The most important thing that I learned in Data Analysis and School Improvement was how to access and analyze data as part of the Data Overview, as well as through Tasks 1-3. As an art teacher, my data often looks different, and although I have been exposed to data from the visual art Student Growth Measurement (SGM) as well as benchmark and Georgia Milestones data, it was not until I had the opportunity to access and disaggregate it, then organize into graphs and analyze, that I understood why it is imperative for informing instructional practices that impact student achievement.
Because the Data Overview informs the Action Plans, I feel that is another valuable field experience, since the point of the Data Overview is to share with administration so that steps can be taken reflecting the school's Strategic Plan and data results. The goals of the Action Plans are specific to student learning, and the data team itself must have knowledge of the instructional initiatives and various data sources, including cost and people responsible for implementation, monitoring, and assessment. In experiencing how all of the field experiences come together to support student achievement, I believe that the Data Overview is most valuable with the Action Plans following.
Two other important aspects of this course were deciding who should be part of the data team and the purpose of each member, as well as the entire process of drilling down data. Often I rely on others to communicate with me when there is an academic need, but I realize that even if I were not part of the actual data team, I have a role and responsibility in using data to inform instruction, and I now know how to access the data, interpret, and analyze for this purpose. These are all skills that I would not have acquired outside of this class.
As a member of the Leadership Team at my school, I look forward to sharing my Data Overview and Action Plans with administration and the academic coach, as well as the fifth grade team. I also feel that I can use what I've learned about fifth grade Milestones assessment results to inform my instruction and assessment in visual art, giving students opportunities to incorporate reading, math, science, and social studies into their projects.
A challenge that I anticipate is finding time to use data in a meaningful way that truly supports student achievement and success. It is one thing to know how to access and interpret data, and another to be able to use it for best practices in the classroom. I plan to collaborate with other art teachers within the county that are already using data for this purpose (or desire to) during our quarterly professional learning sessions. Another way to address this challenge would be to attend occasional data team and grade level planning meetings to find out how other teachers are using data appropriately within time constraints of the school day. I look forward to meeting these challenges with the knowledge and skills that I've gained throughout this course.
Because the Data Overview informs the Action Plans, I feel that is another valuable field experience, since the point of the Data Overview is to share with administration so that steps can be taken reflecting the school's Strategic Plan and data results. The goals of the Action Plans are specific to student learning, and the data team itself must have knowledge of the instructional initiatives and various data sources, including cost and people responsible for implementation, monitoring, and assessment. In experiencing how all of the field experiences come together to support student achievement, I believe that the Data Overview is most valuable with the Action Plans following.
Two other important aspects of this course were deciding who should be part of the data team and the purpose of each member, as well as the entire process of drilling down data. Often I rely on others to communicate with me when there is an academic need, but I realize that even if I were not part of the actual data team, I have a role and responsibility in using data to inform instruction, and I now know how to access the data, interpret, and analyze for this purpose. These are all skills that I would not have acquired outside of this class.
As a member of the Leadership Team at my school, I look forward to sharing my Data Overview and Action Plans with administration and the academic coach, as well as the fifth grade team. I also feel that I can use what I've learned about fifth grade Milestones assessment results to inform my instruction and assessment in visual art, giving students opportunities to incorporate reading, math, science, and social studies into their projects.
A challenge that I anticipate is finding time to use data in a meaningful way that truly supports student achievement and success. It is one thing to know how to access and interpret data, and another to be able to use it for best practices in the classroom. I plan to collaborate with other art teachers within the county that are already using data for this purpose (or desire to) during our quarterly professional learning sessions. Another way to address this challenge would be to attend occasional data team and grade level planning meetings to find out how other teachers are using data appropriately within time constraints of the school day. I look forward to meeting these challenges with the knowledge and skills that I've gained throughout this course.