Core Driver 1: Data-Driven Schools Must Have the Right Leadership Team
If the right people are identified for the leadership team they can serve as bridges to help win over the rest of the faculty. Most
leadership teams already have members with expertise (as a leader or an instructor). However, it is also important to include teachers
who are trusted by the faculty: those teachers to whom others turn for personal support. Once these staff members are chosen, they
should be involved in every aspect of implementing data-driven instruction.
Core Driver 2: Data-Driven Schools Need an Implementation Calendar
Whatever makes it onto the school calendar takes precedence over other activities that come later. To ensure that data-driven
instruction lies at the heart of a school’s culture, it must be placed on the calendar first. Time for assessment, analysis, and action
should be prioritized on the school calendar. Without regular time set aside for these activities, they are likely to be overshadowed by
other pressing commitments. Below are a few tips to help with this:
Make time for all parts of the process – Schools often block out time to take the assessments but no time to score and analyze
them. In addition, schools need to block out time for re-teaching, such as the week following the assessment (this does not mean the
whole week is spent in review – teachers should integrate old and new material).
Take state/national tests into account – Find out when state/national tests will occur, and then plan interim assessments every
six to eight weeks leading up to that.
Plan time for professional development – Carve out time before and after each round of interim assessments to provide
content-focused PD in areas identified by the assessment.
Core Driver 3: Data-Driven Schools Build by Borrowing
A key component of a data-driven culture is the habit of identifying and adapting best practices from other successful data-driven
schools. This is referred to as “building by borrowing” and all of the high-achieving schools mentioned in the book have visited
schools that were more successful than theirs and borrowed any idea that would help to improve their own results. Leaders must build
the type of culture in which seeking out best practices is accepted and pursued regularly. Furthermore, seeing successful data-driven
instruction in action will show teachers how it looks and help provide hope that if implemented well, it can have tremendous impact.
Core Drivers 4 and 5: Effective Professional Development is Necessary to Prepare Teachers and Leaders
Providing effective training for both teachers and leaders is probably the most important element of building a data-driven culture and
the entire second part of the book is devoted to mapping out specific professional development plans for this purpose.
Part II – Leading Professional Development on Data-Driven Instruction
The second half of the book outlines workshops to train teachers and leaders to put into practice the four core principles of data-driven
instruction: assessment, analysis, action, and developing a data-driven culture. The first chapter describes the key ingredients
necessary for effective professional development, and the subsequent chapters outline the specific activities to conduct each
professional development workshop.
Foundations of Effective Adult Professional Development
Traditionally, professional development often involves teaching by talking, poorly structured large-group sharing, and other
approaches that do not lead to real adult learning. For professional development to be effective, adults need to generate the content
they are learning to be truly invested in it and to retain it longer. Below are the key components of what effective professional
development should include:
1. Activity – Design airtight activities which provide a learning experience (such as case studies, video clips, and role-plays) so
participants can come to the right conclusions.
2. Reflection – Facilitate reflection – individual, small group, and large group – that allows participants to draw conclusions
from the activity.
3. Framing – Use the vocabulary of the new principles to frame the participants’ conclusions so they can share one common
language.
4. Applying – Provide opportunities for participants to apply the learning in simulated and real-world experiences.
Overall, manage time well and inspire by sharing a vision of success so participants can see that it can be done!