Putting a Face on Data

Deb Liechty displays data boards she has created for Echo Hill teachers and staff.

Over the last five years our district has invested time and money training staff in understanding the PLC process.  Part of the idea of that program is to have teachers work in teams discussing, sharing, and analyzing data from students in their classrooms.  This is a process that requires teachers to be vulnerable, honest, and trustworthy in the teams they work with.  If you want to see a school that rocks this process, head to Echo Hill Elementary.

In a recent visit, I had the privilege of visiting with Deb Liechty, Reading teacher and program leader of the MTSS committee at Echo Hill.  Deb meets two to three times a month with her MTSS committee comprised of:  Instructional Strategist, Laura Robertson; Principal, Dan Ludwig, and Guidance Counselor, Deb Bundy.  During their meetings they explored the idea of creating data boards early in the school year.  Deb Liechty led the charge and visited Wilkins Elementary, also in the Linn-Mar School District, to look at some sample data boards.

Sample Data Boards

This collaboration sparked some ideas of how to create school wide data boards at Echo Hill.   It has taken time, organization, and planning, but Deb and her team are pleased with the results.

Where are these Data Boards used?

At Echo Hill, they have School –Wide PLC twice a month.  The whole staff heads to the building library and assembles into their grade level PLC groups.  During this time they look at data and then use the data boards to see how all students are progressing.  They have student pictures and names on the data so they know that they are dealing with more than numbers.  It was important to the whole team to remember that students are more than a number. 

By using the data boards, teachers know and can discuss which students are in the proficiency range and which students need more support.  They are having powerful conversations.  Each grade level is responsible for logging information on an index card in regards to the data, and how students are performing.  Some PLC teams are using reading data, some math, and some both. The teams discuss a variety of assessments such as FAST scores, Fountas and Pinnell, Guiding Reading Classroom data, NWEA, and other formative math assessments. The beauty of it is that the conversations are fluid and meaningful.  The conversations apply specifically to the students at each grade level.  For example, Deb Liechty works with kindergarten teachers during PLC.  She is part of the conversations and is really excited about the conversations she is hearing teachers have about data, instruction, and student performance.  It’s a work in progress, but a powerful one.

Cards are attached to the back of data boards, for teachers to record on-going data and progress students are making at each grade level

Another role of the MTSS team is to discuss Intervention Block known as EXCEL Time.  This happens building wide 4 days a week at Echo Hill.  Teachers work with students on areas they need extra help with or areas they need enrichment in.  Because part of the PLC process is celebrating success, Echo Hill holds monthly celebrations from 3:00-3:30.  These celebrations happen twice a month:  once for Blended-2nd grade, and once for 3rd-5th grade.  This celebration is held in the gym and Principal Ludwig, and other personnel arrange the event.  During this time teachers use the time to plan their intervention block.  This gift helps teachers maximize planning time. 

Kindergarten Teachers Tackle Curriculum and Collaboration

One of the most positive comments we receive about having a Teacher Leader Program in our district is that teachers have more opportunities to see teachers in action not only within their own school building, but also across the district.  Previously those conversations took place on district professional development days and were limited based on the time needed to cover pertinent district initiatives and curriculum.  Everything is necessary and has meaning, but we are always battling the clock.  Time. Time. Time.  How do we get more?  How do we make the most of what we have?  We know we cannot add hours to the clock, but we can maximize the hours we have. Recently our technology coaches helped a group of kindergarten teachers accomplish some pretty big tasks in one instructional day.

Jessica Zimmerman, Technology Integration Coach has been working with the other elementary TICS(Technology Integration Coaches) Ryan Gotto, and Karla Koenen on ways to effectively implement the use of Mimio boards and software into classrooms all across our district.  This week a group of kindergarten teachers met to work on creating Smartboard/Whiteboard compatible lessons to go with Linn-Mar’s Journey’s curriculum.  Jessica and Karla helped teachers take the Journeys Curriculum Software created by the company and purchased by the district to create white board lessons. Kindergarten teachers from two buildings joined forces to learn something new and work on this venture with with Technology Coaches, Jessica Zimmerman and Karla Koenen.  Jessica spent a couple of hours working with teachers on learning the ins and outs of how to use the Mimio board.  Then they broke into a large group session discussing and creating Journeys curriculum and lessons to use with the hardware.

At the end of the day they had learned valuable skills to operate the hardware, had created 3 units of whiteboard/smart board compatible information, and had the time and opportunity to network with others across the district. 

The very next day Sharaya Peck was able to begin using lessons with her kindergarten class at Novak Elementary.  

Sharaya Peck utilizes the mimio board and Journeys lessons in the classroom.

This group of teachers and teacher leaders are just one of many examples of collaboration taking place district wide at Linn-Mar.  

Embracing Change

"Nothing gold can stay." 

Robert Frost did have it right.  Nothing stays the same.  Things are constantly changing, which can be invigorating, but also bittersweet.  Erin Watts' daughter recently celebrated her first birthday.  At the party Erin commented on how her daughter was walking everywhere and soon she wouldn't be a baby.  Erin's husband responded, "We don't have a baby anymore."  This provided Erin with an opportunity to reflect on this life change.  She was thrilled with the new milestones that her child had reached, yet it made her sad that those baby moments were fleeting.

Any parent can likely identify with Erin's feelings.  As educators we have a new group of students yearly.  The class size and make up of student needs are never the same year to year.  We have a choice to embrace the new and different behaviors in our classroom, as well and the new and different mandates that come to us from local and governmental agencies.  Embracing change can be difficult for some of us.  For others is comes easy.  Our high school is about to undergo another round of renovations this spring.  The result will be rewarding for students and staff.  The process may be messy.  Teachers may have to share rooms, or pack up their rooms and move to an alternate location temporarily.  This can cause great fear, anxiety, discomfort, and chaos. The key to all this is that it is only temporary.  It won't stay that way.

At a recent Professional Development Day, several high school teachers had the opportunity to hear Kim Vogel, Directional Coach and Consultant.

She had some great tips on how to help teachers embrace change and focus on things they could control.  It was evident her passion is helping people find and reconnect with their passion and spark. I was particularly moved by one of the things she said about externalizing things.  She mentioned that sometimes we need to talk about things or voice our frustrations, but sooner or later we have to let it go, or do something about it.  I applaud this thinking and it struck a chord with me. It is easy to be sucked into a blame session complaining about systems problems or why things are happening.  If I truly want to be a change agent in my school, and want to do what is best for students I need to let some things go and focus on what I can control.  Sometimes we all need to be reminded of the little things.  We also need to be mindful of the fact that all of us are going through something-- some type of change is happening to all of us---it's just different than what the person sitting next to us is experiencing.

Tracy Hopkins, a Linn-Mar High School English teacher, will soon be packing up his classroom to teach in another building while the high school begins renovations.  This is temporary, but could be between one to two years.   Tracy understands this may be a lot of work, but said he is looking forward to the move.  He has currently been in his room thirteen years, and has embraced this opportunity to work with individuals in a different setting, and refocus his professional development.  "It's like I've been sitting in a sauna for years, and having to move my classroom will be like going out into the snow.  I'm thinking I'll feel invigorated by the change."

As our high school is about to experience some growing and moving pains I leave you with this inspirational thought:

"All great changes are preceded by chaos." - Deepak Chopra

Effective Student Feedback

Recently, many of our teacher leaders have been exploring the concept of giving students feedback.  Not just any feedback, but meaningful feedback that directly impacts what students are doing in the classroom.

The best examples of feedback, that I can think of center around using those teachable moments to fine tune a math skill, or reading strategy, or accentuate the use of punctuation in writing.  My son learned to add a period to the end of his sentences last year in kindergarten thanks to a whole brain writing strategy his teacher used.  

Over the last six months I’ve been in countless classrooms in our district where students receive constructive and timely feedback.  Giving good feedback is more than a compliment, or criticism.  It centers on data.  Not only how to collect data, but how to effectively use that data in classrooms.  I’ve seen our Technology Integration Coaches work with many teachers on programs and ways to collect data in classrooms and then use that data to promote conversations with students.  Our Mentor Coaches are observing first and second year teachers and helping them craft meaningful ways to give feedback to students.    Many Instructional Strategists have been working with teachers in our district exploring the use of standards based grading.  It is exciting to hear their stories of success as they work to be change agents in our schools.  A couple of books they are utilizing are:

In December, Erin Watts and myself had the opportunity to hear John Hattie speak.  His book and research centers around many teacher practices that work, but highlights ones that work the best.  It was fascinating to see the data he had collected.  What we sometimes believe to be the best, truly wasn't as effective as one might think.  He believes if feedback is goal-oriented, specific, personalized to each student, and consistent, that it can be more effective than many of the other teaching practices we are using in the classroom.  In fact his research shows that effective feedback can affect student achievement as much as 1.13.   For more information on Hattie’s work check out:

As spring conferences are approaching, our teachers and staff will be giving all kinds of feedback to students and parents.  I hope all of your conferences are productive and help you make decisions that impact your classrooms positively.

Give Your Best Ideas Away

Over the course of twenty years I have had the privilege of working with numerous teams of teachers.  I learned an enormous amount from each of them. I am currently without classroom. This at times can send me into a tail spin.  I miss the elements of a classroom, and the chance to create in a learning space. 

I am co-coordinating our Teacher Leadership Program with Erin Watts this year.  We have launched leadership.  The plane is in the air.  It has survived.  We are six months into our flight plan and every day another sheet of metal forms it way into the fuselage.  We may have dipped in altitude from time to time, but we are flying and our triumphs are big and worthy of some praise.

The little surprises, and near crash landings have been few, less than 10 percent.  Today, we celebrate the 90 percent victories we have faced and embrace the tough work that lies ahead.  We have had success because of the PEOPLE IN OUR PROGRAM.  I'll say it again.  We have had success because of the TEACHERS.  The right people have found their way into our in-classroom and out of classroom positions.  The right TEACHERS have been willing to be LEADERS.

Being a leader can be unpopular at times.  You have to be willing to stand on a limb and often swim against the current. You have to be willing to question and suggest and dare people to see their lives differently AND that can cause parts of your plane to drag and roll. So, you have to be willing to offer help to your colleagues, and SHARE with your colleagues. That's right... the thing you learned in kindergarten.... to SHARE.  You have to be willing to SHARE your expertise, your philosophy, your time, your classroom.   If I can share one piece of advice about what I have learned so far it would be exactly that: SHARING.  The most valuable thing we can give to each other is our shared knowledge.  Our plane will be stronger, and stay in the air longer if we continue to build it together.

This commitment to shared collegiality makes us all stronger.  It keeps us transparent.  It holds us accountable to the expectations of our district.  It keeps us focused on our building goals, district goals, and curriculum expectations.   It makes us all work harder.  It makes us all want to GIVE MORE.  DO MORE.  BE MORE.  It is UPLIFTING. And who benefits the most from that?  

OUR STUDENTS.

So, open your file cabinets and classroom doors.  Ask. Share. Listen. Collaborate. Observe.  Co-teach.  Learn.  We have a long flight ahead.  

Using Data

Janelle Hurkett is working on collecting and evaluating data for her 6^th grade reading students.  She makes instructional decisions based on the multiple reading assessments that students participate in throughout the year.  This data is important and complex.  

She contacted her Technology Integration Coach, CJ McDonald about working on a way to visualize the data in an efficient and effective way.  After some extra Microsoft training, CJ made a draft Excel document to organize and visualize the data that Janelle was looking for.  She decided that this document could also be used to inform and communicate to parents.  In order to do that there would be a sheet with every student’s information on it while each student also had an individual sheet.  This sheet would show that growth over time in four areas: fluency, accuracy, vocabulary and comprehension. 

After a couple more tweaks, the pair got the document ready to go.  Janelle used the document with a mid-term parent meeting with success.  Now the only things left are data entry, a quick tutorial video to show Janelle and her colleagues how to continue to work with the document, lots of teacher evaluation and reporting of reading data…which can be done with a click of the button. 

This is a screenshot of a sample document made to communicate this project; no names or data are real.

This type of partnership represents an interaction that is occurring in the district with an effort to collect and analyze student data in a more efficient and effective way.  Teachers will begin working with their TICs and their Instructional Strategists to collect data and create a visualization to evaluate and report.