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Capture The Human Side of Learning

Data makeover puts students front and center.

By Learning Forward
February 2013
We recently asked more than 500 teachers and administrators, “Why should we put faces on data?” That is, how do we capture the human side of learning? One teacher said playfully, “Because they are so cute.” While that’s true, the more compelling reason is because it is so important. Educators need to care for students, but they also need to help students get better in the one thing that can serve them for life — their day-to-day learning (Sharratt & Fullan, 2012). Education is overloaded with programs and data. The growth of digital power has aided and abetted the spread of accountability-driven data — Adequate Yearly Progress, test results for every child in every grade, Common Core standards, formative and summative assessments. Technology accelerates the onslaught

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Authors

Lyn Sharratt and Michael Fullan

Lyn Sharratt (lyn.sharratt@utoronto.ca) is coordinator of the Ed.D. cohort at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Michael Fullan (mfullan@me.com) is education adviser to the Ontario premier.

14 Parameters to Increase All Students’ Achievement

  1. Shared beliefs and understandings.
    1. a. Each student can achieve high standards given the right time and the right support.
    2. b. Each teacher can teach to high standards given the right assistance.
    3. c. High expectations and early and ongoing intervention are essential.
    4. d. Teachers and administrators need to be able to articulate what they do and why they teach the way they do (adapted from Hill & Crévola, 1999).
  2. Embedded literacy/instructional coaches.
  3. Daily, sustained focus on literacy instruction.
  4. Principal instructional leadership.
  5. Early and ongoing intervention.
  6. Case management approach: Data walls, case-by-case meetings.
  7. Professional learning at school staff meetings.
  8. In-school grade/subject meetings: Collaborative marking of student work. 
  9. Centralized resources.
  10. Commitment of district and school budgets for literacy learning and resources.
  11. Action research/collaborative inquiry.
  12.  Parental and community involvements
  13. Cross-curricular literacy connections in each subject area.
  14. Shared responsibility and accountability.

Source: Sharratt & Fullan, 2006, 2009, 2012.

Putting Faces on the Data: What Great Leaders Do! 

By Lyn Sharratt & Michael Fullan 

The many benefits of personalizing data include increased student engagement and positive impact on school culture. This guide helps readers set goals, adjust lessons, identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, and implement interventions. Included is a self-assessment framework for implementing improvement at the district and state levels. By focusing on connecting all the dots between students and data, educators can accomplish the ultimate goal of helping them learn. (Corwin Press, 2012)

To order: www.learningforward.org/bookstore or 800-727-7288.

capture-the-human-side-of-learning

References

The Education Trust-West. (2011, April). A report card on district achievement: How low-income, African-American, and Latino students fare in California school districts. Oakland, CA: Author.

 

Hill, P.W. & Crévola, C.A. (1999). The role of standards in educational reform for the 21st century. In D.D. Marsh (Ed.), Yearbook 1999: Preparing our schools for the 21st century. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

 

Sharratt, L. & Fullan, M. (2006). Accomplishing districtwide reform. Journal of School Leadership, 16(5), 583-595.

 

Sharratt, L. & Fullan, M. (2009). Realization: The change imperative for deepening district-wide reform. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

 

Sharratt, L. & Fullan, M. (2012). Putting FACES on the data: What great leaders do! Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

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