreting data to do so in a methodical and purposeful way, with the goal of determining what we need to do to have a positive impact on our students' learning. Even if, like me, you don't teach in a public school system that requires a lot of data collection and testing, the process outlined in this book helps give structure to work that can sometimes feel a bit opaque and ill-defined. I recommend it for all teachers, particularly those at the beginning of their careers (so they can avoid the mistakes I made as an early career educator) and for those who when they hear the word, "data," want to go screaming from the room -- this book helps define what is meant by data and what to do with it.

[Nate Balcom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great practical guide to using data in schools. Short, easy read with good resources.

[Precious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready to jump in and get started with the Data Action Model! Very practical!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, actionable book about using data to guide instruction in classrooms. Daniel Venables breaks down the data team process into a series of meetings and protocols that engage teachers and guide them to making sound decisions regarding what happens in the classroom.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most riveting title, but I found this book full of interesting information and solid ideas!