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Utilization of School Performance Data to Improve School Quality
Background
The term School Performance Data is commonly used by school leaders, business leaders, and politicians. However, it is likely that each of these groups thinks differently about the concept. When you see references to the Use of School Performance Data to Improve School Quality in the text that follows, we are defining this process as efforts to use various kinds of data to help make decisions about ways to improve education in your school community. Those decisions might be about class size, distribution of teachers, curriculum, daily schedules, or any other issue that might have an effect on each and every child in a school community. The data used can be either quantitative or qualitative or a mix of both. Though the type used depends on what is studied, you need to remember the major differences between the two data types:
Quantitative data provide the strongest evidence to decide if a designated strategy has achieved its aim. Qualitative data provide descriptive information that helps decision-makers understand issues in the situation that can have an effect on student success, parental involvement, community opinions of local schools, or other issues.
Rather than use the term Use of School Performance Data to Improve School Quality throughout this text, we will shorten the term to Use of Data whenever it makes sense.
Also, we have narrowed the topics we introduce in this document to those that are addressed in PEN's Civic Index Poll. This poll is based on a series of public forums and surveys conducted across the nation over a five year period. As a result of this effort, we have identified indicators or common qualities that encourage meaningful involvement in public education. As you read through the information in this series of support tools, carefully consider your community's situation.
How can you use the information and suggestions included in this material to help you build stronger civic involvement in education in your community?
PEN's Civic Index Indicators for Use of Data are:
Information about school performance is widely communicated and readily available in a form and language that the community can understand. Schools make parents and the community full partners in developing and supporting strategies for student academic progress. Information about school performance is explained to the community through a variety of channels, including the school district, local government, nonprofit organizations, and the media. Teachers and school staff are properly trained in how to use data to engage parents and the community to improve student achievement.
Please note that when you first take a look at these indicators, the wording might lead you to believe that the school is the one responsible for taking action. While the school does have its responsibilities to share and involve parents and the community in discussing data, this document is focused on what parents and the community can do to use data as part of a process to improve the quality of schools.
Using this Resource
As you explore the ideas in this material, you will become familiar with research and the ways that have been proven effective for using data to support student success. You will have an opportunity to:
Think about how school performance data is currently being used to involve parents and the community in school improvement in your school community Learn about strategies that parents and the community can use to participate fully in using data to plan and put meaningful activities into action that will benefit students Plan for ways to use what you have learned in your school community
Remember that by making use of this material, you have taken a first step in your new role as advocate for Use of Data to make decisions in your school community. However, the most important thing in exploring new materials is in learning how you can use the materials. You can choose to study these materials as an individual or you can look them over with others who are interested in this category.
Click here to download the Utilization of School Performance Data to Improve School Quality worksheet to help you work through the new things you have learned. You can use this as a tool to take down your own thoughts or as a worksheet for group discussion.
Exploring and Organizing the Indicators
Though each of the indicators is separate, each connects with all of the others. When a community member participates on school councils or decision-making panels that are using data to make decisions, that individual also is a full partner in improving education. When a parent stays informed about the data related to key educational issues, that parent is using data to understand the quality of schools in the community. This is true of all of the indicators. Each indicator may stand alone, but it also is an interrelated part of the Use of Data to promote school improvement. For this category, rather than separate each indicator for discussion, we've combined them into the following topics:
Presenting data and preparing for use
Data are needed in efforts to improve schools. While school districts and schools still have much to learn about how to present data in an easily understandable format, they are making a lot of progress. However, few of those involved, school or non-school based, have had enough preparation in reading or analyzing data to use data as a tool to make decisions about school improvement. To raise your Civic Index Score in this category, create opportunities for all stakeholders to work with data in meaningful ways.
To add value to the presentation of data and preparation for use, school staff, parents, students, community leaders, and community groups need:
opportunities to build relationships that create strong partnerships, opportunities to participate in strategic planning processes to support school improvement, structures to support easy access to data and interpretation of data, and processes to increase networking to raise awareness of the variety of agencies and groups that provide data
When individuals, no matter what stakeholder group they represent, gain access to data, master the use of that data, and make decisions based on correct data analysis, they are taking a first step in establishing data as effective tools for school improvement.
Focusing on academic progress
While it is important that stakeholders explore and use data, that work is pointless if it is not focused on student achievement. When stakeholders use data to focus directly on achievement, the data becomes a powerful tool in targeting the most important needs of students and the school system itself. Creating opportunities for parents and community members to join with school staff to develop and support data use can raise a community's Civic Index Score.
To involve stakeholders in meaningful use of data, leaders should make sure that activities include:
opportunities that encourage a wide representation of stakeholders, activities that provide greater understanding of curriculum or standards as well as best practices in instruction, and opportunities to share perspectives and beliefs about education.
When a partnership approach is used to increase the Use of Data, the stakeholders in this process are together contributing to a quality educational experience for all students.
Overview of Research and Best Practices in this Field
Collecting, analyzing, and using student performance data to make decisions about instruction daily, monthly, and year-by-year is important to increasing student achievement (Cotton, 2000; Marzano, 2003; Schmoker, 2001). As school staff, parents, community members, and student use data for school improvement, they will become involved in four types of activities:
However, it is the results that come from the Use of Data that makes this process worthwhile:
Improvement efforts focus on and produce increased student achievement. Resources are spread more effectively to meet the needs of all students. Partnerships create cooperative opportunities among all stakeholder groups. Larger networks to support improvement efforts develop. All stakeholders come to a better understanding of data and its value in school improvement. Interactions created through the partnerships create more positive relationships among schools staff, parents, students, and community members.
As you work to increase data use to address student needs, remember that each community is unique. As such, there are no one-size-fits-all methods to put these programs into action. However, when people involved:
develop a clearer picture of the actual needs of students, demonstrate the value and advantage of working with each other to provide additional support to schools, and develop long-lasting partnerships that encourage meaningful relationships among all stakeholders that lead to increased involvement and support for all students, these efforts can have an effect on student achievement.
Key Issues
The information in this section is designed to provide an understanding of key issues related to efforts to encourage Use of School Performance Data to Improve School Quality. As we said in the first section, we have limited the key issues to those related to the indicators.
Key Issue 1: Data Availability and Utility-What Should Be Considered to Make Sure Data Can Be Used?
Though some states have tried over many years to collect and share data with school staff and the public, this is a new approach to school improvement for other states. Because of the different ways these practices have been put into action, some states have well-developed systems to use data. Others are only beginning to fully appreciate the advantages of this process. As you use these materials, keep this in mind.
There are specific issues related to data that can help or interfere with the use of data:
Are the data broken down by subgroups, commonly called disaggregated data?
This means the data are broken into demographic groups such as race, economic status, home language, or special education. This is important because reports with data that are broken into subgroups allow us to identify if one group of students is being neglected. Maybe your school has put the largest part of its resources into providing assistance to students who do not have the greatest needs. Disaggregated data shows us where to focus our efforts. Are the data widely communicated and widely available to all who need and want to see the data?
Producing the data is great, but if individuals or groups cannot understand or get data, it doesn't have much value. Language and reading ability are the most common issues involved in obtaining access to data, but there are others. State departments frequently use the Internet to communicate, but schools and districts tend to use written reports or brochures.
Remember that departments of education and schools are not the only groups who collect and share data. There are many nonprofits and media groups that also collect and share data. They can be a valuable source. In fact, sometimes these groups will present their data in very different formats from school reports. This allows users to see education from a different viewpoint.
There are likely to be other things to think about when considering how to communicate data, but if these two are in place, the foundation for data use has been put in place.
Key Issue 2: Parents and Community-What Value Does Parent and Community Involvement Add to These Efforts?
Even though some schools have a long history of including stakeholders that represent a great number of groups, it has not been a legal mandate in most states until the last five or 10 years. In fact, in some states, it's even a newer concept. However, there is evidence that involving parents and community in planning and putting improvement efforts into action can be a meaningful part of the school improvement process.
The outcome of this joining together of stakeholders is a culture that supports improvement structures and a focus on the needs of students. For additional information on parent and community involvement in supporting school, check out the recommendations from the Active Parents, Strong Civic Organizations, and Active Business categories.
Key Issue 3: Teachers and Staff Training-What Training Is Needed to Support These Efforts?
We often have the idea that those involved automatically know how to take part in meaningful interaction. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Most teacher preparation programs do not provide coursework on working with parents or community members. An even greater surprise is that school staff don't always know how to use data in a meaningful way. They are more likely to have been told what the data say rather being given a chance to form their own opinions. Basically, don't make the assumption that anyone knows how to enter into a partnership with others, or that anyone knows how to "read" data.
To make sure that data become the foundation of a cooperative or partnership process for creating high quality schools, prepare all those involved to take an active role. Typically, training will include activities on such things as:
Quality curriculum and instruction Relationship building activities Data analysis Developing shared beliefs Strategic planning Shared decision-making
Data give power to all those involved to make educated decisions that in the end will lead to increased student performance.
Once you've completed the Civic Index Poll in your community find out how you can improve your score in this category by visiting the Tips and Strategies section.
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