How to Find Direction and Inner Peace as a Teacher

Day 7: Data Planning

Today you get to build your solutions and make a plan for 1-2 targeted areas you would like to see improved.   This is often the step most people jump to however we save it for last in order to ensure there is alignment between your data, theories, AND solutions.

Steps 1&2 can be found here.

Step 3: Solutions (Figure out what to do to improve the data points).  What needs to happen to ensure that the targeted data points improve? 

Let’s build onto the example we used on days 5 and 6 so you can see how this aligns.

Example: 

Outcome: The data shows increase of students in their overall reading scores and even more narrowly this increase is for a subset of students in particular (Outcome).

Cause/ Theory: You might theorize that this increase, especially for this subset of students is that they take every opportunity given to them to read, are consistently having their reading logs signed to indicate they are reading at home and are taking Accelerated Reading Tests regularly to show what they know. (Causes) 

Aligned Solution(s): Knowing that students who are reading more are increasing their overall reading abilities, you decide to solve for the gaps with students who aren’t growing by:

1) Doing a reading inventory interest for all students to ensure you help students find books they enjoy and visit the library with students and help them not only find books they enjoy but also books that support their independent reading level 2) You build a system to help students not just take AR tests but meaningfully engage with the book they are reading including doing reading check-ins with the students who need it most

 So now it is your turn. Come up with 1 to 2 aligned solutions that will help change course and your data for the better.

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• How might I re‐structure subject area learning to support the needs illustrated by the data? 

• How do I need to communicate to my students and their families about the data? 

• What curriculum, materials, and potential support structures do I have in place to address these areas of strength and areas of need? What might I be missing?  

• What evidence do I need during classroom instruction to know that my students are making progress toward meeting the targets for each gap? 

• Are there structures, programs, and/ or practices that could be added, modified, or eliminated to respond to the deficits in performance. If so what are they?  

• Are there stakeholders I should involve in order to move forward with changes in structures, programs, and/ or practices. If so, who are they and how can they support?  

Facebook Community Action Step:

Share a solution you are excited to implement in the coming weeks/ months in your classroom to see improvement happening!