2.8 Data Analysis
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to systematically collect and analyze student achievement data, interpret results, communicate findings, and implement appropriate interventions to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning. (ISTE 2h)
Artifact: Data overview
Reflection:
I created this artifact in the course ITEC7305, Data Analysis and School Improvement. When completing the Data Overview, I created a summary of student achievement results based on the Georgia statewide standardized testing by locating and reviewing demographic and student achievement data for my school. The Data Overview included three years of longitudinal data for comparison, and I created graphs to visually represent pertinent data. Overall, the Data Overview summarized reading, ELA, science, social studies and math CRCT data as well as the Georgia 5th Grade Writing Assessment data from the school year 2010-2011 to the school year 2012-2013. The summary also highlighted strengths and weaknesses that were derived from the analyzing the data. The Data Overview ended with possible discussion questions that could guide the school's "next steps" conversation.
When engaging in the process to retrieve data for the data overview, I used digital tools to locate student achievement data. Since I had never engaged in the process before, I learned a great deal about navigating resources to find necessary data. I explored multiple resources and systematically collected data relevant to the artifact’s needs. I learned how I must collect data from multiple sources to find desired results. This process also gave me the opportunity to analyze student achievement data to interpret results and communicate those findings effectively. As a technology leader, I understood the importance of effectively collecting, analyzing, interpreting and reporting finds in regards to student achievement. This allowed me to maximize student learning through suggesting and implementing interventions to improve instructional practices.
I was able to retrieve data from standardized testing and analyze it to determine trends. The learning gained from this experience gave me the opportunity to collect and analyze student achievement data from statewide testing within my school. I interpreted results and communicated those results through a visual PowerPoint presentation. This involved the use of digital tools and resources to determine the strengths and weaknesses in school performance.
This artifact gave me the opportunity to examine my school’s data to pinpoint weaknesses in learning strategies, leading to solutions. It also helped me to find ways to initiate change within the school and effective ways to implement learning strategies. This analysis of whole school data gave me insight to what a school leader needs to do to evaluate and make changes to improve student achievement. This task helped me to better evaluate data to evaluate student achievement gaps, which I will need when serving in a leadership position in my school. One thing that I would do differently if completing the assignment again would be to extend my analysis to all grade levels. While the data collected in the analysis was valuable, it only dealt with student achievement in grades 3-5. One change that I would make would be focusing on a piece of data that affected with multiple grade levels, such as student reading levels or math benchmark data. This would affect school improvement as a whole, and not just the grades tested on statewide testing.
This field experience could impact school improvement at Powder Springs because it analyzes data from statewide testing and determines areas of strength and weakness. It also can promote faculty development, because it identifies specific areas that can be focused on within the school to improve student performance. Student learning also is impacted due to this field experience because analysis of data resulted in the surfacing of trends directly related to student learning. This impact can be assessed through the analysis of future standardized assessments.