Use Data and Tech to Improve Student Learnings and Outcomes

At a recent job interview I was asked to provide in writing the answer to the question, "What evidence can you provide of how you use data and technology to improve student learning and outcomes in a particular school or group of schools?" Here's what I wrote, "Ensuring Data is Driving the Right Kind of Instruction." I thought it was a great question and would love to get others insights either here directly, or perhaps by sharing links to a blog (if you have one). I think this is a great topic to share ideas about with various audiences.

Tags: data driven decision making, data driven instruction

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Permalink Reply by Kate Fanelli on March 18, 2009 at 9:12pm

Did you get the job?

That was really an outstanding response. You made good points and it has given me pause to think about how I will be assessing my students from here on out. I think also that sometimes when people are engaging in activities, they don't think of them as assessments (e.g. games, online publishing, etc.) and you very clearly describe them as assessment tools.

I especially thought the contrast you made between 21st century tools and the one day when schools revert back to a day of paper and blackboards was powerful. I had never thought of it that way, but it is so very very true.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Nielsen on March 19, 2009 at 12:33pm

Hi Kate,

Thank you so much for your feedback on my response. It is very meaningful to me to know the response seems valuable to you. You never really know as you write something what others may think. That's why this is such a great forum. We can finally ask others who care...rather than forcing my poor boyfriend and roommate what they think all the time ;)

The hiring decisions are still being finalized this week, but in the interview I got the sense that they did appreciate the sentiment and thinking behind my response.

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Permalink Reply by Kev on March 19, 2009 at 7:25am

I recently was shaken by my data from my 2 honors classes to make some major changes to my assessments. It wasn't that they were struggling - it was the exact opposite. I was getting class averages over 90% and ended up asking myself why the heck I was wasting their time.

I have since stopped giving them the standardized test model for assessment and instead have moved to group quizzes based on analysis and judgments. For example, on their recent test on Latin America they had to write responses to:

-If you were making a movie about The Sad Night who would be the hero, Cortes or the Aztecs? Why? How would you have the movie end, keeping in mind it must remain true to history.

I was incredibly impressed by the discussions this question drove among my 12 year olds. Just listening to them was assessment enough for me to know they got the material. Their written responses were then just icing.

I have long used double assessments (one authentic, one based on standardized tests) but it wasn't until this year that I really looked at the data and used it to change up much of anything.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Nielsen on March 19, 2009 at 12:38pm

Thanks for the insights Kev. I agree that it is important for educators to allow data to drive instruction in ways that make sense to them. Also, it sounds like a part of what you commented on relates to the idea of Curriculum Compacting which is an intervention that ensures students don't have to cover areas of learning they have already mastered. I recall a story a friend shared about entering 9th grade with his math book done and getting reprimanded by his teacher and told he'd just have to do it again. I think students will really benefit from teachers having discussions on ways to really drive instruction and use data from smart assessment tools.